Oracle Startup and Parameter File

Oracle prefers the use of an SPFILE to a PFILE. When you startup your Oracle database, Oracle will scan the contents of your parameter directory ($ORACLE_HOME/database on Windows or the Linux directory name $ORACLE_HOME/dbs), searching in the following order:

* spfileSID.ora

* spfile.ora

* initSID.ora

* init.ora

If the directory contains none of the above, then the startup will fail.

Alternatively, you can tell Oracle where to find a PFILE if you store it in a different location.

SQL> startup pfile=/path/to/pfile/inittestdb.ora

Furthermore, you can create a PFILE that contains nothing but the following line:

SPFILE=/path/to/spfiletestdb.ora

By doing so, we are able to startup using a PFILE in any location we want, but continue to use an SPFILE that can also be in a different location. This can be very beneficial for those that wish to store their SPFILE in a centralized location, such as a SAN.