5 Configuring the Server Parameter File in Oracle Real Application Clusters Environments

5.2.1 About the Server Parameter File

With Oracle Database 11g release 2 and later databases, Database Agent automatically maintains the SPFILE based on the value you specify in the srvctl command srvctl add/modify -p spfile, where spfile is the name of the SPFILE. You do not need to create or maintain initORACLE_SID.ora files.

The default location of the server parameter file (SPFILE) is in the following path:

$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/spfile$ORACLE_SID.ora 

The default location of the server parameter file is inappropriate for Oracle RAC databases and Oracle ASM instances if you use storage on a node, because all instances must use the same server parameter file.

Instead, Oracle recommends that you use a PFILE in this directory:

$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/init$ORACLE_SID.ora

This path is valid for each instance and it refers to a single, shared initialization parameter file. For example, if you use NFS storage, then on a Linux or UNIX system, the file should contain an entry similar to the following:

SPFILE='/nfs/db/oracle_dg/dbspfile'

However, if you use a cluster file system, then use the following file location:

On Linux and UNIX-based systems:

SPFILE='/shared_mount/dbname/spfiledbname.ora'

In this syntax example, the variable shared_mount is the shared mount point, and the variable dbname is the database name.

To use DBCA to create your database, and to use the server parameter file, start DBCA. When the Initialization Parameters page appears, select Create server parameter file (SPFILE) under the File Locations tab. When you have made this selection, then enter either a shared file system filename, or enter the storage path in the Server Parameters Filename field.

5.4.1 Server Parameter File Placement in Oracle RAC

For single-node cluster-enabled configurations, or if you are using Oracle ASM disk groups or a cluster file system, place the server parameter file in an Oracle ASM disk group or on a file system. Otherwise, place the server parameter file on a shared raw device that is at least 5 MB in size.

5.4.2 Procedures for Migrating to the Server Parameter File

Migrate to the SPFILE file by completing the following procedures:

1. Combine the initialization parameter files for all instances into one initdbname.ora file, where dbname is the name of the database, by copying all shared IFILE contents as is. All parameters defined in your IFILE parameter files are global. Therefore, create them in the format parameter=value, without SID prefixes.

2. Copy all instance-specific parameter definitions from initsid.ora files using the following syntax, where the variable sid is the SID of the instance:

   sid.parameter=value 
   

3. If you are using a cluster file system, then Oracle recommends that you use the following command to define the location of the new SPFILE, where spfile is the name of the SPFILE:

   srvctl modify database -p spfile
   

   You can also create the server parameter file using the CREATE SPFILE statement as in the following example:

   CREATE SPFILE='?/dbs/spfile_dbname.ora'
   FROM PFILE='?/dbs/initdbname.ora'
   

   If you use Oracle ASM, then you can use the following syntax to create the server parameter file, where disk_group_name is the disk group name, db_uniquename is the database name, dbname is the database name, and Oracle_home is the Oracle home path:

   CREATE SPFILE='+disk_group_name/db_uniquename/spfiledbname.ora'
   FROM PFILE='Oracle_home/dbs/initdbname.ora'
   

   These statements read your combined initdbname.ora file that you created by merging your IFILEs, and then transfer the settings for the parameters from the merged file into your server parameter file.

4. Oracle recommends that you use the SPFILE by using the PFILE as a pointer to the SPFILE. Do this by running the STARTUP command as in the following example, where the SID variable sid in the file initsid.ora is the SID that you use in the SPFILE entry from Step 3. For example:

   STARTUP PFILE=$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initsid.ora
   

   If you use this STARTUP command syntax, then Oracle Database uses the server parameter file entry specified in the file initsid.ora.

   Note:

   With Oracle ASM 11g release 2 and later releases, the SPFILE for the Oracle ASM instance can be stored in Oracle ASM. You can also place an Oracle ASM instance SPFILE on a file system, or you can use a traditional client-side parameter file for each Oracle ASM instance.

   See Also:

   The Oracle Automatic Storage Management Administrator's Guide for more information about administering an Oracle ASM instance