Shutdown Issues

[GynJer]

I'm having a heck of a time figuring this one out.

I have Oracle8i Personal Ed. installed on NT 4.0 sp 6

I'm using SQL * Plus, and all I want to do is shut down the database..but it's not working right.

Here's the problem:
If I try to connect a user I get this error:

ORA-10190: shutdown in Progress - connection is not permitted

OK...so I do this:
Connect internal (I thought that anyone that was connected as sysdba would be able to shutdown the DB, but it keeps saying insufficient privs...even when i do connect sys as sysdba...any thoughts? am i wrong on my thought?)
shutdown abort
ORACLE Instance shut down

(If I shut down immediate, transactional, or normal I get the error: ORA-10190: shutdown in Progress - connection is not permitted)

NOW I do:
Startup - it starts
shutdown immediate - SQL*Plus hangs up....do a three finger salute...and see that SQL*Plus is Not Responding

I end task.

Ok...so now I reopen sql*plus

and again the only thing I can do is shutdown abort. I looked at the trace and alert files and the only error that I see is it's waiting for logins to complete. Ok..so WHO is logged in and HOW do i get them off? I'm the ONLY person who has access to this database (it's a practice DB in a practice environment...I'm studying for my third test...Backup and Recovery)...anyway...

I've done a shutdown abort, and startup then checked out v$session, and I've tried to kill sessions that were listed there, but they all said they were not user sessions.

SOOOO...

What am I missing here? I have been working on this problem for way to long...if I was a real DBA I think I'd be fired by now. Luckly I'm still learning and I'm in a practice environment!!

Any help would be EXTREMELY helpful.

Thanks!

[jgmagnus]

well, I don't know any DBs worth their salt (salt?) that shutdown from sql*plus or that would recommend shutting down from there. Why would you do that? Shutdown from command line like a TRUE-hearted DBA would.

What I THINK is happening is that when you attempt to shutdown thru sqlplus oracle is interpreting that as a user-connection. So, you get a problem right from the get-go.

- Magnus

[GynJer]

well..i'm not a "TRUE-hearted" DBA just yet....

I've just been reading books, and playing with my DB to figure stuff out. I took one class in Oracle..and SQL*Plus is what we used (but that was all PL/SQL stuff we did)...

So..the command line...never came to mind to use...

I got it to shutdown ONCE with shutdown immediate after connecting a user......

I just don't understand............

[UNIX DBA]

Do like he says, use the command line.

Startup a dos prompt

type the executable name for server manager

connect internal

shutdown immediate

[jmodic]

Khm, I thought SQL*Plus *is* a command line utility. How does it difers from svrmgrl? The fact that there exists also a Windows version of this utility does not cahnge its nature - it is a command line utility.

If you don't want to run the windows version then go to DOS prompt type "sqlplus" - you'll get DOS version. But for database administraation purposes in 8i both Windows and DOS version of SQL*Plus have exactly the same functionality as svrmgrl.

In short - using SQL*Plus and not svrmgrl can not be a reason for GynJer's problems...

[GynJer]

Well, for kicks I tried the command line the only difference in using svrmgrl is that when I do a ctrl-alt-delete, the status for command prompt never turns to not responding, instead, it just chills there doing nothing.

This is so darn frustrating!! I wish I knew how to fix this!

Sometimes when I start the database, it says that one of my control files isn't the same as the others. I don't know why, but I just copy and paste one of the other control files to the location that is the wrong version, then it's alright.

Could that have anything to do with my problem?

[GARYM]

If you just awant to shutdown and then restart have you tried startup force? If it will not shutdown and you want to force it down do the same the do a shutdown immediate. Have you tried ethier of these yet?

[GynJer]

yes, startup force works....

but I didn't think that was the best way to startup and shutdown a database.

I want shutdown to work, and not kill my computer

I'm beginning to think that it's not acutally Oracle that's the problem, maybe it's my machine.

Thank you for the suggestion.

[jmodic]

Originally posted by GARYM
If it will not shutdown and you want to force it down do the same the do a shutdown immediate

No, it will do the same as SHUTDOWN ABORT.

[gandolf989]

I have seen this problem before. Rename the password file. Use service manager to shutdown the database service. Restart the database service then everything should hopefully work. I'm not sure why this works.

The thing about the controls files is that when you do a shutdown abort you can leave files in an incosistant state.

Hope this helps.