This is a decision flow chart that helps a user determine which type of backup is appropriate for a given state of the Oracle Application Server. The first state is the server has just been installed, the choice below is a complete cold backup of the server. The next state box has the server running. The decision diamond below asks if Major Changes have been made. If Yes, the next decision diamond asks if the server can be shut down. If yes, a complete cold backup is the choice. If no, a complete online backup is the choice. Returning to the major changes diamond, if no, the next decision diamond is administrative changes or backup on a regular basis. If no, the arrow returns to the server running state. If yes, a configuration and and metadata backup is the choice.