Re: Changing ORACLE_HOME?

You don't mention what your purpose for this is. Are you moving and existing ORACLE_HOME, or are you have you installed a new version of Oracle and want to move a database?

If you are moving your oracle home, about all you need to do is to change the references to the old on in the oratab file. If you are using oracle oraenv or coraenv scripts to define your oracle environment variables, those variables will be set appropriately. Otherwise, you will need to change any definitions of ORACLE_HOME that you have. I would strongly suggest that you use oracle's procedures.

Note: If you have done an OFA install ($ORACLE_BASE is set), you might still want to make sure that the new location of ORACLE_HOME is underneath $ORACLE_BASE. If not, create a symbolic link to $ORACLE_BASE/product for the new ORACLE_HOME. Make sure that the oratab value is based on the location under $ORACLE_BASE, not the real location.

If you have installed a new set of executables and need to move a database to the new version, you need to:

1. Shut down the database
2. Take a backup
3. Change the ORACLE_HOME value for this instance in oratab
4. Run coraenv or oraenv to redefine ORACLE_HOME and PATH
5. Start up the database
6. Run the SQL scripts to upgrade the data dictionary. The scripts that you need to run are found in $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/doc/README.doc

Good luck!

-- 
Bob Swisshelm
Eli Lilly and Company
swisshelm_at_lilly.com
(317) 276-5472