Database starts in nomount

Question

I have something I've never seen before and Googling is failing me.
I have been working on a Windows server that is running a few Oracle instances. One of the many instances on the box always starts up with a nomount status and the listener shows it as BLOCKED; as expected. Logging in and starting the database up will resolve the BLOCKED status and allow connections.
My issue is that when the box is rebooted or the instances windows service itself is stopped and started, the database always starts up in NOMOUNT and is then listed as BLOCKED on the listener. All of the other instances go straight into a ready state.
Is there some kind of configuration that I can change to make this instance boot as the others do? I already tried recreating the windows services as a last ditch effort, but to no avail.

Answer 1

andrew.martinez wrote:
The alert log is empty.Then I'd be finding out why that is. It is not possible for the instance to start, even in nomount, without writing something to the alert log:
SQL> shutdown immediate
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> !rm alert*.log
SQL> !ls alert*.log
ls: alert*.log: No such file or directory
SQL> startup nomount
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area  285212672 bytes
Fixed Size    1267068 bytes
Variable Size  104860292 bytes
Database Buffers  176160768 bytes
Redo Buffers    2924544 bytes
SQL> !ls alert*.log
alert_vlnxora1.log
SQL> !cat alert_vlnxora1.log
Sat Feb 13 10:53:00 2010
Starting ORACLE instance (normal)
LICENSE_MAX_SESSION = 0
LICENSE_SESSIONS_WARNING = 0
Picked latch-free SCN scheme 2
Using LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_10 parameter default value as USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
Autotune of undo retention is turned on.
IMODE=BR
ILAT =18
LICENSE_MAX_USERS = 0
SYS auditing is disabled
ksdpec: called for event 13740 prior to event group initialization
Starting up ORACLE RDBMS Version: 10.2.0.4.0.
System parameters with non-default values:
  processes                = 150
  __shared_pool_size       = 96468992
  __large_pool_size        = 4194304
  __java_pool_size         = 4194304
  __streams_pool_size      = 0
  sga_target               = 285212672
  control_files            = /ora01/oradata/vlnxora1/control01.ctl, /ora02/oradata/vlnxora1/control02.ctl, /ora03/oradata/vlnxora1/control03.ctl
  db_block_size            = 8192
  __db_cache_size          = 176160768
  compatible               = 10.2.0.3.0
  log_archive_format       = %t_%s_%r.dbf
  db_file_multiblock_read_count= 16
  db_recovery_file_dest    = /orafra
  db_recovery_file_dest_size= 2147483648
  fast_start_mttr_target   = 60
  undo_management          = AUTO
  undo_tablespace          = UNDOTBS1
  remote_login_passwordfile= EXCLUSIVE
  db_domain                =
  dispatchers              = (PROTOCOL=TCP) (SERVICE=vlnxora1XDB)
  job_queue_processes      = 10
  background_dump_dest     = /ora00/app/oracle/admin/vlnxora1/bdump
  user_dump_dest           = /ora00/app/oracle/admin/vlnxora1/udump
  core_dump_dest           = /ora00/app/oracle/admin/vlnxora1/cdump
  audit_file_dest          = /ora00/app/oracle/admin/vlnxora1/adump
  db_name                  = vlnxora1
  open_cursors             = 300
  pga_aggregate_target     = 94371840
PMON started with pid=2, OS id=4974
PSP0 started with pid=3, OS id=4976
MMAN started with pid=4, OS id=4978
DBW0 started with pid=5, OS id=4980
LGWR started with pid=6, OS id=4982
CKPT started with pid=7, OS id=4984
SMON started with pid=8, OS id=4986
RECO started with pid=9, OS id=4988
CJQ0 started with pid=10, OS id=4990
MMON started with pid=11, OS id=4992
MMNL started with pid=12, OS id=4994
Sat Feb 13 10:53:01 2010
starting up 1 dispatcher(s) for network address '(ADDRESS=(PARTIAL=YES)(PROTOCOL=TCP))'...
starting up 1 shared server(s) ...
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01507: database not mounted
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>