For example, if you choose to do on-line database backups, also cover yourself by doing database exports. Also test ALL backup and recovery scenarios carefully. It is better to be save than sorry. Regardless of your strategy, also remember to backup all required software libraries, parameter files, password files, etc. A cold backup is a backup performed while the database is off-line and unavailable to its users.
Recovery is the process of applying redo logs to the database to roll it forward.
Other backup strategies normally back-up the the physical data files. To completely restore a database from an export file one practically needs to recreate the entire database. Full exports includes more information about the database in the export file than user level exports. Shut down the database from sqlplus or server manager. Ensure that you backup all data files, all control files and all log files.