Flashback Technologies
Oracle Database Flashback Technologies is a rich set of data recovery solutions that reverse human and logical errors by selectively and efficiently undoing the effects of a mistake. Before Flashback, it might take minutes to damage a database but hours to recover; with flashback, correcting an error takes about as long as it took to make it. In addition, the time required to recover from this error does not depend on the database size, a capability unique to the Oracle Database.
Why Oracle Flashback Technologies?
Faster Database Recovery
Eliminates the need to restore a whole database since only the affected data blocks are reverted to the time before the wrong data manipulation.
Continuous Data Archive
Offers continuous archival of changes to comply with industry and government regulations.
Easy to Use
Revert the database or a table to a previous point in time with a single command. Query data from the past with a single SELECT statement.
How Oracle Flashback Technologies Work
Oracle Flashback Technologies use metadata maintained by Oracle Database to view or return data to an earlier state without requiring a traditional point-in-time restore. Different Flashback features use different underlying mechanisms depending on the scope and type of recovery.
- Undo Data - Most Flashback features use undo data to reconstruct previous versions of changed data, supporting recovery and analysis at the row, transaction, and table levels.
- Flashback Logs - Flashback Database uses flashback logs to rewind database data files to an earlier point in time without first restoring them from backup.
- Recycle Bin - Flashback Drop uses a recycle bin to recover dropped tables and associated objects that have not been purged.
- Flashback Data Archive - Maintains historical data for enabled tables beyond the available undo retention period, supporting longer-term access to past data.
Together, these mechanisms provide recovery at different levels of granularity, from individual rows and transactions to tables and the entire database, while complementing an overall backup and recovery strategy.