The sole aim of the OCP: Oracle8i DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup & Recovery Study Guide is to enable you to pass two of the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) examinations that form part of the Oracle Database Administrator qualification. These are normally the last two exams you"d sit in the series of five (the first is covered by a companion publication, TOCP: Oracle8i DBA SQL and PL/SQL Study Guide). The Architecture & Administration part starts with an introduction and then covers authentication, Oracle Enterprise Manager tools, creating a database, table spaces, storage structures and security. The slightly larger Backup & Recovery section delves the depths of all flavours of redo log files (online, offline, current online and non-current online), control files and data files. There are chapters on how to proceed without the aid of Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN) and with it: go for "with" if you have to choose. Coverage is thorough and businesslike: after all, you aren"t here to enjoy yourself. For checking your progress there"s a "test engine" on the CD-ROM that contains all the multiple choice questions that appear at the end of each chapter and practice exams. You can take chapter tests and practice exams or generate a new exam composed of a random sample of questions. There are also electronic flashcards of harder questions for downloading to a PC or a Palm for further revision. Pass marks are less onerous than those for other exams in the qualification: 58 per cent for Architecture & Administration and 57 per cent for Backup & Recovery, but hard work is still the order of the day. --Mark Whitehorn