Re: Why is it so difficult to shutdown Oracle?

From: Bob Blizard <rblizard_at_bb.cmcsys.com>
Date: 1996/01/24
Message-ID: <4e5knd$hd5_at_caesar.ultra.net>#1/1

WHOA! Shutdown Abort will indeed kill those sessions immediately, but it will also kill the instance immediately, including leaving uncommitted transactions hanging in the redo log, and so on. You will have to do instance recovery the next time you start Oracle (it does this automatically). Although this usually works, it is a _bad_ idea. Save abort for situations where you really truly can't wait to shut down in an orderly fashion.

SHUTDOWN NORMAL prevents new transactions from beginning, waits politely for all uncommitted transactions to finish, and then shuts the database down.

SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE prevents new transactions from beginning, and forces rollbacks on all uncommitted transactions. Then it suts down the database. As a result, 'immediate' does not mean 'instant', but 'start right now'.

You can wait at the shutdown end (shutdown immediate), or wait at the startup end (shutdown abort), but no matter what, you will have to wait for uncommitted transactions to be rolled back. It is generally better to do it right than do it fast.

If you still have server processes hanging around after you shut down, use a combination of ps and kill to knock off those pesky sessions.

Kim Hughes <Kim=Hughes%NA%Contractors_at_bangate.compaq.com> wrote:

>Arthur,
> I am a DBA consultant also. And yes there is another way to kill those
>processes without using the 'KILL' command. The command is:
> SHUTDOWN ABORT
> If your DBA consultant tells you this is not a safe way to shutdown the
>database inform him it is just as safe as executing the ALTER SESSION KILL
>command. Both halt the session instantly.
>
>D. Kim Hughes
>Managing Consultant
>DRT Systems
>Houston, TX
>(713)868-5537
>

Bob Blizard rblizard_at_bb.cmcsys.com | All these worthwhile

CMC Systems, Inc.                      | opinions are mine, and

175 Littleton Rd Westford, MA 01886 | not necessarily CMC's... Ph (508) 392-1300 Fax (508) 392-1303 | "If you want to park in the first row of life, you must go there first." Received on Wed Jan 24 1996 - 00:00:00 CET