You can choose to create and configure a database, or to only install the database software.
You can create a preconfigured database or a custom-configured database during installation. If you choose not to create a database during installation, then you must run Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) after installation to create a database.
Note:
If you choose to create and configure a database, then Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) will start DBCA at the end of the installation to configure the database.
If you choose to only install the database software using OUI, then you must manually run DBCA after the installation to create and configure the database. With this approach, more options are available for controlling database configuration.
Preconfigured databases are based on templates that Oracle provides or that you create. Each Oracle-provided template is optimized for a particular workload type. See Table 2-2 for information about the types of preconfigured databases.
If you choose to use the Desktop Class installation method, then the general purpose database template is used. To create a custom database in which you configure your own database structure, see "About Advanced Installation for Oracle Database."
Note:
If you must create a new database, then Oracle recommends that you install a preconfigured database, which is faster and easier. You can customize the database after it has been created.