Oracle7 Server Reference Manual

Setting Limits

You can set limits when you create a database. These limits are recorded in the control file and cannot be overridden during the life of the database. Also, you can set limits for the duration of an instance with initialization parameters. These parameters temporarily override the database limits of the control file.

For example, the maximum number of database files allowed by the Oracle7 Server can be reduced for a particular database by specifying a lower value for the MAXDATAFILES option of the CREATE DATABASE command. This limit is then recorded in the control file and cannot be exceeded for the life of that database. You can alter the value of the initialization parameter DB_FILES to a value less than MAXDATAFILES for a particular instance. The maximum number of database files is then limited to the number specified by DB_FILES for the life of that instance.