Overview of Initialization Parameter File

An initialization parameter file is an ASCII text file containing parameters.

By changing parameters and values in an initialization parameter file, you can specify, for example:

Amount of memory Oracle Database uses
Whether to archive filled online redo logs
Which control files currently exist

Every database instance has a corresponding initialization parameter file and an ORACLE_SID registry parameter that points to the system identifier for the instance.

The initialization parameter file name takes the form init.ora. A single instance might have several initialization parameter files, each having some differences that affect system performance.

Note:

Your init.ora file for initialization parameters is set by Oracle Universal Installer during database installation. These parameter settings may vary depending on your hardware configuration.

About the Location of the Initialization Parameter File
Describes the location of the initialization parameter file.
About Editing The Initialization Parameter File
To customize Oracle Database functions, you may be required to edit the initialization parameter file.
About Oracle Database Configuration Assistant Renaming init.ora
When you create a database using Oracle Database Configuration Assistant (Oracle DBCA), a Server Parameter File (SPFILE) is created from the initialization parameter file, and the initialization parameter file is renamed.