Oracle 11.2.0.2 SLES11 on IBM mainframe DB size - just below 1T I run an incremental 0 backup on my production OLTP once a week, incrementals the rest of the week. Recently changed the disk_asynch_io to TRUE and the filesystemio_options to SETALL, per recommendations from Oracle. I then added a channel to the backup scripts so it uses 4 channels. These changes shaved 35 pecent off the time it takes to run the incr0 backup, which I am very happy with. The SA monitoring the performance of the mainframe says the incremental 0 backup of our production OLTP is pegging a single CPU, out of 5 available. He thinks the backup would run even faster if it used more CPUs and suggested setting the PARALLELISM parameter to more than 1. Unbeknownst to him, it had been set to 3 for the past 6 years. He wants to know why the backup isn't using more CPUs. Any ideas/suggestions? -- Sandy Transzap, Inc. -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l