SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP :


Purpose

SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP takes as an argument a number that evaluates to a system change number (SCN), and returns the approximate timestamp associated with that SCN. The returned value is of TIMESTAMP data type. This function is useful any time you want to know the timestamp associated with an SCN. For example, it can be used in conjunction with the ORA_ROWSCN pseudocolumn to associate a timestamp with the most recent change to a row

Notes:

■ The usual precision of the result value is 3 seconds.
■ The association between an SCN and a timestamp when the SCN is generated is remembered by the database for a limited period of time. This period is the maximum of the auto-tuned undo retention period, if the database runs in the Automatic Undo Management mode, and the retention times of all flashback archives in the database, but no less than 120 hours. The time for the association to become obsolete elapses only when the database is open. An error is returned if the SCN specified for the argument to SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP is too old.

Examples：

The following example uses the ORA_ROWSCN pseudocolumn to determine the system change number of the last update to a row and uses SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP to convert that SCN to a timestamp:

SELECT SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP(ORA_ROWSCN) FROM employees WHERE employee_id = 188;

You could use such a query to convert a system change number to a timestamp for use in an Oracle Flashback Query:

SELECT salary FROM employees WHERE employee_id = 188;

SALARY
----------
3800

UPDATE employees SET salary = salary*10 WHERE employee_id = 188;
COMMIT;

SELECT salary FROM employees WHERE employee_id = 188;
SALARY
---------- 
 38000

SELECT SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP(ORA_ROWSCN) FROM employees WHERE employee_id = 188;

SCN_TO_TIMESTAMP(ORA_ROWSCN)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
28-AUG-03 01.58.01.000000000 PM

FLASHBACK TABLE employees TO TIMESTAMP TO_TIMESTAMP('28-AUG-03 01.00.00.000000000 PM');

SELECT salary FROM employees WHERE employee_id = 188; 
 
SALARY
----------
3800


TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN :





Purpose

TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN takes as an argument a timestamp value and returns the approximate system change number (SCN) associated with that timestamp. The returned value is of data type NUMBER. This function is useful any time you want to know the SCN associated with a particular timestamp

Note: The association between an SCN and a timestamp when the SCN is generated is remembered by the database for a limited period of time. This period is the maximum of the auto-tuned undo retention period, if the database runs in the Automatic Undo Management mode, and the retention times of all flashback archives in the database, but no less than 120 hours. The time for the association to become obsolete elapses only when the database is open. An error is returned if the timestamp specified for the argument to TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN is too old.

Examples：
The following example inserts a row into the oe.orders table and then uses TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN to determine the system change number of the insert operation. (The actual SCN returned will differ on each system.)

INSERT INTO orders (order_id, order_date, customer_id, order_total) VALUES (5000, SYSTIMESTAMP, 188, 2345);
1 row created.


COMMIT;
Commit complete.

SELECT TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN(order_date) FROM orders WHERE order_id = 5000;

TIMESTAMP_TO_SCN(ORDER_DATE)
----------------------------
574100