8 Removing Oracle Software

8.1 Overview

To completely remove all Oracle databases, instances, and software from an Oracle home directory, you must:

• Identify all instances associated with the Oracle home.

• Remove database.

• Shut down processes.

• Reconfigure the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services Daemon, if necessary.

• Remove the Oracle software.

8.2 Identifying All Instances

To identify all instances associated with the Oracle home that you want to remove, log into the Oracle Database account and enter the following command:

$ SHOW LOGICAL SYS$LOGIN

Example output:

DISK$ORACLE1:[ORACLE10G]

The instance names are in the ORATAB file in the subdirectory for the current node:

$ TYPE DISK$ORACLE1:[ORACLE10G.nodename]ORATAB.

The output of this command contains entries similar to the following:

$ORACLE_SID:ORACLE_HOME:Y/N

Where:

SID is the system identifier of the Database.

ORACLE_HOME is the home directory of the Database.

For Example:

SID:/VMSDISK/ORACLE_HOME:N

8.3 Removing an Oracle Database

To completely remove Oracle Database software, you must remove any installed databases. To remove an Oracle Database:

1. Log into the Oracle Database account.

2. Enter the following command to change the directory to the default database location:

   $ set default oracle_home_directory
   

3. Run the ORAUSER command procedure, specifying the SID for the database that you want to remove.:

   $ @ORAUSER sid
   

4. Use the $ SET DISPLAY command to direct X-Windows to your PC or workstation.

5. Start Database Configuration Assistant by using the following command:

   $ DBCA
   

   The Welcome screen is displayed.

6. Click Next.

   The Operations screen is displayed.

7. Select Delete a Database, then click Next.

8. Select the database that you want to delete, and then click Finish.

9. In the screen that is displayed, confirm that you want to delete the database.

10. When Database Configuration Assistant removes the database, you are prompted to select whether you want to perform another operation. Click Yes to return to the Operations screen or click No to exit from Database Configuration Assistant. If you want to remove another database, click Yes and repeat Steps 6 through 8.

8.4 Reconfiguring Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services

On cluster systems with Oracle Real Application Clusters installations, the Cluster Synchronization Services daemon is configured during the Oracle Clusterware installation. If the system is running Oracle Clusterware, then refer to Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation and Configuration Guide for information about removing Oracle Real Application Clusters or Oracle Clusterware.

Before you remove an Oracle Database Oracle home, you must determine whether the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services daemon is running from that Oracle home and whether any other Oracle Database Oracle homes exist on the system:

• If the Oracle Database Oracle home that you want to remove is the only Oracle Database installation on the system, then you can delete the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services daemon configuration.

• If the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services daemon is running from the Oracle Database Oracle home that you want to remove, and if other Oracle Database installations exist on the system, then you must reconfigure the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services daemon to run from another Oracle Database Oracle home.

The following sections describe how to complete these tasks:

• Section 8.4.1, "Identifying Oracle Database Oracle Homes"

• Section 8.4.2, "Reconfiguring the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services Daemon"

• Section 8.4.3, "Deleting the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services Daemon Configuration"

$ TYPE DISK$ORACLE1:[ORACLE10G.nodename]ORATAB.

/device/oracle/product/10_2_0/db_n

8.5 Removing Oracle Software

The following steps describe how to use the Installer to remove Oracle software from an Oracle home:

1. Remove any database instances that are associated with this Oracle home, and delete or reconfigure the Oracle Cluster Synchronization Services daemon.

2. Stop any processes running in this Oracle home:

   Table 8-1 Commands to Stop Processes Running in Oracle Home

   Process Name	Command
   Database Control	$ EMCTL STOP AGENT
   Oracle Net Services listener	$ LSNRCTL STOP

   
   

3. If necessary, log into the Oracle Database account.

4. Run the ORAUSER.COM file to redefine the Oracle home.

   $ @ORAUSER
   

5. Use the $ SET DISPLAY command to direct X-Windows to your PC or workstation.

6. Start Oracle Universal Installer as follows:

   $ @dvd_device:[DATABASE]RUNINSTALLER
   

   If the product was installed from the [CLIENT] or [COMPANION] directory of the Installation Media, then use that directory instead of [DATABASE].

7. In the Welcome screen, click Deinstall Products.

   The Inventory screen is displayed, listing all of the Oracle homes on the system.

8. In the Inventory screen, select the Oracle home and the products that you want to remove, then click Remove.

   Caution:

   If you select to remove Oracle JVM, then Oracle Universal Installer removes all installed products that depend on Oracle JVM, including Oracle Database 10g.

9. When Oracle Universal Installer displays a confirmation screen asking you to confirm that you want to uninstall the products and their dependent components, click Yes.

   The Installer displays a progress indicator as it removes the software.

10. When the products have been deleted, click Cancel to exit from Oracle Universal Installer, then click Yes.