SPFILE

Online Configuration Parameter Updating

Oracle keeps initialization parameters in its parameter file (PFILE). Now Oracle also has a binary file equivalent to the PFILE called the server parameter file (SPFILE). Unlike the PFILE, you can not edit the SPFILE, because its contents are binary.

To create an SPFILE: CREATE SPFILE FROM PFILE ;

To view settings within the SPFILE, query the dictionary view V$SPPARAMETER.

Change parameter file settings with the ALTER SYSTEM statement. Set the SCOPE for this statement as follows:

• – Change only applies to the current instance
• – Change only applies to the SPFILE (not to the current instance)
• BOTH – Applies the change immediately to the current instance and to the SPFILE as well

The default is MEMORY if the PFILE was used to start the database. The default is BOTH if the SPFILE was used to start the database.

To export the SPFILE to a PFILE, run:

CREATE PFILE=’editsp.ora’ FROM SPFILE;

You can edit the exported file with a text editor, then recreate the SPFILE from it. Remember that since the SPFILE is in binary format you can not directly edit it.