# Validating database files in RDS for Oracle
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDBFiles"></a>

You can use the Amazon RDS package `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util` to validate Amazon RDS for Oracle database files, such as data files, tablespaces, control files, and server parameter files (SPFILEs).

For more information about RMAN validation, see [ Validating database files and backups](https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/BRADV/rcmvalid.htm#BRADV90063) and [ VALIDATE](https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/RCMRF/rcmsynta2025.htm#RCMRF162) in the Oracle documentation.

**Topics**
+ [Validating a database](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDB)
+ [Validating a tenant database](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTenantDB)
+ [Validating a tablespace](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTablespace)
+ [Validating a control file](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateControlFile)
+ [Validating an SPFILE](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateSpfile)
+ [Validating an Oracle data file](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDataFile)

## Validating a database
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDB"></a>

To validate all of the relevant files used by an Oracle database in RDS for Oracle, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database`. 

This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).

The following example validates the database using the default values for the parameters.

```
EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database;
```

The following example validates the database using the specified values for the parameters.

```
BEGIN
    rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database(
        p_validation_type     => '{{PHYSICAL+LOGICAL}}', 
        p_parallel            => {{4}},  
        p_section_size_mb     => {{10}},
        p_rman_to_dbms_output => {{FALSE}});
END;
/
```

When the `p_rman_to_dbms_output` parameter is set to `FALSE`, the RMAN output is written to a file in the `BDUMP` directory.

To view the files in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.

```
SELECT * FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.listdir('BDUMP')) order by mtime;
```

To view the contents of a file in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.

```
SELECT text FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file('BDUMP','rds-rman-validate-{{nnn}}.txt'));
```

Replace the file name with the name of the file you want to view.

## Validating a tenant database
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTenantDB"></a>

To validate the data files of the tenant database in a container database (CDB), use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant`. 

This procedure applies only to the current tenant database and uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md). This procedure is supported for the following DB engine versions:
+ Oracle Database 21c (21.0.0) CDB
+ Oracle Database 19c (19.0.0) CDB

The following example validates the current tenant database using the default values for the parameters.

```
EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant;
```

The following example validates the current tenant database using the specified values for the parameters.

```
BEGIN
    rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant(
        p_validation_type     => '{{PHYSICAL+LOGICAL}}', 
        p_parallel            => {{4}},  
        p_section_size_mb     => {{10}},
        p_rman_to_dbms_output => {{FALSE}});
END;
/
```

When the `p_rman_to_dbms_output` parameter is set to `FALSE`, the RMAN output is written to a file in the `BDUMP` directory.

To view the files in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.

```
SELECT * FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.listdir('BDUMP')) order by mtime;
```

To view the contents of a file in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.

```
SELECT text FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file('BDUMP','rds-rman-validate-{{nnn}}.txt'));
```

Replace the file name with the name of the file you want to view.

## Validating a tablespace
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTablespace"></a>

To validate the files associated with a tablespace, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tablespace`. 

This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).

This procedure also uses the following additional parameter.


****  

| Parameter name | Data type | Valid values | Default | Required | Description | 
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 
| `p_tablespace_name` | varchar2 | A valid tablespace name | — | Yes | The name of the tablespace. | 

## Validating a control file
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateControlFile"></a>

To validate only the control file used by an Amazon RDS Oracle DB instance, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_current_controlfile`. 

This procedure uses the following common parameter for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).

## Validating an SPFILE
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateSpfile"></a>

To validate only the server parameter file (SPFILE) used by an Amazon RDS Oracle DB instance, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_spfile`. 

This procedure uses the following common parameter for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).

## Validating an Oracle data file
<a name="Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDataFile"></a>

To validate a data file, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_datafile`. 

This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`

For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).

This procedure also uses the following additional parameters.


****  

| Parameter name | Data type | Valid values | Default | Required | Description | 
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 
| `p_datafile` | varchar2 | A valid datafile ID number or a valid datafile name including complete path | — | Yes | The datafile ID number (from `v$datafile.file#`) or the full datafile name including the path (from `v$datafile.name`). | 
| `p_from_block` | number | A valid integer | `NULL` | No | The number of the block where the validation starts within the data file. When this is `NULL`, `1` is used. | 
| `p_to_block` | number | A valid integer | `NULL` | No | The number of the block where the validation ends within the data file. When this is `NULL`, the maximum block in the data file is used. |