ORA-01081: cannot start already-running ORACLE - shut it down first

Though we have latest database but still we are having some old legacy system. I was trying to stop 8.1.7.4.0 database instance and it failed with given below error.

Issue

While starting 8.1.7.4 database I got "ORA-01081: cannot start already-running ORACLE - shut it down first" error though database was not running.

# ps –ef | grep smon

# svrmgrl             

Oracle Server Manager Release 3.1.7.0.0 - Production

Copyright (c) 1997, 1999, Oracle Corporation.  All Rights Reserved.

Oracle8i Enterprise Edition Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production

With the Partitioning and Parallel Server options

JServer Release 8.1.7.4.0 - Production

SVRMGR> connect internal

Connected.

SVRMGR> startup                            

ORA-01081: cannot start already-running ORACLE - shut it down first

SVRMGR> exit

Server Manager complete.

Solution

I performed as given below.

# ipcs -b | grep oracle

m 290455565   00000000 --rw-r-----   oracle      dba 249442304

m 290455566 0xbc71ed40 --rw-r-----   oracle      dba 2147483648

/opt/app/oracle/JAIdb/8.1.7/network/admin

# ipcrm -m 290455565

/opt/app/oracle/JAIdb/8.1.7/network/admin

# ipcrm -m 290455566

/opt/app/oracle/JAIdb/8.1.7/network/admin

# sqlplus sys

SQL*Plus: Release 8.1.7.0.0 - Production on Sun Feb 10 15:23:27 2008

(c) Copyright 2000 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Enter password:

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> startup

ORACLE instance started.

Total System Global Area 2396762004 bytes

Fixed Size                    73620 bytes

Variable Size            1677832192 bytes

Database Buffers          688128000 bytes

Redo Buffers               30728192 bytes

Database mounted.

Database opened.

SQL>