Standby database on same machine

Hi all

I need some help here. I'm testing Oracle's feature of standby databases. I have a database(call it SID_a) for which I'd like to create a standby database. Due to some hardware limitations and the fact that this is only a test, I want to create both these on the same machine with datafiles sitting in different directories. Oracle Documentation suggests this is possible, to some extent it is but I've hit a major snag.

I created the standby controlfile and copied all datafiles and archivelogs to the different destinations. I then tried to start the standby database. I got 'control file is not a standby controlfile'. I figured that I need a different init file for the standby db(reasonable?). I then created this file with the right directory for the control file. I initially thought this was not necessary since I had used the parameters 'db_file_standby_name_convert' and 'log_file_standby_name_convert' but anyway...with the different initfile I was able to start the standby database.

Now the interesting bit. I had to restart the primary database(SID_a). I couldn't do this, because I already had an instance for it(via the standby db) running( got 'cannot start already running ORACLE').

What am I doing wrong?

Thank you.
--
Siphiwe Memela
<siphiwe_at_cm.co.za> Received on Mon Dec 07 1998 - 15:08:38 CST