Oracle 9i - Best way to clone a Database and apply Archive Logs

Rman can handle this, there are numerous sites on the internet explaining how to do it.  What is the operating system?  I can give better directions once I know the OS.

Perhaps a better, easier practice could be enjoyed by using Data Guard to replicate your archive logs to a standby database.  In this way, your changes are AUTOMATICALLY captured; your failover procedure becomes one five to ten minute process.  Say goodbye to full database nightly copies.
There is a slew of EE articles on DataGuard, also on technology.oracle.com.  I have in front of me Bipul Kumar's book from Rampant Press -- Burleson's group.   Not to rain on your parade, but I think you are about to discover an "ahah" moment.  HTH
 

FYI, We are not currently using RMAN.  Our Backup Window has allowed us to be able to down the entire production system and cold copy the folder structure.  We are on Windows 2003.  The DR operation would have a similar server with Windows 2003 and Oracle 9i already loaded.  I know I can rename the SID and mount it as another instance but I am not sure what the best was to apply Archive log would be.

dvz:  Due to financial restrictions, I am stuck with the current configuration that I have.  We are running on an Application Specific License with no change for configuration change.  This is why I am using a Cold Copy and a home-grown app to "sync" archive logs to the off-site location.

I think the easiest way may be with RMAN.  But I used to do this with our 9i database that was also on WindowsServer2003 without RMAN, so it certainly can be done that way.  I did have ours set up as a Standby Database with the archived redo logs automatically applied.  I also took a complete cold backup of production each weekend, and copied that to the standby server (those tasks were both automated) then manually stopped the standby each Monday morning, moved the backup files into the standard file locations, then restarted it as a standby to apply the new archived redo logs as they arrived.

We upgraded to Oracle10 though on Linux instead of Windows more than three years ago, and I rebuilt our old standby server as a Linux server, so I no longer have the scripts that I used for this process on Windows.

Ok.  I think I see the question now.  If you shutdown the db, do a cold copy, and start it up as another name, you cannot apply archive logs.  As far as Oracle is concerned, this is a new instance.  If you want to roll the db forward each night as you describe, you must set up some form of dataguard, which as dvz notes, is documented in many different places on the internet.

Could I bring the copied database up on another server as the same name without conflicting with the actual production database...as long as tnsnames points to the production server?

I sympathize with the restrictions -- but it does seem the cost savings would cause some higher-up to take notice of your ideas.  Your hardware is in place, and apparently you have a Net 8 TCP/IP connection between the hosts.  Although it's been many years since I handled contracts and/or our business continuity plans (for an Alcoa aerospace plant), we had terms in place that the DR instance was not charged against our license -- it would not be up unless the primary instance was hosed.
Just a side question, when was the last time your powers-that-be authorized a live-fire simulation?  As with combat fire fights, battle plans seldom survive the initial contact.