Re: Remote login password file questions.

That makes sence. I guess I was thinking that Oracle should recover the password file
because it was a DDL statement that updated it and not the result of some external
utility or a text file editor as is the case with the init file. But as you pointed out, it ain't
necessiarily so. I guess the probability that I would "grant sysdba to mike" and have to
follow that up with a point in time recovery prior to that "grant" is so unlikely, that it is
not even worth considering. Like you say, I can use ORAPWD to fix whatever problem
might arise. I have never seen a suggested procedure that says you should back up
the password file right after doing a "grant sysdba".

"Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr2000_at_yahoo.com.au> wrote in message news:3f774315$0$28898$afc38c87_at_news.optusnet.com.au...
> Michael J. Moore wrote:
>
> > Thanks Howard,
> > I confess that I have not read ALL of the Oracle documentation, but I
 have
> > read the 9i Concepts and various other books. I have never seen
> > "writing/updating to the password file" documented as part of the server
> > process function. I wonder why this functionality is mostly
 undocumented.
> > It seems rather important to me.
> >
> > The fact that the server process does some updating also begs the
 question
> > - what about recovery?
> > What happens if you recover the database to a point in time prior to the
> > password file update?
> > Will SMON update the password file?
>
>
> Bit of a misconception here, I fear. The password file is not part of an
> Oracle database. Only control files, datafiles and online redo logs are
> technically part of the database, and thus have recovery mechanisms
> designed for them ('backup to trace' or 'using backup controlfile' for the
> controlfile; 'recover database/datafile/tablespace' for the datafile; and
> 'open database resetlogs' for the online logs... well, it *sort* of gets
> you some online redo logs back again, I suppose!!).
>
> But for archive logs, password files, init.ora's and the Oracle
 executables
> themselves, there is no recovery mechanism provided by Oracle, and no
> backup mechanism either (qualification: the alert log contains a copy of
> non-default init.ora parameters, and is thus recoverable with a bit of
> manual cut-and-pasting from there. And RMAN will back up spfiles).
>
> So you use O/S-supplied backup tools to back those up (Veritas, MS Backup,
> ArcServe etc etc). Or, you resign yourself to the loss of an archivelog by
> either doing an incomplete recovery if the loss is discovered late, or
> performing a new whole database backup if its discovered early). Or, you
> re-install Oracle completely (if you lose the executables). Or you
> re-create the password file from scratch if you lose it (that's what
 orapwd
> is provided for).
>
> So the answer to your specific question is: SMON doesn't touch it at all,
> and there's no recovery done to it. If it gets lost or corrupted, delete
 it
> and re-create it.
>
> Regards
> HJR
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> > If you can direct me to any documentation that contains this level of
> > detail, I would love to read it.
> >
> > Howard, if you choose to answer, please reply to the group so that
> > everybody can benefit.
> > Regards,
> > Mike
> >
> > "Howard J. Rogers" <howardjr2000_at_yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
> > news:3f764f67$0$14559$afc38c87_at_news.optusnet.com.au...
> >> Michael J. Moore wrote:
> >>
> >> > Assume REMOTE_LOGIN_PASSWORDFILE=EXCLUSIVE.
> >> > A DBA issues "grant sysdba to mike;".
> >> > So, question #1 is: What process updates the password file? DBWR?
 SMON?
> >> > PMON? etc, Which one?
> >>
> >> The server process of the person issuing the grant SQL statement.
> >>
> >> As is ever the case: if you ask for something, be it data from EMP, to
> >> update a salary column, or to modify the password file, it's your
 server
> >> process that does your bidding.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >> HJR
>
Received on Sun Sep 28 2003 - 16:33:54 CDT