PROBLEM:

While renaming a RAC database using NID utility, got below error.

NID-00120: Database should be mounted exclusively

nid target=sys/oracle dbname=DEVDB

DBNEWID: Release 12.1.0.2.0 - Production on Sun Jul 1 22:56:53 2018

Copyright (c) 1982, 2014, Oracle and/or its affiliates.  All rights reserved.

Connected to database PRODDB (DBID=678234706)

NID-00120: Database should be mounted exclusively
	

Change of database name failed during validation - database is intact.
DBNEWID - Completed with validation errors.

SOLUTION:

This error usually comes, when cluster_database parameter is set to TRUE.

SQL> show parameter cluster

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
cluster_database                     boolean     TRUE

So before running the NID tool, make this parameter FALSE.

(if pfile is used change the cluster_database parameter , if spfile, then run the alter statement to set to FALSE)

ALTER SYSTEM SET CLUSTER_DATABASE=FALSE scope=spfile;

Shutdown and startup mount:

shutdown immediate;


startup mount;

Now run the nid tool, it will work fine.