| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Parameter type | String |
| Syntax | INSTANCE_NAME = instance_id |
| Default value | The instance's SID
Note: The SID identifies the instance's shared memory on a host, but may not uniquely distinguish this instance from other instances. |
| Modifiable | No |
| Range of values | Any alphanumeric characters |
| Basic | No |
In a Real Application Clusters environment, multiple instances can be associated with a single database service. Clients can override Oracle's connection load balancing by specifying a particular instance by which to connect to the database. INSTANCE_NAME specifies the unique name of this instance.
In a single-instance database system, the instance name is usually the same as the database name.