Which two are true about RMAN image copies?

Question

Options

• AThey can only be written to disk.
• BThey can be encrypted using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE).
• CThey can be used as a level 0 incremental backup.
• DThey can be used as a level 1 incremental backup.
• EThey are the only backup option available for databases in NOARCHIVELOG mode.

• A
  90% (47)
• B
  6% (3)
• D
  2% (1)
• E
  2% (1)

Explanation

RMAN image copies are exact, bit-for-bit duplicates of datafiles, control files, or archived logs - unlike backup sets, they have no RMAN-specific format. Because they are raw file copies, they must reside on disk (A); they cannot be streamed to tape via a media manager the way backup sets can. They also qualify as a level 0 incremental backup (C), which makes them the foundation of the "incrementally updated backups" strategy - you create an image copy, then periodically apply level 1 incrementals to it with RECOVER COPY, keeping the copy perpetually current.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• B - RMAN encryption (SET ENCRYPTION) applies only to backup sets, not image copies. Image copies are plain file duplicates and cannot have RMAN-level encryption layered on top.
• D - Image copies cannot serve as level 1 incremental backups; level 1s must be backup sets that record only changed blocks since the last level 0.
• E - In NOARCHIVELOG mode, a consistent whole-database backup (requiring a clean shutdown) can be taken as either a backup set or an image copy; image copies hold no exclusive status here.

Memory tip: Think of image copies as "disk snapshots" - they live on disk only (A), and since they're complete file copies, they naturally act as a full baseline, i.e., level 0 (C). If a choice implies tape, encryption, or level 1, it's describing backup sets, not image copies.

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