RMAN can be used either with or without a recovery catalog. A recovery catalog is a schema stored in a database that tracks backups and stores scripts for use in RMAN backup and recovery situations. Generally, an experienced DBA would suggest that the Enterprise Manager instance schema and RMAN catalog schema be placed in the same utility database on a server separate from the main servers. The RMAN schema generally only requires 15 megabyte per year per database backed up.

The RMAN schema owner is created in the RMAN database using the following steps:

1. Start SQL*Plus and connect as a user with administrator privileges to the database containing the recovery catalog. For example, enter:

CONNECT SYS/oracle@catdb AS SYSDBA

2. Create a user and schema for the recovery catalog. For example, enter:

CREATE USER rman IDENTIFIED BY cat
TEMPORARY TABLESPACE temp
…