BASIS-- SAP: Troubleshooting Server Startup

Checklist for troubleshooting SAP server startup:
What to Check How to Check It Tips
Network

Make sure that your database is mounted and open.

Use either Control Panel >> Services >> Oracle TNSListener, or the command lsnrctl (preferable) to start the listener service

execute tnsping

execute tp connect (from /usr/sap/trans/bin dir). If it doesn't work, do a tp go to show the environment variables.

Check listener.ora, tnsnames.ora, sqlnet.ora . Using lsnrctl gives more feedback, which is recorded in the file listener.log. Also see sqlnet.log
Database
Use svrmgr or sqldba to check database startup and shutdown:

connect internal

shutdown

startup

add the immediate or abort options to shutdown if necessary

divide startup into phases by starting startup nomount, then continuing with alter database mount and alter database open

try alter database recover after a crash or power failure

Applications
After successfully starting the database, start the application services (from NT, use the SAP Service Manager). From UNIX, use the startsap r3 script).

Check the logs in the directory usr/sap/SID/DVEBMGS/work

For NT, make sure the Oracle and SAP Services are started. Also check that the NT service RPC is started and working (test it by adding a new printer; if the first screen shows up, it should be OK).

SAP DB + Applications
If both the DB and applications startup are fine when performed separately, try starting them together with the SAP Service Manager (NT) or startsap (UNIX).
For NT, the startsap script can be found in usr/sap/SID/SYS/exe/run/strdbs.cmd
Troubleshooting other applications:
Application How to Check It Tips
SQL*Plus
Make sure that

the services OracleServiceSID and OracleTNSListener are started

the database is started and opened

the command tnsping returns OK (see above for tips on troubleshooting the listener)

First try running the SQL*Plus client from the server (Start >> Oracle for Windows NT >> SQL_Plus 3.x), Enter system/manager for username/password and for host string.
 
Sample Oracle Network Configuration Files for SAP 
These are sample files for configuring the Oracle network services. The three files involved are listenter.ora, tnsnames.ora, and sqlnet.ora. These files can be generated using the NETV8.EXE utility (included on the SAP 4.0B upgrade CD). The utility can generate files for different Oracle versions, including 7.2, 7.3, and 8.0.
These are sample files for an SAP server called "sap2" with a system ID of "D01". Note that network files for Oracle 7 are located in the folder /Network/Admin; those for Oracle 8 are located in the folder /Net80/Admin. 
 Sample Oracle Network LISTENER.ORA Files  ################# Filename......: listener.ora (for Oracle 8)# Node..........: local.world# Date..........:################LISTENER =        (ADDRESS =          (COMMUNITY = TCP.world)          (PROTOCOL = TCP)          (Host = sap2)          (Port = 1527)        )        (ADDRESS=           (COMMUNITY= TCP.world)          (Host = sap2)          (PROTOCOL= TCP)          (Port= 1521)        )        (ADDRESS=           (COMMUNITY= TCP.world)          (Host = sap2)          (PROTOCOL= TCP)          (Port= 1526)        )  )STARTUP_WAIT_TIME_LISTENER = 0CONNECT_TIMEOUT_LISTENER = 10TRACE_LEVEL_LISTENER = OFFSID_LIST_LISTENER =  (SID_LIST =    (SID_DESC =      (SDU = 4096)      (SID_NAME = D01)      (ORACLE_HOME = C:\ORANT)      (PRESPAWN_MAX = 10)    )    (SID_DESC =      (SID_NAME = ORCL)    )  )PASSWORDS_LISTENER = (oracle)
 
 
Sample Oracle Network TNSNAMES.ORA Files

# TNSNAMES.ORA (for Oracle 8)
Tcp-loopback.world = 
  (DESCRIPTION = 
    (ADDRESS_LIST = 
        (ADDRESS = 
          (COMMUNITY = tcp.world)
          (PROTOCOL = TCP)
          (Host = 127.0.0.1)
          (Port = 1521)
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = ORCL)
    )
  )
D01.world = 
  (DESCRIPTION = 
    (ADDRESS_LIST = 
        (ADDRESS = 
          (COMMUNITY = tcp.world)
          (PROTOCOL = TCP)
          (Host = sap2)
          (Port = 1521)
        )
        (ADDRESS = 
          (COMMUNITY = tcp.world)
          (PROTOCOL = TCP)
          (Host = sap2)
          (Port = 1526)
        )
    )
    (CONNECT_DATA = (SID = D01)
    )
  )

Sample Oracle Network SQLNET.ORA File (Oracle 7 or 8)

 AUTOMATIC_IPC = ON
 TRACE_LEVEL_CLIENT = OFF
 names.directory_path = (TNSNAMES)
 NAMES.DEFAULT_DOMAIN = world
 NAME.DEFAULT_ZONE = world
 names.default_domain=world 
  :http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Grid/4858/sap/Basis/startup.htm