Oracle Database 11.1 now upon startup writes values of initialization parameters to the alert log in such a way that when you loose your SPFILE or PFILE it is now easier to copy and paste them to create a new PFILE.
Also the SPFILE or PFILE that was used to open the instance is now mentioned with an additional line.
.. Starting up ORACLE RDBMS Version: 11.1.0.6.0. Using parameter settings in server-side spfile /u01/app/oracle/product/11.1.0/db_1/dbs/spfiletong.ora System parameters with non-default values: processes = 150 shared_pool_size = 144M streams_pool_size = 16M control_files = "/u01/app/oracle/oradata/tong/control01.ctl" control_files = "/u01/app/oracle/oradata/tong/control02.ctl" control_files = "/u01/app/oracle/oradata/tong/control03.ctl" db_block_size = 8192 db_cache_size = 220M compatible = "11.1.0.0.0" db_recovery_file_dest = "/u01/app/oracle/flash_recovery_area" db_recovery_file_dest_size= 8G undo_tablespace = "UNDOTBS1" remote_login_passwordfile= "EXCLUSIVE" db_domain = "" dispatchers = "(PROTOCOL=TCP) (SERVICE=tongXDB)" audit_file_dest = "/u01/app/oracle/admin/tong/adump" audit_trail = "DB" db_name = "tong" open_cursors = 300 star_transformation_enabled= "TRUE" pga_aggregate_target = 192M diagnostic_dest = "/u01/app/oracle" _trace_files_public = TRUE Sat Sep 13 11:13:50 2008 PMON started with pid=2, OS id=3199 .. .. Starting up ORACLE RDBMS Version: 10.2.0.3.0. System parameters with non-default values: processes = 250 sessions = 280 __shared_pool_size = 222298112 __large_pool_size = 4194304 __java_pool_size = 4194304 __streams_pool_size = 0 nls_language = TURKISH nls_territory = TURKEY sga_target = 285212672 control_files = /oracle/oradata/tong/control01.ctl, /oracle/oradata/tong/control02.ctl, /oracle/oradata/tong/control03.ctl db_block_size = 8192 __db_cache_size = 50331648 compatible = 10.2.0.3.0 db_file_multiblock_read_count= 32 db_recovery_file_dest = /home/oracle/flash_recovery_area db_recovery_file_dest_size= 8589934592 fast_start_mttr_target = 180 undo_management = AUTO undo_tablespace = UNDOTBS1 remote_login_passwordfile= EXCLUSIVE db_domain = dispatchers = (PROTOCOL=TCP) (SERVICE=tongXDB) job_queue_processes = 10 background_dump_dest = /oracle/admin/tong/bdump user_dump_dest = /oracle/admin/tong/udump core_dump_dest = /oracle/admin/tong/cdump audit_file_dest = /oracle/admin/tong/adump db_name = tong open_cursors = 300 star_transformation_enabled= TRUE pga_aggregate_target = 94371840 PMON started with pid=2, OS id=5423 ..
Also now you can create a pfile or spfile from the active instance’s current values of the initialization parameters.
CREATE PFILE FROM MEMORY; CREATE SPFILE FROM MEMORY;
This feature gives an opportunity to compare the parameters used at that moment with the last startup ones.