How to resolve LRM-00109 with ORA-01078 errors?

by / 2009-2010 / Published in Oracle DBA Tips

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When user gets following errors to gather it is may be due to some mismatch with server parameter file (spfile) and parameter file (init.ora). Generally these errors are occurring due to not exist of pfile or spfile on system. May be oracle doesn't find out parameter file in default location. Or may be file there but contents of file is wipe off. There are so many reasons for getting ORA-01078 with LRM-00109 errors to gather. If you get only ORA-01078 then it is indication of wrong parameter configuration. But when you get both error simultaneously is indicating problem of parameter file/server parameter file existence. In this article we can see how error will be generating and how it gets resolved.

SQL> conn /as sysdba
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> startup
ORA-01078: failure in processing system parameters
LRM-00109: could not open parameter file 'D:\ORACLE\ORA92\DATABASE\INITGPT.ORA'

Reason: Server parameter file or parameter file doesn't available:

ora-01078

Some times error ORA-01078 is coming with LRM-00109. It is due to either spfile or init.ora doesn't available in required path. General reason behind this error is database is running with spfile and there is no init.ora available in system. If Oracle dba execute following command in SQL*Plus for creating spfile.ora (which already there in system but init.ora doesn't in system). Both type ORA errors are typical and mysterious errors. Those ORA errors are creating confusion during database administrator. I have seen so many DBAs in confusion stage while encountering with these type of ORA errors. Because when you are going to create spfile then also you would get following error.

SQL>create spfile from pfile;
               *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-01078: failure in processing system parameters
LRM-00109: could not open parameter file 'D:\ORACLE\ORA92\DATABASE\INITGPT2.ORA'

System will generate error for creating spfile because required init.ora doesn't available. Means you will get error. But your command "create spfile from pfile" will be generating new empty spfile and it will be overwriting existing spfile. Means your current spfile has been washed and becoming empty. After getting this error if you are trying to restart your database then you will get actual following error due to spfile file is empty.

SQL>startup
ORA-01078: failure in processing system parameters
LRM-00109: could not open parameter file 'D:\ORACLE\ORA92\DATABASE\INITGPT2.ORA'

How to resolve ORA-01078 with LRM-00109 error?

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For resolving these error, you should need to replace init.ora or spfile if you have backup of same files. If you don't have backup then go to alert.log and copy all parameters in one file and save as "init.ora". Modify same init.ora with some parameters which need single quotation mark " ' " like background_dump_dest, controlfiles, db_name etc. Connect as sysdba in SQL*Plus and execute command "create spfile from pfile". This command will generate again your server parameter file (spfile) in system which needs to be starting database.

Means creating new spfile or pfile will solve error of LRM-00109 error with ORA-01078 error. When you got error check first default location for same files exist or not. If you don't find out any of files then re-create it. If you find out any of one file then check exact location and try to open database using "startup pfile=' '" command. Does it working or not? If it is working then create spfile from it. Or create pfile from alert.log file is last solution to resolve ORA-01078 with LRM-00109 error.

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