Database Error Messages

ORA-00316

redo log file string of thread string, file type string in block header is not redo log file
  • Redo log group number
  • Thread number
  • The online redo log file name found as invalid.
  • The invalid file type number found in the redo log file header.

Cause

The online redo log file is invalid or corrupt; it has an invalid file type possibly due to overwriting, OS issues, misconfiguration, hardware faults, or human error.

Action

If the database cannot be OPEN, apply any of these solutions:

  1. Find a good copy of the redo log file.
  2. If the redo log file is with status different than CURRENT in v$logfile, execute: 2.1) ALTER DATABASE CLEAR LOGFILE GROUP &group_number; Or: ALTER DATABASE CLEAR UNARCHIVED LOGFILE GROUP &group_number; 2.2) Open the database. 2.3) Then take a backup as soon as possible.
  3. In a Data Guard physical standby configuration, fail over to the standby database to restore availability.
  4. If flashback database is enabled, execute: 4.1) "flashback database to scn scntoflashback" and 4.2) "alter database open resetlogs;" The scntoflashback can be obtained from the FIRST_CHANGE# minus one in v$log; example: select FIRST_CHANGE# - 1, FIRST_TIME from v$log where group#=affected redo group; With the flashback solution option, the most recent changes that happened after the FIRST_TIME of the affected redo log group, will be undone.
  5. Restore a backup and perform Point In Time Media Recovery (PITR).