Precautions before a shutdown a database

Before a shutdown the Production or any important database, take some basic precaution besides the backup.

Create an init parameter file from current spfile (If database is using spfile)

In case, If database is not mounting / coming up or need to disable some of parameter(s) or database feature to startup :

SQL> create pfile from spfile;

Create backup of a control file in text format

To know the location and data file's name of a database, In case if a database is not mounting or opening after shutdown

SQL> alter database backup controlfile to trace;
Database altered.

Go to udump folder and check for latest trc file to get control file definition:

[oracle@xxdb1 udump]$ ll -ltr tail -2
-rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 743 Apr 24 00:15 xxx1_ora_9000.trc
-rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 18004 Apr 24 07:23 xxx1_ora_30518.trc

[oracle@xxxdb1 udump]$ vi xxx1_ora_30518.trc

Check the status of the data files

To confirm, All the data files are available and none of them offline

SQL> select TABLESPACE_NAME, ONLINE_STATUS from dba_data_files;
TABLESPACE_NAME ONLINE_
------------------------------ -------
SYSTEM SYSTEM
UNDOTBS1 ONLINE
UNDOTBS1 ONLINE
SYSAUX ONLINE
.....

Review the last 200 lines of alert log file:

For any possible error message or problem

[oracle@xxxdb1 bdump]$ view alert_db_name.log

Open the alert log file as tail -f alert_db_name.log

Make a practice to view what is going with a database, When are you performing some major changes or activities on a database:

[oracle@xxxdb1 ~]$ tail -f /oracle/admin/xxx1/bdump/alert_xxx1.log

In Data Guard / Standby setup

Before a shutdown of a database and after open of a database:

open an alert log as tail -f alert_db_name.log at primary and a standby database:

[oracle@xxxdb1 ~]$ tail -f /oracle/admin/xxx1/bdump/alert_xxx1.log

[oracle@xxxdb2 ~]$ tail -f /oracle/admin/xxx2/bdump/alert_xxx2.log

Switch an archive log manually, checked archive has shipped and media recovery process is applying it.

SQL> alter system switch logfile;

---content from Standby database alert_db_name.log --------
Fri Apr 23 23:41:47 2010
Redo Shipping Client Connected as PUBLIC
-- Connected User is Valid
RFS[24]: Assigned to RFS process 14252
RFS[24]: Identified database type as 'physical standby'
Fri Apr 23 23:43:07 2010
Primary database is in MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE mode
RFS[23]: Successfully opened standby log 8: '/oracle/oradata/xxx2/redo/stby_redo08a.log'
Fri Apr 23 23:43:12 2010
Media Recovery Log /oracle/backups/xxx2/stby_archive/1_12529_704597469.arc
Media Recovery Waiting for thread 1 sequence 12530 (in transit)
Fri Apr 23 23:43:19 2010
Primary database is in MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE mode
RFS[23]: Successfully opened standby log 8: '/oracle/oradata/xxx2/redo/stby_redo08a.log'
Fri Apr 23 23:43:23 2010
Media Recovery Log /oracle/backups/xxx2/stby_archive/1_12530_704597469.arc
Media Recovery Waiting for thread 1 sequence 12531 (in transit)