Solving "ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status"

There are many causes of the ORA-27037, may be a file is missing from its location or may be a file location reference is typed incorrectly in some other file.

Cause:


According to ora-code http://ora-27037.ora-code.com/ The cause of the error ORA-27037 is due to "stat system call returned an error, additional information indicates which function encountered the error" 

This error is due trying to open missing file, usually an archived redo log or a parameter file. This may happen during Database clone or moving database files from one location to another.

In our case it happened when we are trying to converting the apps to start with the spfile instead of the pfile in R12.0.4. The line specifies the location of the spfile in the pfile was referring to an incorrect file location so it gives ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status error.

Solution: 

In our case simply we correct the file location in the pfile.

Further Solution Notes:

This will happen when a file is trying to locate or open another file. So we suggest that we view the file we use may be to open the database if it is a script file customized or provided by oracle and check the file locations in that file or any file it is referring to.


Best Regards
Mostafa Mahmoud
February 2013