The parameter is especially handy when using ASM for storage. You can have multiple databases shareing A diskgroup. This parm prevents any one database from using all the storage in that diskgroup. On Fri, Dec 19, 2008 at 9:59 AM, Michael Fontana <mfontana@xxxxxxxxxxx>wrote: > This init parameter really peeves me. I've been using it for years, and > I have read the documentation repeatedly, yet I still have issues with it > conceptually. > > > > Why have, what appears to be, a useless, or at best, redundant parameter? > > > > The size of the file system itself serves as the governor for how big the > area can grow. There's no way to set it to "unlimited" like you can for a > storage parameter of a database object. > > Certainly, if I was concerned about it growing and encroaching on other > objects in the file system, I have a design flaw and should build a new file > system for whatever else is writing there. > > > > Perhaps it is merely an anachronistic attempt to solve a problem that no > longer exists? > > > > Can anyone explain the rationale for this parameter's existence? > > > > >