7 Installing Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a Cluster

7.1.1 Running OUI to Install Oracle Grid Infrastructure

Complete the following steps to install Oracle Grid Infrastructure (Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Automatic Storage Management) on your cluster. At any time during installation, if you have a question about what you are being asked to do, click the Help button on the OUI page.

1. Change to the /Disk1 directory on the installation media, or where you have downloaded the installation binaries, and run the runInstaller command. For example:

   $ cd /home/grid/oracle_sw/Disk1
   $ ./runInstaller
   

2. Select one of the following installation options:

   • Install and Configure Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a Cluster

     Select this option to install either a standard cluster, or to install an Oracle Flex Cluster with Hub and Leaf Nodes.

   • Install and Configure Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a Standalone Server

     Select this option to install Oracle Grid Infrastructure in an Oracle Restart configuration. Use this option for single servers supporting Oracle Database and other applications.

     See Also:

     Oracle Database Installation Guide for information about standalone server installations, as that installation option is not discussed in this document

   • Upgrade Oracle Grid Infrastructure or Oracle Automatic Storage Management

     Select this option to upgrade Oracle Grid Infrastructure (Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Grid Infrastructure), or to upgrade Oracle ASM.

     Note:

     Oracle Clusterware must always be the later release, so you cannot upgrade Oracle ASM to a release that is more recent than Oracle Clusterware.

   • Install Oracle Grid Infrastructure Software Only

     Select this option to install Oracle Grid Infrastructure in a Grid home, without configuring the software.

3. Installation screens vary depending on the installation option you select. Respond to the configuration prompts as needed to configure your cluster.

   Note:

   Click Help if you have any questions about the information you are asked to submit during installation.

   For cluster member node public and VIP network addresses, provide the information required depending on the kind of cluster you are configuring:

   • If you plan to use automatic cluster configuration with DHCP addresses configured and resolved through GNS, then you only need to provide the SCAN and the GNS VIP names as configured on your DNS.

   • If you plan to use manual cluster configuration, with fixed IP addresses configured and resolved on your DNS, then be prepared to provide the public and VIP names for each cluster member node.

   The following is a list of additional information about node IP addresses:

   • For the local node only, OUI automatically fills in public and VIP fields. If your system uses vendor clusterware, then OUI may fill additional fields.

   • Host names and virtual host names are not domain-qualified. If you provide a domain in the address field during installation, then OUI removes the domain from the address.

   • Interfaces identified as private for private IP addresses should not be accessible as public interfaces. Using public interfaces for Cache Fusion can cause performance problems.

   You can choose to configure the Hub Node and Leaf Node types manually, or you can choose to set a target size for the number of Hub Nodes in your cluster, and allow Oracle Grid Infrastructure to maintain the number of Hub Nodes required for your cluster automatically.

   When you enter the public node name, use the primary host name of each node. In other words, use the name displayed by the hostname command.

4. Provide information to automate root scripts, or run scripts as root when prompted by OUI. Click Details to see the log file. If root.sh fails on any of the nodes, then you can fix the problem and follow the steps in Section 9.5, "Unconfiguring Oracle Clusterware Without Removing Binaries," rerun root.sh on that node, and continue.

   If you configure automation for running root scripts, and a root script fails, then you can fix the problem manually, and click Retry to run the root script again on nodes that failed to run the script.

   Note:

   You must run the root.sh script on the first node and wait for it to finish. If your cluster has three or more nodes, then root.sh can be run concurrently on all nodes but the first. Node numbers are assigned according to the order of running root.sh. If a particular node number assignment is desired, you should run the root scripts in that order, waiting for the script to finish running on each node.

5. After root.sh runs on all the nodes, OUI runs Net Configuration Assistant (netca) and Cluster Verification Utility. These programs run without user intervention.

6. Oracle Automatic Storage Management Configuration Assistant (asmca) configures Oracle ASM during the installation.

7. When you run root.sh during Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation, the Trace File Analyzer (TFA) Collector is also installed in the directory grid_home/tfa.

   See Also:

   Oracle Clusterware Administration and Deployment Guide for information about using Trace File Analyzer Collector

When you have verified that your Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation is completed successfully, you can either use it to maintain high availability for other applications, or you can install an Oracle database.

If you intend to install Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) with Oracle RAC, then see Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide for Oracle Solaris.

7.1.2 Installing Oracle Grid Infrastructure Using a Cluster Configuration File

During installation of Oracle Grid Infrastructure, you are given the option either of providing cluster configuration information manually, or of using a cluster configuration file. A cluster configuration file is a text file that you can create before starting OUI, which provides OUI with cluster node addresses that it requires to configure the cluster.

Oracle suggests that you consider using a cluster configuration file if you intend to perform repeated installations on a test cluster, or if you intend to perform an installation on many nodes.

To create a cluster configuration file manually, start a text editor, and create a file that provides the name of the public and virtual IP addresses for each cluster member node, in the following format:

node1 node1-vip /node-role
node2 node2-vip /node-role
.
.
.

Where node-role can have either HUB or LEAF as values.

For example:

mynode1 mynode1-vip /HUB
mynode2 mynode2-vip /LEAF

7.2.1 Installing the Software Binaries

To perform a software-only installation:

1. Run the runInstaller command from the relevant directory on the Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) installation media or download directory. For example:

   $ cd /home/grid/oracle_sw/Disk1
   $ ./runInstaller
   

2. Complete a software-only installation of Oracle Grid Infrastructure on the first node.

3. When the software has been installed, run the orainstRoot.sh script when prompted.

4. The root.sh script output provides information about how to proceed, depending on the configuration you plan to complete in this installation. Make note of this information.

   However, ignore the instruction to run the roothas.pl script, unless you intend to install Oracle Grid Infrastructure on a standalone server (Oracle Restart).

5. Verify that all of the cluster nodes meet the installation requirements using the command runcluvfy.sh stage -pre crsinst. Ensure that you have completed all storage and server preinstallation requirements.

6. Use Oracle Universal Installer as described in steps 1 through 4 to install the Oracle Grid Infrastructure software on every remaining node that you want to include in the cluster, and complete a software-only installation of Oracle Grid Infrastructure on every node.

   Configure the cluster using the full OUI configuration wizard GUI as described in Section 7.2.2, "Configuring the Software Binaries," or configure the cluster using a response file as described in section Section 7.2.4, "Configuring the Software Binaries Using a Response File."

7.2.2 Configuring the Software Binaries

Configure the software binaries by starting Oracle Grid Infrastructure configuration wizard in GUI mode:

1. Log in to a terminal as the Grid infrastructure installation owner, and change directory to grid_home/crs/config.

2. Enter the following command:

   $ ./config.sh
   

   The configuration script starts OUI in Configuration Wizard mode. Provide information as needed for configuration. Each page shows the same user interface and performs the same validation checks that OUI normally does. However, instead of running an installation, The configuration wizard mode validates inputs and configures the installation on all cluster nodes.

3. When you complete inputs, OUI shows you the Summary page, listing all inputs you have provided for the cluster. Verify that the summary has the correct information for your cluster, and click Install to start configuration of the local node.

   When configuration of the local node is complete, OUI copies the Oracle Grid Infrastructure configuration file to other cluster member nodes.

4. When prompted, run root scripts.

5. When you confirm that all root scripts are run, OUI checks the cluster configuration status, and starts other configuration tools as needed.

7.2.3 Setting Ping Targets for Network Checks

For environments where the network link status is not correctly returned when the network cable is disconnected, for example, in a virtual machine, you can receive notification about network status by setting the Ping_Targets parameter during the Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation, using the installer as follows:

./runInstaller oracle_install_crs_Ping_Targets=Host1/IP1,Host2/IP2

The ping utility contacts the comma-separated list of host names or IP addresses Host1/IP1,Host2/IP2 to determine whether the public network is available. If none of them respond, then the network is considered to be offline. Addresses outside the cluster, like of a switch or router, should be used.

For example:

./runInstaller oracle_install_crs_Ping_Targets=192.0.2.1,192.0.2.2

7.2.4 Configuring the Software Binaries Using a Response File

When you install or copy Oracle Grid Infrastructure software on any node, you can defer configuration for a later time. This section provides the procedure for completing configuration after the software is installed or copied on nodes, using the configuration wizard utility (config.sh).

To configure the Oracle Grid Infrastructure software binaries using a response file:

1. As the Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation owner (grid) start OUI in Oracle Grid Infrastructure configuration wizard mode from the Oracle Grid Infrastructure software-only home using the following syntax, where Grid_home is the Oracle Grid Infrastructure home, and filename is the response file name:

   Grid_home/crs/config/config.sh [-debug] [-silent -responseFile filename]

   For example:

   $ cd /u01/app/grid/crs/config/
   $ ./config.sh -responseFile /u01/app/grid/response/response_file.rsp
   

   The configuration script starts OUI in Configuration Wizard mode. Each page shows the same user interface and performs the same validation checks that OUI normally does. However, instead of running an installation, the configuration wizard mode validates inputs and configures the installation on all cluster nodes.

2. When you complete configuring values, OUI shows you the Summary page, listing all information you have provided for the cluster. Verify that the summary has the correct information for your cluster, and click Install to start configuration of the local node.

   When configuration of the local node is complete, OUI copies the Oracle Grid Infrastructure configuration file to other cluster member nodes.

3. When prompted, run root scripts.

4. When you confirm that all root scripts are run, OUI checks the cluster configuration status, and starts other configuration tools as needed.