Archive Log Mode Problems...

[MikeLacey]

I've never used achive log mode and I've been asked to help out with a database that does.

It's giving the error: ORA-00257 which oerr reports as:
[tt]
00257, 00000, "archiver error. Connect internal only, until freed."
// *Cause: The archiver process recieved an error while trying to archive a log. Unless the problem is resolved soon, the database will stop executing transactions.
// *Action: By far the most likely cause of the error is the archive destination device is out of space. Check archiver trace file for detail description of the problem.
[/tt]

So it looks as though there's a space problem, and the production database has stopped processing transactions.

As I said, I've not used this before and would appreciate any pointers/information. (Help!, in other words.)

Mike_Lacey@Cargill.Com
Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com

 

[karluk]

The message description for this error is fairly good. Basically Oracle has a full redo log and is trying to write it to archive, but can't for some reason that you need to determine.

It is also true that a very common reason for the failure is a full archive log directory. At least that's been the problem for me more often than not.

If that is the problem you can resolve it simply by deleting some archive logs, or moving them to a drive with more free space.

That's not the only reason for this error. I've also gotten it on a new database because I had forgotten to turn on automatic archiving.

 

[vkrish]

The error looks like an archival contention error for want of disk space as oerr suggests , but if u have that covered then , look for file permissions to write in the arch dest.

Try any of the following (but careful, u tell me it's a production database ):

1) Who's the owner of $ORACLE_HOME. And who the owner to the arch dest dir.

2) Try deleting some files from arch dest and retry.

3) Check up init.ora for log_archival=true

4) Attempt this SVRMGRL> alter database archive;

5) SQL> alter system log switch;

Do let me know regards u'r problem.

Bye,

Vijay Krishnan.

 

[MikeLacey]

thanks guys, was a full archive directory.

I made some space, told it the backup on the system table was finished, stopped and restarted the DB -- working
Mike
michael.j.lacey@ntlworld.com