Processes "Expire" without completing

Oracle 10.2.0.3.0,
Windows 2003 Server
8GB Memory
8 CPU
Shared Server

In our database warehouse we've have had load processes which after running for a period of time just "expire" without successfully completing. The ones which get kicked off from a Windows CMD file still display the command prompt window even though the process has stopped.

Our off-site DBA has said he hasn't been able to find anything in any log files so I'm left to try to figure this puzzle out.

I have noticed that processes seem to "expire" when there are either a lot of other processes running at the same time or a few others which seem to be using mostly CPU.

I ran one process which nearly ran to completion before it too "expired". I ran it in shared server mode and also in dedicated server mode and both processes just "expired" without completing and with no indication of an error.

When I looked at the memory configuration of the database I noticed this:

 o SGA allocation is 5,908 Mb (95.6% of total memory allocation)  o PGA allocation is 250 Mb (4.4% of total memory allocation)  o work area size policy is set to AUTO

Is it normal to have such a low PGA allocation out of the total Oracle memory? Could there be a problem with not enough PGA for the processes?

I don't have direct access to any of the server log files but if I have the session id of a process which "expires", shouldn't the off-site DBA be able to look for the logfile for that session and find out if anything is causing the session to just end?

Thanks. Received on Sat Jan 19 2008 - 17:25:00 CST