If /dev/async is present and correctly configured, Oracle (for HP only) will use it for memory locking which is needed for async i/o for SGA memory pages via ioctl.
Oracle (for HP only) opens /dev/async successfully only if the /dev/async HP-UX device driver is properly configured for read and write.
This is irrespective of whether the DISK_ASYNCH_IO parameter is set to TRUE.
Problem is Oracle (for HP only) still uses async I/O regardless of the value of init settings
(disk_asynch_io=FALSE and filesystemio_options=none).
The parameter filesystemio_options=none doesn't work.
From the 9.2 until 10.1 version, to inactivate ASYNCH_IO with Oracle, the workaround is to:
chown bin:bin /dev/async
chmod 660 /dev/async
Note: This may impact other applications that wish to use asynch I/O.
It is recommended to shutdown Oracle database before inactivating asynch I/O.
Grant dba group the MLOCK privilege to avoid the Ioctl ASYNC_CONFIG trace file errors:
(1) # /usr/sbin/setprivgrp dba MLOCK
(2) # vi /etc/privgroup
-- This should contain dba MLOCK RTSCHED RTPRIO
(3) # cat /etc/privgroup
dba MLOCK RTSCHED RTPRIO
Since the Oracle 10.2 version, the problem is resolved as these settings stop the tracing:
disk_asynch_io=FALSE
filesystemio_options=none