Hello, I have Oracle 8.1.7.4 installed on Solaris. I am having a
problem starting up my instance. The log tells me it cannot find my
control file...

According to the alert log ...

Wed Apr 6 11:31:12 2005
ORA-00202: controlfile: 'ora_control1'
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
SVR4 Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3
Wed Apr 6 11:31:15 2005
ORA-205 signalled during: alter database mount...

I'm trying to create another control file using the "alter system
backup controlfile to trace" command, but I'm never able to mount the
database to run that command. Here's what happens when I try and mount
the database

SVRMGR> startup mount pfile=/my/path/dbs/init.ora
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 25321148 bytes
Fixed Size 102076 bytes
Variable Size 24924160 bytes
Database Buffers 204800 bytes
Redo Buffers 90112 bytes
ORA-00205: error in identifying controlfile, check alert log for more
info

Can you help? - Dave

Is the control file where your init file says it is?

Do you only have one control file? You should have more than one.

Is the control file where the init file specifies it?

Do you only have one controlfile?

You have to create the backup while the database is up. I make a
backup copy of mine every night.

On 6 Apr 2005 08:45:02 -0700, laredotornado@zipmail.com wrote:

>Hello, I have Oracle 8.1.7.4 installed on Solaris. I am having a
>problem starting up my instance. The log tells me it cannot find my
>control file...
>
>According to the alert log ...
>
>Wed Apr 6 11:31:12 2005
>ORA-00202: controlfile: 'ora_control1'
>ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
>SVR4 Error: 2: No such file or directory
>Additional information: 3
>Wed Apr 6 11:31:15 2005
>ORA-205 signalled during: alter database mount...
>
>I'm trying to create another control file using the "alter system
>backup controlfile to trace" command, but I'm never able to mount the
>database to run that command. Here's what happens when I try and mount
>the database
>
>SVRMGR> startup mount pfile=/my/path/dbs/init.ora
>ORACLE instance started.
>Total System Global Area 25321148 bytes
>Fixed Size 102076 bytes
>Variable Size 24924160 bytes
>Database Buffers 204800 bytes
>Redo Buffers 90112 bytes
>ORA-00205: error in identifying controlfile, check alert log for more
>info
>
>Can you help? - Dave

ora_control1 is missing. If you have multiple controlfiles, and the
others still exist and are identical, just copy one of them to
ora_control1.
The controlfiles are listed in the control_file parameter in init.ora
After a startup nomount you should also be able to check their names
from v$parameter2.
If you don't have multiple control files (you should have at least 2)
you are SOL and can kiss your database goodbye.


--
Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA

Anno Domini 6-4-2005 19:33, Sybrand Bakker sprak aldus:

>
>
>If you don't have multiple control files (you should have at least 2)
>you are SOL and can kiss your database goodbye.
>
>
>--
>Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA
>
>
Why?

I think you can create (a) new one(s) if you have all the datafiles with
the command "create controlfile set database ...." (etc.. )

On Thu, 07 Apr 2005 06:20:43 +0200, Eric de Redelijkheid
<ericdere@xs4all.nl> wrote:

>Why?
>
>I think you can create (a) new one(s) if you have all the datafiles with
>the command "create controlfile set database ...." (etc.. )

Sure, you can. But you would loose any info about the history of the
database, so that moment would function as a 'Stunde NULL'. No way to
go back before that moment.


--
Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA