Re: backup question

Cristian,

Sybrand, Howard and Annie are all correct, but I would add that *whatever* backup method you use, hot or cold - make sure you test ! That means: obtain a similar machine and recover the files and make sure you can open the database. I suspect every DBA has a horror story (or two) of backups being taken for months/years only to be found to be useless in the event of a recovery. Testing your recovery is the *only* way you can be sure that your backups are worth the tape they are written on.

Good luck,

Neil.

Cristian Veronesi wrote in message <3A7548E9.7D69FEE3_at_crpa.it>... Every night I run a task that exports my oracle database on a DMP file first and then saves every single file stored on the the server (SCO Openserver 5.0.4 + Oracle RDBMS 7.3.4) on a tape. I am wondering whether, after a system crash, restoring all the Oracle files (data files, control files, etc.) would be enough for having Oracle up and running again or have I to reinstall Oracle and then import all the DMP files?
If I'd shut down the database before to save the files something would change?

Sorry for my ingenuousness :)
Best regards, Cristian

--
Cristian Veronesi ><((((º> http://www.crpa.it

If Bill Gates had a dime for every time a Windows box crashed...
Oh, wait a minute... he _already_ does! ;)