Database data on raw devices does not necessarily have to be converted
to one or more files for ADSM to back up the database.  If an RDBMS
backup utility or third-party product has been updated to use the
ADSM API, then the data is sent directly to ADSM; there is no
intermediate file.  You would only use the dd approach if no ADSM api
solution was available for your database product.

A new alternative, ADSMPIPE, will also be available as an as-is utility that
will read raw devices and send the data to ADSM using the ADSM api.  The
advantage of this approach over using dd is that no intermediate file
is created, but you would still need to do an offline backup.  You would
again ONLY use this approach is the RDBMS backup utilities have not
been updated to use the ADSM api.

Please also note that using an RDBMS utility usually does not mean an
export utility...Export is not typically designed for backup.  Most RDBMS
products have backup utilities separate from their export utilities.
thanks,
Cyndie Behrens
IBM - ITSO San Jose
(408) 927-3627 <=====new telephone number
cbehrens AT vnet.ibm DOT com