Vijay, Database do crash and stop in 24/7 env. also. time to time we do bounce database, we have over 3000 production databases. Your database will have more than one crontal file so, save the good one right now and take a backup for your own alter database backup control to trace resetlogs; (I) ( will be saved in udump directory to be used if you have to create the control file manually) If the control file is croupted your database will crash, if it is up and running means the file used by the system is not croupted. You can create a new control file from the file you have in steip (I). Sstartup mount and control file file from trace with the changes of USE to SET. ( Just read through any recovery manal or the last step of clone database) Regrds. vijay k singh <kush0812@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: Dear Nisar, Hi, i wanna know in a 24/7 production environment how would you know if your control file is corrupt. we can't shutdown the server...however one method is backing of control file through RMAN But the I wanted to know is there any method apart from this to find out corruption in control file. thanx vijay k.s. kushwah --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. --------------------------------- Celebrate Yahoo!'s 10th Birthday! Yahoo! Netrospective: 100 Moments of the Web