HOW TO RENAME DIRECTORY IN ASM

Purpose: 

In case database is using ASM diskgroup to place the database files. Some times we need to change the datafile directory name from neerajDEV to neerajTEST. 

Assumption:

Database has placed the datafiles in +DATA

DB_UNIQUE_NAME is neerajDEV

ASM uses the OMF to place the datafiles in diskgroups. OMF uses below methods to place the files in asm diskgroup.

<DiskGroup_name>/neerajDEV/ 

                                                                  >>>>>DATAFILE

                                                                  >>>>>PARAMETERFILE

                                                                  >>>>>CONTROLFILE

                                                                  >>>>>ONLINELOG

                                                                  >>>>>ARCVHIVELOG

Case:

In ASM, you created the directory manually and now database is using this directory to place several database files. Due to rename activity, you want to rename the directory. 

Challenge:

ASMCMD does not provide option to rename the directory like we have 'mv' at OS level.

Solution:

You can use the ALTER DISKGROUP <DG_NAME> rename directory 'sourcename' to 'destname';

Condition:

• Rename of the direcotry is possible only in one case if the system_created column value for files is mentioned as 'N' in v$ASM_ALIAS view.

Example:

alter diskgroup DATA rename directory '+DATA\neerajDEV\datafiles' to '+DATA\neerajTEST\datafiles';

• In case the value is of SYSTEM_CREATED column for files is mentioned as 'Y' in v$ASM_ALIAS view, alter diskgroup will not be helpful.

In that case use the RMAN with new DB_UNIQE_NAME and backup database as copy followed by switch database to copy