Copying files to ASM using ASMCMD

When manually copying a file from the filesystem to ASM using ASMCMD the file will be placed under a generic ASM directory regardless of specifying the destination. Below example a file is copied to +DATA/mynewdb1/ however file this creates an alias to +DATA/ASM/DATAFILE/

ASMCMD> cp /app/oracle/backup/mydb1/DF.2105.2105.784545123 +DATA/mynewdb1/datafile/DF.2105
copying /app/oracle/backup/mydb1/DF.2105.2105.784545123 -> +DATA/mynewdb1/datafile/DF.2105
ASMCMD> cd +DATA/mynewdb1/datafile/
ASMCMD> ls -al
WARNING:option 'a' is deprecated for 'ls'
please use 'absolutepath'
Type Redund Striped Time Sys Name
...
N DF.2105 => +DATA/ASM/DATAFILE/DF.2105.401.784554241
...
ASMCMD> pwd
+DATA/mynewdb1/datafile

According to Oracle this is expected behaviour.

However files transferred to ASM via the database ONNN background process set the context to which to store the files and are placed in the "correct" location. For example using RMAN connected to the target database:

RMAN> restore controlfile from '/app/oracle/backup/db1/Current.312.769340147';
Starting restore at 23-SEP-12
using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: SID=242 instance=MYNEWDB1 device type=DISK
channel ORA_DISK_1: copied control file copy
output file name=+DATA/mynewdb1/control01.ctl
output file name=+DATA/mynewdb1/control02.ctl
Finished restore at 23-SEP-12
RMAN>

To copy a file without it ending up being an alias to the generic location use RMAN which will communicate with ASM via the ONNN process and place it in the appropriate location for the database.

11.2 Background Processes "Onnn, ASM Connection Pool Process, Maintains a connection to the ASM instance for metadata operations, Onnn slave processes are spawned on demand. These processes communicate with the ASM instance."

On a semi-related note, why did Oracle consider "ls -absolutepath" was better than "ls -al"? "ls -al" had fewer keystrokes.

ASMCMD> ls -al
WARNING:option 'a' is deprecated for 'ls'
please use 'absolutepath'