This argument sets the name of the password file being created. You must
specify the full path name for the file. This argument is mandatory.
The file name required for the password file is operating system
specific. Some operating systems require the password file to adhere to a
specific format and be located in a specific directory. Other operating
systems allow the use of environment variables to specify the name and
location of the password file.
lists the required name and location for the password file on the UNIX,
Linux, and Windows platforms. For other platforms, consult your
platform-specific documentation.
Table 1-1 Required Password File Name and Location on UNIX, Linux, and Windows
Platform
Required Name
Required Location)
UNIX and Linux
orapw
ORACLE_SID
ORACLE_HOME
/dbs
Windows
PWD
ORACLE_SID
.ora
ORACLE_HOME
\database
For example, for a database instance with the SID
orcldw
, the password file must be named
orapworcldw
on Linux and
PWDorcldw.ora
on Windows.
In an Oracle Real Application Clusters environment on a platform that
requires an environment variable to be set to the path of the password
file, the environment variable for each instance must point to the same
password file.
Caution:
It is critically important to the security of your system that you
protect your password file and the environment variables that identify
the location of the password file. Any user with access to these could
potentially compromise the security of the connection.