3 Installing Oracle Grid Infrastructure and Oracle Real Application Clusters

Configuring the Operating System Environment

You run OUI from the oracle user account. Before you start OUI to install Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster, you do not have to configure the environment of the oracle user. You can specify the directories to use for the central inventory and the Grid home during the installation process.

However, you can set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to the directory in which you want the Oracle Inventory files located. For example, if you plan to make the Oracle Database home directory /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1, then you would set ORACLE_BASE to the directory /u01/app/oracle/. If you set the ORACLE_BASE directory before installation, then this becomes the default location for the central inventory displayed by OUI.

You can also set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to the location chosen for the Grid home. If you set the ORACLE_HOME directory before installation, then this becomes the default location for the Grid home displayed by OUI.

(Optional) To modify the user environment before installing Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster on Oracle Linux:

1. As the oracle user, execute the following commands:

   [oracle]$ unset ORACLE_HOME
   [oracle]$ unset ORACLE_SID
   [oracle]$ unset ORACLE_BASE
   [oracle]$ export ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle/
   [oracle]$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/12.1.0/grid
   

2. Verify the changes have been made by executing the following commands:

   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_SID
   
   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
   /u01/app/12.1.0/grid
   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_BASE
   /u01/app/oracle/
   

About Cluster Verification Utility Fixup Scripts on Linux and UNIX

During installation on Linux and UNIX platforms, for certain prerequisite check failures, you can click Fix & Check Again to generate a fixup script (runfixup.sh). You are then prompted by OUI to run the fixup script as the root user in a separate session or you can specify through the OUI interface that the scripts should be run automatically. You must run the script on all the nodes specified by OUI.

Modifying the contents of the generated fixup script is not recommended.

Using Oracle Universal Installer to Install the Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a Cluster

As the user that owns the software for Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster (oracle)on the first node, install Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster. Note that OUI uses Secure Shell (SSH) to copy the binary files from this node to the other nodes during the installation. OUI can configure SSH for you during installation.

To install the software for Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster:

1. Use the following command to start OUI, where staging_area is the location of the staging area on disk, or the root level of the installation media:

   cd /staging_area/clusterware/Disk1
   ./runInstaller
   

   After a few minutes, the Download Software Updates window appears.

2. Choose to download the latest software updates, providing your registered My Oracle Support user name and password. You can use a staging location for the software updates or use software updates you have previously downloaded for this release. You can also proceed without checking for updates. Click Next.

   The Select Installation Option window appears.

3. Choose the Install and Configure Grid Infrastructure for a Cluster option, then click Next.

   The Select Cluster Type window appears.

4. Choose the Configure a Standard cluster option, then click Next.

   The Select Installation Type window appears.

5. Select Typical Installation, then click Next.

   The Specify Cluster Configuration window appears.

6. In the SCAN Name field, enter a name for your cluster that is unique throughout your entire enterprise network. For example, you might choose a name that is based on the node names' common prefix. This guide uses the SCAN name docrac.

   In the Hostname column of the table of cluster nodes, you should see your local node, for example racnode1.example.com. Click Add to add another node to the cluster.

   The Add Cluster Node Information pop-up window appears.

   Note:

   Specify both nodes during installation even if you plan to use Oracle RAC One Node.

7. Enter the second node's public name (racnode2), and virtual IP name (racnode2-vip), and then click OK.

   You are returned to the Specify Cluster Configuration window.

8. You should now see both nodes listed in the table of cluster nodes. Click the Identify Network Interfaces button. In the Identify Network Interfaces window, verify that each interface has the correct interface type (Public or Private) associated with it. If you have network interfaces that should not be used by Oracle Clusterware, then set the network interface type to Do Not Use.

   Make sure both nodes are selected, then click the SSH Connectivity button at the bottom of the window.

   The bottom panel of the window displays the SSH Connectivity information.

9. Enter the operating system username and password for the Oracle software owner (oracle). Select the option If you have configured SSH connectivity between the nodes, then select the Reuse private and public keys existing in user home option. Click Setup.

   A message window appears, indicating that it might take several minutes to configure SSH connectivity between the nodes. After a short period, another message window appears indicating that passwordless SSH connectivity has been established between the cluster nodes. Click OK to continue.

10. When returned to the Specify Cluster Configuration window, click Next to continue.

    After several checks are performed, the Specify Install Locations window appears.

11. In the Specify Install Locations window, perform the following actions::

    • For the Oracle base field, make sure it is set to the location you chose for your Oracle base directory, for example /u01/app/oracle/. If not, then click Browse. In the Choose Directory window, go up the path until you can select the /u01/app/oracle/ directory, then click Choose Directory.

    • For the Software Location field, make sure it is set to the location you chose for your Grid home, for example /u01/app/12.1.0/grid. If not, then click Browse. In the Choose Directory window, go up the path until you can select /u01/app/12.1.0/grid, then click Choose Directory.

    • For the Cluster Registry Storage Type, choose Automatic Storage Management.

    • Enter a password for a SYSASM user in the SYSASM Password and Confirm Password fields. This password is used for managing Oracle ASM after installation, so make note of it in a secure place.

    • For the OSASM group, use the drop-down list to choose the operating system group for managing Oracle ASM, for example, dba.

    After you have specified information for all the fields in this window, click Next.

    The Create ASM Disk Group window appears.

12. In the Disk Group Name field, enter a name for the disk group, for example DATA. Choose the Redundancy level for this disk group, and then in the Add Disks section, choose the disks to add to this disk group.

    In the Add Disks section you should see the disks that you configured using the ASMLIB utility in "Using ASMLIB to Mark the Shared Disks as Candidate Disks".

    When you have finished selecting the disks for this disk group, click Next.

    If you have not installed Oracle software previously on this computer, then the Create Inventory window appears.

13. Change the path for the inventory directory, if required. If you are using the same directory names as the examples in this book, then it should show a value of /u01/app/oraInventory. The group name for the oraInventory directory should show oinstall.

    Note:

    The path displayed for the inventory directory should be the oraInventory subdirectory of the directory one level above the Oracle base directory. For example, if you set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to /u01/app/oracle/ before starting OUI, then the Oracle inventory path displayed is /u01/app/oraInventory.

    Click Next. The Root Script Execution Configuration window appears.

14. Select the option to Automatically run configuration scripts. Enter the credentials for the root user or a sudo account, then click Next. Alternatively, you can Run the scripts manually as the root user at the end of the installation process when prompted by OUI.

    The Perform Prerequisite Checks window appears.

15. If any of the checks have a status of Failed and are not Fixable, then you must manually correct these issues. After you have fixed the issue, you can click the Check Again button to have the installer recheck the requirement and update the status.

    Repeat as needed until all the checks have a status of Succeeded. Click Next.

    
    Description of the illustration grid_install_fixup_12c.png
    
    

    The Summary window appears.

16. Review the contents of the Summary window and then click Finish.

    OUI displays a progress indicator enabling you to monitor the installation process.

17. If you did not configure automation of the root scripts, then you are required to run certain scripts as the root user, as specified in the Execute Configuration Scripts window appears. Do not click OK until you have run the scripts. Run the scripts on all nodes as directed, in the order shown.

    For example, on Oracle Linux you perform the following steps (note that for clarity, the examples show the current user, node and directory in the prompt):

    1. As the oracle user on racnode1, open a terminal window, and enter the following commands:

       [oracle@racnode1 oracle]$ cd /u01/app/oraInventory
       [oracle@racnode1 oraInventory]$ su
       

    2. Enter the password for the root user, and then enter the following command to run the first script on racnode1:

       [root@racnode1 oraInventory]# ./orainstRoot.sh
       

    3. After the orainstRoot.sh script finishes on racnode1, open another terminal window, and as the oracle user, enter the following commands:

       [oracle@racnode1 oracle]$ ssh racnode2
       [oracle@racnode2 oracle]$ cd /u01/app/oraInventory
       [oracle@racnode2 oraInventory]$ su
       

    4. Enter the password for the root user, and then enter the following command to run the first script on racnode2:

       [root@racnode2 oraInventory]# ./orainstRoot.sh
       

    5. After the orainstRoot.sh script finishes on racnode2, go to the terminal window you opened in Step 15a. As the root user on racnode1, enter the following commands to run the second script, root.sh:

       [root@racnode1 oraInventory]# cd /u01/app/12.1.0/grid
       [root@racnode1 grid]# ./root.sh
       

       Press Enter at the prompt to accept the default value.

       Note:

       You must run the root.sh script on the first node and wait for it to finish. You can run root.sh scripts concurrently on all other nodes except for the last node on which you run the script. Like the first node, the root.sh script on the last node must be run separately.

    6. After the root.sh script finishes on racnode1, go to the terminal window you opened in Step 15c. As the root user on racnode2, enter the following commands:

       [root@racnode2 oraInventory]# cd /u01/app/12.1.0/grid
       [root@racnode2 grid]# ./root.sh
       

       After the root.sh script completes, return to the OUI window where the Installer prompted you to run the orainstRoot.sh and root.sh scripts. Click OK.

       The software installation monitoring window reappears.

18. Continue monitoring the installation until the Finish window appears. Then click Close to complete the installation process and exit the installer.

Completing the Oracle Clusterware Configuration

After you have installed Oracle Clusterware, verify that the node applications are started. Depending on which operating system you use, you may have to perform some postinstallation tasks to configure the Oracle Clusterware components properly.

To complete the Oracle Clusterware configuration on Oracle Linux:

1. As the oracle user on the first node, check the status of the Oracle Clusterware targets by entering the following command:

   /u01/app/12.1.0/grid/bin/crsctl check cluster -all
   

   This command provides output showing if all the required cluster services, such as gsd, ons, and vip, are started on the nodes of your cluster.

2. In the displayed output, you should see the Oracle Clusterware daemons are online for each node in the cluster.

   ******************************************************************
   racnode1:
   CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online
   CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online
   CRS-4533: Event Manager is online
   ******************************************************************
   racnode2:
   CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online
   CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online
   CRS-4533: Event Manager is online
   
   ******************************************************************
   

   If you see that one or more Oracle Clusterware resources are offline, or are missing, then the Oracle Clusterware software did not install properly.

Configuring the Operating System Environment

You run OUI from the oracle user account. Before you start OUI you do not have to configure the environment of the oracle user.

However, you can set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to the directory in which you want the Oracle Inventory files located. For example, if you plan to make the Oracle Database home directory /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1, then you would set ORACLE_BASE to the directory /u01/app/oracle/. If you set the ORACLE_BASE directory before installation, then this becomes the default location for the central inventory displayed by OUI.

You can also set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to the location chosen for the Oracle Database home. If you set the ORACLE_HOME directory before installation, then this becomes the default location for the Grid home displayed by OUI.

(Optional) To modify the user environment before installing Oracle Database software on Oracle Linux:

1. As the oracle user, execute the following commands:

   [oracle]$ unset ORACLE_SID
   [oracle]$ export ORACLE_BASE=/u01/app/oracle/
   [oracle]$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1
   

2. Verify the changes have been made by executing the following commands:

   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_SID
   
   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
   /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1
   [oracle]$ echo $ORACLE_BASE
   /u01/app/oracle/
   

3. Install Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster.

Creating Additional Oracle ASM Disk Groups

If you chose to store the Oracle Clusterware files on Oracle ASM during the Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster installation, then a single disk group was created in Oracle ASM. You can use this same disk group to store the data files for your Oracle database.

If you want to use a separate disk group for your Oracle database files or for the fast recovery area, then you must create the additional Oracle ASM disk groups before installing Oracle Database software.

To create an additional disk group using ASMCA:

1. Prepare the disks or devices for use with Oracle ASM, as described in "Configuring Installation Directories and Shared Storage".

2. Start the Oracle Automatic Storage Configuration Assistant (ASMCA) from the Grid home:

   /u01/app/12.1.0/grid/bin/asmca
   

   ASMCA starts, and displays the Disk Groups window.

3. Click the Create button to create a disk group.

   The Create Disk Group window appears.

4. Provide the following information:

   • In the Disk Group Name field, enter a name for the new disk group, for example, FRA.

   • Choose a Redundancy level, for example, Normal.

   • Select the disks to include in the new disk group.

     If you used ASMLIB to configure the disks for use with Oracle ASM, then the available disks are displayed if you have the Show Eligible option selected, and they have a Header Status of PROVISIONED.

   After you have provided all the information, click OK. A progress window titled DiskGroup: Creation appears. After a few minutes, a message appears indicating the disk group was created successfully. Click OK to continue.

5. Repeat Step 3 and 4 to create additional disk groups, or click Exit, then select Yes to exit the utility.

Using Oracle Universal Installer to Install Oracle RAC Software

After you have configured the operating system environment, you can use Oracle Universal Installer to install the Oracle RAC software and create an Oracle RAC database. If you plan to use Oracle RAC One Node, then you must first install the Oracle RAC software without creating a database. After the installation completes, you use Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) to create the Oracle RAC One Node database.

To install Oracle Database software on your cluster and to create a database:

1. As the oracle user, use the following commands to start OUI, where staging_area is the location of the staging area on disk, or the location of the mounted installation disk:

   cd /staging_area
   ./runInstaller
   

   The Configure Security Updates window appears.

2. (Optional) Enter your email address and My Oracle Support password, then click Next to continue.

   If you want to receive notification by email of any newly discovered security issues related to the software you are installing, then enter an email address in the Email field. If you also want to receive the security updates through My Oracle Support, then use the same email address that is registered with My Oracle Support, select the I wish to receive security updates via My Oracle Support option, and enter your My Oracle Support login password in the My Oracle Support Password field.

   If you provide an email address, then the Oracle Configuration Manager (OCM) tool will also be installed. This utility provides Oracle Support Services with configuration information about your system when creating service requests. You can disable the OCM tool after installation, but Oracle strongly discourages this. OCM does not access, collect, or store any personal information (except for technical support contact information), or any business data files residing in your software environment. For more information about OCM, see http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/documentation/ocm-092152.html.

   After you click Next, the Select Installation Option window appears.

3. If you want to create an Oracle RAC database, then select Create and configure a database. If you want to create an Oracle RAC One Node database, then select Install database software only. Click Next to continue.

   The System Class window appears.

4. Choose Server Class, then click Next.

   If you choose the Desktop Class option, then OUI installs a single-instance database, not a clustered database.

   The Node Selection window appears.

5. Select the Real Application Clusters database installation type.

   Select the nodes on which you want to install Oracle Database software and create an Oracle RAC instance. All the available nodes in the cluster are selected by default.

   Note:

   Select both nodes during installation, even if you are creating an Oracle RAC One Node database.

   Click the SSH Connectivity button at the bottom of the window. The bottom panel of the window displays the SSH Connectivity information.

6. Because you configured SSH connectivity between the nodes for the Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster installation, select the Reuse private and public keys existing in user home option. If you are using a network user that has a home directory on shared storage, then also select the User home if shared by the selected nodes option. Click Test.

   A message window appears, indicating that passwordless SSH connectivity has been established between the cluster nodes. Click OK to continue.

7. When returned to the Node Selection window, click Next to continue.

   The Select Install Type window appears.

8. Choose the Typical install option, and click Next.

   A typical installation requires minimal input. It installs the software and optionally creates a general-purpose database. If you choose the Advanced installation type (not documented in this guide), then you are prompted to provide more information about how the database should be configured. For example, you could set passwords for each user account individually, choose a different template for the starter database, choose a nondefault language for the database, and so on.

   The Typical Install Configuration window appears.

9. In this window, you must provide the following information:

   • Oracle base location: The default value is /u01/app/oracle/. If you did not set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable and the default location is different from the directory location you have chosen, then enter the directory for your Oracle base or click the Browse button to change the directory path.

   • Software location: If you did not set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable before starting the installation, then enter the directory for your Oracle home or click the Browse button to change the directory path.

   • Storage Type: In this drop-down list, choose Automatic Storage Management (ASM). If you do not want to use Oracle ASM, then choose File System. Because Oracle ASM was installed with the Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster, Oracle Automatic Storage Management is the default value.

   • Database file location: Choose the disk group to use for storing the database files. You can use the same disk group that Oracle Clusterware uses. If you do not want to use the same disk group that is currently being used to store the Oracle Clusterware files, then you must exit the installation and create a new disk group using Oracle ASM utilities. Refer to "Creating Additional Oracle ASM Disk Groups" for more information on creating a disk group.

     If you chose the File System storage type, then enter the directory location of the shared storage where the database files will be created.

   • ASMSNMP Password: Enter the password for the ASMSNMP user. The ASMSNMP user is used primarily by Oracle Enterprise Manager to monitor Oracle ASM instances. See Oracle Automatic Storage Management Administrator's Guide for more information about the ASMSNMP user.

     If you chose File System for the Storage Type, then this field is disabled.

   • Database edition: From this drop-down list choose either Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition. The number in parentheses next to your choice indicates the amount of disk space required.

   • OSDBA Group: From this drop-down list select the operating system group used for database administration, for example, dba.

   • Global database name: Enter the fully qualified global name for your database. The global database name is in the form DB_UNIQUE_NAME.DB_DOMAIN, for example, orcl.example.com.

     Note:

     The first eight characters of the ORACLE_SID must be a unique identifier for each database. The SID prefix cannot contain underscore (_), dollar ($), or pound (#) characters. The total length of the ORACLE_SID cannot exceed 15 characters for Oracle RAC databases.

   • Administrative password: Enter the password to be used for the administrative account, such as SYS, SYSTEM, and DBSNMP.

   • Confirm Password: Enter the same password in this field.

   After you have provided all the necessary information, click Next. The Perform Prerequisite Checks window appears.

10. After a short period, the Summary window appears. Review the information on this window, then click Finish to continue.

    If any of the information in the Summary window is incorrect, then use the Back button to return to a previous window and correct it.

    After you click Finish, OUI displays a progress indicator to show that the installation has begun. This step takes several minutes to complete.

11. After the software is installed on each node, if you select the option to create a database, then OUI starts the Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA). This utility creates the database using the global database name specified in Step 9. At the end of the database creation, you see the DBCA window with the database configuration information displayed.

    There is also a Password Management button that you can click to unlock the database user accounts, or change their default passwords.

    After making note of the information in the Summary window, click OK.

    OUI configures Oracle Configuration Management, if you provided the information in Step 2.

    If you chose to perform a software-only installation, then the database configuration assistants are not started. You must run DBCA separately to create the Oracle RAC One Node database.

    See Also:

    Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide for your platform for information about creating an Oracle RAC One Node database using DBCA

12. In the last step of the installation process, you are prompted to perform the task of running the root.sh script on both nodes, as specified in the Execute Configuration Scripts window. Do not click OK until you have run the scripts on all nodes.

    
    Description of the illustration exec_root_scripts.gif
    
    

    Perform the following steps to run the root.sh script (note that for clarity, the examples show the current user, node and directory in the prompt):

    1. Open a terminal window as the oracle user on the first node. Change directories to your Oracle home directory, and then switch to the root user by entering the following commands:

       [oracle@racnode1 oracle]$ cd /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1
       [oracle@racnode1 dbhome_1]$ su
       

    2. Enter the password for the root user, and then run the script specified in the Execute Configuration scripts window:

       [root@racnode1 dbhome_1]# ./root.sh
       

       Note:

       You can run the root.sh script simultaneously on all nodes in the cluster for Oracle RAC installations or upgrades.

    3. As the root.sh script runs, it prompts you for the path to the local bin directory. The information displayed in the brackets is the information it has obtained from your system configuration. It also writes the dbhome, oraenv, and coraenv files in the /usr/local/bin directory. If these files exist, then you are asked to overwrite them. After responding to prompt, press the Enter key. To accept the default choice, press the Enter key without entering any text.

    4. Enter commands similar to the following to run the script on the other nodes:

       [root@racnode1 dhome_1]# exit
       [oracle@racnode1 dhome_1]$ ssh racnode2
       [oracle@racnode2 ~]$ cd /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1
       [oracle@racnode2 dbhome_1]$ su
       

    5. Enter the password for the root user, and then run the script specified in the Execute Configuration scripts window:

       [root@racnode2 dbhome_1]# ./root.sh
       

    6. After responding to each prompt, press the Enter key.

    7. When the root.sh script completes, the following messages are displayed:

       
       Description of the illustration install030.gif
       
       

    After you finish executing the script on all nodes, return to the Execute Configuration scripts window and click OK.

    The Install Product window displays.

13. Click Next to complete the installation.

    The Finish window is displayed.

14. Click Close to exit the installer.

Verifying Your Oracle RAC Database Installation

If you chose to create an Oracle RAC database during installation, then verify that all the database services are up and running.

To verify the Oracle RAC database services are started:

1. Log in as the oracle user and go to the Grid_home/bin directory:

   [oracle] $ cd /u01/app/12.1.0/grid/bin
   

2. Run the following command to view the status of the resources managed by Oracle Clusterware that contain the string 'ora':

   [oracle] $ ./crsctl status resource -w "TYPE co 'ora'" -t
   

   The output of the command should show that the Oracle Clusterware, Oracle ASM, and Oracle Database resources are available (online) for each host. An example of the output is:

   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   NAME              TARGET STATE    SERVER            STATE_DETAILS
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Local Resources
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ora.DATA.dg
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   
   ora.LISTENER.lsnr
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   
   ora.asm
   
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1          Started
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2          Started
   
   ora.eons
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   
   ora.gsd
                     OFFLINE OFFLINE   racnode1
                     OFFLINE OFFLINE   racnode2
   
   ora.net1.network
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   
   ora.ons
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   ora.registry.acfs
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
                     ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Cluster Resources
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   ora.LISTENER_SCAN1.lsnr
         1           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
   ora.oc4j
         1           OFFLINE OFFLINE
   ora.orcl.db
         1           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1            Open
         2           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2            Open
   ora.racnode1.vip
         1           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
   ora.racnode2.vip
         1           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode2
   ora.scan1.vip
         1           ONLINE  ONLINE   racnode1
   

About Verifying the Oracle Clusterware Installation

After the Oracle Clusterware installation is complete, OUI automatically runs Cluster Verification Utility (CVU) as a configuration assistant to verify that the Oracle Clusterware installation has been completed successfully.

If CVU reports problems with your configuration, then correct these errors before proceeding.

Creating an Oracle RAC Database Using DBCA

If you did not select the option to create an Oracle RAC database during installation, then you will need to create one using DBCA after you have verified that the installation of the Oracle RAC software was successful. The steps for creating an Oracle RAC database are documented in Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide for Linux and UNIX.

Backing Up Installation Files

Certain files used during installation are very important to the operation of the installed software. It is important to back up these files and keep them in a separate location from the installed software in case of hardware failure.

• About Backing Up the root.sh Script

About Downloading and Installing Oracle Database Patches

Periodically, Oracle issues bug fixes for its software called patches. Patch sets are a collection of bug fixes that were produced up to the time of the patch set release. Patch sets are fully tested product fixes. Application of a patch set affects the software residing in your Oracle home.

Ensure that you run the latest patch set of the installed software. If you configured access to My Oracle Support during installation, then the latest patches should have been downloaded and applied during installation.

If you did not configure access to My Oracle Support within OUI, then you should apply the latest patch set for your release and any necessary patches that are not included in a patch set. Information about downloading and installing patches and patch sets is covered in Chapter 10, "Managing Oracle Software and Applying Patches".

About Configuring User Accounts

The oracle user operating system account is the account that you used to install the Oracle software. You can use different operating system accounts for accessing and managing your Oracle RAC database. You can modify the shell configuration file to set environment variables such as ORACLE_HOME whenever you log in as that operating system user.

About Preparing for Database Conversion

Before you start the process of converting your database to a cluster database, your database environment must meet certain prerequisites.

• The existing database and the target Oracle RAC database must be on the same release of Oracle Database 12c and must be running on the same platform.

• The hardware and operating system software used to implement your Oracle RAC database must be certified for use with the release of the Oracle RAC software you are installing.

• You must configure shared storage for your Oracle RAC database.

• You must verify that any applications that run against the Oracle RAC database do not need any additional configuration before they can be used successfully with the cluster database. This applies to both Oracle applications and database features, such as Oracle Streams, and applications and products that do not come from Oracle.

• Backup procedures should be available before converting from a single-instance Oracle Database to Oracle RAC.

• For archiving in Oracle RAC environments, the archive log file format requires a thread number.

• The archived redo log files from all instances of an Oracle RAC database are required for media recovery. If you archive to a file and you do not use a cluster file system, or some other means to provide shared file systems, then you require a method of accessing the archived redo log files from all nodes on which the cluster database has instances.

Overview of the Database Conversion Process Using Cloud Control

This section summarizes the process of converting a single-instance database to an Oracle RAC database using Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control:

• Complete the prerequisite tasks for converting to an Oracle RAC database:

  • Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Database software is installed on all target nodes.

  • Oracle Clusterware is started.

  • The Oracle Database binary is enabled for Oracle RAC on all target nodes.

  • Shared storage is configured and accessible from all nodes.

  • User equivalency is configured for the operating system user performing the conversion.

  • Enterprise Manager agents are configured and running on all nodes, and are configured with the cluster and host information.

  • The database being converted has been backed up successfully.

• Access the Database Home page for the database you want to convert. For instructions on navigating to the Database Home page, see "Accessing the Database Home Page" in the 2 Day DBA Guide.

• From the Availability menu, select Convert to Cluster Database.

• Provide the necessary credentials.

• Select the host nodes that should contain instances of the new database.

• Provide listener and instance configuration information.

• Specify the location of the shared storage to be used for the data files.

• Submit the job.

• Complete the post-conversion tasks.

The resulting Oracle RAC database uses a server pool instead of a fixed configuration.

Overview of the Database Conversion Process Using rconfig

The following list provides an outline of the process of converting a single-instance database to an Oracle RAC database using the rconfig utility:

• Complete the prerequisite tasks for converting to an Oracle RAC database.

  • Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Database software is installed on all target nodes.

  • Oracle Clusterware is started.

  • The Oracle Database binary is enabled for Oracle RAC on all target nodes.

  • Shared storage is configured and accessible from all nodes.

  • User equivalency is configured for the operating system user performing the conversion.

  • The database being converted has been backed up successfully.

• Using rconfig, you can convert a single-instance database to either an administrator-managed cluster database or a policy-managed cluster database. Modify the parameters in either the ConvertToRAC_AdminManaged.xml or ConvertToRAC_PolicyManaged.xml sample file, as appropriate for your environment, then save the file to a new location. Both files are located in the Oracle_home/assistants/rconfig/sampleXMLs directory.

• Run the rconfig command, supplying the name of the modified XML file as input.

• Complete the post-conversion tasks.

You can also use the rconfig utility to convert single-instance Oracle ASM to clustered Oracle ASM.

Converting an Oracle RAC Database into an Oracle RAC One Node Database

After you use the rconfig utility to convert a single-instance Oracle database into a single-node Oracle RAC database, you can use the srvctl utility to convert the database into an Oracle RAC One Node database.

To convert your database to an Oracle RAC One Node database, use the following command:

srvctl convert database -db <database_name> -dbtype RACONENODE

An Oracle RAC One Node database must be part of a multi-node cluster to support failover or online database relocation. You must either install Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a cluster and Oracle RAC on at least two nodes, or add a node to your existing single-node Oracle RAC database.