Dennis, I strongly recommend, one (RMAN) server, one RMAN 9i catalog, one RMAN = 9i shell script, and one long tnsnames.ora file. simply, I say centralize whenever possible. I created on parameterized RMAN shell script to backup both 9i or 9i-RAC = databases. My master RMAN script generated individual database backup log files on = the RMAN server. I will say that life is much easier if all of your (target) database = servers have similar or identical file systems, because even though the = RMAN executable is executed locally, using SQL*Net to connect to the = target database, the backups are always local to the target server...and = my RMAN backup includes numerous local dumps of contrilfiels, spfile, = etc. Do what works for your environment, but let me say I started = DE-centralized and shortly after reconfigured for a centralized = configuration. Chris Marquez Oracle DBA HEYMONitor=99 - heymonitor.com "Oracle Monitoring & Alerting Solution" -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx on behalf of DENNIS WILLIAMS Sent: Tue 2/1/2005 2:06 PM To: Oracle-L Cc:=09 Subject: RMAN - Local vs. central backup script We use RMAN on Oracle9i to back up to disk. No SAN or MML, but use an = RMAN catalog. I use cron to initiate the backup (Unix servers). In revising = the system, I'm trying to decide whether it is better to use the cron on = each server, or just trigger backups centrally, from servers where the RMAN catalogs reside. It seems like most of the advantages go to the local script. You are always running the same RMAN executable as the database. = Has anyone else looked at this issue and care to share any thoughts? =20 Dennis Williams DBA Lifetouch, Inc. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the MessageLabs Email Security System. For more information please visit http://www.messagelabs.com/email=20 ______________________________________________________________________ -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l