I haven't used configured backups but I will try and answer it from the point of view of how I have managed backup performance for large databases. I use three key indicators 1. Agreed/Advertised SLAs on MTTR 2. Load placed during the read that constrict other concurrent activity 3. Available resources during the write I tend to lean towards keeping the write pipeline reasonably full without introducing thrashing and stay within those norms with a bit of head room for unforseen growth. For example you could use mkfile to test the capabilities of the write target -Krish -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l