Help interpreting error message 2

[beerhunter2]

Running Oracle 8.1.7 on Windows 2000 server.

I am a total newbie when it comes to Oracle, so I hope that someone in this forum can help me interpret some error messages I am getting, and hopefully point me in the right direction to get my application running again.

The error messages I am posting are from an application called Fieldview, and is as follows:

Description: Invalid at the top level of the document.
Code: 80004005
Filename: COMError.cpp
Method Name: COMCatchHelper
Line Number: 228

Description: ORA-01092: ORACLE instance terminated. Disconnection forced
Code: 80004005
Filename: FVActiveConnection2.cpp
Method Name: Connect
Line Number: 711

Description: Unable to login:
Code: 80004005
Filename: FVActiveConnection2Dlg.cpp
Method Name: OnOK
Line Number: 519

Calling Method: CFVActiveConnection2Dlg::OnOK


We have several Oil and Gas applications that use the Oracle database, and none of them are running right now.

I have rebooted the file server that Oracle runs on, and all of the usual Oracle services are running.

Can anyone hopefully explain what is going on here, and what I can do to get my applications back up and running?

Help! I've fallen and I can't reach my beer.

 

[SantaMufasa]

BeerHunter,

Most of the errors that you mention, above, your application threw...The only actual Oracle error message ("ORA-01092: ORACLE instance terminated. Disconnection forced") indicates that your database went down/crashed/was shutdown in the middle of your application.

It would probably be helpful to read the messages that show up in your Oracle database's "alert.log". Focus on the messages whose time stamps precede, and co-incide with, the time of your errors above.

To find your alert log, you (or a DBA) execute the following two queries:

select instance_name from v$instance;

INSTANCE_NAME
-------------
<your Oracle System Identifier (SID)>

col name format a20
col value format a30
select name, value
from v$parameter
where name = 'background_dump_dest';

NAME                  VALUE
-------------------- ---------------------------
background_dump_dest <location of your alert log>

Then, change directory to <location of your alert log>, and view the contents of the file there named "alert_<your SID>.log".

Post here any messages that precede, or co-incide with, the time stamp of the abnormal termination of your application.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Also,be sure the Oracle instance started:
This:

I have rebooted the file server that Oracle runs on, and all of the usual Oracle services are running.

will not guarantee that the Oracle instance is up, just that the system is ready.


Try connecting as SYSDBA and see if you get in..






To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[SantaMufasa]

Yes, BeerHunter, as Turkbear mentions, just because the service is running does not necessarily mean that the database instance is properly running.

To confirm that the database is truly running, do the following from your server machine from the operating-system prompt:

<prompt>: sqlplus /nolog
connect / as sysdba
SQL> connected <to an idle instance>.

If the SQL*Plus response to the above is "connected.", the the database instance is up and running; if the response is "connected to an idle instance.", then the database instance is not running, and you must issue the command, "startup".

Let us know your findings.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[I provide low-cost, remote Database Administration services: www.dasages.com]

 

[beerhunter2]

Thanks for your responses gentlemen, and my apologies for not getting back to you. I did manage to get a hold of a DBA on Monday the 18th, and he did the things that you guys mentioned.

Unfortunately, that did not resolve things. He also tried getting connected through svrmgrl, but could not get in, because the database instance was attempting to start.

I don't know if it is a quirk with 8.1.7, but he needed to go into the system registry, and turn the automatic database instance startup to FALSE. He could then get into svrmgrl, to perform the next steps to get Oracle back up and running.

I don't recall exactly where in the registry this key was, or what additional commands he ran; but we were back up and running by noon on Tuesday.

Once again Thanks, and you are both stars just for helping out.

Help! I've fallen and I can't reach my beer.