NORMAL

Close online datafiles

Wait till all current transactions
end
Wait for all connected users to
disconnect
Perform a checkpoint
Close the online datafiles

sqlplus / as sysdba;
Shutdown normal/transactional/immediate/abort

CLOSE
Write data in the SGA to disk
Update the file headers, close the online
datafiles & redo log files
Database is still mounted

TRANSACTIONAL
Prevent users from starting new
transactions
Wait for all current transaction
to complete
Perform a checkpoint
Close the online datafiles

DISMOUNT
Unmount the database
Close the control files of the database
The instance remains in memory

SHUTDOWN
Remove the SGA
Terminate background processes
Sometimes shutdowns does not cleanup
the SGA completely Force an instance
startup next time

Step for a Clean Startup after an Instance Crash

Check if the background processes a running ps -ef | grep $ORACLE_SID
Kill them if they are running kill -9 ####
Check if the shared memory & semaphore are running for SID ipcs -a
If they are in use then remove them
ipcrm -m #### -- for shared memory
Ipcrm -s #### -- for semaphore
Change directory cd $ORACLE_HOME/dbs
Check if the file lk & sgadef.dbf
If the files are there, then remove the lk<SID> & sgadef<sid>.dbf files rm lk<SID> sgadef<sid>.dbf

ABORT
Close the datafiles without any
checkpoint
Fastest shutdown mode
Perform Instance Recovery in
the next startup

IMMEDIATE
Terminate any executing SQL
statements
Disconnect all users
Roll back all uncommitted
changes
Perform a checkpoint
Close the online datafiles