Applies to:

Symptoms

RMAN Backup of archived logs fails with following error:

Cause

There are a few possible causes for this error :

1. Invalid records in the controlfile

Invalid and/or deleted records in the controlfile. Records might be aged out of the controlfile during the backup.

2. The rman backup job had been started TWICE.

The initial resync for each job identified the same set of logs to be backed up.
Both jobs were trying to backup and delete the SAME archivelog set, one of which failed eventually as the other job had
already backed up and deleted the log.

3. Incorrect syntax

The backup command being used is correct by 'syntax', however incorrect by 'logic' because RMAN will try to backup some archivelogs (archivelogs which completed till 'sysdate-1')  twice in the same command:

This backup command is interpreted by RMAN like the following:

+  Take backup of 'all' archived logs and then delete them

and

+ Take backup of archivelogs completed till 'sysdate-1'

If we don't specify 'DELETE INPUT', the command will be succeeded, however, by doing so, we will unnecessarily backing up some of the archived logs (archivelogs which completed till 'sysdate-1') twice which doesn't seem to be the intention of above command.

Solution

1. Invalid records in the controlfile

Run the below command to synchronize the controlfile with the current status
of the backup-related information.

2. No concurrent RMAN backups

Make sure that concurrent backups of the archivelogs of the SAME database are not run.

3. Correct the syntax

Correct the RMAN backup command 'logically' by removing the repeated 'archivelog' keyword:

If we wish to take backup of all archivelogs, then: