Hi Andy, Thanks for the MOS doc. Sad thing is that, I have followed the exact similar steps mentioned in the part - Duplicating a controlfile into ASM using a specific name. In Step D, start up nomount complains about the 'non existent' control file which as per my understanding should not look for a control file in NOMOUNT STATE http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e25789/startup.htm#CNCPT1293 Complete Steps I did below. =========================== ibsjpsrv4 oracle [fdstg22]:sqlplus / as sysdba SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.2.0 Production on Wed Dec 28 12:14:39 2011 Copyright (c) 1982, 2010, Oracle. All rights reserved. Connected to: Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 - 64bit Production With the Partitioning, Real Application Clusters, Automatic Storage Management, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options SQL> show parameter control NAME TYPE VALUE ------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------ control_file_record_keep_time integer 7 control_files string +ARCH1/fdstg2/controlfile/curr ent.256.676234913, +DATA1/fdst g2/controlfile/current.260.676 234913 control_management_pack_access string DIAGNOSTIC+TUNING SQL> select name from v$controlfile; NAME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +ARCH1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.256.676234913 +DATA1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.260.676234913 SQL> SQL> SQL> alter system set control_files='+DATA2/FDSTG2/CONTROLFILE/fdstg2_control, +DATA1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.260.676234913' scope=spfile sid='*'; System altered. SQL> shut immediate; Database closed. Database dismounted. ORACLE instance shut down. SQL> SQL> exit Disconnected from Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 - 64bit Production With the Partitioning, Real Application Clusters, Automatic Storage Management, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options ibsjpsrv4 oracle [fdstg22]:rman target / Recovery Manager: Release 11.2.0.2.0 - Production on Wed Dec 28 12:22:34 2011 Copyright (c) 1982, 2009, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. connected to target database (not started) RMAN> startup nomount RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS =============== RMAN-00571: =========================================================== RMAN-03002: failure of startup command at 12/28/2011 12:22:53 RMAN-04014: startup failed: ORA-15124: ASM file name '+DATA2/FDSTG2/CONTROLFILE/fdstg2_control, +DATA1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.260.676234913' contains an invalid alias name With Regards, Sreejith -- Sreejith S Nair Associate Systems Architect | AOS DBA Team IBS Software Services Private Ltd. 2nd Floor, IBS Campus, Technopark Campus, Trivandrum - 695 581, Kerala, India ((Direct) +91 471 661 4707 ) +91 808 648 5523 *sreejith.sreekantan@xxxxxxxxxx 8 www.ibsplc.com From: Andy Klock <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: Sreejith.Sreekantan@xxxxxxxxxx Cc: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: 12/28/2011 07:59 PM Subject: Re: Strange problem with controlfile Sent by: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Hi Sreejith, I have seen this before. It has to do with the way OMF is handled on ASM. The best way to do this is use RMAN to restore the controlfile to another location. See this note for details: *How to duplicate a controlfile when ASM is involved [ID 345180.1]* I have found ways to get ASM to recognize files with non omf names, but the above is the cleanest supported way. Andy RMAN-00571: =========================================================== > RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS =============== > RMAN-00571: =========================================================== > RMAN-03002: failure of startup command at 12/28/2011 12:22:53 > RMAN-04014: startup failed: ORA-15124: ASM file name > '+DATA2/FDSTG2/CONTROLFILE/fdstg2_control, > +DATA1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.260.676234913' contains an invalid alias > name > > We were planning to use restore controlfile to > '+DATA2/FDSTG2/CONTROLFILE/fdstg2_control' from > '+ARCH1/fdstg2/controlfile/current.256.676234913'; command to create copy > of control file to DATA2 disk group. But Instance did not come up. Finally > we had to start instance using one control file. > > -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l DISCLAIMER: "The information in this e-mail and any attachment is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. If you have received this e-mail in error, kindly contact the sender and destroy all copies of the original communication. IBS makes no warranty, express or implied, nor guarantees the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the information contained in this email or any attachment and is not liable for any errors, defects, omissions, viruses or for resultant loss or damage, if any, direct or indirect." -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l