5 Getting Started with Oracle Database

This chapter provides information about the default preconfigured database, including information about Oracle database accounts, passwords, and file locations. It includes information about the following topics:

• Checking the Installed Oracle Database Contents and Directory Location

• Reviewing Accounts and Passwords

• Unlocking and Resetting User Passwords

• Identifying Databases

• Locating the Server Parameter File

• Reviewing Tablespaces and Data Files, Redo Log Files, and Control Files

Checking the Installed Oracle Database Contents and Directory Location

You can use Oracle Universal Installer to check the contents and directory location of an Oracle Database installation. To do this:

1. Start Oracle Universal Installer, follow the instructions in "Running the Oracle Universal Installer".

2. Click Installed Products to display the Inventory dialog box on the Welcome screen.

3. Select the Oracle Database product from the list to check the installed contents.

4. Click Details to find additional information about an installed product.

5. Click the Environment tab to check the directory location of the installed contents.

6. Click Close to close the Inventory dialog box.

7. Click Cancel to close Oracle Universal Installer, and then click Yes to confirm.

Reviewing Accounts and Passwords

All databases created by the Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) include the SYS, SYSTEM, SYSMAN, and DBSNMP database accounts. In addition, Oracle provides several other administrative accounts. Before using these other accounts, you must unlock them and reset their passwords. Table 5-1 describes these accounts, listing their user names and default passwords.

See Also:

The "Unlocking and Resetting User Passwords" section for information about unlocking and resetting passwords

Table 5-1 Database Accounts

User Name	Default Password	Description	See Also
ANONYMOUS	ANONYMOUS	Allows HTTP access to Oracle XML DB.	None
BI	BI	The account that owns the Business Intelligence schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas.	Oracle Database Sample Schemas
CTXSYS	CTXSYS	The Oracle Text account.	Oracle Text Reference
DIP	DIP	The account used by the Directory Integration Platform (DIP) to synchronize the changes in Oracle Internet Directory with the applications in the database.	Oracle Internet Directory Administrator's Guide
DMSYS	DMSYS	The data mining account. DMSYS performs data mining operations.	Oracle Data Mining Administrator's Guide
EXFSYS	EXFSYS	The account that owns the Expression Filter schema.	None
HR	HR	The account that owns the Human Resources schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas.	Oracle Database Sample Schemas
IX	IX	The account that owns the Information Transport schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas.	Oracle Database Sample Schemas
LBACSYS	LBACSYS	The Oracle Label Security administrator account.	Oracle Label Security Administrator's Guide
MDDATA	MDDATA	The schema used by Oracle Spatial for storing Geocoder and router data.	Oracle Spatial User's Guide and Reference
MDSYS	MDSYS	The Oracle Spatial and Oracle interMedia Locator administrator account.	Oracle Spatial User's Guide and Reference
OE	OE	The account that owns the Order Entry schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas.	Oracle Database Sample Schemas
OLAPSYS	MANAGER	The account that owns the OLAP catalogs.	Oracle OLAP Application Developer's Guide
ORDPLUGINS	ORDPLUGINS	The Oracle interMedia user. Plugins supplied by Oracle and third-party plugins are installed in this schema.	Oracle interMedia Reference
ORDSYS	ORDSYS	The Oracle interMedia administrator account.	Oracle interMedia Reference
OUTLN	OUTLN	The account that supports plan stability. Plan stability enables you to maintain the same execution plans for the same SQL statements. OUTLN acts as a role to centrally manage metadata associated with stored outlines.	Oracle Database Concepts
PM	PM	The account that owns the Product Media schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas.	Oracle Database Sample Schemas
SCOTT	TIGER	An account used by Oracle sample programs and examples.	Oracle Database Administrator's Guide
SH	SH	The account that owns the Sales History schema included in the Oracle Sample Schemas. It is available only if you loaded the Sample Schemas during an Enterprise Edition installation.	Oracle Database Administrator's Guide
SI_INFORMTN_SCHEMA	SI_INFORMTN_SCHEMA	The account that stores the information views for the SQL/MM Still Image Standard.	Oracle interMedia Reference
SYS	Password set during installation or in the Database Configuration Assistant	The account used to perform database administration tasks.	Oracle Database Administrator's Guide
SYSTEM	Password set during installation or in the Database Configuration Assistant	Another account used to perform database administration tasks.	Oracle Database Administrator's Guide
WMSYS	WMSYS	The account used to store the metadata information for Oracle Workspace Manager.	Oracle Database Application Developer's Guide - Workspace Manager
WKPROXY	WKSYS	The Ultra Search proxy user.	Oracle Ultra Search Administrator's Guide
WK_TEST	WK_TEST	The default Ultra Search instance schema.	Oracle Ultra Search Administrator's Guide
WKSYS	WKSYS	The account used to store Ultra Search system dictionaries and PL/SQL packages.	Oracle Ultra Search Administrator's Guide
XDB	XDB	The account used for storing Oracle XML DB data and metadata.	Oracle XML DB Developer's Guide

Unlocking and Resetting User Passwords

Passwords for all Oracle system administration accounts except SYS, SYSTEM, SYSMAN, and DBSMP are revoked after installation. Before you use a locked account, you must unlock it and reset its password. If you created a preconfigured database during the installation, but you did not unlock a required account, then you must unlock it now, using the following method:

• Using SQL*Plus to Unlock Accounts and Reset Passwords

Note:

If you are creating a database using Database Configuration Assistant, then you can unlock accounts after the database is created by clicking Password Management before you exit from Database Configuration Assistant.

Using SQL*Plus to Unlock Accounts and Reset Passwords

To unlock and reset user account passwords using SQL*Plus:

1. Start SQL*Plus and log in as the SYS user, connecting as SYSDBA:

   $ sqlplus /nolog
   SQL> CONNECT SYS/SYS_password AS SYSDBA
   

2. Enter a command similar to the following, where account is the user account to be unlocked and password is the new password:

   SQL> ALTER USER account [ IDENTIFIED BY password ] ACCOUNT UNLOCK;
   

   In this example:

   • The ACCOUNT UNLOCK clause unlocks the account.

   • The IDENTIFED BY password clause resets the password.

   Note:

   If you unlock an account but do not reset the password, then the password remains expired. The first time someone connects as that user, they must change the user's password.

   To permit unauthenticated access to your data through HTTP, unlock the ANONYMOUS user account.

   See Also:

   Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about:

   • Unlocking and changing passwords after installation

   • Oracle security procedures

   • Best security practices

Identifying Databases

The Oracle Database 10g software identifies a database by its global database name. A global database name consists of the database name and database domain. Usually, the database domain is the same as the network domain, but it need not be. The global database name uniquely distinguishes a database from any other database in the same network. You specify the global database name when you create a database during the installation, or using the Database Configuration Assistant. For example:

sales.us.example.com

In this example:

• sales is the name of the database. The database name portion is a string of no more than 30 characters that can contain alphanumeric, underscore (_), dollar ($), and pound (#) characters. The DB_NAME initialization parameter specifies the database name.

• us.example.com is the database domain in which the database is located. In this example, the database domain is the same as the network domain. Together, the database name and the database domain make the global database name unique. The domain portion is a string of no more than 128 characters that can contain alphanumeric, underscore (_), and pound (#) characters. The DB_DOMAIN initialization parameter specifies the database domain name.

The DB_NAME parameter and the DB_DOMAIN name parameter combine to create the global database name value assigned to the SERVICE_NAMES parameter in the initialization parameter file.

The System Identifier (SID) identifies a specific database instance. The SID uniquely distinguishes the instance from any other instance on the same computer. Each database instance requires a unique SID and database name. In most cases, the SID is the same as the database name portion of the global database name.

Locating the Server Parameter File

By default, the preconfigured database uses a server parameter file named spfilesid.ora, which is stored in the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs directory.

If the server parameter file is not located in the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs directory, then the database uses the SPFILE parameter in an initialization parameter file to locate it. The default initialization parameter file is $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initsid.ora.

Reviewing Tablespaces and Data Files, Redo Log Files, and Control Files

The following sections contain information about tablespaces and data files, redo log files, and control files:

• Identifying Tablespaces and Data Files

• Locating Redo Log Files

• Locating Control Files

Identifying Tablespaces and Data Files

An Oracle database is divided into smaller logical areas of space known as tablespaces. Each tablespace corresponds to one or more physical data files. Data files contain the contents of logical database structures such as tables and indexes. You can associate each data file with only one tablespace and database.

Note:

The SYSAUX and SYSTEM tablespaces must be present in all Oracle Database 10g databases.

Table 5-2 describes the tablespaces provided by the default preconfigured database.

Table 5-2 Tablespaces and Descriptions

Tablespace	Description
EXAMPLE	Stores the sample schemas, if you included them.
SYSAUX	Serves as an auxiliary tablespace to the SYSTEM tablespace. Some products and options that previously used the SYSTEM tablespace now use the SYSAUX tablespace, which reduces the load on the SYSTEM tablespace.
SYSTEM	Stores the data dictionary, which includes definitions of tables, views, and stored procedures needed by Oracle Database.
TEMP	Stores temporary tables and indexes when processing SQL statements.
UNDOTBS1	Stores undo information.
USERS	Stores database objects created by database users.

See Also:

Oracle Database Concepts and the Oracle Database Administrator's Guide for more information about tablespaces and data files

Locating Redo Log Files

The preconfigured database uses three redo log files. Redo log files record all changes made to data in the database buffer cache. If an instance fails, then Oracle Database 10g uses the redo log files to recover the modified data in memory.

Oracle Database uses redo log files in a cyclical fashion. For example, if three files constitute the online redo log, Oracle Database fills the first file, then the second file, and then the third file. In the next cycle, it reuses and fills the first file, the second file, and so on.

See Also:

Oracle Database Backup and Recovery Basics for more information about redo log files

Locating Control Files

The preconfigured database uses three control files. Oracle recommends that you keep at least three control files for each database and set the CONTROL_FILES initialization parameter to specify the location of each file.

A control file is an administrative file. Oracle Database 10g requires a control file to start and run the database. The control file defines the physical structure of the database. For example, it defines the database name and the names and locations of the database data files and redo log files.