Re: init.ora file

bentenkids_at_yahoo.com (hiroko) wrote in message news:<5265c4f2.0311260348.62fe396b_at_posting.google.com>...
> Hi, I am studying Oracle Database Administration.
>
> When I was setting automatic archivelog mode, I noticed I had trouble
> setting up init.ora file.
>
> I am using Oracle9 on Win2k.
>
> I modified init.ora file by adding;
> log_archive_start=true
> log_archive_dest=%Oracle%\admin\%SID%\arch
> log_archive_format=archorc_%s.log.
> Then, I shutdown, startup mount, alter database archivelog, alter
> database open.
> When I run alter system switch logfile for 3 times (I have 3 Redolog
> files), SQLPLUS hang.
> When I checked the book I had (OCP text book), it says this occurs
> when init.ora is not modified but alter database archivelog is run.
>
> So init.ora that was located on %Oracle%\admin\%SID%\spfile\ is not
> affecting database.
>
> Init.ora file for this database has a numeric extension like
> init.ora.10020039830 and so Window Explorer displayed file type as
> 10020039830.file (it wasn't read as Ora file.) I am not sure if this
> is the reason.
> Why this init.ora file has numeric extension? How can I make this
> file to be effective?
>
> Any helps or advices to solve this is appreciated.
>
> hiroko

If you are studying db-administration now is the time to study the difference between init.ora and spfile.
You are using an spfile. The init.ora was created from the spfile by applying the command
create pfile from spfile
without specifying a filename
If you have a spfile the init.ora is ignored (which is why the database isn't in archivelog). If you modify the init.ora (which you don't need to do) you need to
create spfile from pfile.
Any modifications to the spfile should be preferrably followed by create pfile from spfile.

Sybrand Bakker
Senior Oracle DBA Received on Wed Nov 26 2003 - 08:37:13 CST