Create Oracle password file

In Oracle there is two ways to authenticate database administrators. OS authentication or with Oracle password file. If you have set 'shared or 'exclusive' in remote_login_passwordfile init parameter then Oracle password file is used. 'exclusive' is the default value.

And the default place for password file is on unix:

$ORACLE_HOME/dbs/orapw$ORACLE_SID

and on windows:

%ORACLE_HOME%\database\PWD%ORACLE_SID%.ora

You can create oracle password file with orapwd utility (as oracle user and $ORACLE_SID and $ORACLE_HOME env parameters set):

orapwd file=orapwtestdb password=xxxxx

you can also use 'entries' option when you create paasword file. this options tells how many user can be added into the file:

orapwd file=orapwtestdb password=xxxxx entries=5

If you give user SYSDBA or SYSOPER privilege that user will be added into the password file automatically.

You can check password file users from sqlplus  v$pwfile_users  view:

select * from  v$pwfile_users;