STOP or turn OFF Oracle archive logging (ARCHIVELOG mode) on Oracle Database

Products

• Data Loss Prevention Enforce
• Data Loss Prevention Oracle Standard Edition 2

Issue/Introduction

For Oracle Standard Edition, Symantec/Broadcom only supports cold backups with the "Database log mode" set to "NOARCHIVELOG".

If ARCHIVELOG mode is enabled, it needs to be turned off to be within the scope of support.

Oracle Enterprise users can maintain the database however they see fit, however issues with regard to the ARCHIVELOG are the responsibility of the customer DBA team.

Below are instructions to turn this mode off: 

Environment

All versions of Oracle.

Resolution

Here are the steps for stopping Oracle archive logging: 

1) Connect to SQLPlus as sys as sysdba:

SQL> conn sys as sysdba

2) Execute the following script:

SQL> alter system archive log stop;

3) Shutdown the database:

SQL> shutdown immediate

4) Startup in exclusive mount mode. 

SQL> startup mount restrict

5) Disable the archive log mode, and open the database.

SQL> alter database noarchivelog;
SQL> alter database open;

6) Check to see if archive logging has been disabled

SQL> archive log list

Here is an example of what you ought to see

Database log mode            NOARCHIVELOG
Automatic archival              DISABLED
Archive destination             /mount_point/oradata/SID/ARCHIVE/arch
Oldest online log sequence 2
Current log sequence         3

7) Shutdown Oracle and startup normally

SQL> shutdown immediate
SQL> startup