Oracle 8.1.6 won't start

[Dan Ryan]

We've been running Oracle 8.1.6 32bit on HP-UX 11.0 64 bit OS. We've recently increased the shmmax kernel parameter. After booting the dbstart command fails with the following error:
$ dbstart
Assertion failed: 0 == __thread_mutex_lock(AC_arena_rmutex), file ../../../../../core/libs/libc/shared_pa1/../core/gen/malloc.c, line 1828
Assertion failed: 0 == __thread_mutex_lock(AC_arena_rmutex), file ../../../../../core/libs/libc/shared_pa1/../core/gen/malloc.c, line 1828
Assertion failed: 0 == __thread_mutex_lock(AC_arena_rmutex), file ../../../../../core/libs/libc/shared_pa1/../core/gen/malloc.c, line 1828
Assertion failed: 0 == __thread_mutex_lock(AC_arena_rmutex), file ../../../../../core/libs/libc/shared_pa1/../core/gen/malloc.c, line 1828

We removed the kernel change and rebooted however dbstart still fails with the same error.

Has anyone seen this error before?

[Antoanetta Naghiu]

First seems to be strange that you are running the version 32 bit in a 64 bits environment.
Second, it seems to be an Oracle internal error that I?m not sure if is related with Unix.
Third, if you want, try to get an old copy of vmunix and try. (not recommended one if you are not sure what you are doing).
Changing only a kernel parameter is not a big change and if the system came up ok, try to get your DBA to check database integrity.

[Andy Monks]

It doesn't look like the normal message Oracle gives when you don't have enough shared memory.

Do you know if your using memory windows at all?

Running 32bit Oracle on 64bit hp-ux is fairly common and isn't an issue.

[CHRIS ANORUO]

Hello Dan,
Oracle 32bit on 64bit machine has no problem, 'cos 64bit machines are downward compartible.
Make your SHMMAX=1Gb, MAXDSIZ=1Gb.
You can set the following:
SEMAEM=16384
SEMMAP=1402
SEMMNI=1400
SEMMNS=2048
SEMMNU=700
SEMUME=300
SEMVMX=32767
SHMMNI=1024
SHMSEG=200.
These are values that I have in operation on my servers, and there is no problem. Since we set NBUF and BUFPAGES to zero.

[Rick Garland]

Relink the Oracle files.

[V Panchapakesan]

I've experienced sqlplus giving coredump after the installation of 8.1.6 on HP-UX 11.0.
For which oracle has a patch.
This error seems to be of OS, have you checked for any corruption or missing library.

[Vincente Fernandes]

Dan,

You need to first isolate whether it is Oracle or UX problem.
1. Boot the server from the old kernel before the change i.e "/stand/vmunix.prev". This will help you in identifying whether it is due to UX or Oracle.
2. You may also need to run an integrity check with your oracle db.

[Dan Ryan]

Thanks to everyone who responded to this issue. Here is what the resolution turned out to be:

1. applied PHCO_0765 to address the original assertion errors we were receiving.

2. change the oracle user's SHLIB_PATH. SHLIB_PATH originally read /opt/omni/lib:/oracle/8.1.6/lib these libraries both contain a module libobk.sl. We removed the /omni/opt/lib entry .