ORACLE Renaming or Moving Oracle Files

Renaming or Moving Oracle Files

Controlfiles
Logfiles
Datafiles
Recreating the Controlfile
Controlfiles
The current location of the controlfiles can be queried from the V$CONTROLFILE view, as shown below.

SQL> select name from v$controlfile;

NAME
-------------------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL01.CTL
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL02.CTL
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL03.CTL

3 rows selected.

SQL>In order to rename or move these files we must alter the value of the control_files instance parameter.
SQL> show parameter control_files

NAME TYPE VALUE
------------------------------------ -------------------------------- ------------------------------
control_files string C:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTRO
L01.CTL, C:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DB1
0G\CONTROL02.CTL, C:\ORACLE\OR
ADATA\DB10G\CONTROL03.CTL
SQL>To move or rename a controlfile do the following:

Alter the control_files parameter using the ALTER SYSTEM comamnd.
Shutdown the database.
Rename the physical file on the OS.
Start the database.
The following SQL*Plus output shows how this is done for an instance using an spfile. For instances using a pfile replace the spfile manipulation steps with an amendment of the parameter in the init.ora file.

SQL> ALTER SYSTEM SET control_files='C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_CONTROL01.CTL', -
> 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL02.CTL', -
> 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL03.CTL' SCOPE=SPFILE;

System altered.

SQL> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> HOST MOVE C:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL01.CTL C:\ORACLE\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_CONTROL01.CTL

SQL> STARTUP
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 167772160 bytes
Fixed Size 787968 bytes
Variable Size 61864448 bytes
Database Buffers 104857600 bytes
Redo Buffers 262144 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL>Repeating the initial query shows that the the controlfile has been renamed in the data dictionary.

SQL> select name from v$controlfile;

NAME
-------------------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_CONTROL01.CTL
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL02.CTL
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\CONTROL03.CTL

3 rows selected.

SQL>Logfiles
The current location of the logfiles can be queried from the V$LOGFILE view, as shown below.

SQL> SELECT member FROM v$logfile;

MEMBER
-------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO03.LOG
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO02.LOG
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO01.LOG

3 rows selected.

SQL>To move or rename a logfile do the following:

Shutdown the database.
Rename the physical file on the OS.
Start the database in mount mode.
Issue the ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE command to rename the file within the Oracle dictionary.
Open the database.
The following SQL*Plus output shows how this is done.

SQL> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> HOST MOVE C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO01.LOG C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_REDO01.LOG

SQL> STARTUP MOUNT
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 167772160 bytes
Fixed Size 787968 bytes
Variable Size 61864448 bytes
Database Buffers 104857600 bytes
Redo Buffers 262144 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO01.LOG' -
> TO 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_REDO01.LOG';

Database altered.

SQL> ALTER DATABASE OPEN;

Database altered.

SQL>Repeating the initial query shows that the the logfile has been renamed in the data dictionary.

SQL> SELECT member FROM v$logfile;

MEMBER
-------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO03.LOG
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\REDO02.LOG
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_REDO01.LOG

3 rows selected.

SQL>Datafiles
The process for renaming a datafile is the same as renaming a logfile, but for the same of clarity it is repeated below. The current location of the datafiles can be queried from the V$DATAFILE view, as shown below.

SQL> SELECT name FROM v$datafile;

NAME
---------------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\SYSTEM01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\UNDOTBS01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\SYSAUX01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\USERS01.DBF

4 rows selected.

SQL>To move or rename a datafile do the following:

Shutdown the database.
Rename the physical file on the OS.
Start the database in mount mode.
Issue the ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE command to rename the file within the Oracle dictionary.
Open the database.
The following SQL*Plus output shows how this is done.

SQL> SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> HOST MOVE C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\USERS01.DBF C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_USERS01.DBF

SQL> STARTUP MOUNT
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 167772160 bytes
Fixed Size 787968 bytes
Variable Size 61864448 bytes
Database Buffers 104857600 bytes
Redo Buffers 262144 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\USERS01.DBF' -
> TO 'C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_USERS01.DBF';

Database altered.

SQL> ALTER DATABASE OPEN;

Database altered.

SQL>Repeating the initial query shows that the the datafile has been renamed in the data dictionary.

SQL> SELECT name FROM v$datafile;

NAME
---------------------------------------------------------
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\SYSTEM01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\UNDOTBS01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\SYSAUX01.DBF
C:\ORACLE\PRODUCT\10.1.0\ORADATA\DB10G\RENAME_USERS01.DBF

4 rows selected.

SQL>Recreating the Controlfile
For largescale rearrangements it may be easier to manipulate the controlfile contents manually by backing up the controlfile to trace.

SQL> CONN sys/password AS SYSDBA
Connected.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE BACKUP CONTROLFILE TO TRACE;

Database altered.

SQL>The resulting trace file in the user_dump_dest directory contains commands and instructions for recreating the controlfile. The paths in the CREATE CONTROLFILE command can be manipulated to rename all datafiles and logfiles on one step.