Oracle Database 12c: Advanced Administration — Question 112

You enable Flashback Data Archive for a table for which you want to track and save all transactions for four years. After some time, the requirement changes for keeping transactions from four to two years.
You execute the following command to change the requirement:
SQL> ALTER flashback archive fda1 MODIFY RETENSION 2 YEAR;
What is the outcome?

Answer options

• A. An error is returned because the retention period cannot be reduced.
• B. All historical data older than two years, if any, is purged from the flashback archive FDA1.
• C. All the flashback data archives are purged and the subsequently created flashback archives are maintained for two years.
• D. All historical data older than two years, if any, is archived to flashback logs and the flashback archive is set to new retention time.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because reducing the retention period to two years will purge historical data that is older than that timeframe from the flashback archive FDA1. Option A is incorrect as the retention period can be modified to a shorter duration, while options C and D misinterpret the behavior of the flashback archive regarding the purging and archiving of older data.