Configure RMAN to purge archivelogs after applied on standby

Applicable:

Oracle Database - Enterprise Edition - Version 10.2.0.1 to 10.2.0.5

GOAL:

We need RMAN to automatically purge archivelogs from the FRA once they are applied to the standby database.


SOLUTION

In a dataguard configuration, the archivelogs from the FRA will be automatically purged when the following conditions
are met by the database. If you need it purged in at the Primary site, set it on Primary database.

1) prior to 11g, if not using mandatory archivelog destinations, the database (primary and standby) must be restarted
with the following parameter:

SQL > alter  system  set "_ log_deletion_policy"='ALL' scope=spfile;

2) configure the following parameter in RMAN (primary and standby):
        RMAN> CONFIGURE   ARCHIVELOG  DELETION  POLICY  TO  APPLIED ON STANDBY;
       
3) the archivelog must have been applied to the standby. Run the following query to list all archivelogs applied to the
standby:

select   a.thread#, a.sequence#,a.applied
from   v$archived_log a, v$database d
where  a.activation# =d.activation#
and a.applied='YES'
/

4) If on the primary site, the archivelog must be obsolete per RMAN retention policy
To list the obsolete objects, run the following query:

RMAN> SHOW RETENTION POLICY;
RMAN>REPORT OBSELETE;

5) there is space pressure in the FRA
When an archivelog is automatically deleted from the FRA, you will see this in the database's alert.log:

REFERENCES
 
Oracle Metalink Doc ID  728053.1
NOTE:331924.1 - RMAN backups in Max Performance/Max Availability Data Guard Environment
NOTE:740322.1 - RMAN Archived Redo Logs Are Deleted Before Being Applied at Standby Database
BUG:6216036 - RMAN+DG ARCHIVELOG DELETION POLICY APPLIED ON STANDBY NOT RESPECTED