Oracle Database Error Message Codes and Their Description from ORA-00161 to ORA-00220

ORA-00161: transaction branch length string is illegal (maximum allowed string)
Cause: An external transaction branch ID with a length either too large or 0 was passed in.
Action: Report the problem to your external transaction coordinator vendor.

 

ORA-00162: external dbid length string is greater than maximum (string)
Cause: An external database name with too large a length field was passed in.
Action: Report the problem to your external transaction coordinator vendor.

 

ORA-00163: internal database name length string is greater than maximum (string)
Cause: An internal database name with a too large length field was passed in.
Action: Report the problem to your external transaction coordinator vendor.

 

ORA-00164: distributed autonomous transaction disallowed within migratable distributed transaction
Cause: A request was made by the application to start a distributed autonomous transaction when the application was in a migratable distributed transaction.
Action: Roll back or commit the current distributed transaction first.

 

ORA-00165: migratable distributed autonomous transaction with remote operation is not allowed
Cause: A request was made by the application to start a migratable distributed autonomous transaction with remote operation.
Action: None

 

ORA-00166: remote/local nesting level is too deep
Cause: Too many remote table operations required a reverse trip back to the local site, for example to execute a local function on a remote table.
Action: Rearrange the query or co-locate the functions with the tables.

 

ORA-00200: control file could not be created
Cause: It was not possible to create the control file.
Action: Check that there is sufficient disk space and no conflicts in filenames and try to create the control file again.

 

ORA-00201: control file version string incompatible with ORACLE version string
Cause: The control file was created by incompatible software.
Action: Either restart with a compatible software release or use CREATE CONTROLFILE to create a new control file that is compatible with this release.

 

ORA-00202: control file: ‘string’
Cause: This message reports the name file involved in other messages.
Action: See associated error messages for a description of the problem.

 

 

ORA-00203: using the wrong control files
Cause: The mount ID in the control file is not the same as the mount ID in the control file used by the first instance to mount this database. The control files are for the same database but they are not the same files. Most likely one instance is using a backup control file.
Action: Check that the correct control files were specified.

 

ORA-00204: error in reading (block string, # blocks string) of control file
Cause: A disk I/O failure was detected on reading the control file.
Action: Check if the disk is online, if it is not, bring it online and try a warm start again. If it is online, then you need to recover the disk.

 

ORA-00205: error in identifying control file, check alert log for more info
Cause: The system could not find a control file of the specified name and size.
Action: Check that ALL control files are online and that they are the same files that the system created at cold start time.

 

ORA-00206: error in writing (block string, # blocks string) of control file
Cause: A disk I/O failure was detected on writing the control file.
Action: Check if the disk is online, if it is not, bring it online and try a warm start again. If it is online, then you need to recover the disk.

 

ORA-00207: control files are not for the same database
Cause: The database ID in the control file is not the same as the database ID in the control file used by the first instance to mount this database. Most likely one of the mounts used the wrong control file or there are two databases with the same name.
Action: Check that the control file is for the correct database and is not an old version.

 

ORA-00208: number of control file names exceeds limit of string
Cause: An attempt was made to use more control files than Oracle supports.
Action: Shut down Oracle. Reduce the number of control files specified in the CONTROL_FILES parameter in the initialization parameter file, and restart Oracle. Delete usused files.

 

ORA-00209: control file blocksize mismatch, check alert log for more info
Cause: The block size in the control file header does not match the size specified in the DB_BLOCK_SIZE parameter.
Action: Look at the alert log for more information.

 

ORA-00210: cannot open the specified control file
Cause: Cannot open the control file.
Action: Check to make sure the control file exists and is not locked by some other program.

 

ORA-00211: control file does not match previous control files
Cause: A control file was specified that belongs to another database.
Action: Find and install the correct control file.

 

ORA-00212: block size string below minimum required size of string bytes
Cause: The block size specified was too small. Space for the system overhead is required.
Action: Specify a larger block size and retry the operation.

 

ORA-00213: cannot reuse control file; old file size string, string required
Cause: To reuse a control file, it must be the same size as the one previously used.
Action: Either do not specify REUSE, or specify a matching combination of MAXDATAFILES, MAXLOGFILES, MAXLOGMEMBERS, MAXLOGHISTORY, and MAXINSTANCES clauses in the CREATE DATABASE or CREATE CONTROLFILE statement.

 

ORA-00214: control file ‘string’ version string inconsistent with file ‘string’ version string
Cause: An inconsistent set of control files, datafiles/logfiles, and redo files was used.
Action: Use a consistant set of control files, datafiles/logfiles, and redo log files. That is, all the files must be for the same database and from the same time period.

 

ORA-00215: must be at least one control file
Cause: No control file is specified or the control file specified does not exist.
Action: Specify at least one valid control file and retry the operation.

 

ORA-00216: control file could not be resized for migration from 8.0.2
Cause: The control file created by release 8.0.2 was missing some record types. These record types are automatically added by resizing the control file during mount. The resize has failed.
Action: Look in the alert log for the reason that the resize has failed. If indicated in the alert log, give the control file more space. Otherwise, use the CREATE CONTROLFILE script dumped to the trace file to create a new control file.

 

ORA-00217: control file could not be resized for new record types
Cause: The control file was missing some new record types supported by this release. These record types are automatically added by resizing the contol file during mount. The resize has failed.
Action: Look in the alert log for the reason that the resize has failed. If indicated in the alert log, give the control file more space. Otherwise, use the CREATE CONTROLFILE script dumped to the trace file to create a new control file.

 

ORA-00218: block size string of control file ‘string’ does not match DB_BLOCK_SIZE (string)
Cause: The block size as stored in the control file header is different from the value of the initialization parameter DB_BLOCK_SIZE. This might be due to an incorrect setting of DB_BLOCK_SIZE, or else might indicate that the control file has either been corrupted or belongs to a different database.
Action: Restore a good copy of the control file. If the control file is known to be clean set the DB_BLOCK_SIZE to match control file headers block size value.

 

ORA-00219: required control file size (string logical blocks) exceeds maximum allowable size (string logical blocks)
Cause: An invocation of CREATE DATABASE or CREATE CONTROLFILE was executed specifying a combination of parameters that would require the control file size in blocks to exceed the maximum allowable value.
Action: In the case of CREATE DATABASE or CREATE CONTROLFILE, use a different combination of MAXDATAFILES, MAXLOGFILES, MAXLOGMEMBERS, MAXLOGHISTORY, and MAXINSTANCES clauses.

 

ORA-00220: control file not mounted by first instance, check alert log for more info
Cause: The specified control file has a different mount ID than the other control files that are being mounted. This means that the first instance to mount the database did not use this control file.
Action: Find and install the correct control file.