If a backslash continues a line, then the continued line must have no leading spaces. For example, in the following entry the setting for SEG3 and SEG4 will override the setting for SEG1 and SEG2:Ī backslash (\), also known as an escape character, indicates continuation of the parameter specification. If they are not, then the first entry will not be processed properly. If you enter values for one parameter in multiple entries, then the entries must be on consecutive lines. ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS = SEG1 SEG2 SEG3 SEG4 SEG5 ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS = (SEG1, SEG2, SEG3, SEG4, SEG5)Īlternatively, you can enter multiple values without parentheses and commas. Enter multiple values enclosed in parentheses and separated by commas. Some parameters, such as ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS, accept multiple value entries. PROCESSES = 100 CPU_COUNT = 1 OPEN_CURSORS = 10 To enter several parameters on one line, use spaces between parameter names and values, as in the following example: The rest of the line is ignored.Ĭase (upper or lower) in filenames is significant only if case is significant on the host operating system. The following rules govern the specification of parameters in initialization parameter files:Īn initialization parameter file should contain only parameters and comments. Rules Governing Initialization Parameter Files Any changes will take effect after you completely shut down and restart the instance. A sample file is sufficient for initial use, but you will probably want to modify the file to tune the database for best performance. Sample initialization parameter files are provided on the Oracle distribution medium for each operating system. The initialization parameter file is read by the client-side tool used to start the server (such as SQL*Plus). Refer to your operating system-specific Oracle documentation for the default locations and filenames for initialization parameter files on your operating system. The database administrator can choose a different filename for the initialization parameter file. Also supplied is an initdw.ora file, which contains suggested parameter settings for data warehouses and data marts. For example, it can be in mixed case or lowercase, or it can have a logical name or a variation of the name init.ora. The name of the initialization parameter file varies depending on the operating system. The following are sample entries in an initialization parameter file: The file should be written in the client's default character set. An initialization parameter file is a text file that contains a list of initialization parameters.