Oracle Server will write continually to control files.

From: Orlando Amador <oamador_REMOVE_ME_at_obipr.jnj.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 11:50:38 -0400
Message-ID: <cs3h0f0ja3@news3.newsguy.com>

We have a Oralce 9.2 Standard database server with multiple database instances. Each instance has 2 control files, although in the same directory.

Using a file monitor we find that the server will write a block of 8K to offset 24576 of the control files every 3 seconds. I wonder if this some kind of synchronization, locking, or heartbeat function in the database. The accumulated IO from the writes from a single database is not a problem, but the accumulation from multiple database is creating problem for our backup software (Veritas BackupExec with OFO).

We figure that we can repartition this server and separate the databases in separate disk, but we are saving that as a last resort. I was hopping someone could point me to the reason of this updates and if there is a way to configure the timing? Maybe this is a required function but it could be slow down a bit? This updates happens constantly, even when the database is not in use and there is no connections.

Any suggestions?

11:39:33 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL01.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:33 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL02.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:37 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL01.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:37 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL02.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:40 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL01.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:40 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL02.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:43 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL01.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:43 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL02.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:46 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL01.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192
11:39:46 AM oracle.exe:1128 WRITE D:\oracle\oradata\ISODEV\CONTROL02.CTL SUCCESS Offset: 24576 Length: 8192

Saludos
Orlando Amador Received on Wed Jan 12 2005 - 09:50:38 CST