Final answer:
To check the backup retention period in Oracle, use RMAN and issue the 'SHOW RETENTION POLICY;' command which reveals the current backup policy, whether redundancy-based or time-based, guiding how long backups are retained.
Step-by-step explanation:
To check the backup retention period in Oracle, you need access to the Oracle RMAN (Recovery Manager). The retention period determines how long a backup is kept before it can be considered obsolete and therefore, eligible for deletion. The RMAN settings control this aspect of the backup management process. To verify the current retention policy, you can use the following RMAN command:
RMAN> SHOW RETENTION POLICY;
This command will display the retention policy that is currently in effect. Oracle can have either a redundancy-based retention policy, which retains a specific number of backups, or a time-based retention policy, that retains backups for a specified duration. Knowing how to check the backup retention period in Oracle is essential for effective database backup management and ensuring that recovery requirements are met.