ORA-00201: control file version incompatible with ORACLE version | Oracle Database

ORA-00201: control file version xxxx incompatible with ORACLE version xxxx

How to resolve ORA-00201 ORA-00202 errors in Oracle RMAN? Cause and Solution for ORA-00201 and 00202 Errors in Oracle Database

ORA-00201 & ORA-00202 Errors in Oracle RMAN

While cloning my Oracle 12c database on a separate server, I got ORA-00201 and ORA-00202 Errors. I was trying to bring the new database up to mount state when I got this error. See below:

Here I successfully restored the controlfile from the backups copied from SOURCE database server.

RMAN> restore controlfile from '/u01/app/oracle/fast_recovery_area/o1_mf_s_977600317_fk00hftp_.bkp';

Starting restore at 31-MAY-18
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=1 device type=DISK

channel ORA_DISK_1: restoring control file
channel ORA_DISK_1: restore complete, elapsed time: 00:00:03
output file name=/u01/app/oracle/oradata/oradb12c/control01.ctl
output file name=/u01/app/oracle/fast_recovery_area/oradb12c/control02.ctl
Finished restore at 31-MAY-18

But command failed when I tried to mount the database,

RMAN> alter database mount;

RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of sql statement command at 05/31/2018 20:21:30
ORA-00201: control file version 12.1.0.2.0 incompatible with ORACLE version 12.0.0.0.0
ORA-00202: control file: '/u01/app/oracle/oradata/oradb12c/control01.ctl'

As per the Oracle, the CAUSE and ACTION are shown below:

Versions 10.2, 11.1, 11.2, 12.1

Error:  ORA-00201 control file version %s incompatible with ORACLE version %s
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cause:  The control file was created by incompatible software.
Action: Either restart with a compatible software release or use CREATE
CONTROLFILE to create a new control file that is compatible with this
release.
Versions 9.2, 10.1

Error:  ORA-00201 controlfile version %s incompatible with ORACLE version %s
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cause:  The controlfile was created by incompatible software.
Action: Either restart with a compatible software release or use CREATE
CONTROLFILE to create a new controlfile that is compatible with this
release.

Solution:

To resolve the issue here, I defined COMPATIBLE parameter in my INIT file which I was using to bring the database up as I hadn't mentioned that in the PFILE (thinking Oracle database only needs DB_NAME to bring the instance up but the instance only). I took the value of COMPATIBLE from source database and entered the same value in TARGET database's PFILE and again tried to MOUNT the database. It was successful this time.

RMAN> alter database mount;

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
Statement processed

Note: This Solution will only work if the version is mentioned in the ORA-00201 Error Description. If the version is missing, mostly the error is because of Control File corruption. Please refer Oracle Support to know more about this.

I hope this helps !!