When using the Fast Recovery Area for storing archive logs, one probably wants to use this location to make use of the self-managing deletion rules of files.
One of these rules is that files are obsolete under the retention policy are eligible for deletion. When for instance RMAN needs space for backup (without delete obsolete option), Oracle will do a similar ‘delete obsolete’ command to make space in the Fast Recovery Area.
For archived logs to be eligible, one MUST use the USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST setting for log_archive_dest_x. If the actual location is used, Oracle does not include archived logs in the self-managing deletion rules of files!!! Continue reading