STARTING DATABASE : PROBLEM OF Linux Error: 23: Too many open files in syst

Question

Hi everybody,
I am running an RMAN script and get this error,
9> @/u01/app/oracle/admin/devpose/backup/configuration.rcv
RMAN> ###################################################################
2> # Configuration file used to set Rman policies.
3> #
4> ###################################################################
5>
6> CONFIGURE DEFAULT DEVICE TYPE TO DISK;
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of configure command at 08/26/2009 20:03:30
RMAN-06403: could not obtain a fully authorized session
ORA-01034: ORACLE not available
RMAN> CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO REDUNDANCY 1;
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of configure command at 08/26/2009 20:03:30
RMAN-06403: could not obtain a fully authorized session
ORA-01034: ORACLE not available
RMAN> #CONFIGURE RETENTION POLICY TO RECOVERY WINDOW OF 7 DAYS;
2> CONFIGURE DEVICE TYPE DISK PARALLELISM 2;
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of configure command at 08/26/2009 20:03:30
RMAN-06403: could not obtain a fully authorized session
ORA-01034: ORACLE not available
RMAN>
RMAN> CONFIGURE CHANNEL DEVICE TYPE DISK FORMAT '/u01/app/oracle/backup/db/ora_df%t_s%s_s%p';
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-00569: =============== ERROR MESSAGE STACK FOLLOWS ===============
RMAN-00571: ===========================================================
RMAN-03002: failure of configure command at 08/26/2009 20:03:30
RMAN-06403: could not obtain a fully authorized session
ORA-01034: ORACLE not available
But this problem is understandable, as the database is not running. The main problem why database is not running, I have found the reason but do not understand how to solve the problem.
Since, the database was not running, I tried to startup the database, I then came across the following which is my problem (Why so many files are open? Linux OS error says too many files open. See below,
SQL> conn /as sysdba
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 419430400 bytes
Fixed Size 779516 bytes
Variable Size 258743044 bytes
Database Buffers 159383552 bytes
Redo Buffers 524288 bytes
Database mounted.
ORA-00313: open failed for members of log group 2 of thread 1
ORA-00312: online log 2 thread 1: '/u01/app/oracle/oradata/devpose/redo02.log'
ORA-27041: unable to open file
Linux Error: 23: Too many open files in system
Can anybody has run into such problem and guide me to a solution, please?
Thanks

Answer 1

Hi,
yes, this DB was functioning o.k. this configuration script was part of RMAN daily backup.
Last night the backup failed. So, when I opened "Failed job" in the EM, I saw this type of messages.
That was the starting point. Gradually, I tried to narrow down on to the actual problem and found the findings as I have posted.
One way of sovling problem, I thought that, all these processes I would kill and then try to open the database, it might startup. However, that wouldnot lead me in ensuring this won't occur again.
That's why I am trying to understand why it should open, so many processes (why spawn so many .flb files?) Any thoughts you have around this?
I will try to restart the OS as the last resort.
Thanks for your help and suggestions.
Regards,