STUDENT KNOWLEDGE: March 2026

Introduction

Archive logging is a critical feature in Oracle databases that enables database recovery and online backups. When the database runs in ARCHIVELOG mode, Oracle archives redo log files before they are overwritten. These archived logs can later be used for point-in-time recovery and disaster recovery.

In this article, we will walk through:

Checking the current archive log status
Enabling ARCHIVELOG mode
Configuring the Fast Recovery Area (FRA)
Changing the archive log destination
Verifying archive log generation

This guide applies to Oracle 19c running on Linux.

Step 1: Check the Current Archive Log Location and Archive Log Status

First, connect to the database and verify the current archive log destination.

Explanation

Database log mode: No Archive Mode – The database is not archiving redo logs.
Automatic archival: Disabled – Archive log generation is turned off.
Archive destination: Default location where archive logs will be stored once archiving is enabled.
Log sequence numbers: Show the redo log sequence currently in use.

Since the database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode, you cannot perform point-in-time recovery or hot backups.

Step 2: Steps to Enable ARCHIVELOG Mode

Shutdown the Database

Start Database in Mount Mode

Enable ARCHIVELOG Mode

Open the Database

Step 3: Verify Archive Log Mode

Step 4: Configure Fast Recovery Area (FRA)

The Fast Recovery Area (FRA) is a central location where Oracle stores:

Archive logs
Flashback logs
Backup files
Control file backups

Check the FRA parameters.

Set FRA Size

Step 5: Set Archive Log Destination

Step 6: Confirm Archive Destination

Step 7: Generate Archive Logs

Caution: Your use of any information or materials on this Blog is entirely at your own risk. It is provided for educational purposes only.

What is Oracle Database Security Assessment?

Oracle Database Security Assessment is the process of reviewing database configurations, user privileges, and security settings to detect vulnerabilities and ensure that security policies are properly implemented.

The goal is to identify risks such as:

Weak password policies

Excessive user privileges

Unpatched vulnerabilities

Lack of auditing and monitoring

Misconfigured database parameters

By performing regular security assessments, organizations can strengthen their database security posture and prevent unauthorized access.

Database security is a critical responsibility for every DBA. Regular security assessments help identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Oracle Database Security Assessment Tool (DBSAT) consists of three main components: Collector, Reporter, and Discoverer, each designed to analyze and evaluate different aspects of database security.

The Collector and Reporter work together to detect potential security risks in the Oracle Database environment and generate the Database Security Assessment Report, while the Discoverer operates independently to identify and report sensitive data through the Database Sensitive Data Assessment Report.

Collector:

The Collector gathers information from the target database by executing SQL queries and operating system commands. It mainly retrieves metadata from database dictionary views and stores the collected data in a JSON file, which is later used by the Reporter for analysis.

Reporter:

The Reporter processes and analyzes the data collected by the Collector. Based on this analysis, it generates a detailed security assessment report that highlights potential risks and configuration issues. The report can be produced in multiple formats, including HTML, Excel, JSON, and Text.

Discoverer:

The Discoverer is responsible for locating sensitive data within the database. It runs SQL queries on database dictionary views according to the rules defined in configuration files. The output identifies potentially sensitive information and provides reports in HTML, CSV, and JSON formats.