file_specification

Syntax

file_specification::=

Description of the illustration file_specification.gif

datafile_tempfile_spec::=

Description of the illustration datafile_tempfile_spec.gif

(size_clause::=)

redo_log_file_spec::=

Description of the illustration redo_log_file_spec.gif

(size_clause::=)

ASM_filename ::=

Description of the illustration asm_filename.gif

fully_qualified_file_name::=

Description of the illustration fully_qualified_file_name.gif

numeric_file_name::=

Description of the illustration numeric_file_name.gif

incomplete_file_name::=

Description of the illustration incomplete_file_name.gif

alias_file_name::=

Description of the illustration alias_file_name.gif

autoextend_clause::=

Description of the illustration autoextend_clause.gif

(size_clause::=)

maxsize_clause::=

Description of the illustration maxsize_clause.gif

(size_clause::=)

ASM_filename

Use a form of ASM_filename for files stored in Oracle ASM disk groups. You can create or refer to data files, temp files, and redo log files with this syntax.

All forms of ASM_filename begin with the plus sign (+) followed by the name of the disk group. You can determine the names of all Oracle ASM disk groups by querying the V$ASM_DISKGROUP view.

fully_qualified_file_name

When you create a file in an Oracle ASM disk group, the file receives a system-generated fully qualified Oracle ASM filename. You can use this form only when referring to an existing Oracle ASM file. Therefore, if you are using this form during file creation, you must also specify REUSE.

• db_name is the value of the DB_UNIQUE_NAME initialization parameter. This name is equivalent to the name of the database on which the file resides, but the parameter distinguishes between primary and standby databases, if both exist.

• file_type and file_type_tag indicate the type of database file. Table 8-1 lists all of the file types and their corresponding Oracle ASM tags.

• filenumber and incarnation_number are system-generated identifiers to guarantee uniqueness.

You can determine the fully qualified names of Oracle ASM files by querying the dynamic performance view appropriate for the file type (for example V$DATAFILE for data files, V$CONTROLFILE for control files, and so on). You can also obtain the filenumber and incarnation_number portions of the fully qualified names by querying the V$ASM_FILE view.

numeric_file_name

A numeric Oracle ASM filename is similar to a fully qualified filename except that it uses only the unique filenumber.incarnation_number string. You can use this form only to refer to an existing file. Therefore, if you are using this form during file creation, you must also specify REUSE.

incomplete_file_name

Incomplete Oracle ASM filenames are used during file creation only. If you specify the disk group name alone, then Oracle ASM uses the appropriate default template for the file type. For example, if you are creating a data file in a CREATE TABLESPACE statement, Oracle ASM uses the default DATAFILE template to create an Oracle ASM data file. If you specify the disk group name with a template, then Oracle ASM uses the specified template to create the file. In both cases, Oracle ASM also creates a fully qualified filename.

template_name A template is a named collection of attributes. You can create templates and apply them to files in a disk group. You can determine the names of all Oracle ASM template names by querying the V$ASM_TEMPLATE data dictionary view. Refer to diskgroup_template_clauses for instructions on creating Oracle ASM templates.

You can specify template only during file creation. It appears in the incomplete and alias name forms of the ASM_filename diagram:

• If you specify template immediately after the disk group name, then Oracle ASM uses the specified template to create the file, and gives the file a fully qualified filename.

• If you specify template after specifying an alias, then Oracle ASM uses the specified template to create the file, gives the file a fully qualified filename, and also creates the alias so that you can subsequently use it to refer to the file. If the alias you specify refers to an existing file, then Oracle ASM ignores the template specification unless you also specify REUSE.

  See Also:

  diskgroup_template_clauses for information about the default templates

alias_file_name

An alias is a user-friendly name for an Oracle ASM file. You can use alias filenames during file creation or reference. You can specify a template with an alias, but only during file creation. To determine the alias names for Oracle ASM files, query the V$ASM_ALIAS data dictionary view.

If you are specifying an alias during file creation, then refer to diskgroup_directory_clauses and diskgroup_alias_clauses for instructions on specifying the full alias name.

SIZE Clause

Specify the size of the file in bytes. Use K, M, G, or T to specify the size in kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, or terabytes.

• For undo tablespaces, you must specify the SIZE clause for each data file. For other tablespaces, you can omit this parameter if the file already exists, or if you are creating an Oracle Managed File.

• If you omit this clause when creating an Oracle Managed File, then Oracle creates a 100M file.

• The size of a tablespace must be one block greater than the sum of the sizes of the objects contained in it.

  See Also:

  Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for information on automatic undo management and undo tablespaces and "Adding a Log File: Example"

BLOCKSIZE Clause

Specify BLOCKSIZE to override the operating system-dependent sector size. If you omit this clause, then the database uses the operating system-dependent sector size as the block size.

When you add a redo log file to a 512-byte sector disk or to a 4KB sector disk with 512-byte emulation, the blocksize of the new file must be the original platform base block size or 4KB.

• If the redo log file is being added to a 512-byte sector disk, then you must specify 512 or 1024 (or 1K) as the block size, depending on your platform.

• If the redo log file is being added to a 4KB sector disk (native), then you must specify either 4096 or 4K as the block size.

• If the redo log file is being added to a 4KB sector disk with 512-byte emulation, then you can specify either 512, 1024 (or 1K), or 4096 (or 4K) as the block size, depending on your platform.

All logs within a log group must have the same block size. Two log groups created on separate disks can have different block sizes. However, the mixed configuration introduces overhead at every log switch. Oracle recommends that you create all log files with the same block size.

This clause is useful when the 4K sector size is in use, but you want to optimize disk space use rather than performance. In such a case you can override the operating system sector size by specifying BLOCKSIZE 512 or, for HP-UX, BLOCKSIZE 1024.

REUSE

Specify REUSE to allow Oracle to reuse an existing file.

• If the file already exists, then Oracle reuses the filename and applies the new size (if you specify SIZE) or retains the original size.

• If the file does not exist, then Oracle ignores this clause and creates the file.

Restriction on the REUSE Clause You cannot specify REUSE unless you have specified filename.

Whenever Oracle uses an existing file, the previous contents of the file are lost.

autoextend_clause

The autoextend_clause is valid for data files and temp files but not for redo log files. Use this clause to enable or disable the automatic extension of a new or existing data file or temp file. If you omit this clause, then:

• For Oracle Managed Files:

  • If you specify SIZE, then Oracle Database creates a file of the specified size with AUTOEXTEND disabled.

  • If you do not specify SIZE, then the database creates a 100M file with AUTOEXTEND enabled. When autoextension is required, the database extends the file by its original size or 100MB, whichever is smaller. You can override this default behavior by specifying the NEXT clause.

• For user-managed files, with or without SIZE specified, Oracle creates a file with AUTOEXTEND disabled.

ON Specify ON to enable autoextend.

OFF Specify OFF to turn off autoextend if is turned on. When you turn off autoextend, the values of NEXT and MAXSIZE are set to zero. If you turn autoextend back on in a subsequent statement, then you must reset these values.

NEXT Use the NEXT clause to specify the size in bytes of the next increment of disk space to be allocated automatically when more extents are required. The default is the size of one data block.

MAXSIZE Use the MAXSIZE clause to specify the maximum disk space allowed for automatic extension of the data file.

UNLIMITED Use the UNLIMITED clause if you do not want to limit the disk space that Oracle can allocate to the data file or temp file.

Restriction on the autoextend_clause You cannot specify this clause as part of the datafile_tempfile_spec in a CREATE CONTROLFILE statement or in an ALTER DATABASE CREATE DATAFILE clause.

CREATE DATABASE payable 
   LOGFILE GROUP 1 ('diska:log1.log', 'diskb:log1.log') SIZE 50K, 
           GROUP 2 ('diska:log2.log', 'diskb:log2.log') SIZE 50K 
   DATAFILE 'diskc:dbone.dbf' SIZE 30M; 

ALTER DATABASE payable 
   ADD LOGFILE GROUP 3 ('diska:log3.log', 'diskb:log3.log') 
   SIZE 50K REUSE; 

 ALTER DATABASE ADD LOGFILE GROUP 5
     ('4k_disk_a:log5.log', '4k_disk_b:log5.log')
     SIZE 100M BLOCKSIZE 4096 REUSE;

CREATE TABLESPACE stocks 
   DATAFILE 'stock1.dbf' SIZE 10M, 
            'stock2.dbf' SIZE 10M,
            'stock3.dbf' SIZE 10M; 

ALTER TABLESPACE stocks 
   ADD DATAFILE 'stock4.dbf' SIZE 10M REUSE; 

ALTER DATABASE testdb 
   DATAFILE '+dgroup_01/testdb/datafile/system.261.1' ONLINE;