| Version | Type | Default | Session Modifiable |
System Modifiable |
| 7.3.4 | String | No | No | |
| 8.0.4 | String | No | No | |
| 8.0.5 | String | No | No | |
| 8.0.6 | String | No | No | |
| 8.1.5 | String | No | No | |
| 8.1.6 | String | No | Immediate | |
| 8.1.7 | String | No | Immediate | |
| 9.0.1 | String | No | Immediate | |
| 9.2.0 | String | No | Immediate |
This parameter specifies the directory in which background process trace files are written
The parameter can be set in the initialisation file e.g.
background_dump_dest = 'directory'e.g.
background_dump_dest = 'R:\Oracle\Admin\NT92001\bdump';
This parameter can be also set at system level e.g.
ALTER SYSTEM SET background_dump_dest = 'C:\Temp';
In Oracle 9.2 (Windows 2000), when the ALTER SYSTEM command is used to change this parameter, output is immediate written to the new directory.
This parameter cannot be set at session level
This directory includes trace files with names in the following format
ServiceName_ProcessName_ProcessId.trcwhere process_id is the PID in Unix and the thread number in Windows NT/2000 e.g.
nt92001_smon_1234.trc
Oracle 9.2 can include the following background processes
| Name | Description |
| ARC0 | Archival Process 0 |
| ARC1 | Archival Process 1 |
| ARC2 | Archival Process 2 |
| ARC3 | Archival Process 3 |
| ARC4 | Archival Process 4 |
| ARC5 | Archival Process 5 |
| ARC6 | Archival Process 6 |
| ARC7 | Archival Process 7 |
| ARC8 | Archival Process 8 |
| ARC9 | Archival Process 9 |
| CJQ0 | Job Queue Coordinator |
| CKPT | Checkpoint |
| DBW0 | DB Writer Process 0 |
| DBW1 | DB Writer Process 1 |
| DBW2 | DB Writer Process 2 |
| DBW3 | DB Writer Process 3 |
| DBW4 | DB Writer Process 4 |
| DBW5 | DB Writer Process 5 |
| DBW6 | DB Writer Process 6 |
| DBW7 | DB Writer Process 7 |
| DBW8 | DB Writer Process 8 |
| DBW9 | DB Writer Process 9 |
| DBWa | DB Writer Process 10 (a) |
| DBWb | DB Writer Process 11 (b) |
| DBWc | DB Writer Process 12 (c) |
| DBWd | DB Writer Process 13 (d) |
| DBWe | DB Writer Process 14 (e) |
| DBWf | DB Writer Process 15 (f) |
| DBWg | DB Writer Process 16 (g) |
| DBWh | DB Writer Process 17 (h) |
| DBWi | DB Writer Process 18 (i) |
| DBWj | DB Writer Process 19 (j) |
| DIAG | Diagnosibility Process |
| DMON | DG Broker Monitor Process |
| EMN0 | Event Monitor Process 0 |
| FMON | File Mapping Monitor Process |
| LCK0 | Lock Process 0 |
| LGWR | Redo Logging Process |
| LMD0 | Global Enqueue Service Daemon 0 |
| LMON | Global Enqueue Service Monitor |
| LMS0 | Global Cache Service Process 0 |
| LMS1 | Global Cache Service Process 1 |
| LMS2 | Global Cache Service Process 2 |
| LMS3 | Global Cache Service Process 3 |
| LMS4 | Global Cache Service Process 4 |
| LMS5 | Global Cache Service Process 5 |
| LMS6 | Global Cache Service Process 6 |
| LMS7 | Global Cache Service Process 7 |
| LMS8 | Global Cache Service Process 8 |
| LMS9 | Global Cache Service Process 9 |
| LNSV | Network Server |
| LSP0 | Logical Standby |
| LSP1 | Dictionary Build Process for Logical Standby |
| MRP0 | Managed Standby Recovery |
| NSV0 | DR Server NetSlave Process 0 |
| PMON | Process Cleanup |
| QMN0 | AQ Time Manager Process 0 |
| QMN1 | AQ Time Manager Process 1 |
| QMN2 | AQ Time Manager Process 2 |
| QMN3 | AQ Time Manager Process 3 |
| QMN4 | AQ Time Manager Process 4 |
| QMN5 | AQ Time Manager Process 5 |
| QMN6 | AQ Time Manager Process 6 |
| QMN7 | AQ Time Manager Process 7 |
| QMN8 | AQ Time Manager Process 8 |
| QMN9 | AQ Time Manager Process 9 |
| RECO | Distributed Recovery |
| RSM0 | DR Resource Manager Process |
| SMON | System Monitor Process |