Using Oracle 10g with our testing server what is the most efficient/easy way to backup and restore a database to a static point, assuming that you always want to go back to the given point once a backup has been created.
A sample use case would be the following
Optimally this would be completed through sqlplus or rman or some other scriptable method.
You do not need to take a backup at your base time. Just enable flashback database, create a guaranteed restore point, run your tests and flashback to the previously created restore point.
The steps for this would be:
startup force mount;
create restore point before_test guarantee flashback database;
alter database open;
shutdown immediate; startup mount;
flashback database to restore point before_test;
alter database open;