RE: location of text control file if not found in user_dump_dest?

>> Oracle user has permission to write and plenty of free space but I
>> could not find it in either udump or bdump... still scrating my head
>> ...

Ok, how about MAX_DUMP_FILE_SIZE parameter. It's defined in OS BLOCKS - unless you specify K or M. If that is zero I suspect you don't get to write dump files however, I'm not sure if it will affect the trace file created when you backup controlfile to trace. It does determine the maximum size of other trace files in udump though, so it could be applicable.

It also includes the max size of the alert log, so I'm probably barking up the wrong tree - assuming you get an alert log?

Other reasons for not having a trace file I've come across are:

• Oracle can't write to udump - but you have checked.
• MAX_DUMP_FILE_SIZE as above.
• The session has created a trace file in the past but it was deleted. The session has not (yet) logged out since then, so subsequent traces go to the same file - which on Unix, you can't actually see.
• A rogue housekeeping job is deleting the udump folder faster than you can get to it.
• ulimit on the server set to not allow a decent file size - will affect the alert log as well though.

Can you try:

ALTER DATABASE BACKUP CONTROLFILE TO TRACE AS '~oracle/controlfile.trc';

Replace "~oracle" with the full path to oracle's $HOME if the above doesn't do the necessary.

Cheers,
Norm.

Norman Dunbar
Contract Senior Oracle DBA
CIS Engineering Services
Internal : 7 28 2051
External : 0113 231 2051

Information in this message may be confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received this message by mistake, please notify the sender immediately, delete it and do not copy it to anyone else. We have checked this email and its attachments for viruses. But you should still check any attachment before opening it. We may have to make this message and any reply to it public if asked to under the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act or for litigation. Email messages and attachments sent to or from any Environment Agency address may also be accessed by someone other than the sender or recipient, for business purposes. If we have sent you information and you wish to use it please read our terms and conditions which you can get by calling us on 08708 506 506. Find out more about the Environment Agency at www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Information in this message may be confidential and may be legally privileged. If you have received this message by mistake, please notify the sender immediately, delete it and do not copy it to anyone else.

We have checked this email and its attachments for viruses. But you should still check any attachment before opening it. We may have to make this message and any reply to it public if asked to under the Freedom of Information Act, Data Protection Act or for litigation. Email messages and attachments sent to or from any Environment Agency address may also be accessed by someone other than the sender or recipient, for business purposes.

If we have sent you information and you wish to use it please read our terms and conditions which you can get by calling us on 08708 506 506. Find out more about the Environment Agency at www.environment-agency.gov.uk

--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l