ROMFASTSQL/proxmox/lxc108-oracle/roa-windows-setup/docs/00-INSTALL-ORACLE-XE.md

Installing Oracle 21c Express Edition on Windows

Overview

Oracle 21c Express Edition (XE) is free to use with the following limitations:

• 2 CPU threads
• 2 GB RAM for database
• 12 GB user data

For ROA installations with up to 50 companies, XE is sufficient.

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Download

1. Go to Oracle XE Downloads: https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/xe-downloads.html

2. Download OracleXE213_Win64.zip (~1.5 GB)

   • Requires Oracle account (free registration)

3. Verify download integrity (optional):

   Get-FileHash OracleXE213_Win64.zip -Algorithm SHA256
   

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System Requirements

Requirement	Minimum	Recommended
OS	Windows 10/11, Server 2016+	Windows Server 2019+
RAM	4 GB	8 GB
Disk	15 GB	50 GB
CPU	2 cores	4 cores

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Installation

Step 1: Extract ZIP

Expand-Archive OracleXE213_Win64.zip -DestinationPath C:\OracleXE_Install

Step 2: Run Installer

1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator

2. Navigate to extracted folder:

   cd C:\OracleXE_Install\Disk1
   

3. Run setup:

   .\setup.exe
   

Step 3: Installation Wizard

1. Welcome Screen - Click Next

2. License Agreement - Accept and click Next

3. Oracle Home Location

   • Default: C:\app\oracle\product\21c\dbhomeXE
   • Keep default unless disk space is an issue

4. Database Passwords

   • Enter password for SYS and SYSTEM: romfastsoft
   • Confirm password
   • Important: Remember this password!

5. Summary - Review and click Install

6. Installation Progress - Wait (~10-20 minutes)

7. Finish - Note the connection information:

   • Multitenant container database: XE
   • Pluggable database: XEPDB1
   • EM Express URL: https://localhost:5500/em/

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Post-Installation Configuration

Verify Services Running

Open Services (services.msc) and verify:

Service	Status	Startup Type
OracleServiceXE	Running	Automatic
OracleOraDB21Home1TNSListener	Running	Automatic

Or via PowerShell:

Get-Service Oracle* | Format-Table Name, Status, StartType

Test Connection

# Set Oracle environment
$env:ORACLE_HOME = "C:\app\oracle\product\21c\dbhomeXE"
$env:PATH = "$env:ORACLE_HOME\bin;$env:PATH"

# Test connection to CDB
sqlplus system/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XE

# Test connection to PDB (for applications)
sqlplus system/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XEPDB1

Expected output:

Connected to:
Oracle Database 21c Express Edition Release 21.0.0.0.0 - Production
Version 21.3.0.0.0

SQL>

Configure for Old Client Compatibility

If using Instant Client 10/11 (ODBC), configure sqlnet.ora:

# Edit sqlnet.ora
notepad C:\app\oracle\product\21c\dbhomeXE\network\admin\sqlnet.ora

Add these lines:

SQLNET.ALLOWED_LOGON_VERSION_SERVER=8
SQLNET.ALLOWED_LOGON_VERSION_CLIENT=8

Reload listener:

lsnrctl reload

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CDB/PDB Architecture

Oracle XE uses Container Database (CDB) architecture:

+---------------------------------------------+
|              CDB: XE                        |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
|  |  CDB$ROOT - System, SYS objects       |  |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
|  |  PDB$SEED - Template (read-only)      |  |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
|  |  XEPDB1 - Application Data (ROA)      |  |
|  +---------------------------------------+  |
+---------------------------------------------+

Container	Purpose	Connect To
XE (CDB$ROOT)	Administration, SYS	Admin only
XEPDB1	Application data	ROA applications

Important: Always connect to XEPDB1 for ROA operations, not XE!

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Verify PDB Status

-- Connect as SYSDBA
sqlplus sys/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XE as sysdba

-- Check PDB status
SELECT name, open_mode FROM v$pdbs;

-- Expected output:
-- NAME      OPEN_MODE
-- --------- ----------
-- PDB$SEED  READ ONLY
-- XEPDB1    READ WRITE

If XEPDB1 is MOUNTED (not READ WRITE):

ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE XEPDB1 OPEN;
ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE XEPDB1 SAVE STATE;

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Create DMPDIR Directory

-- Connect to PDB
sqlplus sys/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XEPDB1 as sysdba

-- Create Windows directory
host mkdir C:\DMPDIR

-- Create Oracle DIRECTORY object
CREATE OR REPLACE DIRECTORY DMPDIR AS 'C:\DMPDIR';
GRANT READ, WRITE ON DIRECTORY DMPDIR TO PUBLIC;

-- Verify
SELECT directory_name, directory_path FROM dba_directories WHERE directory_name = 'DMPDIR';

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Configure Password Policy

Disable password expiration for application users:

-- Connect to PDB
sqlplus sys/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XEPDB1 as sysdba

-- Modify DEFAULT profile
ALTER PROFILE DEFAULT LIMIT PASSWORD_LIFE_TIME UNLIMITED;
ALTER PROFILE DEFAULT LIMIT PASSWORD_REUSE_TIME UNLIMITED;
ALTER PROFILE DEFAULT LIMIT PASSWORD_REUSE_MAX UNLIMITED;
ALTER PROFILE DEFAULT LIMIT FAILED_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS UNLIMITED;

-- Verify
SELECT resource_name, limit FROM dba_profiles WHERE profile = 'DEFAULT' AND resource_type = 'PASSWORD';

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Enterprise Manager Express

Access EM Express web interface:

https://localhost:5500/em/

Login:

• Username: system
• Password: romfastsoft
• Container: XEPDB1 (or leave empty for CDB)

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Memory Configuration

Check current memory settings:

SHOW PARAMETER memory;
SHOW PARAMETER sga;
SHOW PARAMETER pga;

XE defaults (cannot exceed due to license):

• SGA: 2 GB max
• PGA: 2 GB max

For better performance within limits:

-- Automatic memory management
ALTER SYSTEM SET MEMORY_TARGET = 2G SCOPE = SPFILE;
ALTER SYSTEM SET MEMORY_MAX_TARGET = 2G SCOPE = SPFILE;

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Troubleshooting

OracleServiceXE Not Starting

1. Check Windows Event Viewer for errors
2. Verify disk space (need 15+ GB free)
3. Check Oracle alert log:

   Get-Content C:\app\oracle\diag\rdbms\xe\XE\trace\alert_XE.log -Tail 50
   

Cannot Connect to XEPDB1

-- Connect to CDB
sqlplus sys/romfastsoft@localhost:1521/XE as sysdba

-- Check PDB status
SELECT name, open_mode FROM v$pdbs;

-- Open if mounted
ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE XEPDB1 OPEN;
ALTER PLUGGABLE DATABASE XEPDB1 SAVE STATE;

ORA-12514: TNS listener does not know of service

# Check listener status
lsnrctl status
lsnrctl services

# Restart listener
lsnrctl stop
lsnrctl start

Uninstall Oracle XE

If needed, run the universal installer in deinstall mode:

C:\app\oracle\product\21c\dbhomeXE\deinstall\deinstall.bat

Or via Control Panel > Programs and Features.

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Next Steps

After Oracle XE installation:

1. Copy config.example.ps1 to config.ps1
2. Edit config.ps1 with your settings
3. Run 01-setup-database.ps1

See main README.md for complete workflow.

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Last Updated: 2026-01-28 Project: ROMFASTSQL - Oracle XE Installation Guide