Oracle didn't create that segment in the datafile... The segment that used to exist in the old datafile is still referenced in the data dictionary... However, the actually physical segment does not exist in the "MISSING" file... Here's another example... First I create the tablespace and put a table in it... $ sqlplus "/ as sysdba" SQL*Plus: Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production on Wed May 26 13:50:34 2004 Copyright (c) 1982, 2002, Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Connected to: Oracle9i Enterprise Edition Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production With the Partitioning option JServer Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production SQL> create tablespace tim datafile '/export/home/oradata/PV429/tim.dbf' size 10M; Tablespace created. SQL> SQL> create table tim_table ( col1 number ) tablespace tim; Table created. SQL> insert into tim_table values (1); 1 row created. SQL> commit; Commit complete. SQL> alter database backup controlfile to trace; Database altered. SQL> shutdown immediate Database closed. Database dismounted. ORACLE instance shut down. SQL> exit Disconnected from Oracle9i Enterprise Edition Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production With the Partitioning option JServer Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production $ Then I edit the control file create and recreate the controlfiles... $ sqlplus "/ as sysdba" SQL*Plus: Release 9.2.0.3.0 - Production on Wed May 26 13:58:03 2004 Copyright (c) 1982, 2002, Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved. Connected to an idle instance. SQL> startup nomount ORACLE instance started. Total System Global Area 252793548 bytes Fixed Size 455372 bytes Variable Size 167772160 bytes Database Buffers 83886080 bytes Redo Buffers 679936 bytes SQL> @cre_control Control file created. SQL> alter database open; Database altered. SQL> set pagesize 1000 SQL> select * from dba_data_files where tablespace_name = 'TIM'; FILE_NAME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FILE_ID TABLESPACE_NAME BYTES BLOCKS STATUS ---------- ------------------------------ ---------- ---------- --------- RELATIVE_FNO AUT MAXBYTES MAXBLOCKS INCREMENT_BY USER_BYTES USER_BLOCKS ------------ --- ---------- ---------- ------------ ---------- ----------- /opt/oracle/product/9.2.0/dbs/MISSING00035 35 TIM AVAILABLE 35 Now you notice that dba_segments shows this table exists in the tablespace with the "MISSING" datafile... SQL> select * from dba_segments where tablespace_name = 'TIM'; OWNER ------------------------------ SEGMENT_NAME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PARTITION_NAME SEGMENT_TYPE TABLESPACE_NAME ------------------------------ ------------------ ------------------------------ HEADER_FILE HEADER_BLOCK BYTES BLOCKS EXTENTS INITIAL_EXTENT ----------- ------------ ---------- ---------- ---------- -------------- NEXT_EXTENT MIN_EXTENTS MAX_EXTENTS PCT_INCREASE FREELISTS FREELIST_GROUPS ----------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ---------- --------------- RELATIVE_FNO BUFFER_ ------------ ------- SYS TIM_TABLE TABLE TIM 35 5 65536 1 2147483645 1 1 35 DEFAULT However, if you try to access the segment, you get an error... SQL> select * from tim_table; select * from tim_table * ERROR at line 1: ORA-00376: file 35 cannot be read at this time ORA-01111: name for data file 35 is unknown - rename to correct file ORA-01110: data file 35: '/opt/oracle/product/9.2.0/dbs/MISSING00035' And if you look in v$datafile you notice the status is "RECOVER"... The segment doesn't really exist in your database... SQL> select * from v$datafile where file# = 35; FILE# CREATION_CHANGE# CREATION_ TS# RFILE# STATUS ENABLED ---------- ---------------- --------- ---------- ---------- ------- ---------- CHECKPOINT_CHANGE# CHECKPOIN UNRECOVERABLE_CHANGE# UNRECOVER LAST_CHANGE# ------------------ --------- --------------------- --------- ------------ LAST_TIME OFFLINE_CHANGE# ONLINE_CHANGE# ONLINE_TI BYTES BLOCKS --------- --------------- -------------- --------- ---------- ---------- CREATE_BYTES BLOCK_SIZE ------------ ---------- NAME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLUGGED_IN BLOCK1_OFFSET ---------- ------------- AUX_NAME -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35 1421140 45 35 *RECOVER* READ WRITE 0 0 1421349 26-MAY-04 0 0 0 0 0 16384 /opt/oracle/product/9.2.0/dbs/MISSING00035 0 4294967295 UNKNOWN SQL> As far as how it gets out of sync, I have seen this a couple times... In my case, it was when I encountered an ORA-600 during a DDL operation... i.e. During a drop tablespace... Tim Orr, Steve wrote: >The curiousity is that the file didn't exist in the O/S, Oracle created >it without telling me, and it created and placed a database object into >that file, again, without telling me. I just stumbled across this but >I'd like to KNOW when this happens. > >V$DATAFILE and V$TABLESPACE get information from the control file so how >could they be out of sync?=20 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com ---------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe send email to: oracle-l-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx put 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. -- Archives are at //www.freelists.org/archives/oracle-l/ FAQ is at //www.freelists.org/help/fom-serve/cache/1.html -----------------------------------------------------------------