When specifying a process or group name, follow these rules.

• For the following types of processes, you can use up to eight characters, including non-alphanumeric characters such as the underscore (_):

  • Online Extract group

  • Initial-load Extract

  • Online Replicat group created in classic (non-coordinated) mode

  • Online Replicat group created in integrated mode (Oracle only)

• For coordinated and parallel Replicat process group, you can use up to five characters, including non-alphanumeric characters such as the underscore (_). Internally, a three-character thread ID is appended to the base name for each thread that is created based on the MAXTHREADS option of the ADD REPLICAT command. The resulting names cannot be duplicated for any other Replicat group. For example, if a coordinated Replicat group named fin is created with a MAXTHREADS of 50 threads, the resulting thread names could span from fin000 through fin050, assuming those are the IDs specified in the MAP statements. Thus, no other Replicat group can be named fin000 through fin0050. See the following rule for more information.

• You can include a number in a group name, but it is not recommended that a name end in any numerals. Understand that using a numeric value at the end of a group name (such as fin1) can cause duplicate report file names and errors, because the writing process appends a number to the end of the group name when generating a report. In addition, ending a group name with numeric values is not recommended when running Replicat in coordinated mode. Because numeric thread IDs are appended to a group name internally, if the base group name also ends in a number it can make the output of informational commands more complicated to analyze. Thread names could be confused with the names of other Replicat groups if the numeric appendages satisfy wildcards. Duplicate report file names also can occur. It may be more practical to put a numeric value at the beginning of a group name, such as 1_fin, 1fin, and so forth.

• Any character can be used in the name of a process, so long as the character set of the local operating system supports it, and the operating system allows that character to be in a file name. This is because a group is identified by its associated checkpoint file and parameter file.

• The following characters are not allowed in the name of a process:

  \ / : * ? " < > |
  

• On HP UX, Linux, and Solaris, it is possible to create a file name with a colon (:) or an asterisk (*), although it is not recommended.

• In general, process names and parameter file names are not case-sensitive within Oracle GoldenGate. For example, finance, Finance, and FINANCE are all considered to be the same. However, on Linux, the process name (and its parameter file name if explicitly defined in the ADD command) must be all uppercase or all lowercase. Mixed-case names specified for processes and parameter files will result in errors when starting the process.

• Use only one word for a name.

• The word port can be the full name for a process or parameter file. However, the string port can be part of a name.