FRA In Oracle

In the context of Oracle, FRA stands for “Flash Recovery Area.” It is a feature introduced in Oracle Database 10g that provides a centralized and automated location for managing backup and recovery-related files. The FRA simplifies the backup and recovery process by managing backup files, archived redo logs, and other recovery-related files, making it easier to maintain and recover your database.

Here are some key points about the Flash Recovery Area (FRA) in Oracle:

1. Automatic management

Oracle automatically manages the files in the Flash Recovery Area, including deleting obsolete files to free up space for new backup and recovery files. This helps prevent the FRA from filling up and causing backup failures.

2. Purpose

Primary purpose of the FRA is to store and manage critical database recovery-related files, such as backups, archived redo logs, and control file autobackups. It provides a centralized location for these files, making it easier to manage and automate the backup and recovery process.

3. Initialization parameter

To enable the Flash Recovery Area, you need to set the DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST parameter in your Oracle instance’s initialization file (init.ora or spfile.ora).

For example: 
DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST = '/u01/app/oracle/fast_recovery_area'

4. Size consideration

You can also specify the maximum size the Flash Recovery Area should occupy on disk using the DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE parameter. This helps you manage the space utilization efficiently.

For example:
DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE = 30G

5. RMAN and FRA

Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) is the recommended tool for managing backups and recoveries in the FRA. RMAN can automatically back up the database to the FRA, manage the retention of backups and archived redo logs, and perform point-in-time recovery easily.

6. Archive Log Destination

It’s worth noting that the Flash Recovery Area also acts as the default destination for archived redo log files if you haven’t explicitly specified an archive log destination using the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n parameters.

Using the Flash Recovery Area can significantly simplify your database backup and recovery operations, ensure data integrity, and provide an automated and centralized solution for managing recovery-related files.