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ORA-00257 means Oracle could not archive a redo log. The most likely cause is that the archive destination has run out of space, but Oracle also identifies a failed destination marked MANDATORY as a possibility. Check the alert log and trace files to find the specific failure before deleting files or attempting a restart.
What ORA-00257 means—and why to act promptly
The error reports an archiving failure; by itself, it does not identify the destination or resource that failed. Oracle warns that if the problem is not resolved soon, the database will stop executing transactions. See Oracle’s ORA-00257 error reference for the documented causes and warning.
Find the failing destination before changing anything
- Inspect the database alert log and relevant trace files. Oracle recommends these as the starting point because they can show the detailed error behind ORA-00257.
- Use that detail to identify which configured archive destination failed. Check whether the destination is accessible and whether its device has available space.
- Check whether the failing destination is marked
MANDATORY. A failure there is a documented possibility even when the problem is not simply a full disk.
Do not assume that every ORA-00257 is caused by a full flash recovery area (FRA). The accompanying error and the configuration determine which troubleshooting branch applies.
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For databases configured with an FRA, check whether it has run out of space. Oracle’s Base Database backup troubleshooting guide describes a stuck-archiver condition caused by a full FRA. In the guide’s cloud database context, administrators can check status with:
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srvctl status database -db <db_unique_name> -v
A reported Stuck Archiver state can help confirm that condition in that environment. This is not a universal status command for every Oracle deployment; use the tools and procedures applicable to your platform and configuration.
Free space without compromising recovery
Once you have confirmed the cause, resolve it using your organization’s Oracle runbook and backup-retention policy. Do not delete archive logs simply because they are old or because the FRA is full: logs may still be required for backups, recovery, or other configured processes. The error reference and Base Database guide do not establish a universal safe-to-run cleanup command.
- If the destination device is full, determine which files can be removed or relocated under the site’s retention and recovery requirements, or address the capacity issue through the approved operational procedure.
- If a
MANDATORYdestination failed, investigate and correct that destination’s specific error rather than assuming that freeing space elsewhere will fix it. - If the alert log points to another underlying error, follow the procedure for that error and destination.
Confirm the archiver has recovered
After the underlying destination or resource problem is corrected, use the status and monitoring tools appropriate to your Oracle deployment to confirm that archiving has resumed. In the Oracle Base Database troubleshooting context, resolve the stuck-archiver condition before expecting backups to succeed. The cited guidance does not provide a universal archiver restart command; do not restart the archiver or database by guesswork. Follow the runbook for the specific Oracle release and deployment, and use platform-specific restart guidance only when it applies.
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