One of our customer has been initially creating a RMAN catalog on an Oracle database release 12.1.0.2.0 and was now intending to register new Oracle 12.2.0.1.0 databases.

Registering the databases will be failing with errors :

PL/SQL package RCAT.DBMS_RCVCAT version 12.01.00.02 in RCVCAT database is too old
RMAN-06429: RCVCAT database is not compatible with this version of RMAN

The problem is coming from the catalog version that needs to be at least equal or higher than the database version to register. I had been then wondering if we are talking about the version of the catalog database itself or the version of the catalog.

Fortunately, in most of the cases a catalog database upgrade is not needed and a catalog upgrade is enough.

RMAN Compatibility Matrix (Doc ID 73431.1) MOS Note will provide the below compatibility matrix.

Target/Auxiliary
Database
RMAN Executable Catalog Database Catalog Schema
8.1.7.4 8.1.7.4 >=8.1.7 < 12C 8.1.7.4
8.1.7.4 8.1.7.4 >=8.1.7 < 12C >=9.0.1.4
9.0.1 9.0.1 >=8.1.7 < 12C >= RMAN executable
9.2.0 >=9.0.1.3 and <= Target database >=8.1.7 < 12C >= RMAN executable
10.1.0.5 >=10.1.0.5 and <= Target database >=10.1.0.5 >= RMAN executable
10.2.0 >=10.1.0.5 and <= target database >=10.1.0.5 >= RMAN executable
11.1.0 >=10.1.0.5 and <= target database >=10.2.0.3 (note 1) >= RMAN executable
11.2.0 >=10.1.0.5 and <= target database >=10.2.0.3 (note 1) >= RMAN executable
>=12.1.0.x = target database executable >=10.2.0.3 >= RMAN executable
18.1 = target database executable >=10.2.0.3 >= RMAN executable

So, in our case, we will connect from the database to be registered (R12.2.0.1.0) in order to :

  1. Check the release of the catalog
    dbiservices@<server_name>:C:Windowssystem32 [DB_NAME] sqlplus <catalog_user>/<pwd>@<catalog_TNS>
    
    SQL*Plus: Release 12.2.0.1.0 Production on Thu Aug 16 14:50:08 2018
    
    Connected to:
    
    Oracle Database 12c Standard Edition Release 12.1.0.2.0 - 64bit Production
    
    SQL> select * from rcver;
    
    VERSION
    
    ------------
    
    12.01.00.02
  2. Upgrade the catalog version
    dbiservices@<server_name>:C:Windowssystem32 [DB_NAME] rman target / catalog <catalog_user>/<pwd>@<catalog_TNS>
    
    Recovery Manager: Release 12.2.0.1.0 - Production on Thu Aug 16 14:52:15 2018
    
    connected to target database: ARGOSP (DBID=469810750)
    
    connected to recovery catalog database
    
    PL/SQL package <catalog_user>.DBMS_RCVCAT version 12.01.00.02. in RCVCAT database is too old
    
    RMAN> upgrade catalog;
    
    recovery catalog owner is <catalog_user>
    
    enter UPGRADE CATALOG command again to confirm catalog upgrade
    
    RMAN> upgrade catalog;
    
    recovery catalog upgraded to version 12.02.00.01
    
    DBMS_RCVMAN package upgraded to version 12.02.00.01
    
    DBMS_RCVCAT package upgraded to version 12.02.00.01.
  3. Check the release of the catalog
dbiservices@<server_name>:C:Windowssystem32 [DB_NAME] sqlplus <catalog_user>/<pwd>@<catalog_TNS>

SQL*Plus: Release 12.2.0.1.0 Production on Thu Aug 16 14:50:08 2018

Connected to:

Oracle Database 12c Standard Edition Release 12.1.0.2.0 - 64bit Production

SQL> select * from rcver;

VERSION

------------

12.02.00.01

 

Database registration will then be successful:

RMAN> register database;

database registered in recovery catalog

starting full resync of recovery catalog

full resync complete