Re: Is this some kind of cluster?

John, if the parameter cluster_database = FALSE is set then the two database instances should not be an Oracle RAC installation.

When you logon via SQLPLus the logon messages tells you if RAC is installed.
Query "select * from database_properties" on each instance. Also select name from v$database
select instance_name from v$instance

Connect to the second machine and then connect to the local instance and repeat the queries. The results should tell you if the database think they are one and the same or two different databases.

Check for listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files on each machine. Look to see what databases are configured.

You could have a database and a manual clone or a production database and a test copy.

You could have a database and a dataguard backup

You could have some form of hardware imaged database with a separate instance opened against the copy

The answers to the above queries and the information in the Oranet files may provide the information to tell what is what. HTH -- Mark D Powell -- Received on Tue Jan 11 2005 - 08:37:59 CST