7 Administering a Database on Windows

Managing Oracle Services

This section provides information on the following:

• Oracle Service Naming Conventions for Multiple Oracle Homes

• Available Oracle Services

• Starting Oracle Services

• Stopping Oracle Services

• Auto-starting Oracle Services

Oracle Service Naming Conventions for Multiple Oracle Homes

Oracle9i for Windows lets you have multiple Oracle homes on a single computer. This feature, described in Chapter 3, " Multiple Oracle Homes and Optimal Flexible Architecture", affects Oracle services naming conventions. As you perform installations into Oracle home directories:

• You must accept default Oracle home name provided or specify a different name for each Oracle home directory.

• You are prompted to give a system identifier and global database name for each database installation.

Figure 7-1 shows how the Services dialog appears with two Oracle9i databases on a single computer. A home name appears in most service names. Line 1 points to service names for the first Oracle9i database installation (OraHome90). Line 2 points to service names for the second Oracle9i database installation (OraHome290). Line 3 points to services with SIDs of MARK and PROD.

Figure 7-1 Services Dialogs

Description of the illustration orahomes.gif

ORA-12560 TNS: protocol adapter error

ORA-12541 TNS: no listener

C:\> NET START service

C:\> net STOP service

Auto-starting Oracle Services

Oracle services can be set to start automatically whenever the Windows computer is restarted. You can turn auto-start on or off from two different locations:

• Control Panel

• Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows

Control Panel

To use the Control Panel to configure when and how Oracle9i database is started:

1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.

   The Control Panel window appears.

2. Double-click Administrative Tools.

   The Administrative Tools window appears.

3. Double-click Services.

   The Services dialog appears.

4. Select service OracleServiceSID and click Startup.

   The Service dialog appears.

5. Choose Automatic from the Startup Type field.

6. Click OK.

7. Click Close to exit the Services dialog.

   
   

   Note: If you are using Windows NT, then you can access the Services dialog from the Control Panel.

   
   

Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows

To automatically start Oracle services from Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows:

1. Choose Start > Programs > Oracle - HOME_NAME > Configuration and Migration Tools > Administration Assistant for Windows.

2. Right-click the SID.

   where SID is a specific instance name, such as orcl.

3. Choose Startup/Shutdown Options.

4. Choose the Oracle Service tab.

5. Choose Automatic in Oracle Service Startup Type.

6. Click Apply.

7. Click OK.

Description of the illustration ss_cnfg1.gif

Starting and Shutting Down a Database with SQL*Plus

These instructions assume that a database instance has been created.

To start or shut down an Oracle9i database:

1. Go to your Oracle9i database server.

2. Start SQL*Plus at the command prompt:

   C:\> sqlplus /NOLOG
   
   

3. Connect to Oracle9i database with username SYSDBA:

   SQL> CONNECT / AS SYSDBA 
   
   

4. To start a database, enter:

   SQL> STARTUP [PFILE=path\filename]
   
   

   This command uses the initialization parameter file specified in path\filename. To start a database using a file named

   init2.ora in C:\ora92\admin\orcl\pfile 
   
   

   for example, you would enter:

   SQL> STARTUP PFILE=C:\ora92\admin\orcl\pfile\init2.ora
   
   

   If no PFILE is specified, then the command uses the default initialization parameter file located in directory ORACLE_BASE\ADMIN\db_name\pfile.

5. To stop a database, enter:

   SQL> SHUTDOWN [mode]
   
   

   where mode is normal, immediate, or abort.

   In a normal shutdown, Oracle9i database waits for all currently-connected users to disconnect and disallows any new connections before shutting down. This is the default mode.

   In an immediate shutdown, Oracle9i database terminates and rolls back active transactions, disconnects clients, and shuts down.

   In an abort shutdown, Oracle9i database terminates active transactions and disconnects users; it does not roll back transactions. The database performs automatic recovery and rollback the next time it is started. Use this mode only in emergencies.

   
   

   See Also: Chapter 4, " Database Tools on Windows" for a list of other tools that can start Oracle9i database and this guide for information on options you can specify when starting your database.

   
   

Starting and Shutting Down a Database Using Services

You can start or shut down Oracle9i database by starting or stopping service OracleServiceSID in the Control Panel. Starting OracleServiceSID is equivalent to using the STARTUP command or manually entering:

C:\> oradim -STARTUP -SID SID -USERPWD password -STARTTYPE srv,inst

Stopping OracleServiceSID is equivalent to using the SHUTDOWN command or manually entering:

C:\> oradim -SHUTDOWN -SID SID -USERPWD password -SHUTTYPE srv,inst -SHUTMODE -i

You can enable starting and stopping Oracle9i database through OracleServiceSID two different ways:

• Starting Oracle Services

• Setting Registry Parameters

To start or stop a database using Oracle Services from Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows:

1. Choose Start > Programs > Oracle - HOME_NAME > Configuration and Migration Tools > Administration Assistant for Windows.

2. Right-click the SID.

   where SID is a specific instance name, such as ORCL.

3. Choose Startup/Shutdown Options.

4. Choose the Oracle Instance tab.

5. Select Start up instance when service is started, Shut down instance when service is stopped, or both.

To start or stop an Oracle9i database through Oracle Services, set the following registry parameters to the indicated values:

• ORA_SID_AUTOSTART

  When set to true, the default value, this parameter causes Oracle9i database to start when OracleServiceSID is started.

• ORA_SID_PFILE

  This parameter sets the full path to the initialization parameter file. The default path is ORACLE_BASE\ADMIN\db_name\pfile\init.ora

• ORA_SHUTDOWN

  When set to true, this parameter enables the selected Oracle9i database to be shut down when OracleServiceSID is stopped. This includes any database in the current Oracle home. Default value is false.

• ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN

  When set to true, the default value, this parameter causes the Oracle9i database identified by the SID value to shut down when OracleServiceSID is stopped manually—using either the Control Panel or Net stop command.

  
  

  Caution: If ORA_SHUTDOWN or ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN is set to false, then manually shutting down OracleServiceSID will still shut down Oracle9i database. But it will be an abnormal shutdown, and Oracle Corporation does not recommend it.

  
  

The following two registry parameters are optional:

• ORA_SID_SHUTDOWNTYPE

  This parameter controls database shutdown mode. Set it to a (abort), i (immediate), or n (normal). Default mode is i (immediate) if you do not set this parameter.

• ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT

  This parameter sets maximum time to wait before the service for a particular SID stops.

The registry location of these required and optional parameters is determined by the number of Oracle home directories on your computer. If you have only one Oracle home directory, then these parameters belong in:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\HOME0

If you have multiple Oracle home directories, then these parameters belong in:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\HOMEID 

where ID is incremented for each additional Oracle home directory on your computer.

1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.

   The Control Panel window appears.

2. Double-click Services.

   The Services dialog appears.

3. To start the database, select OracleServiceSID and click Start.

   This automatically starts ORADIM and issues the -STARTUP command using the initialization parameter file identified by ORA_SID_PFILE.

4. To stop the database, select OracleServiceSID and click Stop.

   This automatically starts ORADIM, which issues the -SHUTDOWN command in the mode indicated by ORA_SID_SHUTDOWNTYPE, and shuts down your Oracle9i database.

Starting Multiple Instances

1. Start the service for each instance using ORADIM or the Services dialog of the Control Panel.

2. At the command prompt set the ORACLE_SID configuration parameter to the SID for the first instance to run:

   C:\> SET ORACLE_SID=SID
   
   

   where SID is the name of the Oracle9i database instance.

3. Start SQL*Plus:

   C:\> sqlplus /NOLOG
   
   

4. Connect AS SYSDBA:

   SQL> CONNECT / AS SYSDBA
   
   

5. Start up the first instance:

   SQL> STARTUP PFILE=ORACLE_BASE\admin\db_name\pfile\init.ora
   
   

   where ORACLE_BASE is c:\oracle (unless you changed it during installation) and db_name is the name of the instance.

6. Repeat Steps 2-5 for the other instances to run.

Creating and Populating Password Files

Use Password Utility to create password files. Password Utility is automatically installed with Oracle9i Utilities. Password files are located in directory ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HOME\DATABASE and are named PWDsid.ORA, where SID identifies the Oracle9i database instance. Password files can be used for local or remote connections to an Oracle9i database.

To create and populate a password file:

1. Create a password file with the Password Utility:

   C:\> orapwd FILE=PWDsid.ora PASSWORD=password ENTRIES=max_users
   
   

   where

   • FILE specifies the password filename.

   • SID identifies the database instance.

   • PASSWORD sets the password for account SYS.

   • ENTRIES sets maximum number of entries in password file. This corresponds to maximum number of distinct users allowed to connect to the database simultaneously with either the SYSDBA or the SYSOPER DBA privilege.

2. Set initialization parameter file parameter REMOTE_LOGIN_PASSWORDFILE to exclusive, shared, or none.

   exclusive specifies that only one instance can use the password file and that the password file contains names other than SYS. In search of the password file, Oracle9i looks in the registry for the value of parameter ORA_SID_PWFILE. If no value is specified, then it looks in the registry for the value of parameter ORA_PWFILE, which points to a file containing usernames, passwords, and privileges. If that is not set, then it uses the default:

   ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HOME\DATABASE\PWDsid.ORA.
   
   

   The default value is shared. It specifies that multiple instances (for example, a Real Application Clusters environment) can use the password file. However, the only user recognized by the password file is SYS. Other users cannot log in with SYSOPER or SYSDBA privileges even if those privileges are granted in the password file. The shared value of this parameter affords backward compatibility with earlier Oracle database software releases. Oracle9i database looks for the same files as it does when the value is exclusive.

   none specifies that Oracle9i database ignores the password file and that authentication of privileged users is handled by the Windows operating system. This is the default setting.

3. Start SQL*Plus:

   C:\> sqlplus /NOLOG
   
   

4. Connect AS SYSDBA:

   SQL> CONNECT / AS SYSDBA
   
   

5. Start Oracle9i database:

   SQL> STARTUP
   
   

6. Grant appropriate privileges to each user. Users who must perform database administration, for example, would be granted privilege SYSDBA:

   SQL> GRANT SYSDBA TO scott;
   
   

   If the grant is successful, then the following message displays:

   Statement Processed.
   
   

   This adds scott to the password file and enables scott to connect to the database with SYSDBA privileges. Use SQL*Plus to add or delete usernames, user passwords, and user privileges in password files.

   
   

   Caution: Copying or manually moving password files may result in ORADIM being unable to find a password to start an instance.

   
   

Connecting Remotely to the Database as SYS

When connecting to the starter database from a remote computer as SYS, you must use a different password from the one described in Oracle9i Database Installation Guide for Windows when logging on with SYSDBA privileges. This is because the password file enables database access in this situation and it requires the password oracle for this purpose.

Encrypting Database Passwords

With Oracle9i database, you can encrypt the password used to verify a remote database connection.

To enable password encryption:

1. Add DBLINK_ENCRYPT_LOGIN to the initialization parameter file on the server computer.

2. Set DBLINK_ENCRYPT_LOGIN equal to true.

3. Set configuration variable ORA_ENCRYPT_LOGIN on the client computer to true. See Chapter 18, " Configuration Parameters and the Registry", for instructions on adding and setting configuration parameters in the registry.

Once these parameters are set to true, whenever a user attempts a remote login, Oracle9i database encrypts the password before sending it to the remote database. If the connection fails, then the failure is noted in the audit log. Oracle9i database then checks if either of these parameters is set to false. If so, Oracle9i database attempts the connection again using an unencrypted version of the password. If the connection is successful, then the success is noted in the audit log, and the connection proceeds.

Creating Control, Data, and Log Files on Remote Computers

Oracle can access database files on a remote computer using Universal Naming Convention (UNC), but it may degrade database performance and network reliability. UNC is a PC format for specifying locations of resources on a local area network. UNC uses the following format:

\\server-name\shared-resource-path-name

For example, UNC specification for file system01.dbf in directory C:\oracle\oradata\orcl on shared server argon would be:

\\argon\oracle\oradata\orcl\system01.dbf

Locations of archive log files cannot be specified using UNC. Always set initialization parameter LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n to a mapped drive. If you set it to a UNC specification, then Oracle9i database does not start and you receive the following errors:

ORA-00256: error occurred in translating archive text string '\meldell\rmdrive'
ORA-09291: sksachk: invalid device specified for archive destination 
OSD-04018: Unable to access the specified directory or device
O/S-Error: (OS 2) The system cannot find the file specified

An ORA-00256 error also occurs if you enter \\\meldell\rmdrive or \\\meldell\\rmdrive. Control files required the additional backslashes for Oracle8 release 8.0.4, but redo log files and datafiles did not.

Archiving Redo Log Files

If you installed your Oracle9i database through the Typical installation, then it is created in NOARCHIVELOG mode. If you created your database through the Custom option of Database Configuration Assistant, then you had the choice of either ARCHIVELOG or NOARCHIVELOG.

In NOARCHIVELOG mode, redo logs are not archived. Setting your archive mode to ARCHIVELOG and enabling automatic archiving causes redo log files to be archived. This protects Oracle9i database from both instance and disk failure.

This section describes how to change archive mode to ARCHIVELOG and enable automatic archiving.