16.3 Registry Parameters Overview
Describes Oracle Database for Windows registry parameters for the following keys.
Other products, such as Oracle Enterprise Manager, have additional keys and parameters that are not described.
Topics:
- About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_HOMENAME
Each time you install Oracle products into a new Oracle home on your computer,HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_
HOMENAME
is created. - About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE
This subkey contains the following parameter: - About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
contains the following keys:
16.3.1 About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_HOMENAME
Each time you install Oracle products into a new Oracle home on your computer, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_
HOMENAME
is created.
This subkey contains parameter values for most Oracle products.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_
HOMENAME
includes the following parameters for an Oracle home directory. Depending on products you install, additional parameters can also be created. See your Windows development manuals.
Topics:
- MSHELP_TOOLS
Specifies the location of Windows help files. - NLS_LANG and Other Globalization Parameters
Specifies supported language, territory, and character set. - ORA_CWD
Specifies current working directory. - ORA_SID_AUTOSTART
Starts Oracle Database whenOracleService
SID
service is started. - ORA_SID_PFILE
Specifies full path to initialization parameter file. - ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN
When set totrue
, the default value, this parameter shuts down the instance of Oracle Database identified bySID
whenOracleService
SID
is stopped manually—using either the Control Panel or Net stop command. - ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT
Sets maximum time (in seconds) to wait for shutdown to complete before the service for a particularSID
stops. - ORA_SID_SHUTDOWNTYPE
Specifies mode in which Oracle Database is shut down when you stopOracleService
SID
. - ORA_TZFILE
Specifies the location of time zone file. - ORACLE_AFFINITY
Enables the scheduling of class threads on more than one processor group for systems with more than 64 CPUs. - ORACLE_BASE
Specifies the top-level Oracle directory (for example,C:\app\username\product\12.2.0
) that containsORACLE_HOME
,admin
, andoradata
. - ORACLE_GROUP_NAME
Specifies the name of the group containing icons of the Oracle products installed. - ORACLE_HOME
Specifies Oracle home directory in which Oracle products are installed. - ORACLE_HOME_KEY
TheHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
location of Oracle parameters. - ORACLE_HOME_USER
A string type entry that holds the Oracle Home User value. - ORACLE_HOMENAME
Specifies home name of Oracle home directory in which Oracle products are installed. - ORACLE_PRRITY
Determines Windows scheduling priorities of the threads within the Oracle Database management system process. - ORACLE_SID
Specifies the name of the Oracle Database instance on the host computer. - OSAUTH_PREFIX_DOMAIN
Enables user authentication. - RDBMS_ARCHIVE
Specifies the location of backup database files. - RDBMS_CONTROL
Specifies the location of backup database control files. - SQLPATH
Specifies the location of SQL scripts.
See Also:
Oracle Database Installation Guide for Microsoft Windows Appendix B, "Optimal Flexible Architecture" for details on the PATH variable and registry values when you are working with multiple Oracle homes.
16.3.1.1 MSHELP_TOOLS
Specifies the location of Windows help files.
The default value is:
ORACLE_HOME\mshelp
16.3.1.2 NLS_LANG and Other Globalization Parameters
Specifies supported language, territory, and character set.
This parameter specifies the language in which messages appear, the territory and its conventions for calculating week and day numbers, and the character set displayed. Oracle Universal Installer sets this value during installation based on the language setting of the operating system.
The default value for NLS_LANG,
if not set, is AMERICAN_AMERICA.US7ASCII.
There are other globalization parameters that can be set along NLS_LANG
to override some values implicitly determined by NLS_LANG.
These parameters are:
NLS_DATE_FORMAT NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT NLS_TIMESTAMP_TZ_FORMAT NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS NLS_CURRENCY NLS_ISO_CURRENCY NLS_DUAL_CURRENCY NLS_SORT
The following parameters can also be set along NLS_LANG
to determine globalization behavior that is independent from the value of NLS_LANG:
NLS_CALENDAR NLS_COMP NLS_NCHAR_CONV_EXCP NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS
Note:
All globalization parameters set in the environment and Registry for a database client are ignored if NLS_LANG
is not set.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for more information about NLS_LANG
and other globalization parameters
16.3.1.3 ORA_CWD
Specifies current working directory.
For example, if you set this parameter and then use ORADIM, a log file called oradim.log
is created in this directory. This parameter must be manually set.
16.3.1.4 ORA_SID_AUTOSTART
Starts Oracle Database when OracleService
SID
service is started.
The default value is true.
16.3.1.5 ORA_SID_PFILE
Specifies full path to initialization parameter file.
The default value is ORACLE_BASE
\admin\DB_NAME\pfile\init.ora
16.3.1.6 ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN
When set to true
, the default value, this parameter shuts down the instance of Oracle Database identified by SID
when OracleService
SID
is stopped manually—using either the Control Panel or Net stop command.
16.3.1.7 ORA_SID_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT
Sets maximum time (in seconds) to wait for shutdown to complete before the service for a particular SID
stops.
The default value is 30
.
16.3.1.8 ORA_SID_SHUTDOWNTYPE
Specifies mode in which Oracle Database is shut down when you stop OracleService
SID
.
Valid values are a
(abort), i
(immediate), and n
(normal). The default value is i
.
16.3.1.9 ORA_TZFILE
Specifies the location of time zone file.
Each file contains:
-
Valid time zone names
-
Offset from UTC
-
Abbreviation for standard time
-
Abbreviation for daylight savings time
In previous releases, the default value for ORA _TZFILE
was
ORACLE_BASE\ORACLE_HOME\oracore\zoneinfo\timezlrg.dat
Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), the default value is
ORACLE_HOME\oracore\zoneinfo\timezlrg_11.dat
The timezone_
version_number
.dat
data files contain most commonly used time zones and are smaller for better database performance. The new default, timezlrg_
version_number
.dat
, includes time zones not defined in the smaller file.
See Also:
Oracle Database Globalization Support Guide for additional details about time zone files
16.3.1.10 ORACLE_AFFINITY
Enables the scheduling of class threads on more than one processor group for systems with more than 64 CPUs.
This parameter must be manually added. Oracle recommends consulting Oracle Support Services before changing this parameter. The format is:
namen
:[[processorgroup0][processorgroup1][..2][..3],]{cpumask0[ cpumask1 cpumask2 cpumask3] | ALL};
name1:[[0][1][2][3],]{cpumask0[ cpumask1 cpumask2 cpumask3] | ALL};
name2:[[0][1][2][3],]{cpumask0[ cpumask1 cpumask2 cpumask3] | ALL};
Where, processorgroup
is an optional parameter designating Windows CPU group. On systems with 64+ logical CPUs, Windows divides all available CPUs into 4 groups (0,1,2,3) with each group containing no more than 64 logical CPUs. By default, a process utilizes single processor group. The processorgroup
parameter enables Oracle to use more than 64 logical CPUs. Refer to the specific hardware configuration to determine the valid processor groups.
Note:
You should not use theORACLE_AFFINITY
parameter with multiple processor groups on a system with fewer than 64 logical cores. On production servers any system with fewer than 64 logical CPUs can have only one processor group.
Each name
n
setting must be the name of a background thread, USER
for non-background (shadow) threads, or DEF
for any thread type not handled specifically. Valid background thread names include DBW0
, LGWR
, PMON
, SMON
, ARCH
, RECO
, CKPT
, TRWR
, J000
through J999
, P000
through P481
, and any other name found in the NAME
column of the v$bgprocess
data dictionary view.
The cpumask sets the affinity mask of the Oracle Database process. Each affinity setting must be a valid affinity mask or its numeric equivalent for the corresponding thread name. Process affinity masks are used only when Oracle Services are first started. Each thread's affinity is set only when the individual thread is started (for example, at database startup time for the background threads).
Few examples, to use multiple processor groups in a system with 160 logical CPUs, ORACLE_AFFINITY
registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_HOMENAME
may be defined as follows:
The following examples show how set the ORACLE_AFFINITY
registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\KEY_HOMENAME
to use multiple processor groups in a system with 160 logical CPUs. In the following examples, it is assumed that: USER
, DEF
are thread class names; 0,1,2,3
are valid CPU groups in the system; and 4294967295
is a valid affinity mask in the corresponding CPU group.
-
Affinitize
USER
(foreground) threads to all CPUs inprocessorgroup1
or to all CPUs inprocessorgroup2
or to all CPUs inprocessorgroup3
while alternating between the processor groups for each new foreground thread. Also, affinitizeDEF
class threads to CPUs0-31
inprocessorgroup0
.USER:123,ALL;DEF:0,4294967295;
-
Affinitize
USER
class threads either to CPUs0-19
inprocessorgroup0
or to CPUs16-31
inprocessorgroup2
. Also, affinitizeDEF
class threads to CPUs 0-19 inprocessorgroup1
.USER:02,1048575 4294901760;DEF:1,1048575;
-
Affinitize
USER
class threads to all the CPUs of all processor groups while alternating between the processor groups for each new foreground thread. Also, affinitizeDEF
class threads to CPUs0-31
in all the processor groups while alternating between the processor groups for each newDEF
class thread.USER:0123,ALL;DEF:0123,4294967295;
-
Affinitize
USER
class threads to CPUs0-31
inprocessorgroup0
, CPUs0-19
inprocessorgroup1
and CPUs0-19
inprocessorgroup2
while alternating between the processor groups for each new foreground thread.USER:012,4294967295 1048575 1048575;
16.3.1.11 ORACLE_BASE
Specifies the top-level Oracle directory (for example, C:\app\username\product\12.2.0
) that contains ORACLE_HOME
, admin
, and oradata
.
The default is ORACLE_BASE
.
16.3.1.12 ORACLE_GROUP_NAME
Specifies the name of the group containing icons of the Oracle products installed.
The parameter is added to your registry when you first install Oracle products, even if Oracle Universal Installer does not create a program group for Oracle products you have installed (for example, if you have installed only Oracle Net software). The default value is Oracle
-
HOMENAME
.
16.3.1.13 ORACLE_HOME
Specifies Oracle home directory in which Oracle products are installed.
This directory is immediately beneath the Oracle base directory in the Oracle directory hierarchy. The default value is the drive letter and name that you specify during installation.
16.3.1.14 ORACLE_HOME_KEY
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
location of Oracle parameters.
The default value is software\oracle\HOME
ID.
16.3.1.15 ORACLE_HOME_USER
A string type entry that holds the Oracle Home User value.
If Windows built-in account is used as the Oracle Home User, then the string holds NT Authority\System and the user is not supposed to specify it explicitly.
16.3.1.16 ORACLE_HOMENAME
Specifies home name of Oracle home directory in which Oracle products are installed.
The default value is the name that you specify during installation.
16.3.1.17 ORACLE_PRRITY
Determines Windows scheduling priorities of the threads within the Oracle Database management system process.
The format is:
name1:priority1;name2:priority2 . . .
The name
class sets the priority
class of the Oracle Database process. Threads can be assigned a priority either collectively or individually. The collective name user
designates non-background (shadow) threads; the collective name def
designates any thread type not handled specifically. Valid individual background thread names include DBW0
, LGWR
, PMON
, SMON
, ARCH0
, RECO
, CKPT
, TRWR
, SNP0
through SNP9
, and any other name found in the NAME
column of the v$bgprocess
data dictionary view.
The default value is class:normal; def:normal
.
Note:
ORACLE_PRRITY
is not automatically created for you in the registry. When it is not defined in the registry, Windows default values are used for thread priorities.
16.3.1.18 ORACLE_SID
Specifies the name of the Oracle Database instance on the host computer.
The value of this parameter is the SID
for the instance. The default value is specified by the entry in the Database Identification window of Oracle Universal Installer.
16.3.1.19 OSAUTH_PREFIX_DOMAIN
Enables user authentication.
When it is set to true
, it enables the server to differentiate between one username and another, whether they are local users, domain users, or domain users on another domain in your network. When it is set to false
, the domain is ignored, and the local user becomes the default value of the operating system user returned to the server. The default value is true
.
16.3.1.20 RDBMS_ARCHIVE
Specifies the location of backup database files.
The default value is ORACLE_HOME
\database\archive
.
16.3.1.21 RDBMS_CONTROL
Specifies the location of backup database control files.
The default value is ORACLE_HOME
\database
.
16.3.2 About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE
This subkey contains the following parameter:
Topics:
- INST_LOC
Specifies the location of Oracle Universal Installer files.
16.3.3 About HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
contains the following keys:
-
Control
-
Enum
-
HardwareProfiles
-
Services
The first three are used by the operating system. You can edit only the Services
subkey, which contains Parameters for Oracle Database Services.
Topics:
- Parameters for Oracle Database Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES
subkey contains additional subkeys that correspond to each Oracle Database service.
16.3.3.1 Parameters for Oracle Database Services
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\SERVICES
subkey contains additional subkeys that correspond to each Oracle Database service.
Each service subkey contains the following parameters:
-
DisplayName
specifies the service name of the instance whoseSID
isSID
. The default value is the name of the service. For example,OracleServiceORCL1
, whereORCL1
is theSID
. -
ImagePath
specifies the fully qualified path name of the executable started by the service and any command-line arguments passed into the executable at run time. The default value is the path to the executable file of the product. -
ObjectName
specifies the logon user account and computer to which the service must log on. The default value isLocalSystem
.