How can we clean up/backup of .DBF files in Oradata folder in ORACLE on windows

Question

We have very less space on our C Drive where the DBF files are stored in windows server. Can we clean up some space any logs can we removed on observation could see that DBF files are taking huge sapce

Answer 1

We have very less space on our C Drive where the DBF files are stored in windows server.

Generally speaking, putting anything other than Windows itself on the Windows disk is a Bad idea.

• Come close to filling the Windows disk and the Windows starts to run like a slug.
• Fill the Windows disk and your shiny, new server turns into a paperweight.

Short answer: Invest in more disks.

Can we clean up some space ...

Maybe ... It depends what you put where.

... any logs can we removed ...

Depends where you put the logs. They're not necessarily "DBF" files.

... on observation could see that DBF files are taking huge space ...

If the DBF files are the Database's Data Files then there's not much you can do (except to delete Data from the database and then try to "shrink" the Data Files).

If you're not using Automated Storage Management (ASM) then, [shockingly] for a Relational Database, you will find yourself spending a disproportionate amount of time mucking about, house-keeping all the files that Oracle Database creates.

Recovery MANager (RMAN) and Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR) should become your new best friends.

Properly configured, RMAN keeps track of everything you need to get your database back if something goes horribly wrong and can get rid of everything else, if you ask it to.
If you're not using RMAN, then you really, really should be.

ADR keeps track of stuff of anything created when things go wrong, like the database's Alert log. It can do housekeeping on those files as well but, again, only if you ask it to. Best to set this up as a scheduled job.

Answer 2

In general Oracle doesn't make it easy to reclaim disk space, other than through cleaning up log and trace files. If you haven't already, consider rotating the listener and alert logs, or removing old trace files from the ADR subdirectories. If you have much free space within your data files, also consider reorganizing your tablespaces (online reorg of tables, rebuiling indexes) to defragment them, then attempting to shrink your data files.

These articles - Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR) in Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (ADRCI) and Reclaiming Unused Space in Datafiles - will help you get started.

Answer 3

I think one of the general recommendations for any RDBMS (Relational DataBase Management System) is to not store the database files, the transaction log files, the logs, any dumps or anything database related onto the C:\ (Windows OS) drive.

You might want to consider configuring (an) additional drive(s) and moving the database files to those new drives.

There are a couple of links that will explain how to move the Oracle database files:

• 14.5 Renaming and Relocating Datafiles (Oracle: Database Administrator's Guide)
• Renaming or Moving Oracle Files (Oracle-Base)

This can be achieved online in some cases.