Managing the Control File with OMF

Control files, when using Oracle Managed Files (OMF), are created in the default location (DB_CRFEATE_ONOINE_LOG_DEST_n) if they are not specified in the CONTROL_FILES initialization parameter.

Control files names are uniquely generated, and the creation information, along with the filename, is displayed in the alertSID.log file in the background dump destination location when the files are created.

If you are using a parameter file, the initSID.ora, as well as OMF, you must set the CONTROL_FILE parameter to the OMF-generated names after they have been created. You can find the filenames in V$CONTROLFILE or from the alertSID.log where the creation shows up.

If you are using SPFILE with OMF, the CONTROL_FILES parameter is automatically set and saved into the file. You can create the database with the OMF parameters set and, as soon as the database is created, create the SPFILE from the PFILE. The unique control filenames will be placed there and saved.

If you create a new control file using the CREATE CONTROLFILE command, the correct names must be used for the OMF DATAFILE and LOGFILE clauses. If you use ALTER DATABASE BACKUP CONTROLFILE TO TRACE, it generates a script as discussed previously with the correct OMF-created filenames.