Oracle Database Server Died, doesn't come back up

From: Time Vest Insurance <reb_at_timevest.com>
Date: 09 Aug 2003 00:18:09 +0000
Message-ID: <l8zvft7znsu.fsf@timevest.com>

I don't know what we did to cause the DB to go down, but here are the startup symptoms:

> svrmgrl system/manager

Oracle Server Manager Release 3.1.7.0.0 - Production Copyright (c) 1997, 1999, Oracle Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Oracle8i Enterprise Edition Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production JServer Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production

SVRMGR> connect internal
Connected.

SVRMGR> startup
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area                        428298400 bytes
Fixed Size                                          73888 bytes
Variable Size                                    98480128 bytes
Database Buffers                                327680000 bytes
Redo Buffers                                      2064384 bytes

Database mounted.
ORA-01157: cannot identify/lock data file 11 - see DBWR trace file ORA-01110: data file 11: '/raid5/ora/817/XXXXxxxxxxxxx.dbf'

SVRMGR> quit
Server Manager complete.

The specified datafile does not exist.  

I did a find in the oracle path but there are no DBWR files.

I looked at the error messages and based on those, I ran the "alter system check datafiles" command after shutting down the server and touching a file name of the missing file. Now if finds the file and instead of the lock error, it says that it can't read beyond the first block or something.

I presume the problem is a mismatch of an entry in the catalog for a file and the fact that the file didn't get created for some reason. I just don't know what commands to use to remove the entry from the catalogs. Any queries on dba_data_files seems to fail at this point.

Anything you can suggest for me to try will be welcome.

Bob Received on Fri Aug 08 2003 - 19:18:09 CDT