How to Enable and Check Archive Log Mode in Oracle

 Introduction

Archivelog mode is essential for database recovery and backups. Without it, you cannot perform point-in-time recovery. In this post, we’ll see how to check if it’s enabled and how to turn it on.

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Step 1: Check Current Archive Log Mode

Connect as SYSDBA:

sqlplus / as sysdba

Run:

ARCHIVE LOG LIST;

You will see whether the database is in ARCHIVELOG or NOARCHIVELOG mode.

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Step 2: Switch to Archivelog Mode

If your database is in NOARCHIVELOG mode:

1. Shutdown database:

SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;

2. Start in mount mode:

STARTUP MOUNT;

3. Enable archivelog:

ALTER DATABASE ARCHIVELOG;

4. Open database:

ALTER DATABASE OPEN;

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Step 3: Verify Archivelog is Enabled

ARCHIVE LOG LIST;

You should now see Database log mode: Archive Mode.

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Step 4: Optional – Enable Automatic Archiving

ALTER SYSTEM SET log_archive_dest_1='LOCATION=/u01/app/oracle/archive' SCOPE=SPFILE;

Restart the database to apply changes.

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Conclusion

Enabling Archivelog mode is critical for production databases. Always ensure enough space is available for archived logs, and regularly back them up to prevent disk space issues.

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