ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database

Problem:

#

ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database

The flashback logs were accidentally deleted and when you tried to open the database, resulting in ORA-38760, leaving the database in mount mode.

alter database open;

alter database open

ERROR at line 1:ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database

Attempting to turn off/on flashback also failed.

alter database flashback off;

Database altered.

alter database flashback on;

alter database flashback on * ERROR at line 1: ORA-38706: Cannot turn on FLASHBACK DATABASE logging.

FLASHBACK_ON has a value of “RESTORE POINT ONLY”

select flashback_on from v$database;

FLASHBACK_ON
----------------------------
RESTORE POINT ONLY

You get errors below when you tried to query v$restore_point.

select * from v$restore_point;

ERROR at line 1: ORA-38701: Flashback database log 1 seq 1 thread 1: "+FLASH/prod/flashback/log_1.289.1004540057" ORA-17503: ksfdopn:2 Failed to open file +FLASH/prod/flashback/log_1.289.1004540057 ORA-15012: ASM file ‘+FLASH/prod/flashback/log_1.289.1004540057’ >does not exist

Solution:

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Use RMAN to find the name of the restore point.

RMAN> list restore point all;

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
SCN              RSP Time  Type       Time      Name
---------------- --------- ---------- --------- ----
15462819861                GUARANTEED 02-APR-19 PRE_SWITCH

In SQLPLUS, drop the restore point you found from RMAN above.

SQL> drop restore point PRE_SWITCH;

Restore point dropped.

Now open the database.

SQL> alter database open;

Database altered.