Ever Helpful: ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel:

When attempting to increase the memory_max_target and memory_target parameters to a value over 3 GB, an ORA-03113 is triggered.

SQL> startup
ORA-03113: end-of-file on communication channel
Process ID: ####
Session ID: 170 Serial number: 3

Check the Alert Log:

> vi $ORACLE_BASE/diag/rdbms/$ORACLE_SID/$ORACLE_SID/trace/alert_$ORACLE_SID.log
ALTER DATABASE MOUNT
Errors in file $ORACLE_BASE/diag/rdbms/$ORACLE_SID/$ORACLE_SID/trace/$ORACLE_SID_mman_####.trc:
ORA-27103: internal error
Linux-x86_64 Error: 11: Resource temporarily unavailable
Additional information: -1
Additional information: 1
MMAN (ospid: 8169): terminating the instance due to error 27103
Instance terminated by MMAN, pid = ####

Download and Install the Patch:

This is an error specific to Oracle 11g version 11.1.0.7.0 (the patched version) on 64-bit Linux. Log into Metalink, and then download and install patch number 7272646, ORA-27103 WHEN MEMORY_TARGET > 3G, with the file name p7272646_11107_Linux-x86-64.zip.

Test the Function:

SQL> select soundex('Ashcraft')
from dual;

A226

Ashcraft should return A261 and not A226.

Create the Function:

SQL> create or replace function soundexxcode (character varchar2) return number is
   v_digit number(1,0);
begin
   case
      when character in ('B', 'F', 'P', 'V') then v_digit := 1;
      when character in ('C', 'G', 'J', 'K', 'Q', 'S', 'X', 'Z') then v_digit := 2;
      when character in ('D', 'T') then v_digit := 3;
      when character in ('L') then v_digit := 4;
      when character in ('M', 'N') then v_digit := 5;
      when character in ('R') then v_digit := 6;
      when character in ('H', 'W') then v_digit := 0;
      else v_digit := NULL;
   end case;

   return v_digit;
end soundexxcode;
/

Function created.

SQL> create or replace function soundexx (string varchar2) return varchar2 is
   v_digit number(1, 0);
   v_digit_last number(1, 0);
   v_soundex varchar2(64);
   v_string varchar2(64);
begin
   v_string := upper(string);
   v_soundex := substr(v_string, 1, 1);
   v_digit_last := soundexxcode(v_soundex);

   for i in 1 .. length(v_string) loop
      v_digit := soundexxcode(substr(v_string, i, 1));

      if v_digit > 0 And v_digit <> nvl(v_digit_last, 0) then
         v_soundex := v_soundex || v_digit;
      end if;

      if nvl(v_digit, 0) <> 0 then
         v_digit_last := v_digit;
      end if;
   end loop;

   return rpad(v_soundex, 4, '0');
end soundexx;
/

Function created.

Test the New Function:

SQL> select soundexx('Ashcraft')
from dual;

A261

Create the Function:

SQL> create or replace function is_numeric (v_value varchar2) return boolean is
   v_data number;
begin
   v_data := to_number(v_value);
   return true;

exception
   when others then
      return false;
end is_numeric;
/

Function created.

Test the New Function:

SQL> set serveroutput on

begin
   if is_numeric('123') = true then
      dbms_output.put_line ('True');
   else
      dbms_output.put_line ('False');
   end if;

   if is_numeric(123) = true then
      dbms_output.put_line ('True');
   else
      dbms_output.put_line ('False');
   end if;

   if is_numeric('AAA') = true then
      dbms_output.put_line ('True');
   else
      dbms_output.put_line ('False');
   end if;
end;
/

True
True
False

PL/SQL procedure successfully completed.

Analyze EBCDIC File:

Suppose we have a file in EBCDIC format with the following field name, offset, size, and type elements:

field1 0 10 ebcdic string(10)
field2 10 5 packed decimal(5)
field3 15 1 ebcdic string(1)

Next, Create an Oracle Table:

SQL> create table ebcdic_table
(
   field1 varchar2(10)
   field2 number(9)
   field3 varchar2(1)
);

Note the numeric field length. Each byte of a packed decimal contains two digits. So “field2″ is 5 * 2 = 10 = 9 digits plus the symbol. Use 5 if the numeric field is not a packed decimal.

Create SQL Loader Control File:

> vi sqlldr.ctl
LOAD DATA CHARACTERSET WE8EBCDIC500
INFILE '/home/mnguyen/filename' "fix 16"
APPEND INTO TABLE MNGUYEN.EBCDIC_TABLE
(
   FIELD1 position(1:10) char,
   FIELD2 position(11:15) decimal,
   FIELD3 position(16:16) char
)

> sqlldr mnguyen control=sqlldr.ctl log=sqlldr.log

It is super easy because Oracle handles the conversion via its built-in SQL Loader tool. Use the WE8EBCDIC500 character set and specify the correct record length (i.e. “fix #”) if an ASCII newline character is not used in the EBCDIC data. Use the “decimal external” data type if the numeric field is not a packed decimal.