Ugh - I probably misread that. Maybe you mean you don't use spfile? Chances are that parameter is not instance modifiable. So you'd have to add it to the pfile and restart the database for it to have any affect. Chris Taylor Sr. Oracle DBA Ingram Barge Company Nashville, TN 37205 Office: 615-517-3355 Cell: 615-663-1673 Email: chris.taylor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and may also be privileged. If you are not the named recipient, please notify the sender immediately and delete the contents of this message without disclosing the contents to anyone, using them for any purpose, or storing or copying the information on any medium. -----Original Message----- From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Zelli, Brian Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2011 1:13 PM To: 'oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx' Subject: scope I have to issue this command for some auditing: alter system set audit_trailÛ scope=spfile; My question is that I still use a pfile. So do I use both or memory or nothing for scope? ciao, Brian Brian J. Zelli title => Senior Database Administrator dept => Enterprise Applications/Systems Integration org => Roswell Park Cancer Institute phone => (716) 845-4460 email => brian.zelli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:brian.zelli@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> This email message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient(s), or the employee or agent responsible for the delivery of this message to the intended recipient(s), you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution, or use of this email message is prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail and delete this email message from your computer. Thank you. -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l -- //www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l