Re: Import Problems!

"Kevin S. Smith" wrote:
>
> I am trying to create a test Db on a separate machine. I exported a full
> versioin of my database (oracle 8i on RH6.2) and copied the export file over
> to our test machine. I copied the init.ora file from the good server to the
> test one, and created a bare database. Of course I can't startup the test db
> because I have not yet imported the controlfiles and such from the good db.
> Being new, I have the following questions: (and I have looked in K. Loney's
> handbook):
>
> Do I have to copy over the control files from the good database before I
> imp? I was under the 'ass'umption that they would be copied over with the
> imp.

No. Control files are created when the database instance is created. Control files are not imported.
>
> What state should the test db be in while I am attempting this import? If I
> start nomount the test db, when I go to imp, it says that the database is
> still initializing(which is because there are no conrol files). If I don't
> start the test db, when I go to imp, it says 'Oracle not available'.
The instance must be open.
>
> Can somebody please tell me how to import a full export.dmp into a totally
> empty database?
>
> I would really appreciate any help

Other things to do...

1. Did you edit your init.ora file to point to the new control files? If not, you won't be able to open the database.
2. Did you create the tablespaces from the RH6.2 instance? If not, your import will fail because the tables and indexes will not be created (the create statement will fail).

Is the target system also a Linux system? If it is, it would probably be easier to:
1. Shut down the instance on RH6.2
2. Copy the files (control, redo logs, database files, init.ora, passwd.ora, etc.) to the new machine. NOTE that you don't necessarily have to copy the control files. You can recreate the control file on the destination machine **IF** you do a 'ALTER SYSTEM BACKUP CONROLFILE TO TRACE' **PRIOR** to shutting it down. If you do this, make sure to move the trace file also.

The above are in the admin docs.

Good lick.
See comments above...

-- 
Ron Reidy
Oracle DBA
Reidy Consulting, L.L.C.