Oracle Error ORA-01616: instance string (thread string) is open – cannot disable

Oracle Error Message

ORA-01616: instance string (thread string) is open – cannot disable

Reason for the Error

The thread is not closed. The last instance to use the thread died leaving the thread open. A thread cannot be disabled until it is closed. It is still required for crash or instance recovery.

Solution

If the database is open, instance recovery should close the thread soon – wait a few minutes. Otherwise open the database – crash recovery will close the thread.