Configuring the Standby Initialization Parameter File

Most initialization parameters at the primary and standby databases should be identical, although some initialization parameters such as CONTROL_FILES and DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT must differ. Differences in initialization parameters other than those described in Table 3–6 can cause performance degradation at a standby database and, in some cases, halt database operations completely. Change parameter values only when it is required for the functionality of the standby database or for filename conversions.

The initialization parameters in Table 3–6 play a key role in the configuration of the standby database. For a complete list of database initialization parameters specific to the Data Guard environment, see Chapter 7.

Table 3–6 Configuring Standby Database Initialization Parameters

Parameter Guideline For More Information

COMPATIBLE Always set this parameter to the same value

at the primary and standby databases. If the values differ, you may not be able to archive the redo logs from your primary database to the standby database.

See Oracle9i Database

Reference

CONTROL_FILES Always set this parameter to a different value from the CONTROL_FILES parameter in the primary database. The names of the control files for the standby database must exist at the standby site.

See Oracle9i Database

Reference

DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT Set this parameter to distinguish standby database filenames from primary database filenames. Because the standby database control file is a copy of the primary database control file, you must convert the standby database filenames if the standby database is on the same site as the primary database or on a separate site with different path names.

See Section 4.6

DB_FILES Specifies the maximum number of database

files that can be open for this database.

See Oracle9i Database

Reference

DB_NAME Always set to the same value as the DB_NAME

parameter value in the primary database.

See Oracle9i Database

Configuring Log Transport Services on the Standby Database

FAL_CLIENT This parameter, which is used solely by a

standby database in managed recovery mode, specifies the Oracle Net service name that the FAL server should use to connect to the standby database. This parameter is set on the standby site.

See Section 4.5

FAL_SERVER This parameter, which is used solely by a

standby database in managed recovery mode, specifies the Oracle Net service name that the standby database should use to connect to the FAL server. This parameter is set on the standby site.

See Section 4.5

LOCK_NAME_SPACE This parameter specifies the name space that the distributed lock manager (DLM) uses to generate lock names. Set this value if the standby database has the same name on the same cluster as the primary database.

See Oracle9i Database

Reference

LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1 The value set in this parameter is used by the standby database ARCn process as the storage location for standby redo logs.

See Section 3.3.1

LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT The value of this parameter is used in conjunction with the STANDBY_ARCHIVE_ DEST parameter value to generate standby database log filenames.

See Section 3.6.3.4

LOG_ARCHIVE_START Always set this parameter to true at the primary and standby databases in the Data Guard environment. This enables automatic archiving of filled groups each time an instance is started.

See Oracle9i Database

Administrator’s Guide

LOG_ARCHIVE_TRACE Optionally, set this parameter to an integer value to see the progression of the archiving of redo logs at the standby site. The Oracle database server writes an audit trail of the redo logs received from the primary database into a trace file. This parameter controls output generated by the archiver process (ARCn), and foreground processes on the primary database and the RFS and FAL server processes on the standby database.

See Section 4.9.5

Table 3–6 (Cont.) Configuring Standby Database Initialization Parameters

Configuring Log Transport Services on the Standby Database

LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT Set this parameter to make your standby redo log filenames distinguishable from primary database redo log filenames. This parameter value converts the filename of a new log file on the primary database to the filename of a log file on the standby database. Adding a log file to the primary database necessitates adding a corresponding file to the standby database. When the standby database is updated, this parameter is used to convert the log filename on the primary database to the log filename on the standby database. The file must exist and be writable on the standby database or the recovery process will halt with an error.

See Section 4.6

REMOTE_ARCHIVE_ENABLE Always set this parameter to true at the primary and standby databases in the Data Guard environment. This allows the standby database to receive redo logs for archiving from the primary database.

See Section 3.4.2

STANDBY_ARCHIVE_DEST Used solely by a standby database in managed recovery mode to determine the archive location of online redo logs received from the primary database. The RFS process uses this value along with the LOG_

ARCHIVE_FORMAT setting to generate the fully qualified standby database log filenames, and stores the filenames in the standby control file. This data is used to perform database recovery.

See Section 3.6.3.4

STANDBY_FILE_MANAGEMENT Using this parameter, the Oracle database server automates the creation and deletion of datafiles on the standby system.

The STANDBY_FILE_MANAGEMENT

initialization parameter can be set to one of two values: auto or manual. The auto value indicates that datafile creation and deletion will be automated on the standby system; the

manual value (the default) indicates that datafile creation and deletion will not be automated.

See Section 4.6

Table 3–6 (Cont.) Configuring Standby Database Initialization Parameters

Configuring Log Transport Services on the Standby Database