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"Yarmas" == Yarmas, Tom Tom.Yarmas@netapp.com writes:

Yarmas> The control file contains: The database name. The timestamp Yarmas> of database creation. The names of the database's datafiles Yarmas> and online and archived redo log files. The checkpoint, Yarmas> i.e., a record indicating the point in the redo log such Yarmas> that all database changes prior to this point have been Yarmas> saved in the datafiles. Information on backups (when using Yarmas> the Recovery Manager utility).

I'm no expert but W. Curtis Preston tells on page 459 of his book 'UNIX Backup & Recovery' (from O'Reilly) that Oracle's control files keep something called an SCN (System Change Number) for each database object. In particular, whenever a datafile is modified its SCN is incremented in it and in the control files. From this I gather that control files are changed after every database change, which means we *must* back them up whenever we backup the database.

Gustavo.