Delete ASM disk - database doesn't start

Question

Hi
For testing purpose, I have installed grid infrastructure for standalone server and database 11g on linux. Instead psyhical disks, I have several partitions for data as ASM in normal redundancy. I try simulate disk fail (ASM should load balance and still work). When in Enterprise Manager Database Control I mark disk as offline, it works. But when I delete partition by fdisk, database doesn't start (I change disk repair time to 0.0). I try:
oracleasm deletedisk ASMDISK02,
but it doesn't help.
I can't even startup database in nomount, I get error:
[oracle@localhost ~]$ sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.1.0 Production on Thu May 12 11:07:47 2011
Copyright (c) 1982, 2009, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Connected to an idle instance.
SQL> startup nomount
ORA-01078: failure in processing system parameters
ORA-01565: error in identifying file '+DATA/orcl/spfileorcl.ora'
ORA-17503: ksfdopn:2 Failed to open file +DATA/orcl/spfileorcl.ora
ORA-15077: could not locate ASM instance serving a required diskgroup
SQL>
When I try startup ASM instance, I get errror:
SQL> startup
ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel
SQL> startup
ORA-24324: service handle not initialized
ORA-01041: internal error. hostdef extension doesn't exist
SQL>
Why I get errors, and how I could solve this problem?
Thanks awfully for help.
Regards

Answer 1

Hi,
when your ASM instance/DB is down, when you delete a disk, then the diskgroup has to be mounted with the "force" option.
Now to be able to start ASM, he needs an spfile (or a local init.ora). Unfortunately your spfile is in the diskgroup he cannot mount at the moment (because disks are missing).
Start ASM with a local init.ora:
sqlplus / as sysasm
startup pfile=path_to_your_asm_init.ora
Then mount the diskgroup with force:
alter diskgroup <dg> mount force
After this drop the disk/repair the error.
Then you can restart the stack.
Regards
Sebastian