Oracle Password File

In today’s article, I will make important explanations about Password File in Oracle.

The password file is an optional file.

When is the password file used?

If we want non-SYS users to connect as SYSDBA or SYSOPER, we need to use it.

The password file is created as orapw<ORACLE_SID> under the $ORACLE_HOME/dbs directory by default on Linux servers when the database is created.

If we want, we can create a password file with the “orapwd” tool.

Password file creation;

In order to use the password file, the parameter value “REMOTE_LOGIN_PASSWORDFILE” in the PFILE or SPFILE parameter files must be “Exclusive”.

This parameter has three values;

Exclusive: Single instance database can be connected. Users other than SYS can be found in the password file.

Shared: It can use more than one database password file. Only the SYS user can be found in the password file. If a user is requested to be given SYSDBA authority, an error is received. (ORA-019999).

None: Ignores the Oracle password file.

When the “REMOTE_LOGIN_PASSWORDFILE” parameter is “Exclusive”, the SYSDBA authorization can be given to the user as follows;

Users with sysdba and sysoper privileges can be listed by querying the “V$PWFILE_USERS” image.