RMAN

list - tells you what has already been done
report - tells you what needs to be done

Check the status of currently running backups

SELECT SID, SERIAL#, CONTEXT, SOFAR, TOTALWORK,
   ROUND(SOFAR/TOTALWORK*100,2) "%_COMPLETE"
FROM V$SESSION_LONGOPS
WHERE 
  OPNAME LIKE 'RMAN%'
--AND OPNAME NOT LIKE '%aggregate%'
  AND TOTALWORK != 0
  AND SOFAR <> TOTALWORK
/

Check the status of the database backups for the past 7 days

Run this one from sys on the database server

set pages 100
set lines 200
col operation   for a12
col backup_type for a27
col start_time  for a17
col end_time    for a17
col duration    for 90.99
col days_ago    for 90

select vrbsd.operation
,      vrbsd.command_id                              backup_type
,      to_char(vrbsd.start_time,'DD-MON-YY HH24:MI') start_time
,      to_char(vrbsd.end_time,'DD-MON-YY HH24:MI')   end_time
,      vrbsd.status                                  status
,      (vrbd.elapsed_seconds/3600)                   duration
,      trunc(sysdate)-trunc(vrbsd.start_time)        days_ago
from   v$rman_backup_job_details     vrbd
,      v$rman_backup_subjob_details  vrbsd
where  1=1
and    vrbd.session_key = vrbsd.session_key
and    vrbd.input_type='DB INCR'
and    vrbsd.start_time > sysdate -8
order  by vrbsd.start_time desc

Check the status of the database backups from the RMAN catalog

Run this one from the RMAN catalog server

select s.db_name
,      s.status
,      max(s.start_time) start_time
,      max(round(s.mbytes_processed/1024))  "processed_data(GB)"
,      max(round((end_time-start_time)*60*24)) "duration(min)"
,      trunc(sysdate)-trunc(s.start_time)   days_since_last_backup
from   rc_rman_status s 
where  1=1
and    lower(s.operation)   = 'backup'
and    lower(s.object_type) ='db full'
and    s.start_time =
       (
       select max(md.start_time)
       from   rc_rman_status md 
       where  1=1
       and    lower(md.operation)   = 'backup'
       and    lower(md.object_type) ='db full'
       and    md.db_name = s.db_name
       )
group  by s.db_name
,      s.object_type
,      s.operation
,      s.status
,      trunc(sysdate)-trunc(s.start_time)
order  by trunc(sysdate)-trunc(s.start_time) desc

Which tapes are the backups on?

Not really necessary as RMAN can work it out but if you need to know...

select media
, to_char(completion_time,'DD-MON-YYYY HH24:MI:SS') backed_up
from   rc_backup_piece
where  1=1
and    db_id           = 4053457814
and    completion_Time > sysdate - 2
order  by 2

Useful RMAN commands

Connect RMAN to the databases controlfile (assuming db environment is set)

rman target /

Connect RMAN to the recovery catalog (assuming db environment is set)

rman target / catalog catowner/catpass@catdb

Show what backups are available

list backup of database;
list backup of spfile;
list backup of controlfile;
LIST ARCHIVELOG ALL;
LIST BACKUP OF ARCHIVELOG ALL;
LIST BACKUP OF DATAFILE 1;
LIST BACKUP SUMMARY;
LIST INCARNATION;
LIST BACKUP BY FILE;
LIST BACKUP OF DATAFILE 11 SUMMARY;
LIST BACKUP OF ARCHIVELOG FROM SEQUENCE 1437;
LIST CONTROLFILECOPY "/tmp/cntrlfile.copy";
LIST BACKUPSET OF DATAFILE 1;
LIST FAILURE;
LIST FAILURE 641231 detail;

Delete archivelogs that have been backed up twice

delete noprompt archivelog all backed up 2 times to sbt_tape;

Backup the archivelogs to tape then delete the ones on disk

backup device type sbt_tape archivelog all delete all input;

Show all the configured options

show all;

What needs backing up to satisfy retention policy (times backed up/recovery window etc)?

report need backup;

RMAN reporting by André Araujo

Reference: pythian.com
Reproduced here in case it disappears from the internets.

A lot of metadata about the RMAN backup jobs can be found in the V$RMAN_% views.
These views show past RMAN jobs as well as jobs currently running.
Once the jobs complete backup sets, metadata about the sets and pieces are also added to the control file and can be accessed through the V$BACKUP_% views.

For the queries in this post I need only four of those views:

• V$BACKUP_SET
• V$BACKUP_SET_DETAILS
• V$RMAN_BACKUP_JOB_DETAILS
• GV$RMAN_OUTPUT

Query 1 (Backup jobs' status and metadata)

set lines 220
set pages 1000
col cf for 9,999
col df for 9,999
col elapsed_seconds heading "ELAPSED|SECONDS"
col i0 for 9,999
col i1 for 9,999
col l for 9,999
col output_mbytes for 9,999,999 heading "OUTPUT|MBYTES"
col session_recid for 999999 heading "SESSION|RECID"
col session_stamp for 99999999999 heading "SESSION|STAMP"
col status for a10 trunc
col time_taken_display for a10 heading "TIME|TAKEN"
col output_instance for 9999 heading "OUT|INST"
select
  j.session_recid, j.session_stamp,
  to_char(j.start_time, 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') start_time,
  to_char(j.end_time, 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') end_time,
  (j.output_bytes/1024/1024) output_mbytes, j.status, j.input_type,
  decode(to_char(j.start_time, 'd'), 1, 'Sunday', 2, 'Monday',
                                     3, 'Tuesday', 4, 'Wednesday',
                                     5, 'Thursday', 6, 'Friday',
                                     7, 'Saturday') dow,
  j.elapsed_seconds, j.time_taken_display,
  x.cf, x.df, x.i0, x.i1, x.l,
  ro.inst_id output_instance
from V$RMAN_BACKUP_JOB_DETAILS j
  left outer join (select
                     d.session_recid, d.session_stamp,
                     sum(case when d.controlfile_included = 'YES' then d.pieces else 0 end) CF,
                     sum(case when d.controlfile_included = 'NO'
                               and d.backup_type||d.incremental_level = 'D' then d.pieces else 0 end) DF,
                     sum(case when d.backup_type||d.incremental_level = 'D0' then d.pieces else 0 end) I0,
                     sum(case when d.backup_type||d.incremental_level = 'I1' then d.pieces else 0 end) I1,
                     sum(case when d.backup_type = 'L' then d.pieces else 0 end) L
                   from
                     V$BACKUP_SET_DETAILS d
                     join V$BACKUP_SET s on s.set_stamp = d.set_stamp and s.set_count = d.set_count
                   where s.input_file_scan_only = 'NO'
                   group by d.session_recid, d.session_stamp) x
    on x.session_recid = j.session_recid and x.session_stamp = j.session_stamp
  left outer join (select o.session_recid, o.session_stamp, min(inst_id) inst_id
                   from GV$RMAN_OUTPUT o
                   group by o.session_recid, o.session_stamp)
    ro on ro.session_recid = j.session_recid and ro.session_stamp = j.session_stamp
where j.start_time > trunc(sysdate)-&NUMBER_OF_DAYS
order by j.start_time;

Query 2 (Backup set details)

set lines 220
set pages 1000
col backup_type for a4 heading "TYPE"
col controlfile_included heading "CF?"
col incremental_level heading "INCR LVL"
col pieces for 999 heading "PCS"
col elapsed_seconds heading "ELAPSED|SECONDS"
col device_type for a10 trunc heading "DEVICE|TYPE"
col compressed for a4 heading "ZIP?"
col output_mbytes for 9,999,999 heading "OUTPUT|MBYTES"
col input_file_scan_only for a4 heading "SCAN|ONLY"
select
  d.bs_key, d.backup_type, d.controlfile_included, d.incremental_level, d.pieces,
  to_char(d.start_time, 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') start_time,
  to_char(d.completion_time, 'yyyy-mm-dd hh24:mi:ss') completion_time,
  d.elapsed_seconds, d.device_type, d.compressed, (d.output_bytes/1024/1024) output_mbytes, s.input_file_scan_only
from V$BACKUP_SET_DETAILS d
  join V$BACKUP_SET s on s.set_stamp = d.set_stamp and s.set_count = d.set_count
where session_recid = &SESSION_RECID
  and session_stamp = &SESSION_STAMP
order by d.start_time;

Query 3 (Backup job output)

set lines 200
set pages 1000
select output
from GV$RMAN_OUTPUT
where session_recid = &SESSION_RECID
  and session_stamp = &SESSION_STAMP
order by recid;