ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database ORA-38701 ORA-27037

Problem Description

Whenever you try to startup your database then it fails with ORA-38760.

SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 1161966444 bytes
Fixed Size 1787966 bytes
Variable Size 1145750568 bytes
Database Buffers 225163524 bytes
Redo Buffers 1262132 bytes
Database mounted.
ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database.

In the Alert log there goes entry like this.

Errors in file /oracle/admin/agprod/udump/agprod_ora_409616.trc:
ORA-38701: Flashback database log 402 seq 402 thread 1: "/DBarchive/flash_recovery_area/AGPROD/flashback/o1_mf_47cqbhb5_.flb"
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
IBM AIX RISC System/6000 Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3

The analogous of this error is during database running state whenever you delete the current flashbacklog, the database will crash with the following errors:

ORA-38701: Flashback database log 401 seq 401 thread 1:
"/DBarchive/flash_recovery_area/AGPROD/flashback/o1_mf_47cqbhb5_.flb"
ORA-27037: unable to obtain file status
IBM AIX RISC System/6000 Error: 2: No such file or directory
Additional information: 3
Sat Apr 11 00:03:12 2006
RVWR: terminating instance due to error 38701
Instance terminated by RVWR, pid = 5721

Cause of The Problem
The above errors occurred due to a well identified bug. If there is any I/O error that is preventing write to the flashback logs, the instance will crash. Losing the current flashback log will cause the instance to crash. Also during database startup if flashback logs are inaccessible then instance will crush.

Solution of The Problem
Solution A)-Upgarde Database Version:
This bug is affected from database version 10.1.0.1 to 10.1.0.4
It is fixed in database version 10gR2. So upgrade your database version.

Solution B)-Disable Flashback and restart the instance.
1)If you don't have the situation to upgrade the database then start the database in mount stage.
SQL> startup mount;

2)Turn off the Flashback
SQL> alter database flashback off;

3)Turn on the Flashback
SQL> alter database flashback on;

4)Startup the database
SQL>alter database open;

Or, SQL>shutdown
SQL>startup

Note:
After disabling flashback if you have guaranteed restore point then you still might get the error ORA-38760: This database instance failed to turn on flashback database while starting up the database. In this case you have to drop the guaranteed restore point.

You can see the available guaranteed restore point by,
select NAME,SCN,GUARANTEE_FLASHBACK_DATABASE,DATABASE_INCARNATION# from v$restore_point;
Then drop the guaranteed restore point by,
DROP RESTORE POINT NAME_OF_THE_GUARANTEED_RESTORE_POINT;
Now start your database.

DIM-04503: Message 4503 not found

problem Description

While starting an oracle instance using oradim command or whenever you invoke oradim it fails with DIM-04503 message like below.
E:\xampp\mysql\bin>oradim -start -sid orcl
DIM-04503: Message 4503 not found; product=RDBMS; facility=ORADIM

Cause of the Problem
The problem happened due to incorrect setting of ORACLE_HOME environmental variable. This can also happen if you don't set ORACLE_HOME environmental variable on your windows environment.

Solution of the Problem
Set ORACLE_HOME environmental variable to the location where you have installed oracle software. For example,

E:\xampp\mysql\bin>set ORACLE_HOME=E:\oracle\product\10.2.0\db_2
And now startup database using oradim.
E:\xampp\mysql\bin>oradim -start -sid orcl

Note that, if you have correct ORACLE_HOME setting then invoking oradim will show following output.

C:\Documents and Settings\User>oradim
ORADIM:  [options].  Refer to manual.
Enter one of the following command:
Create an instance by specifying the following options:
     -NEW -SID sid | -SRVC srvc | -ASMSID sid | -ASMSRVC srvc [-SYSPWD pass]
 [-STARTMODE auto|manual] [-SRVCSTART system|demand] [-PFILE file | -SPFILE]
 [-SHUTMODE normal|immediate|abort] [-TIMEOUT secs] [-RUNAS osusr/ospass]
Edit an instance by specifying the following options:
     -EDIT -SID sid | -ASMSID sid [-SYSPWD pass]
 [-STARTMODE auto|manual] [-SRVCSTART system|demand] [-PFILE file | -SPFILE]
 [-SHUTMODE normal|immediate|abort] [-SHUTTYPE srvc|inst] [-RUNAS osusr/ospass]
Delete instances by specifying the following options:
     -DELETE -SID sid | -ASMSID sid | -SRVC srvc | -ASMSRVC srvc
Startup services and instance by specifying the following options:
     -STARTUP -SID sid | -ASMSID sid [-SYSPWD pass]
 [-STARTTYPE srvc|inst|srvc,inst] [-PFILE filename | -SPFILE]
Shutdown service and instance by specifying the following options:
     -SHUTDOWN -SID sid | -ASMSID sid [-SYSPWD pass]
 [-SHUTTYPE srvc|inst|srvc,inst] [-SHUTMODE normal|immediate|abort]
 Query for help by specifying the following parameters: -? | -h | -help

Note that if you set environmental variable using set command from command prompt then it will be set only for that session. If you want to set as permanent basis then,
- Right click on My Computer icon.
- Click on Properties.
- Go to Advanced tab.
- Click on Environmental Variable.
- Now you can set environmental variable permanently for a user or for system.
- Click on New either for a particular user or for system. If you set for system it will affect all users of the machine.
- Two textbox will appear. In the Variable Name field type ORACLE_HOME and in the Variable Value type the path of your oracle home.
- Click ok and you are done.