Installing Oracle on Windows

In this tutorial I set up Oracle as server for BPS on a windows xp workstation, for example as a testing environment. Newer releases of Oracle might have slightly different procedures, but the overall process should be more or less the same. Other flavors of windows will basicly also work the same way.

Please note that Oracle 11g enterprise server will only work on a PC with at least 1 GB RAM and a minimum swap file of 2 GB. Also you should have about 8 GB of free disk space to install.

This tutorial is addressing people who are not yet familiar with Oracle administration and want to install it first time. If you need to install the database in a more complex environment, on an other operating system, or need to tune the database for maximum performance, please check out the Oracle documentation instead.

In case you did not acquire oracle licenses and got the software that way, you may also download it for free for test and development from Oracle website:

http://www.oracle.com/technology/software/index.html

You might have to sign up for a OTN account, which is free. Download the windows 32 package in case you are installing on a windows 32 bit edition, or the 64 bit package if you are using a 64 bit windows edition.

In my case the downloaded package is win32_11gR1_database_1013.zip and about 1.7 GB size. Unzip the package on the target machine.

Within the database directory you will find the file welcome.html which you can open in the web browser to check out the installation docs.

In the same directory you can find the setup.exe program to launch the Oracle Universal Installer (OUI). It will first show a command line window and take some time to start up (ahem, Java), and finally you should get the initial screen:

(Sorry that all the screens are in german, but basically you should have the same on english when installing on an english windows. Since the content is the same you should easy be able to make the link)

• Select base installation
• Choose installation base
• Enter global database name and password for the system accounts
• Then click to continue

• Check that all status messages are successful
• Check that 0 requirements are left to check.
• In case of warnings and errors:
  • Read in the log window what needs to be fixed.
  • Cancel OUI to fix the issues.
  • Start OUI again.
• When everything is OK, continue.

You might get a warning because Java wants to open connections. Allow unblocking. You might yet get another warning later in the installation process, also unblock that one.

We don't need that for a plain testing maching, so you can just continue.

Since we install with all bells and whistles, there is no real need to check the listing. (But sure you can if you like). Click to start installation.

Sit back and wait for the installation to perform. (Or go for a coffee break now, since this will take quite a while):

• Read the information.
• Save it for reference.
• Click OK when done.

Read, and click to terminate OUI

Confirm closure: