Re: trouble starting db instance

Smuth Nakpansua <smuth_at_thaiintertrade.com> writes:

> Phong Lam wrote:
> >
> > I supposed they are created in this /tmp directory everytime the system is
> > booted? I have not changed my semaphores in /etc/system for a while.
> >
> > Any idea what I must do to get the instance started, again?
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Sybrand Bakker wrote:
> >
> > > Semaphores are usually created on the /tmp file system.
> > >
> > > Hth,
> > >
> > > Sybrand Bakker, Oracle DBA
> > >
> > > Phong Lam <pnlam_at_us.ibm.com> wrote in message
> > > news:37A5C5FB.B5487F71_at_us.ibm.com...
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > When I tried to start a 7.3.4 instance, I get the following message:
> > > >
> > > > ORA-07279: spcre: semget error, unable to get first semaphore set.
> > > > SVR4 error: 28: No space left on device
> > > > Additional information: 1
> > > >
> > > > What does this mean? Is my semaphores set too low? Do I actually
> > > > running out of disk space? I check on the system with "df -k " command,
> > > > and it shows that I have the following:
> > > >
> > > > / 67% 57MB free
> > > > /usr 70% 187MB
> > > > /export 30% 2GB (this is where I installed Oracle 7.3.4)
> > > >
> > > > I'm using the default semaphore setting recommended with oracle
> > > > installation guide. My database have no data tables, other than
> > > > standard oracle tables.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
>
>
> This may be your server's memory is not enough for starting new
> instance.
> If you could add more memory you may try setting the "tuning parameter"
> init
> parameter file to use the SMALL setting.
>
> Hope this helps,
> -smuth
>

This has nothing to do with available disk space or available memory. The instance can't allocate a semaphore. This is governed by the semsys:seminfo_semmns parameter in /etc/system. The corresponding Oracle parameter is "processes" in your init.ora file. You want to make sure that the value in /etc/system is higher than the init.ora parameter of all your instances added together.

i.e.
if you have 3 instances that all have
processes = 200

then you should have

set semsys:seminfo_semmns = (value > 600)

--
David F. Newman
Oracle DBA
buzzwang_at_ourvillage.com Received on Tue Aug 03 1999 - 11:18:15 CDT