RMAN is an Oracle utility that you use to manage the backup, restore, and recovery operations on Oracle databases. RMAN has a powerful command language that is independent of the operating system. You can use it with or without the central information repository called a recovery catalog. If you do not use a recovery catalog, RMAN uses the database's control file to store information necessary for backup and recovery operations. You can use RMAN in conjunction with a media manager to back up files to tertiary storage.