Re: can't create new database

In article <32822246.1CEF_at_mail.esrin.esa.it>, James Dickson <James.Dicks on_at_mail.esrin.esa.it> writes
>To: comp.databases.oracle, comp.unix.questions newsgroups
>
>I have a unix box SunOS 5.4 Generic_101945-32 sun4d sparc
>with installed product 7.2.2 and 4 running instances.
>I've been trying all week to create a fifth instance and
>Oracle is having none of it. The error is:
>
>SQLDBA> connect internal
>Connected.
>SQLDBA> startup nomount
>pfile=/gigante_home1/3rdsw/oradba/product/7.2.2/dbs/initPROCOS_0.ora
>ORA-07279: spcre: semget error, unable to get first semaphore set.
>SVR4 Error: 28: No space left on device
>Additional information: 1
>
>The four running instances have one semaphore each.

One semaphore each? Oracle databases require one semaphore per process, where the number of processes is determined by the processes parameter init.ora.

>I can shutdown and startup those instances with no trouble;
>when they go down they give up the semaphore and when they
>come back up they grab a semaphore. The new instance doesn't
>seem to be able to get a semaphore. There are plenty free.
>Even if I take the other instances down (freeing those 4 semaphores
>and shared memory) the new instance is unable to get any.
>

This generally means not enough semaphores or semaphore sets, but this paragraph contradicts that?

What are the values for the various SEM* paramaters in your SunOS kernel? (look in the IUG for the exct names. The relevant ones are total semaphores, semaphores per set, and max no of sets.)

What does the ipcs command show for numbers and ownership of semaphores with your instances up and down? (perhaps shutting down the instances is not freeing semaphores. It can happen)

Is there anything else running which might be using semaphores?

-- 
Jim Smith