For Unix, Dimitre's suggestion is a very good one. That was what we came up with when discussing this on c.d.o.s.: http://groups-beta.google.com/group/comp.databases.oracle.server/browse_frm= /thread/8140a8c853bacfcf/3b3384ceca38c08a?q=3Dvitalis+alert.log&rnum=3D1&hl= =3Den#3b3384ceca38c08a For Windows, I don't know. Jerome -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l