Subject: Re: Hanging ORACLE database
Newsgroups: comp.databases.oracle,comp.databases.oracle.server,comp.databases.oracle.tools
Followup-To: comp.databases.oracle,comp.databases.oracle.server,comp.databases.oracle.tools
References: <5pb7bi$f5m@scel.sequent.com>
Reply-To: akaplan@interaccess.com

 Vikas Gautam (gautam@sequent.com) wrote:
: Hi,
: 	I am having a consistent problem in my 7.3.2.3 ORACLE database on
: 	a UNIX machine (Sequent). The problem is that the database seems to 
: 	hang at non-deciphered times and the hanging is not due to a consistent
: 	set of jobs.
: 
: 	The symptoms are also misleading. At one time, I could not log on as 
: 	SYS. At other times, I have not been able to look into dba_ tables (
: 	but could get to the V$ views). At other times a select FIELD1 from 
: 	TABLE1 shows n-number of rows and then hangs.
: 
: 	To solve this problem, I was initially shutting down abort (immediate 
: 	was not doing the job) and then bringing up the database and then
: 	shutting it down and starting again. This solved the problem but
: 	the hanging repeated after a day or two again. The other approach I
: 	took was to "do nothing" and after returning the next day, the problem
: 	of hanging used to go away.
: 
: 	Now, there is NOTHING in the alert_logs or in the trace files. Called
: 	ORACLE and they started poking into ROLLBACK segments (I 
: 	changed the OPTIMAL to 200K from 10M). Nothing happened. 
: 	They have since not returned my call. Have looked into the operatin
: 	system also and seen nothing wrong. Have asked the Sequent
: 	Customer Service to look into the problem but no help.
: 
: 	Can someone give any pointers to help. I can email the init$SID.ora
: 	files to you if you are interested.
: 
: Thanks,
: Vikas
: gautam@sequent.com
: 	

Vikas,

It sounds like you are having problems archiving redo logs. I have
experienced similar symptoms in the distant past when there is no more
room in the archive destination. Any number of things could cause this:

1) The log_archive_dest is not a valid directory
2) The log_archive_dest is not owner by "oracle" or does not have correct
permissions
3) Someone other than "oracle" starts the database
4) There is no more room on the device that contains the log_archive_dest
5) The log_archive_format parameter is not set properly

-Ari Kaplan
Independent Oracle DBA Consultant

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