RMAN-05537: DUPLICATE without TARGET connection when auxiliary instance is started with spfile cannot use SPFILE clause

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#  Error
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RMAN-05537: DUPLICATE without TARGET connection when auxiliary instance is started with spfile cannot use SPFILE clause

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#  Full Error 
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Starting Duplicate Db at 12-DEC-12
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of Duplicate Db command at 12/12/2012 08:27:52
RMAN-05537: DUPLICATE without TARGET connection when auxiliary instance is started with spfile cannot use SPFILE clause

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#  Cause
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Error occured while trying to duplicate a database of 11.2.0.1.0 version.

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#  Command Executed
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duplicate database to dup11r2
until time "To_Date('12-DEC-2012 07:40:29','DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS')"
SPFILE
SET CONTROL_FILES='H:\app\Administrator\oradata\DUP11R2\control01.ctl'
set db_file_name_convert='H:\app\Administrator\oradata\ora11g','H:\app\Administrator\oradata\DUP11R2'
set log_file_name_convert='H:\app\Administrator\oradata\ora11g','H:\app\Administrator\oradata\DUP11R2'
backup location 'H:\app\Administrator\backup\ORA11G';


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## Solution
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### 11.2.0.1.0


Auxiliary Database (Dup11r2) is started up with spfile. Here we are doing duplication without connecting to target or catalog database.

While starting the duplication, RMAN will restore the spfile from the backup location we have used and it will set the dbname, controlfiles, log_file_name_convert and db_file_name_convert parameters in the newly restored spfile and then it will startup using the spfile.


C:\Users\Administrator>sqlplus / as sysdba

SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.1.0 Production on Wed Dec 12 08:28:21 2012

Copyright (c) 1982, 2010, Oracle.  All rights reserved.


Connected to:
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options

SQL> sho parameter spfile

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
spfile                               string      H:\APP\ADMINISTRATOR\PRODUCT\1
                                                 1.2.0\DBHOME_1\DATABASE\SPFILE
                                                 DUP11R2.ORA
SQL> shu immediate
ORA-01507: database not mounted


ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>


So when duplicating a database without connecting to target or catalog, we should start the auxiliary database with pfile only.