Many kernel parameters have been replaced by so called resource controls in Solaris 10. It is possible to change resource controls using the prctl command. All shared memory and semaphore settings are now handled via resource controls, so any entries regarding shared memory or semaphores (shm & sem) in /etc/system will be ignored.

Here is the procedure we followed to modify the kernel parameters on Solaris 10 / Oracle 10.2.0.2.

Unlike earlier releases of Solaris, most of the system parameters needed to run Oracle are already set properly, so the only one you need is the maximum shared memory parameter. In earlier versions this was called SHMMAX and was set by editing the /etc/system file and rebooting. With Solaris 10 you set this by modifying a «Resource Control Value». You can do this temporarily by using prctl, but that is lost at reboot so you will need to add the command to the oracle user's .profile.

The other option is to create a default project for the oracle user.

# projadd -U oracle -K \
  "project.max-shm-memory=(priv,4096MB,deny)" user.oracle

What this does:

• Makes a project named "user.oracle" in /etc/project with the user oracle as it's only member.

# cat /etc/project

system:0::::
user.root:1::::
noproject:2::::
default:3::::
group.staff:10::::
user.oracle:100::oracle::project.max-shm-memory
  =(priv,4294967296,deny)

• Because the name was of the form "user.username" it becomes the oracle user's default project.
   
• The value of the maximum shared memory is set to 4GB, you might want to use a larger value here if you have more memory and swap.
   
• No reboot is needed, the user will get the new value
  at their next login.

Now you can also modify the max-sem-ids Parameter:

# projmod -s -K "project.max-sem-ids=(priv,256,deny)" \
  user.oracle

Check the Paramters as User oracle

$ prctl -i project user.oracle

project: 100: user.oracle
NAME    PRIVILEGE       VALUE    FLAG   ACTION RECIPIENT
project.max-contracts
        privileged      10.0K       -   deny           -
        system          2.15G     max   deny           -
project.max-device-locked-memory
        privileged       125MB      -   deny           -
        system          16.0EB    max   deny           -
project.max-port-ids
        privileged      8.19K       -   deny           -
        system          65.5K     max   deny           -
project.max-shm-memory
        privileged      4.00GB      -   deny           -
        system          16.0EB    max   deny           -
project.max-shm-ids
        privileged        128       -   deny           -
        system          16.8M     max   deny           -
project.max-msg-ids
        privileged        128       -   deny           -
        system          16.8M     max   deny           -
project.max-sem-ids
        privileged        256       -   deny           -
        system          16.8M     max   deny           -
project.max-crypto-memory
        privileged       498MB      -   deny           -
        system          16.0EB    max   deny           -
project.max-tasks
        system          2.15G     max   deny           -
project.max-lwps
        system          2.15G     max   deny           -
project.cpu-shares
        privileged          1       -   none           -
        system          65.5K     max   none           -
zone.max-lwps
        system          2.15G     max   deny           -
zone.cpu-shares
        privileged          1       -   none           -