Maximum Number of Processes

Oracle must be preconfigured at startup with a maximum number of processes that can access the database. The parameter that controls the maximum number of processes, called PROCESSES, is defined in the INIT.ora or INIT<SID>.ora file. It should be set to the maximum potential number of concurrent users plus seven. The additional seven are for Oracle background processes that must also access the database. Setting the number of processes at a lower value can prevent some users from accessing the server during peak usage times. Setting the number of processes at a higher value can waste a small amount of system memory resources.