# Validating database files in RDS for Oracle
You can use the Amazon RDS package `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util` to validate Amazon RDS for Oracle database files, such as data files, tablespaces, control files, and server parameter files (SPFILEs).
For more information about RMAN validation, see [ Validating database files and backups](https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/BRADV/rcmvalid.htm#BRADV90063) and [ VALIDATE](https://docs.oracle.com/database/121/RCMRF/rcmsynta2025.htm#RCMRF162) in the Oracle documentation.
**Topics**
+ [Validating a database](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDB)
+ [Validating a tenant database](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTenantDB)
+ [Validating a tablespace](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateTablespace)
+ [Validating a control file](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateControlFile)
+ [Validating an SPFILE](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateSpfile)
+ [Validating an Oracle data file](#Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.ValidateDataFile)
## Validating a database
To validate all of the relevant files used by an Oracle database in RDS for Oracle, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database`.
This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).
The following example validates the database using the default values for the parameters.
```
EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database;
```
The following example validates the database using the specified values for the parameters.
```
BEGIN
rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_database(
p_validation_type => 'PHYSICAL+LOGICAL',
p_parallel => 4,
p_section_size_mb => 10,
p_rman_to_dbms_output => FALSE);
END;
/
```
When the `p_rman_to_dbms_output` parameter is set to `FALSE`, the RMAN output is written to a file in the `BDUMP` directory.
To view the files in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.
```
SELECT * FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.listdir('BDUMP')) order by mtime;
```
To view the contents of a file in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.
```
SELECT text FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file('BDUMP','rds-rman-validate-nnn.txt'));
```
Replace the file name with the name of the file you want to view.
## Validating a tenant database
To validate the data files of the tenant database in a container database (CDB), use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant`.
This procedure applies only to the current tenant database and uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md). This procedure is supported for the following DB engine versions:
+ Oracle Database 21c (21.0.0) CDB
+ Oracle Database 19c (19.0.0) CDB
The following example validates the current tenant database using the default values for the parameters.
```
EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant;
```
The following example validates the current tenant database using the specified values for the parameters.
```
BEGIN
rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tenant(
p_validation_type => 'PHYSICAL+LOGICAL',
p_parallel => 4,
p_section_size_mb => 10,
p_rman_to_dbms_output => FALSE);
END;
/
```
When the `p_rman_to_dbms_output` parameter is set to `FALSE`, the RMAN output is written to a file in the `BDUMP` directory.
To view the files in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.
```
SELECT * FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.listdir('BDUMP')) order by mtime;
```
To view the contents of a file in the `BDUMP` directory, run the following `SELECT` statement.
```
SELECT text FROM table(rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file('BDUMP','rds-rman-validate-nnn.txt'));
```
Replace the file name with the name of the file you want to view.
## Validating a tablespace
To validate the files associated with a tablespace, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_tablespace`.
This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).
This procedure also uses the following additional parameter.
****
| Parameter name | Data type | Valid values | Default | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `p_tablespace_name` | varchar2 | A valid tablespace name | — | Yes | The name of the tablespace. |
## Validating a control file
To validate only the control file used by an Amazon RDS Oracle DB instance, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_current_controlfile`.
This procedure uses the following common parameter for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).
## Validating an SPFILE
To validate only the server parameter file (SPFILE) used by an Amazon RDS Oracle DB instance, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_spfile`.
This procedure uses the following common parameter for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).
## Validating an Oracle data file
To validate a data file, use the Amazon RDS procedure `rdsadmin.rdsadmin_rman_util.validate_datafile`.
This procedure uses the following common parameters for RMAN tasks:
+ `p_validation_type`
+ `p_parallel`
+ `p_section_size_mb`
+ `p_rman_to_dbms_output`
For more information, see [Common parameters for RMAN procedures](Appendix.Oracle.CommonDBATasks.CommonParameters.md).
This procedure also uses the following additional parameters.
****
| Parameter name | Data type | Valid values | Default | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `p_datafile` | varchar2 | A valid datafile ID number or a valid datafile name including complete path | — | Yes | The datafile ID number (from `v$datafile.file#`) or the full datafile name including the path (from `v$datafile.name`). |
| `p_from_block` | number | A valid integer | `NULL` | No | The number of the block where the validation starts within the data file. When this is `NULL`, `1` is used. |
| `p_to_block` | number | A valid integer | `NULL` | No | The number of the block where the validation ends within the data file. When this is `NULL`, the maximum block in the data file is used. |