To perform protected database backup and recovery operations, you must use one or more RMAN SBT channels that correspond to the Recovery Appliance backup module. This backup module is the shared library that transfers backup data to and from the Recovery Appliance.

Protected database backups are sent over the network to a shared disk. Using a single RMAN channel may not provide optimal performance because of possible network latencies. It is recommended that you use between 2 and 4 RMAN channels for each backup client.

You can either configure an SBT channel that corresponds to the Recovery Appliance backup module or allocate RMAN SBT channels explicitly for each backup or recovery operation.