CREATE PFILE

Purpose

Use the CREATE PFILE statement to export a binary server parameter file into a text initialization parameter file. Creating a text parameter file is a convenient way to get a listing of the current parameter settings being used by the database, and it lets you edit the file easily in a text editor and then convert it back into a server parameter file using the CREATE SPFILE statement.

Upon successful execution of this statement, Oracle Database creates a text parameter file on the server. In a Real Application Clusters environment, it will contain all parameter settings of all instances. It will also contain any comments that appeared on the same line with a parameter setting in the server parameter file.

Prerequisites

You must have the SYSDBA or the SYSOPER role to execute this statement. You can execute this statement either before or after instance startup.

Syntax

create_pfile::=

Description of the illustration create_pfile.gif

Semantics

pfile_name

Specify the name of the text parameter file you want to create. If you do not specify pfile_name, Oracle Database uses the platform-specific default initialization parameter file name.

spfile_name

Specify the name of the binary server parameter from which you want to create a text file.

• If you specify spfile_name, then the file must exist on the server. If the file does not reside in the default directory for server parameter files on your operating system, then you must specify the full path.

• If you do not specify spfile_name, then the database looks in the default directory for server parameter files on your operating system, for the platform-specific default server parameter file name, and uses that file. If that file does not exist in the expected directory, then the database returns an error.

Examples

Creating a Parameter File: Example The following example creates a text parameter file my_init.ora from a binary server parameter file production.ora:

CREATE PFILE = 'my_init.ora' FROM SPFILE = 's_params.ora';