David, I think it is better to use the ADSM scheduler to schedule a
client OS command, that is a script.  The script would contain
the oracle shutdown commands and ADSM backup commands.  If your database
is on file systems, you can also do an online backup with the alter tablespace
commands.  Scheduling a script is better because you can have checks in it
to verify that the database is in the state you want before issuing the
adsm backup commands.  With pre scheduling, after the prescheduled command
runs, the adsm action will run, whether the prescheduled command finished
successfully or not.
Cyndie Behrens
IBM - ITSO San Jose
408-927-3627