if you are not sure what these abbreviations all stand for:
demo@orademo.local oracle:/home/oracle/adhocScripts $ ps -ef | grep ora_ oracle 2016 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:28 ora_pmon_demo oracle 2018 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:49 ora_psp0_demo oracle 2020 1 15 15:33 ? 00:39:48 ora_vktm_demo oracle 2024 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:19 ora_gen0_demo oracle 2026 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:21 ora_diag_demo oracle 2028 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:19 ora_dbrm_demo oracle 2030 1 0 15:33 ? 00:01:14 ora_dia0_demo oracle 2032 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:18 ora_mman_demo oracle 2034 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:22 ora_dbw0_demo oracle 2036 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:27 ora_lgwr_demo oracle 2038 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:47 ora_ckpt_demo oracle 2040 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:12 ora_smon_demo oracle 2042 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:09 ora_reco_demo oracle 2044 1 0 15:33 ? 00:00:45 ora_mmon_demo oracle 2046 1 0 15:33 ? 00:01:20 ora_mmnl_demo oracle 2054 1 0 15:34 ? 00:00:10 ora_qmnc_demo oracle 2070 1 0 15:34 ? 00:00:09 ora_q001_demo oracle 2099 1 0 15:39 ? 00:00:18 ora_smco_demo oracle 2214 1 0 16:01 ? 00:00:10 ora_q002_demo oracle 2811 1 0 19:39 ? 00:00:00 ora_w000_demo oracle 2826 2760 0 19:43 pts/3 00:00:00 grep ora_
… just ask the database:
select NAME,DESCRIPTION from v$bgprocess order by 1; NAME DESCRIPTION ----- ---------------------------------------------------------------- ABMR Auto BMR Background Process ACFS ACFS CSS ACMS Atomic Controlfile to Memory Server ARB0 ASM Rebalance 0 ARB1 ASM Rebalance 1 ARB2 ASM Rebalance 2 ARB3 ASM Rebalance 3 ARB4 ASM Rebalance 4 ARB5 ASM Rebalance 5 ARB6 ASM Rebalance 6 ARB7 ASM Rebalance 7 ARB8 ASM Rebalance 8 ARB9 ASM Rebalance 9 ARBA ASM Rebalance 10 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 ARCa Archival Process 10 ARCb Archival Process 11 ARCc Archival Process 12 ARCd Archival Process 13 ARCe Archival Process 14 ARCf Archival Process 15 ARCg Archival Process 16 ARCh Archival Process 17 ARCi Archival Process 18 ARCj Archival Process 19 ARCk Archival Process 20 ARCl Archival Process 21 ARCm Archival Process 22 ARCn Archival Process 23 ARCo Archival Process 24 ARCp Archival Process 25 ARCq Archival Process 26 ARCr Archival Process 27 ARCs Archival Process 28 ARCt Archival Process 29 ASMB ASM Background CJQ0 Job Queue Coordinator CKPT checkpoint CTWR Change Tracking Writer DBRM DataBase Resource Manager 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) DBWk db writer process 20 (k) DBWl db writer process 21 (l) DBWm db writer process 22 (m) DBWn db writer process 23 (n) DBWo db writer process 24 (o) DBWp db writer process 25 (p) DBWq db writer process 26 (q) DBWr db writer process 27 (r) DBWs db writer process 28 (s) DBWt db writer process 29 (t) DBWu db writer process 30 (u) DBWv db writer process 31 (v) DBWw db writer process 32 (w) DBWx db writer process 33 (x) DBWy db writer process 34 (y) DBWz db writer process 35 (z) DIA0 diagnosibility process 0 DIA1 diagnosibility process 1 DIA2 diagnosibility process 2 DIA3 diagnosibility process 3 DIA4 diagnosibility process 4 DIA5 diagnosibility process 5 DIA6 diagnosibility process 6 DIA7 diagnosibility process 7 DIA8 diagnosibility process 8 DIA9 diagnosibility process 9 DIAG diagnosibility process DMON DG Broker Monitor Process DSKM slave DiSKMon process EMNC EMON Coordinator FBDA Flashback Data Archiver Process FMON File Mapping Monitor Process FSFP Data Guard Broker FSFO Pinger GEN0 generic0 GMON diskgroup monitor GTX0 Global Txn process 0 GTX1 Global Txn process 1 GTX2 Global Txn process 2 GTX3 Global Txn process 3 GTX4 Global Txn process 4 GTX5 Global Txn process 5 GTX6 Global Txn process 6 GTX7 Global Txn process 7 GTX8 Global Txn process 8 GTX9 Global Txn process 9 GTXa Global Txn process 10 GTXb Global Txn process 11 GTXc Global Txn process 12 GTXd Global Txn process 13 GTXe Global Txn process 14 GTXf Global Txn process 15 GTXg Global Txn process 16 GTXh Global Txn process 17 GTXi Global Txn process 18 GTXj Global Txn process 19 INSV Data Guard Broker INstance SlaVe Process LCK0 Lock Process 0 LGWR Redo etc. LMD0 global enqueue service daemon 0 LMHB lm heartbeat monitor 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 LMSa global cache service process 10 LMSb global cache service process 11 LMSc global cache service process 12 LMSd global cache service process 13 LMSe global cache service process 14 LMSf global cache service process 15 LMSg global cache service process 16 LMSh global cache service process 17 LMSi global cache service process 18 LMSj global cache service process 19 LMSk global cache service process 20 LMSl global cache service process 21 LMSm global cache service process 22 LMSn global cache service process 23 LMSo global cache service process 24 LMSp global cache service process 25 LMSq global cache service process 26 LMSr global cache service process 27 LMSs global cache service process 28 LMSt global cache service process 29 LMSu global cache service process 30 LMSv global cache service process 31 LMSw global cache service process 32 LMSx global cache service process 33 LMSy global cache service process 34 LSP0 Logical Standby LSP1 Dictionary build process for Logical Standby LSP2 Set Guard Standby Information for Logical Standby MARK mark AU for resync koordinator MMAN Memory Manager MMNL Manageability Monitor Process 2 MMON Manageability Monitor Process MRP0 Managed Standby Recovery NSA1 Redo transport NSA1 NSA2 Redo transport NSA2 NSA3 Redo transport NSA3 NSA4 Redo transport NSA4 NSA5 Redo transport NSA5 NSA6 Redo transport NSA6 NSA7 Redo transport NSA7 NSA8 Redo transport NSA8 NSA9 Redo transport NSA9 NSAA Redo transport NSAA NSAB Redo transport NSAB NSAC Redo transport NSAC NSAD Redo transport NSAD NSAE Redo transport NSAE NSAF Redo transport NSAF NSAG Redo transport NSAG NSAH Redo transport NSAH NSAI Redo transport NSAI NSAJ Redo transport NSAJ NSAK Redo transport NSAK NSAL Redo transport NSAL NSAM Redo transport NSAM NSAN Redo transport NSAN NSAO Redo transport NSAO NSAP Redo transport NSAP NSAQ Redo transport NSAQ NSAR Redo transport NSAR NSAS Redo transport NSAS NSAT Redo transport NSAT NSAU Redo transport NSAU NSAV Redo transport NSAV NSS1 Redo transport NSS1 NSS2 Redo transport NSS2 NSS3 Redo transport NSS3 NSS4 Redo transport NSS4 NSS5 Redo transport NSS5 NSS6 Redo transport NSS6 NSS7 Redo transport NSS7 NSS8 Redo transport NSS8 NSS9 Redo transport NSS9 NSSA Redo transport NSSA NSSB Redo transport NSSB NSSC Redo transport NSSC NSSD Redo transport NSSD NSSE Redo transport NSSE NSSF Redo transport NSSF NSSG Redo transport NSSG NSSH Redo transport NSSH NSSI Redo transport NSSI NSSJ Redo transport NSSJ NSSK Redo transport NSSK NSSL Redo transport NSSL NSSM Redo transport NSSM NSSN Redo transport NSSN NSSO Redo transport NSSO NSSP Redo transport NSSP NSSQ Redo transport NSSQ NSSR Redo transport NSSR NSSS Redo transport NSSS NSST Redo transport NSST NSSU Redo transport NSSU NSSV Redo transport NSSV NSV0 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 0 NSV1 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 1 NSV2 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 2 NSV3 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 3 NSV4 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 4 NSV5 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 5 NSV6 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 6 NSV7 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 7 NSV8 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 8 NSV9 Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process 9 NSVA Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process A NSVB Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process B NSVC Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process C NSVD Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process D NSVE Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process E NSVF Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process F NSVG Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process G NSVH Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process H NSVI Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process I NSVJ Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process J NSVK Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process K NSVL Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process L NSVM Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process M NSVN Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process N NSVO Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process O NSVP Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process P NSVQ Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process Q NSVR Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process R NSVS Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process S NSVT Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process T NSVU Data Guard Broker NetSlave Process U PING interconnect latency measurement PMON process cleanup PSP0 process spawner 0 QMNC AQ Coordinator RBAL ASM Rebalance master RCBG Result Cache: Background RECO distributed recovery RMS0 rac management server RSM0 Data Guard Broker Resource Guard Process 0 RSMN Remote Slave Monitor RVWR Recovery Writer SMCO Space Manager Process SMON System Monitor Process VBG0 Volume BG 0 VBG1 Volume BG 1 VBG2 Volume BG 2 VBG3 Volume BG 3 VBG4 Volume BG 4 VBG5 Volume BG 5 VBG6 Volume BG 6 VBG7 Volume BG 7 VBG8 Volume BG 8 VBG9 Volume BG 9 VDBG Volume Driver BG VKRM Virtual sKeduler for Resource Manager VKTM Virtual Keeper of TiMe process VMB0 Volume Membership 0 XDMG cell automation manager XDWK cell automation worker actions 295 rows selected.
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