Crash recovery and Media recovery

SCN and CheckPoint

Posted on March 14, 2011by Gopi

Sytem Change Number (SCN)

System Change Number(SCN) is an Oracle Clock, that keeps on ticking. This number is
utilized by Oracle to log the changes made to the database. This number is quite useful
while recovering the database from any failure.
SCN is 8Byte (48bit) number represented as 2 parts SCN_BASE and SCN_WRAP. An
SCN_BASE is a 4Byte(32 bits) number and SCN_WRAP is a 2Byte(16 bits) number.
Whenever SCN_BASE reaches its maximum (2 power 32 = 4294967296 ) , SCN_WRAP
goes up by one and SCN_BASE will be reset to 0. This continues till SCN_WRAP
reaches its maximum(i.e. 2 power 16 = 65536).
SCN = (SCN_WRAP * 4294967296) + SCN_BASE.
Now the question arises in our mind what happens when SCN reaches its maximum?
and how the Oracle handles that situation?
Lets say you have fresh database with both SCN_WRAP and SCN_BASE at value 0. As
the database is up and running, SCN value keeps on increasing for every second. For
SCN_BASE to reach its maximum, it will take around 136 years( 4294967296/
(365*24*60*60) Assuming one transaction per second.). This is just for one Wrap and
imagine you have still 65535 wraps to complete. So, no need to fear about reaching
maximum.
Even if it does reach maximum, then SCN will be reseted to 0, thus causing a new
incarnated database. So, all your old backups and Archived logs becomes useless. Need
to take fresh backups.
CheckPoint
Checkpoint is an event that happens at a particular time(=SCN). When this happens, all
datafiles and control files are updated with SCN at that time. A successful checkpoint
guarantees that all database changes up to the checkpoint SCN have been recorded in
the datafiles. As a result, only those changes made after the checkpoint need to be
applied during recovery.

Crash recovery and Media recovery

So what kind of events makes checkpoint to occur

WhenalldirtybuffersintheOracleSGAarewrittento
datafiles
byDBWR.

Whenredologswitchoccurs.

WheneverthetimesetbytheLOG_CHECKPOINT_TIMEOUTinit
parameterisreached.

Byissuingthecommand'altersystemswitchlogfile'or
'altersystemcheckpoint'.

Oracle stores the SCN associated with the Checkpoint in four places: three of them in
the control file and one in the datafile header for each datafile.
System checkpoint SCN in the control file.
Datafile Checkpoint SCN individually in the control file for each datafile.
Checkpoint SCN value in the header of each datafile, which also reffered as Start SCN
The stop SCN is held in the control file for each datafile.
Now let us see how the SCN that is stored in different places by various events are useful
during recovery scenarios.
Under the normal conditions, where database is running without any problem, the
System Checkpoint SCN, Datafile Checkpoint SCN and Start SCN have equal values.
Whereas, Stop SCN will always be NULL under normal conditions.

Crash recovery and Media recovery

During a clean shutdown of the database, since it is an event, a checkpoint occurs and
the stop SCN value is set to Start SCN of datafile header. Now, all the 4 SCN values are
same.
(Just remember !!! if it is a clean shutdown all the four SCNs will be same.)
Now let us see what happens when the database is started
Upon startup, Start SCN value is checked with Datafile Checkpoint SCN, if they both
match then Start SCN value is checked with Stop SCN and if they do match, Oracle
opens the database without any problem. Since in our case as mentioned above all the 4
values are same and so we have a clean startup. Once the database is opened, stop SCN
of the control file will be resetted to NULL again.
So, as explained above, this is how the SCN i.e stored at various places behaves under
normal conditions. Now let us know how SCNs behaves under abnormal conditions like
instance crash or media failure.
When an Instance Crash occurs, since a clean shutdown didnt happend, Stop SCN value
is not initiated with the start SCN value and it remains as NULL. Upon startup, Oracle
checks the Start SCN with Stop SCN and found that they are not in match. Oracle
determines that instance requires a crash recovery. Instance recovery happens
automatically at database startup without database administrator (DBA) intervention.
At instance startup, the datafile checkpoint SCN in the control file and the start SCN in
the datafile header are checked for equality. If they dont match, it is a signal that
media recovery is required.