8.3. The SEMMNS Parameter

This parameter defines the total number of semaphores (not semaphore sets) for the entire Linux system. A semaphore set can have more than one semaphore, and as the semget(2) man page explains, values greater than SEMMSL * SEMMNI makes it irrelevant. The maximum number of semaphores that can be allocated on a Linux system will be the lesser of: SEMMNS or (SEMMSL * SEMMNI).

Oracle recommends SEMMSL to be at least 32000 for 9i R2 and 10g R1/R2 databases except for 9i R2 on x86 platforms where the minimum value is lower. Setting SEMMNS to 32000 ensures that SEMMSL * SEMMNI (250*128=32000) semaphores can be be used. Therefore it is recommended to set SEMMNS to at least 32000 for 9i and 10g databases on x86 and x86-64 platforms.