However RMAN will give unique name for backup. After some period we need to clarify backup name,
which of them controlfile name, which of them backup datafile 1 etc.
For clarify Oracle RMAN backups, you need to use : list backup by file;
Let`s to look at example
take backup of current controlfile and spfile
RMAN> backup current controlfile spfile;
take backup of 1 data file of database, SYSTEM01.dbf
RMAN> backup datafile 1;
take backup of whole database and archivelog
RMAN> backup database plus archivelog;
| [oracle@localhost 2010_08_12]$ ls -lh | 
| total 1.3G | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 283M Aug 12 11:50 o1_mf_annnn_TAG20100812T115003_6676dx1p_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 17K Aug 12 11:51 o1_mf_annnn_TAG20100812T115147_6676j4h5_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 6.8M Aug 12 11:38 o1_mf_ncnnf_TAG20100812T113851_6675qw1y_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 6.9M Aug 12 11:48 o1_mf_ncsnf_TAG20100812T114718_667694kt_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 6.9M Aug 12 11:51 o1_mf_ncsnf_TAG20100812T115040_6676j23l_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 349M Aug 12 11:47 o1_mf_nnndf_TAG20100812T114718_66767pnz_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 585M Aug 12 11:51 o1_mf_nnndf_TAG20100812T115040_6676g0r9_.bkp | 
| -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 96K Aug 12 11:38 o1_mf_nnsnf_TAG20100812T113851_6675qxbt_.bkp | 
And we can not recoginize names. Thereby we can use by list clause on list backup
RMAN> list backup by file;
List of Datafile Backups========================
File Key     TY LV S Ckp SCN    Ckp Time  #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
---- ------- -  -- - ---------- --------- ------- ------- ---------- ---
1    6       B  F  A 531440     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
     3       B  F  A 531208     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T114718
2    6       B  F  A 531440     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
3    6       B  F  A 531440     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
4    6       B  F  A 531440     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
List of Archived Log Backups
============================
Thrd Seq     Low SCN    Low Time  BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
---- ------- ---------- --------- ------- - ------- ------- ---------- ---
1    2       473040     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    3       474104     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    4       474117     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    5       497563     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    6       503686     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    7       504368     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    8       505036     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    9       505706     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    10      506370     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    11      509812     10-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    12      530702     12-AUG-10 5       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115003
1    13      531425     12-AUG-10 8       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115147
List of Control File Backups
============================
CF Ckp SCN Ckp Time  BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
---------- --------- ------- - ------- ------- ---------- ---
531470     12-AUG-10 7       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
531228     12-AUG-10 4       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T114718
530896     12-AUG-10 1       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T113851
List of SPFILE Backups
======================
Modification Time BS Key  S #Pieces #Copies Compressed Tag
----------------- ------- - ------- ------- ---------- ---
12-AUG-10         7       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T115040
12-AUG-10         4       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T114718
12-AUG-10         2       A 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T113851
RMAN>Please note that on "List of Datafile Backups" second row :3       B  F  A 531208     12-AUG-10 1       1       NO         TAG20100812T114718show that 1 datafile (system01.dbf) also was backed up before.
 
