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Understanding Shared Memory and
Login: * Semaphores
Submitted by Nidhi Jain on M on, 2003-12-15 13:03
Password: * Operating Systems

by Nidhi Jain

Login Shared memory and semaphores are two important resources for an Oracle
[ Register ] [ Forgot instance on Unix. An instance cannot start if it is unable to allocate what it
password ] needs.

DEFINATIONS

Search Shared memory is exactly that - a memory region that can shared between
different processes. Oracle uses shared memory for implementing the SGA,
Go which needs to be visible to all database sessions.
[ Advanced ] [ Help ]
Semaphores can be thought of as flags (hence their name, semaphores). They
are either on or off. A process can turn on the flag or turn it off. If the flag is
already on, processes who try to turn on the flag will sleep until the flag is off.
Site navigation Upon awakening, the process will reattempt to turn the flag on, possibly
suceeding or possibly sleeping again. Such behaviour allows semaphores to be
About
used in implementing a post-wait driver - a system where processes can wait for
Blogs events (i.e. wait on turning on a semphore) and post events (i.e. turning of a
Feed aggregator semaphore). This mechanism is used by Oracle to maintain concurrency control
Books over the SGA, since it is writeable by all processes attached.
Directories
Events ALLOCATION IN SIMPLE TERMS
FAQ's
Shared memory required by the Oracle Instance : On instance startup, the first
Forums
things that the instance does is: -Read the "init.ora" -Start the background
Mailing Lists
processes -Allocate the shared memory and semphores required The size of the
Papers
SGA will be calculated from various "init.ora" parameters. This will be the
Scripts
amount of shared memory required. The SGA is broken into 4 sections - the
Tools
fixed portion, which is constant in size, the variable portion, which varies in size
USENET News depending on "init.ora" parameters, the redo block buffer, which has its size
Wiki controlled by log_buffers, and the db block buffer, which has its size controlled by
XML Feeds db_block_buffers. The size of the SGA is the sum of the sizes of the 4 portions.
There is unfortunately no simple ormula for determining the size of the variable
portion.

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Similar entries
Generally, the shared pool dominates all other parts of the variable portion, so as
a rule of thumb, one can estimate the size as the value of shared_pool_size.
Shared Server -- Part I
Shared Server -- Part III The number of semphores required is much simpler to determine.
What Unix commands Oracle will need exactly as many semaphores as the value of the processes
can one use when "init.ora" parameter.
administrating a
database? SHARED MEMORY ALLOCATION
Running Oracle on 10g
on Windows Server 1. One-segment
2003 x64 Editions:
Unlimited Scalability 2. Contigous multi-segment
and Performance
Oracle 10g New 3. Non-contigous multi-segment
Features: Advisory
Framework - ADDM When attempting to allocate and attach shared memory for the SGA, it will
attempt each one, in the above order, until one succeeds or raises an ORA error.
On other, non-fatal, errors, Oracle simply cleans up and tries again using the
next memory model. The entire SGA must fit into shared memory, so the total
amount of shared memory allocated under any model will be equal of the size of
the SGA(SGASIZE).

1. One-segment:- The one-segment model is the simplest and first model tried.
In this model, the SGA resides in only one shared memory segment. Oracle
attempts to allocate and attach one shared memory segement of size equal to
total size of the SGA. However, if the SGASIZE is larger than the configured
SHMMAX, this will obviously fail. In this case, the SGA will need to be placed in
multiple shared memory segments, and Oracle proceeds to the next memory
model for the SGA.

With multiple segments there are two possibilities. The segments can be
attached contiguously, so that it appears to be one large shared memory
segment, or non-contiguously, with gaps between the segments.

2. Contigous multi-segment - In the contiguous segment model, Oracle simply

divides the SGA into SGASIZE/SHMMAX (rounded down) segments of size
SHMMAX plus another segment of size SGASIZE modulo SHMMAX

3. Non- contigous multi-segment : Once the number of segments and their sizes
is determined, Oracle then allocates and attaches the segments one at a time;
first the fixed and variable portion segment(s), then the redo block buffer
segment(s), then the db block buffer segment(s). They will be attached non-
contiguously,
At this point, we have either attached the entire SGA or returned an ORA error.
The total size of segments attached is exactly SGASIZE; no space is wasted.
Once Oracle has the shared memory attached, Oracle proceeds to allocating the
semaphores it requires.

Recommended values of kernel parameters for Shared memory in

Oracle 8i
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SHMMAX= max value of shared memory segment = .5 * size of

physical memory

SHMMIN= min size of shared memory segment=1

SHMMNI= max number of shared memory identifiers on system = 100

SHMSEG= max number of shared memory segments per process = 10

max Sga that can be created by the one segment model is SHMMAX*SHMSEG

You can display the current kernel parameters by doing a "sysdef -i"

SEMAPHORE ALLOCATION

Oracle just needs to allocate a number of semaphores equal to the processes

parameter in "init.ora".

SEMMSL= # of semaphores in a semaphore set

SEMMNI= the maximum # of semaphores sets in the system

SEMMNS= the number of semaphores in the system.

SEMOPM= max number of operations per semop call = 100

SEMVMX = semaphore max value = 32767

When an Oracle instance is started, all required semaphores will be allocated.

Semaphores are allocated in sets.

Since each oracle process* requires a semaphore, the number that is allocated is
equal to the value of the init.ora parameter PROCESSES. The total # of
semaphores required is the sum of all your instance's PROCESSES.

You can allocate all of your semaphores in one or more semaphore sets. If
SEMMSL=PROCESSES, then only one semaphore set is required.

The maximum # of semaphores that can be allocated will be the lesser of

(SEMMSL*SEMMNI) or SEMMNS.

If SEMMSL is not equal to PROCESSES, be sure that the total # of semaphores

required (sum of PROCESSES) does not exceed the maximum (SEMMSL*SEMMNI,
SEMMNS).

For example, if SEMMSL=25 and SEMMNI=10, total # of semaphores required

(sum of PROCESSES) must not exceed 250 (10 semaphore sets * 25
semaphores/set).

Note: some Operating Systems have a maximum # of semaphore sets in the

system.
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If you have more than one instance and the values of PROCESSES are different,
you may want to make SEMMSL equal to the lowest PROCESSES so that you don't
allocate semaphores that will not be used. Otherwise, this could prevent you
from being able to allocate all of your requirements.

For example:
Instance PROD has PROCESSES=100
Instance DEV has PROCESSES=50

If SEMMSL = 50, 3 semaphore sets will be allocated, 2 for PROD and 1 for DEV.

If SEMMSL = 100, 2 semaphore sets will be allocated, 1 for PROD

and 1 for DEV.In this case, 100 semaphores will be allocated for DEV when it will
only use 50. These unused 50 semaphores cannot be allocated for any other
databases.

To see what semaphores have been allocated, use the Unix command 'ipcs -b'.

For example:

Semaphores:
T ID KEY MODE OWNER GROUP NSEMS
s 0 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25
s 1 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25
s 18 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25
s 19 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25
s 4 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25
s 5 0 --ra-r----- osupport dba 25

NSEMS=the number of semaphores in each semaphores set.

Perform these steps for each instance that is up and running:

$ svrmgrl
SVRMGR>connect internal
SVRMGR>oradebug ipc

This will show the shared memory segment and semaphore that each instance
has attached/in use.

Example output from oradebug ipc command:

-------------- Shared memory --------------

Seg Id Address Size
10250 c1eaf000 4591616
Total: # of segments = 1, size = 4591616
-------------- Semaphores ----------------
Total number of semaphores = 50
Number of semaphores per set = 50
Number of semaphore sets = 1
Semaphore identifiers:
188434

The Seg Id shows 10250 for the shared memory which is attacehed to the
RUNNING instance. DO NOT REMOVE THAT ONE.
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The Semaphore identifiers shows 188434 for the semaphore which is attacehed
to the RUNNING instance. DO NOT REMOVE THAT ONE.

Once you have noted ALL of the identifiers for ALL of the instances which are up
and running, compare these id numbers to those in the "ipcs -b" listing.

The entry that does not have a running instance to match is the orphaned entry.
THAT ONE SHOULD BE REMOVED.

The command used to remove these entries is: ipcrm

NOTE: The option differs for shared memory and semaphores.

ipcrm -m <== Use for the Shared Memory entry

ipcrm -s <== Use for the Semaphore entry

About the author: Nidhi Jain is a Senior DBA at Totality.com. He is a certified

Oracle and DB2 database administrator.

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Submitted by Abishek V S (not verified) on Sat, 2005-03-19 14:18.

Its the best I've seen so far, gives you a clear picture about how Oracle works
with semaphores, especially when it comes to deciding semaphores per set.

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Submitted by Suresh Namadhari (not verified) on Sat, 2004-02-14 08:16.

Great article. Gives excellent information about how oracle works on unix.

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Submitted by arun.gohil (not verified) on Fri, 2004-05-14 12:31.

Hi,
I have a question.

Question 1

If my machine has 4gig RAM and I set 4Gig to shared

memory then does this mean I will have no memory
left for NON oracle processe ?

question 2
If all of shared memory is used up does Oracle use
SWAP ?

Thank you in advance for your reply.

Arun.

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Submitted by Nidhi (not verified) on Tue, 2005-06-07 02:17.

Arun,

To answer your question,

1. Yes, their will be no real memory available to non-oracle processes.

2. If all shared memory is used, Orac le will use swap.

Nidhi

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Submitted by Thiru Vadivelu (not verified) on Sun, 2004-01-25 19:38.

Hi,
Nice article.
However,I wanted to discuss one of your recommendations . You mentioned "If
you have more than one instance and the values of PROCESSES
are different, you may want to make SEM M SL equal to the lowest PROCESSES so
that you don't allocate semaphores that will not be
used. "

On some platforms,having multiple semaphore sets per instance or dynamic

allocation of additional semaphore sets could constitute a small performance issue
and hence in those platforms it is recommended to have the maximum number of
semaphores per semaphore set(SEM M SL) to be actually equal to or 10 + GREATEST
of the 'PROCESSES' init.ora parameter and not the smallest 'proc esses' parameter
as your article recommends.

I understand you dont want to waste semaphores by over allocating them to a

particular instance,but in those cases , the overall maximum number of
semaphores system side( SEM M NS) should be increased accordingly.

For eg,
M etalink Doc ID: Note:187260.1 discussing about Kernel parameters for Solaris
mentions this
"
SEM M SL - Set to 10 plus the largest PROCESSES parameter of any Oracle database
on the system."

-Thiru Vadivelu

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The best artical to explain

Submitted by James (not verified) on Thu, 2005-12-22 12:40.
The best artical to explain shared memory in Oracle. Great job!

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6/7/2010 Understanding Shared Memory and Se…
What about copiright?
Submitted by Danb on Tue, 2008-05-13 00:35.
It's compilation from Oracle M etalink 15566.1
It is sad that author did not mention it in his "work"

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shared memory with sga

Submitted by sachinonnet on Wed, 2010-03-24 04:32.
Hi,

I have mac hine with 4gb of and i set shared memory to 10gb.

Q.1 will it create any issue.

Q.2 if i set sga size to 3gb, if thise case how much shared memory allocated by
oracel.

Q.3 can i set sga larger than physical memory size.

Regards
Sachin

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