Guessing that you're using Connect Agent and not Tivoli Data Protection, and you are on unix. You must relink oracle executables (not for Oracle 8.1.6) with /usr/lib/libobk.a (AIX OS) after installing Connect Agent for Oracle. Then in your RMAN script, you must provide environmental parameters with each allocated channel to point RMAN to the right place. I believe i found this info in "ADSMConnect Agent for Oracle Backup on <OS PLATFORM> Installation and User's Guide". For example: run { allocate channel t1 type 'SBT_TAPE' parms 'ENV=(DSMI_LOG=/u00/app/oracle/admin/MMAP1/log,DSMO_AVG_SIZE=1000,DSMO_NODE=oracle_aixdc22, DSMI_ORC_CONFIG=/usr/lpp/adsm/api/bin/dsm.opt,DSMI_ORC_DIR=/usr/lpp/adsmagent/aob)'; backup incremental level 0 filesperset 3 format 'dbf_%d_%s_%p_%t' tag 'MMAP_db_L0' database include current controlfile; release channel t1; } You will find dsierror.log files in $DSMI_LOG, and perhaps $ORACLE_HOME/dbs You will find sbtio.log and other scripts in the init.ora parameter pointed to by user_dump_dest . These logs will give oracle, os and ADSM errors. Use command line oerr and dsmc help or documentation to find info on any errors you are encountering. And execute rman script like this: rman rcvcat rman_user/rman_passwd@RMAN target internal/password@$ORACLE_SID cmdfile "rman_file.rmn" msglog "rman_file.log" debug trace "rman_file.trc" the rman_file.log will give general messages and error messages the rman_file.trc will give in depth messages on each little thing that the script did. KRoshto Good Friend <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>@VM.MARIST.EDU> on 09/13/2000 10:35:18 AM Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent by: "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] cc: Subject: verify that connect agent Hello, I'm very very new to ADSM. I have installed the ADSM connect Agent for Oracle 8 backups. How every when i attempt to run the backup job it look like the client never talks to the ADSM server. How can i verify the agent is running. Also I am getting the following in my /usr/adsm/dsmerror.log, is it related? 09/12/00 22:06:29 sessInit: Transitioning: sInit state ===> sTRANSERR state 09/12/00 22:06:29 sessInit: Starting communications initialization 09/12/00 22:06:29 sessInit: Transitioning: sInit state ===> sTRANSERR state tia allwyn