Re: How to See oracle database without gui

peter wrote:
> Hello DBAs,
>
> Please tell me if there is any way through which we can see how many
> databases are there in my Operating System, without using any GUI
> components ( OEM,DBCA ).With any command.
> if yes, then what is the command.............
>

Well, first we have to determine if you are using the word "databases" in the Oracle convention or the convention other products use (which we would call a schema).

Using the Oracle sense, it can be very difficult if things are set up non-standard. In general, you should be able to find references to instance names (and note, multiple instances can access a database), and perhaps some specific database names.

Some things to look for (and they are not complete and some may be misleading):

tnsnames.ora often has a list of instance names or service connection names (or may show a bunch of obsolete names or nothing at all if it is the wrong one or not being used).

the lsnrctl status command may show databases that are currently up - or maybe not, if there are multiple listeners. There may be listener.ora files with clues hanging about.

Look for files that set up environment variables. oratab is often used to control startup/shutdown of databases, oraenv or coraenv for conditioning the environment. On Windows, look in the registry, and perhaps a program to set the current oracle home, and check for services with oracle in the name.

An OFA compliant setup may have directories with database names under directories named oradata. There may be $ORACLE_BASE/admin/<instance name>/bdump/aler*log files.

$ORACLE_HOME/dbs may have init.ora files with instance names in them, or links to such files.

If you are using "database" to mean schemata, connect as system and select username from dba_users; for every actual database you have. If you don't know the system password, normally you can log in to the OS as oracle or whoever installed oracle and say sqlplus "/ as sysdba" and proceed to trash your database.

See also http://www.dbaoracle.net/readme-cdos.htm , as well as the 2-day dba by example from Oracle.

jg

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