The file specification for the backup file. The default file extension is .rbf. Depending on whether you are performing a backup operation to magnetic tape, disk, or multiple disks, the backup file specification should be specified as follows: o If you are backing up to magnetic tape - Oracle Corporation recommends that you supply a backup file name that is 17 or fewer characters in length. File names longer than 17 characters might be truncated. See the Usage_Notes help entry under this command for more information about backup file names that are longer than 17 characters. - If you use multiple tape drives, the backup-file-spec parameter must be provided with (and only with) the first tape drive name. Additional tape drive names must be separated from the first and subsequent tape drive names with commas. See the Oracle Rdb Guide to Database Maintenance for more information about using multiple tape drives. o If you are backing up to multiple or single disk files - It is good practice to write backup files to a device other than the devices where the database root, storage area, and snapshot files of the database are located. This way, if there is a problem with the database disks, you can still restore the database from a backup file. - If you use multiple disk files, the backup-file-spec parameter must be provided with (and only with) the first disk device name. Additional disk device names must be separated from the first and subsequent disk device names with commas. You must include the Disk_File qualifier. For example: $ RMU/BACKUP/DISK_FILE MF_PERSONNEL.RDB - _$ DEVICE1:[DIRECTORY1]MFP.RBF,DEVICE2:[DIRECTORY2] As an alternative to listing the disk device names on the command line (which, if you use several devices, can exceed the line-limit length for a command line), you can specify an options file in place of the backup-file-spec. For example: $ RMU/BACKUP/DISK_FILE LARGE_DB "@DEVICES.OPT" The contents of devices.opt might appear as follows: DEVICE1:[DIRECTORY1]LARGE_DB.RBF DEVICE2:[DIRECTORY2] The resulting backup files created from such an options file would be: DISK1:[DIRECTORY1]LARGE_DB.RBF DISK2:[DIRECTORY2]LARGE_DB01.RBF Note that the same directory must exist on each device before you issue the command. Also, if you forget to specify the Disk_File qualifier, you receive an error message similar to the following: $ RMU/BACKUP MF_PERSONNEL DEVICE1:[DIRECTORY1]MFP.RBF, - _$ DEVICE2:[DIRECTORY2] %RMU-F-NOTBACFIL, DEVICE1:[DIRECTORY1]MFP.RBF; is not a valid backup file %RMU-F-FTL_BCK,Fatal error for BACKUP operation at 2-MAY-2001 09:44:57.04