On 8/29/05, Carel-Jan Engel <cjpengel.dbalert@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > Hi Paul, > > Your solution is definitely a good step forward in ruling out > role-specific namings in directories/SIDs/DB-names. I prefer not to use the > %_file_name_convert parameters. As you wrote, it adds (some/a little) > complexity to the setup. I personally prefer a symmetric setup. > > I can imagine though that a setup according to your suggestion works out > in some situations. IMHO, however, a symmetric setup is less error-prone, > and more intuitive to me. The fact that I do not prefer it, doesn't mean it > is wrong though! I think we are getting close to a matter of 'taste', in > stead of 'good or wrong'. > > It depends on the people involved, and the situation in the company. When > both sites are managed by 1 or 2 DBA's, and maybe at a distance of 30 KM, > (or less than 1 KM!), even EAST and WEST doesn't mean that much. Talking > USA, east and west coast, and staff involved that might have never met each > other is different. > > The thing is, when I work in a symmetric setup, I don't have to care about > anything in directory structures. I can use simple copy commands like 'scp > -pr * otherhost:`pwd`', which will simply send everything from this > directory to the equivalennt at the otherhost. I can even share (most of) my > parameterfiles among both instances. > > I don't use SPFILEs. I use 5 files in a OFA 'pfile' dir: > generic_<SID>.ora - contains all parameters equal for each role > primary_<SID>.ora - contains all primary-role specific parameters > standby_<SID>.ora - contains all standby-role specific parameters > init<SID>_p.ora - contains IFILE= lines for generic and primary > init<SID>_s.ora - contains IFILE= lines for generic and standby > > The init<SID>.ora no longer exists, neither the symlink in > $ORACLE_HOME/dbs. So, it is impossible to start the database without a > pfile= option. The DBA has either to script the thing, or think what role he > wants to activate. The script-set I implement at my customers' sites takes > care of it all, of course. > > The generic_<SID>.ora is identical on all sites, and can be copied to all > sites easily after a change. The primary and standby files have some > site-specific parameters, and cannot be replicated. No need to tell that > this works very well in commandline based teams extremely well, and probably > not as well at GUI-based sites. > > When the server that hosts the standby hosts another database in a primary > role (to make the costs of an 'idle' server more acceptable), one can move > memory sizing parameters from the generic to the role-specific files, using > different sizing depending on the role. > > Not very much a strong advice in favor of or against your suggestion, but > merely a soft opinion this time, however still hoping it helps, > > Best regards, > > Carel-Jan Engel > > === > If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. (Derek Bok) > === Carel-Jan, Perhaps I had a bit too much of an east coast USA centric mindset on this one. D'oh. Your mile^H^H^H^Hkilometer-age may vary. :) Paul