2 Oracle Clusterware Preinstallation Tasks

2.4.1 Understanding the Oracle Inventory Group

You must have a group whose members are given access to write to the Oracle Central Inventory (oraInventory). The Central Inventory contains the following:

• A registry of the Oracle home directories (Oracle Clusterware, Oracle Database, and Automatic Storage Management) on the system

• Installation logs and trace files from installations of Oracle software. These files are also copied to the respective Oracle homes for future reference.

Other metadata inventory information regarding Oracle installations are stored in the individual Oracle home inventory directories, and are separate from the Central Inventory.

2.4.2 Understanding the Oracle Inventory Directory

The first time you install Oracle software on a system, Oracle Universal Installer checks to see if you have created an Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) compliant path in the format u[01-09]/app, such as /u01/app, and that the user running the installation has permissions to write to that path. If this is true, then Oracle Universal Installer creates the Oracle Inventory directory in the path /u[01-09]/app/oraInventory. For example:

/u01/app/oraInventory

If you have set the environment variable $ORACLE_BASE for the user performing the Oracle Clusterware installation, then OUI creates the Oracle Inventory directory in the path $ORACLE_BASE/../oraInventory. For example, if $ORACLE_BASE is set to /opt/oracle/11, then the Oracle Inventory directory is created in the path /opt/oracle/oraInventory.

If you have created neither an OFA-compliant path nor set $ORACLE_BASE, then the Oracle Inventory directory is placed in the home directory of the user that is performing the installation. For example:

/home/oracle/oraInventory

As this placement can cause permission errors during subsequent installations with multiple Oracle software owners, Oracle recommends that you either create an OFA-compliant installation path, or set an $ORACLE_BASE environment path.

For new installations, Oracle recommends that you allow OUI to create the Central Inventory directory. By default, if you create an Oracle path in compliance with OFA structure, such as /u01/app, that is owned by an Oracle software owner, then the Central Inventory is created in the path u01/app/oraInventory using correct permissions to allow all Oracle installation owners to write to this directory.

2.4.3 Determining If the Oracle Inventory and Oracle Inventory Group Exists

When you install Oracle software on the system for the first time, OUI creates the oraInst.loc file. This file identifies the name of the Oracle Inventory group (typically, oinstall), and the path of the Oracle Central Inventory directory. An oraInst.loc file has contents similar to the following:

inventory_loc=central_inventory_location
inst_group=group

In the preceding example, central_inventory_location is the location of the Oracle Central Inventory, and group is the name of the group that has permissions to write to the central inventory.

If you have an existing Oracle Inventory, then ensure that you use the same Oracle Inventory for all Oracle software installations, and ensure that all Oracle software users you intend to use for installation have permissions to write to this directory.

To determine if you have an Oracle Inventory on your system:

# more /var/opt/oracle/oraInst.loc

If the oraInst.loc file exists, then the output from this command is similar to the following:

inventory_loc=/u01/app/oracle/oraInventory
inst_group=oinstall

In the previous output example:

• The inventory_loc group shows the location of the Oracle Inventory

• The inst_group parameter shows the name of the Oracle Inventory group (in this example, oinstall).

2.4.4 Creating the Oracle Inventory Group If an Oracle Inventory Does Not Exist

If the oraInst.loc file does not exist, then create the Oracle Inventory group by entering a command similar to the following:

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 501 oinstall

The preceding command creates the group oinstall, with the group ID number 501.

2.4.5 Creating the Oracle Clusterware User

You must create a software owner for Oracle Clusterware in the following circumstances:

• If an Oracle software owner user does not exist; for example, if this is the first installation of Oracle software on the system

• If an Oracle software owner user exists, but you want to use a different operating system user, such as crs, with different group membership, to give separate clusterware and database administrative privileges to those groups in a new Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Database installation.

  In Oracle documentation, a user created to own only Oracle Clusterware software installations is called the crs user. A user created to own either all Oracle installations, or only Oracle database installations, is called the oracle user.

# id oracle

uid=501(oracle) gid=501(oinstall) groups=502(dba),503(oper)

2.4.6 Example of Creating the Oracle Clusterware User and OraInventory Path

The following is an example of how to create the Oracle Clusterware software owner (in this case, crs), and a path compliant with OFA structure with correct permissions for the oraInventory directory. This example also shows how to create separate Oracle Database and Oracle ASM homes with correct ownership and permissions:

# mkdir -p  /u01/app/crs
# chown -R crs:oinstall /u01/app
# mkdir  /u01/app/oracle
# chown oracle:oinstall /u01/app/oracle
# chmod 775 /u01/app/
# mkdir  /u01/app/asm
# chown asm:oinstall /u01/app/asm

At the end of this procedure, you will have the following:

• /u01 owned by root.

• /u01/app owned by crs:oinstall with 775 permissions. This ownership and permissions enables OUI to create the oraInventory directory, in the path /u01/app/oraInventory.

• /u01/app/crs owned by crs:oinstall with 775 permissions. These permissions are required for installation, and are changed during the installation process.

• /u01/app/oracle owned by oracle:oinstall with 775 permissions.

• /u01/app/asm owned by asm:oinstall with 775 permissions.

2.6.1 Network Hardware Requirements

The following is a list of requirements for network configuration:

• Each node must have at least two network adapters or network interface cards (NICs): one for the public network interface, and one for the private network interface (the interconnect).

  If you want to use more than one NIC for the public network or for the private network, then Oracle recommends that you use NIC bonding, or "link aggregation," IPMP.

• The public interface names associated with the network adapters for each network must be the same on all nodes, and the private interface names associated with the network adaptors should be the same on all nodes.

  For example: With a two-node cluster, you cannot configure network adapters on node1 with eth0 as the public interface, but on node2 have eth1 as the public interface. Public interface names must be the same, so you must configure eth0 as public on both nodes. You should configure the private interfaces on the same network adapters as well. If eth1 is the private interface for node1, then eth1 should be the private interface for node2.

• For the public network, each network adapter must support TCP/IP.

• For the private network, the interconnect must support the user datagram protocol (UDP) using high-speed network adapters and switches that support TCP/IP (Gigabit Ethernet or better recommended).

  Note:

  UDP is the default interconnect protocol for Oracle RAC, and TCP is the interconnect protocol for Oracle Clusterware. Oracle recommends that you use a dedicated switch for the interconnect.

  Oracle does not support token-rings or crossover cables for the interconnect.

• For the private network, the endpoints of all designated interconnect interfaces must be completely reachable on the network. There should be no node that is not connected to every private network interface. You can test whether an interconnect interface is reachable using a ping command.

2.6.2 IP Address Requirements

Before starting the installation, you must have the following IP addresses available for each node:

• An IP address with an associated host name (or network name) registered in the DNS for the public interface. If you do not have an available DNS, then record the host name and IP address in the system hosts file, /etc/hosts.

• One virtual IP (VIP) address with an associated host name registered in a DNS. If you do not have an available DNS, then record the host name and VIP address in the system hosts file, /etc/hosts. Select an address for your VIP that meets the following requirements:

  • The IP address and host name are currently unused (it can be registered in a DNS, but should not be accessible by a ping command)

  • The VIP is on the same subnet as your public interface

• A private IP address with a host name for each private interface

  Oracle recommends that you use private network IP addresses for these interfaces (for example: 10.*.*.* or 192.168.*.*).

  In addition:

  • Using Oracle Clusterware only or Sun Cluster 3.1 older than 10/03: Use the /etc/hosts file on each node to associate private network names with private IP addresses. If you use the /etc/hosts file for private network names, then the private IP address must be available in each node's /etc/hosts file.

  • Using Sun Cluster 3.1 or later: Do not enter the private interconnect in the /etc/hosts file, but instead use clusternodeX-priv to indicate the private interconnect for Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC.

  For the private interconnects, because of Cache Fusion and other traffic between nodes, Oracle strongly recommends using a physically separate, private network. You should ensure that the private IP addresses are reachable only by the cluster member nodes. After installation, if you define multiple RAC private interfaces by using the Oracle Interface Configuration (oifcfg) tool, or by or using the CLUSTER_INTERCONNECTS parameter, then all of the interconnects you define must be available, or Oracle RAC instances will fail or fail to start.

  During installation, you are asked to identify the planned use for each network interface that OUI detects on your cluster node. You must identify each interface as a public or private interface, and you must use the same private interfaces for both Oracle RAC and Oracle Clusterware.

  You can bond separate interfaces to a common interface to provide redundancy, in case of a NIC failure, but Oracle recommends that you do not create separate interfaces for Oracle RAC and Oracle Clusterware. If you use more than one NIC for the private interconnect, then Oracle recommends that you use NIC bonding. Note that multiple private interfaces provide load balancing but not failover, unless bonded.

  For example, if you intend to use the interfaces eth2 and eth3 as interconnects, then before installation, you must configure eth2 and eth3 with the private interconnect addresses. If the private interconnect addresses are 10.10.1.1 for eth2 and 10.10.2.1 for eth3, then bond eth2 and eth3 to an interface, such as bond0, using a separate subnet such as 10.10.222.0. During installation, define the Oracle Clusterware private node names on 10.10.222.0, and then use the oifcfg tool to define 10.10.222.0 (and only that one) as a private interconnect. This ensures that Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC are using the same network.

  After installation, if you modify interconnects with the CLUSTER_INTERCONNECTS initialization parameter, then you must change it to a private IP address, on a subnet that is not used with a public IP address, nor marked as a public subnet by oifcfg. Oracle does not support changing the interconnect to an interface using a subnet that you have designated as a public subnet.

  See Also:

  Oracle Clusterware Administration and Deployment Guide for further information about setting up and using bonded multiple interfaces.

  You should not use a firewall on the network with the private network IP addresses, as this can block interconnect traffic.

Before installation, check that the default gateway can be accessed by a ping command. To find the default gateway, use the route command, as described in your operating system's help utility. After installation, configure clients to use either the VIP address, or the host name associated with the VIP. If a node fails, then the node's virtual IP address fails over to another node.

For example, with a two node cluster where each node has one public and one private interface, you might have the configuration shown in the following table for your network interfaces, where the hosts file is /etc/hosts:

To enable VIP failover, the configuration shown in the preceding table defines the public and VIP addresses of both nodes on the same subnet, 143.46.43. When a node or interconnect fails, then the associated VIP is relocated to the surviving node, enabling fast notification of the failure to the clients connecting through that VIP. If the application and client are configured with transparent application failover options, then the client is reconnected to the surviving node.

2.6.3 Node Time Requirements

Before starting the installation, ensure that each member node of the cluster is set as closely as possible to the same date and time. Oracle strongly recommends using the Network Time Protocol feature of most operating systems for this purpose, with all nodes using the same reference Network Time Protocol server.

2.6.4 Network Configuration Options

The precise configuration you choose for your network depends on the size and use of the cluster you want to configure, and the level of availability you require.

If storage for Oracle RAC is provided by Ethernet-based networks, such as network-attached storage (NAS), network file storage (NFS), or iSCSI, then you must have a third network interface for I/O. Failing to provide three separate interfaces in this case can cause performance and stability problems under load.

For high capacity clusters with a small number of multiprocessor servers, to ensure high availability, you may want to configure redundant network interfaces to prevent a NIC failure from reducing significantly the overall cluster capacity. If you are using network storage, and want to provide redundant network interfaces, then Oracle recommends that you provide six network interfaces: two for the public network interface, two for the private network interface, and two for the network storage.

2.6.5 Configuring the Network Requirements

To verify that each node meets the requirements, follow these steps:

1. If necessary, install the network adapters for the public and private networks and configure them with either public or private IP addresses.

2. Register the host names and IP addresses for the public network interfaces in DNS.

3. For each node, register one virtual host name and IP address in DNS.

4. For each private interface on every node, add a line similar to the following to the /etc/hosts file on all nodes, specifying the private IP address and associated private host name:

   10.0.0.1     rac1-priv1
   

5. To identify the interface name and associated IP address for every network adapter, enter the following command:

   # /sbin/ifconfig
   

   From the output, identify the interface name and IP address for all network adapters that you want to specify as public or private network interfaces.

   Note:

   When you install Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC, you will require this information.

6. To prevent public network failures with Oracle RAC databases using NAS devices or NFS mounts, enter the following command as root to enable the Name Service Cache Daemon (nscd):

   # /usr/sbin/svcadm enable system/name-service-cache
   

2.7.1 Software Requirements List for Solaris Operating System (SPARC 64-Bit) Platforms

SUNWarc
SUNWbtool
SUNWhea
SUNWlibC
SUNWlibm
SUNWlibms
SUNWsprot
SUNWtoo
SUNWi1of
SUNWi1cs
SUNWi15cs
SUNWxwfnt
SUNWsprox

http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4.2/font-requirements.html

SUNWscucm
SUNWudlmr
SUNWudlm

SUNWscmd

SUNWcvm
SUNWcvmr

SUNWschwr

2.9.1 Verifying Solaris Operating System (SPARC 64-bit) Patches

To ensure that the system meets these requirements:

1. To determine whether an operating system patch is installed, and whether it is the correct version of the patch, enter a command similar to the following:

   # /usr/sbin/patchadd -p | grep patch_number
   

   For example, to determine if any version of the 112760 patch is installed, use the following command:

   # /usr/sbin/patchadd -p | grep 112760
   

   If an operating system patch is not installed, then download it from the following Web site and install it:

   http://sunsolve.sun.com
   

2.10.1 Configuring Kernel Parameters On Solaris 9

On Solaris Operating System (SPARC 64-bit) installations running Solaris9, on all nodes in the cluster, verify that the kernel parameters shown in the following table are set to values greater than or equal to the recommended value:

On Solaris 9 operating systems, use the following procedure to view the current value specified for these kernel parameters, and to change them if necessary:

To view the current value specified for these kernel parameters, and to change them if necessary:

1. To view the current values of these parameters, enter the following commands:

   # grep noexec_user_stack /etc/system
   # /usr/sbin/sysdef | grep SEM
   # /usr/sbin/sysdef | grep SHM
   

2. If you must change any of the current values, then:

   1. Create a backup copy of the /etc/system file, for example:

      # cp /etc/system /etc/system.orig
      

   2. Open the /etc/system file in any text editor and, if necessary, add lines similar to the following (edit the lines if the file already contains them):

      set noexec_user_stack=1
      set semsys:seminfo_semmni=100
      set semsys:seminfo_semmns=1024
      set semsys:seminfo_semmsl=256
      set semsys:seminfo_semvmx=32767
      set shmsys:shminfo_shmmax=4294967295
      set shmsys:shminfo_shmmni=100
      

   3. Enter the following command to restart the system:

      # /usr/sbin/reboot
      

   4. When the system restarts, log in and switch user to root.

3. Repeat this procedure on all other nodes in the cluster.

2.10.2 Configuring Kernel Parameters on Solaris 10

On Solaris 10 operating systems, verify that the kernel parameters shown in the following table are set to values greater than or equal to the recommended value shown. The table also contains the resource controls that replace the /etc/system files for specific kernel parameters. As Oracle Clusterware does not set project information when starting processes, some /etc/system processes that are deprecated but not removed must still be set for Oracle Clusterware.

The procedure following the table describes how to verify and set the values.

On Solaris 10, use the following procedure to view the current value specified for resource controls, and to change them if necessary:

1. To view the current values of the resource control, enter the following commands:

   # id -p // to verify the project id
   uid=0(root) gid=0(root) projid=1 (user.root)
   # prctl -n project.max-shm-memory -i project user.root
   # prctl -n project.max-sem-ids -i project user.root
   

2. If you must change any of the current values, then:

   • To modify the value of max-shm-memory to 6 GB:

     # prctl -n project.max-shm-memory -v 6442450944 -r -i project user.root 
     

   • To modify the value of max-sem-ids to 256:

     # prctl -n project.max-sem-ids -v 256 -r -i project user.root
     

   Note:

   When you use the command prctl (Resource Control) to change system parameters, you do not need to restart the system for these parameter changes to take effect. However, the changed parameters do not persist after a system restart.

Use the following procedure to modify the resource control project settings, so that they persist after a system restart:

1. By default, Oracle instances are run as the oracle user of the dba group. A project with the name group.dba is created to serve as the default project for the oracle user. Run the command id to verify the default project for the oracle user:

   # su - oracle
   $ id -p
   uid=100(oracle) gid=100(dba) projid=100(group.dba)
   $ exit
   

2. To set the maximum shared memory size to 2 GB, run the projmod command:

   # projmod -sK "project.max-shm-memory=(privileged,2G,deny)" group.dba
   

   Alternatively, add the resource control value project.max-shm-memory=(privileged,2147483648,deny) to the last field of the project entries for the Oracle project.

3. After these steps are complete, check the values for the /etc/project file using the following command:

   # cat /etc/project
   

   The output should be similar to the following:

   system:0::::
   user.root:1::::
   noproject:2::::
   default:3::::
   group.staff:10::::
   group.dba:100:Oracle default
   project:::project.max-shmmemory=(privileged,2147483648,deny)
   

4. To verify that the resource control is active, check process ownership, and run the commands id and prctl, as in the following example:

   # su - oracle
   $ id -p
   uid=100(oracle) gid=100(dba) projid=100(group.dba)
   $ prctl -n project.max-shm-memory -i process $$
   process: 5754: -sh
   NAME     PRIVILEGE     VALUE     FLAG     ACTION    RECIPIENT
   project.max-shm-memory
                  privileged         2.00GB     -             deny
   

   Note:

   For additional information, refer to the Solaris Tunable Parameters Reference Manual.

2.12.1 Checking Existing SSH Configuration on the System

To determine if SSH is running, enter the following command:

$ pgrep sshd

If SSH is running, then the response to this command is one or more process ID numbers. In the home directory of the software owner that you want to use for the installation (crs, oracle), use the command ls -al to ensure that the .ssh directory is owned and writable only by the user.

You need either an RSA or a DSA key for the SSH protocol. RSA is used with the SSH 1.5 protocol, while DSA is the default for the SSH 2.0 protocol. With OpenSSH, you can use either RSA or DSA. The instructions that follow are for SSH1. If you have an SSH2 installation, and you cannot use SSH1, then refer to your SSH distribution documentation to configure SSH1 compatibility or to configure SSH2 with DSA.

2.12.2 Configuring SSH on Cluster Member Nodes

To configure SSH, you must first create RSA or DSA keys on each cluster node, and then copy all the keys generated on all cluster node members into an authorized keys file that is identical on each node. Note that the SSH files must be readable only by root and by the software installation user (oracle, crs, asm), as SSH ignores a private key file if it is accessible by others. When this is done, then start the SSH agent to load keys into memory. In the examples that follow, the RSA key is used.

You must configure SSH separately for each Oracle software installation owner that you intend to use for installation.

To configure SSH, complete the following:

2.12.3 Enabling SSH User Equivalency on Cluster Member Nodes

After you have copied the authorized_keys file that contains all keys to each node in the cluster, complete the following procedure, in the order listed. In this example, the Oracle Clusterware software owner is named crs:

1. On the system where you want to run OUI, log in as the crs user.

2. Use the following command syntax, where hostname1, hostname2, and so on, are the public hostnames (alias, and fully qualified domain name) of nodes in the cluster, to run SSH from the local node to each node, including from the local node to itself, and from each node to each other node:

   [crs@nodename]$ ssh hostname1 date
   [crs@nodename]$ ssh hostname2 date
       .
       .
       .
   

   For example:

   [crs@node1 crs]$ ssh node1 date
   The authenticity of host 'node1 (xxx.xxx.100.101)' can't be established.
   RSA key fingerprint is 7z:60:60:zz:48:48:z1:a0:f7:4e.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
   Warning: Permanently added 'node1,xxx.xxx.100.101' (RSA) to the list of
   known hosts.
   Enter passphrase for key '/home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa':
   Mon Dec 4 11:08:13 PST 2006
   [crs@node1 crs]$ ssh node1.somehost.com date
   The authenticity of host 'node1.somehost.com (xxx.xxx.100.101)' can't be established.
   RSA key fingerprint is 7z:60:60:zz:48:48:z1:a0:f7:4e.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
   Warning: Permanently added 'node1,xxx.xxx.100.101' (RSA) to the list of
   known hosts.
   Enter passphrase for key '/home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa':
   Mon Dec 4 11:08:13 PST 2006
   [crs@node1 crs]$ ssh node2 date
   Enter passphrase for key '/home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa':
   Mon Dec 4 11:08:35 PST 2006
   [crs@node1 crs]$ 
   

   At the end of this process, the public hostname for each member node should be registered in the known_hosts file for all other cluster member nodes.

   If you are using a remote client to connect to the local node, and you see a message similar to "Warning: No xauth data; using fake authentication data for X11 forwarding," then this means that your authorized keys file is configured correctly, but your ssh configuration has X11 forwarding enabled. To correct this issue, proceed to "Setting Display and X11 Forwarding Configuration".

3. Repeat step 2 on each cluster node member.

4. On each node, enter the following commands to start the SSH agent, and to load the SSH keys into memory:

   $ exec /usr/bin/ssh-agent $SHELL
   $ /usr/bin/ssh-add
   

   At the prompt, enter the pass phrase for each key that you generated.

   For example:

   [crs@node1 .ssh]$ exec /usr/bin/ssh-agent $SHELL
   [crs@node1 .ssh]$ ssh-add
   Enter passphrase for /home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa
   Identity added: /home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa (/home/crs/.ssh/id_rsa)
   

   These commands start the ssh-agent on the node, and load the RSA keys into memory so that you are not prompted to use pass phrases when issuing SSH commands

If you have configured SSH correctly, then you can now use the ssh or scp commands without being prompted for a password or a pass phrase. For example:

[crs@node1 ~]$ ssh node2 date
Mon Feb 26 23:34:42 UTC 2007
[crs@node1 ~]$ ssh node1 date
Mon Feb 26 23:34:48 UTC 2007
[crs@node1 ~]$ ssh node2

If any node prompts for a password or pass phrase, then verify that the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on that node contains the correct public keys, and that you have created an Oracle software owner with identical group membership and IDs.

2.12.4 Setting Display and X11 Forwarding Configuration

• If you are on a remote terminal, and the local node has only one visual (which is typical), then use the following syntax to set the DISPLAY environment variable:

  Bourne and Korn shells:

  $ export DISPLAY=hostname:0
  

  C shell:

  $ setenv DISPLAY=hostname:0
  

  For example, if you are using the Bourne shell, and if your hostname is node1, then enter the following command:

  $ export DISPLAY=node1:0
  

• To ensure that X11 forwarding will not cause the installation to fail, create a user-level SSH client configuration file for the Oracle software owner user, as follows:

  1. Using any text editor, edit or create the ~oracle/.ssh/config file.

  2. Make sure that the ForwardX11 attribute is set to no. For example:

     Host *
           ForwardX11 no
     

2.12.5 Preventing Oracle Clusterware Installation Errors Caused by stty Commands

During an Oracle Clusterware installation, OUI uses SSH to run commands and copy files to the other nodes. During the installation, hidden files on the system (for example, .cshrc) will cause makefile and other installation errors if they contain stty commands.

To avoid this problem, you must modify these files to suppress all output on STDERR, as in the following examples:

• Bourne and Korn shells:

  if [ -t 0 ]; then
     stty intr ^C
  fi
  

• C shell:

  test -t 0
  if ($status == 0) then
     stty intr ^C
  endif
  

  Note:

  When SSH is not available, the Installer uses the rsh and rcp commands instead of ssh and scp.

  If there are hidden files that contain stty commands that are loaded by the remote shell, then OUI indicates an error and stops the installation.

2.13.1 Environment Requirements for Oracle Clusterware Software Owner

Complete the following tasks to configure the Oracle Clusterware software owner environment:

• Create an Oracle Clusterware home. For example: /crs.

• Set the installation software owner user (crs, oracle) default file mode creation mask (umask) to 022 in the shell startup file. Setting the mask to 022 ensures that the user performing the software installation creates files with 644 permissions.

• Set the software owner's environment variable DISPLAY environment variables in preparation for the Oracle Clusterware installation

2.13.2 Environment Requirements for Oracle Database and Oracle ASM Owners

If you intend to install Oracle Database or Oracle ASM, then complete the following additional tasks. If you plan to install other software using the role-based privileges method, then complete the following tasks for the Oracle Database software owner (oracle) and Oracle ASM software owner (asm).

• Create an Oracle Base path. The Optimal Flexible Architecture path for the Oracle Base is /u01/app/user, where user is the name of the user account that you want to own the Oracle Database software. For example: /u01/app/oracle.

  Note:

  Do not create the Oracle Clusterware home under Oracle base. Creating an Oracle Clusterware installation in an Oracle base directory path will cause succeeding Oracle installations to fail.

• Set the installation software owner user (asm, oracle) default file mode creation mask (umask) to 022 in the shell startup file. Setting the mask to 022 ensures that the user performing the software installation creates files with 644 permissions.

• Set the software owners' environment variable DISPLAY environment variables in preparation for the ASM or Oracle Database installation

2.13.3 Procedure for Configuring Oracle Software Owner Environments

To set the Oracle software owners' environments, follow these steps, for each software owner (crs, oracle, asm):

1. Start a new terminal session; for example, start an X terminal (xterm).

2. Enter the following command to ensure that X Window applications can display on this system:

   $ xhost + hostname
   

   The hostname is the name of the local host.

3. If you are not already logged in to the system where you want to install the software, then log in to that system as the software owner user.

4. If you are not logged in as the user, then switch to the software owner user you are configuring. For example, with the crs user:

   $ su - crs
   

5. To determine the default shell for the user, enter the following command:

   $ echo $SHELL
   

6. Open the user's shell startup file in any text editor:

   • Bourne shell (sh) or Korn shell (ksh):

     % vi .profile
     

   • C shell (csh or tcsh):

     % vi .login
     

7. Enter or edit the following line, specifying a value of 022 for the default file mode creation mask:

   umask 022
   

8. If the ORACLE_SID, ORACLE_HOME, or ORACLE_BASE environment variable is set in the file, then remove the appropriate lines from the file.

9. Save the file, and exit from the text editor.

10. To run the shell startup script, enter one of the following commands:

    • Bourne and Korn shells:

      $ . ./.profile
      

    • C shell:

      % source ./.login
      

11. If you are not installing the software on the local system, then enter a command similar to the following to direct X applications to display on the local system:

    • Bourne and Korn shells:

      $ DISPLAY=local_host:0.0 ; export DISPLAY
      

    • C shell:

      % setenv DISPLAY local_host:0.0
      

    In this example, local_host is the host name or IP address of the system that you want to use to display OUI (your workstation or PC).

12. If you determined that the /tmp directory has less than 400 MB of free disk space, then identify a file system with at least 400 MB of free space and set the TEMP and TMPDIR environment variables to specify a temporary directory on this file system:

    Note:

    You cannot use a shared file system as the location of the temporary file directory (typically /tmp) for Oracle RAC installation. If you place /tmp on a shared file system, then the installation fails.

    1. Use the df -h command to identify a suitable file system with sufficient free space.

    2. If necessary, enter commands similar to the following to create a temporary directory on the file system that you identified, and set the appropriate permissions on the directory:

       $ su - root
       # mkdir /mount_point/tmp
       # chmod 775 /mount_point/tmp
       # exit
       

    3. Enter commands similar to the following to set the TEMP and TMPDIR environment variables:

       • Bourne and Korn shells:

         $ TEMP=/mount_point/tmp
         $ TMPDIR=/mount_point/tmp
         $ export TEMP TMPDIR
         

       • C shell:

         % setenv TEMP /mount_point/tmp
         % setenv TMPDIR /mount_point/tmp
         

2.13.4 Setting Shell Limits for Oracle Installation Owner Users

To improve the performance of the software, you must increase the following shell limits for installation owner users (crs, oracle, asm:

To increase the shell limits:

1. Add the following lines to the /etc/system file:

   set rlim_fd_max = 65536
   set maxuprc = 16384
   

2. Repeat this procedure on all other nodes in the cluster.

   Note:

   For these system changes to take effect, each node must be restarted.

2.15.1 Entering Cluster Verification Utility Commands

Before Oracle software is installed, to enter a Cluster Verification Utility command, change directories and start runcluvfy.sh using the following syntax:

$ cd /mountpoint/clusterware/cluvfy/
$ ./runcluvfy.sh options

In the preceding example, the variable mountpoint represents the mountpoint path for the installation media and the variable options represents the Cluster Verification Utility command options that you select. For example:

$ cd /dev/dvdrom/clusterware/cluvfy/
$ ./runcluvfy.sh comp nodereach -n node1,node2 -verbose

By default, when you enter a Cluster Verification Utility command, Cluster Verification Utility provides a summary of the test. During preinstallation, Oracle recommends that you obtain detailed output by using the -verbose argument with the Cluster Verification Utility command. The -verbose argument produces detailed output of individual checks. Where applicable, it shows results for each node in a tabular layout.

2.15.2 Using CVU to Determine if Installation Prerequisites are Complete

You can use Cluster Verification Utility (CVU) to determine which system prerequisites for installation are already completed. Use this option if you are installing Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1) on a system with a pre-existing Oracle software installation. In using this option, note the following:

• You must complete the prerequisites for using Cluster Verification Utility

• Cluster Verification Utility can assist you by finding preinstallation steps that need to be completed, but it cannot perform preinstallation tasks

Use the following syntax to determine what preinstallation steps are completed, and what preinstallation steps must be performed

$ ./runcluvfy.sh stage -pre crsinst -n node_list 

In the preceding syntax example, replace the variable node_list with the names of the nodes in your cluster, separated by commas.

For example, for a cluster with mountpoint /dev/dvdrom/, and with nodes node1, node2, and node3, enter the following command:

$ cd /dev/dvdrom/clusterware/cluvfy/
$ ./runcluvfy.sh stage -pre crsinst -n node1,node2,node3

Review the Cluster Verification Utility report, and proceed to the sections of the preinstallation chapter to complete additional steps as needed.

2.15.3 Using the Cluster Verification Utility Help

The cluvfy commands have context-sensitive help that shows correct syntax usage based on the command line arguments that you enter.

If you enter an invalid Cluster Verification Utility command, then it shows the correct usage for that command. For example, if you type runcluvfy.sh stage -pre dbinst, then Cluster Verification Utility shows the correct syntax for the database preinstallation checks that it performs with the dbinst stage option. The following is a list of context help commands.

• cluvfy -help —Cluster Verification Utility displays detailed Cluster Verification Utility command information.

• cluvfy comp -list—Cluster Verification Utility displays a list of components that can be checked, and brief descriptions of how each component is checked.

• cluvfy comp -help—Cluster Verification Utility displays detailed syntax for each of the valid component checks.

• cluvfy stage -list—Cluster Verification Utility displays a list of valid stages.

• cluvfy stage -help—Cluster Verification Utility displays detailed syntax for each of the valid stage checks.

2.15.4 Using Cluster Verification Utility with Oracle Database 10g Release 1 or 2

You can use Cluster Verification Utility on the Oracle Database 11g Release 1 (11.1) media to check system requirements for Oracle Database 10g Release 1 (10.1) and later installations. To use Cluster Verification Utility to check 10. 1 installations, append the command flag -r 10gR1 to the standard Cluster Verification Utility system check commands.

For example, to perform a verification check for a Cluster Ready Services 10. 1 installation, on a system where the media mountpoint is /dev/dvdrom/, and the cluster nodes are node1, node2, and node3, enter the following command:

$ ./runcluvfy.sh stage -pre crsinst -n node1,node2,node3 -r 10gR1

2.15.5 Verbose Mode and "Unknown" Output

If you run Cluster Verification Utility using the -verbose argument, and a Cluster Verification Utility command responds with UNKNOWN for a particular node, then this is because Cluster Verification Utility cannot determine if a check passed or failed. The following is a list of possible causes for an "Unknown" response:

• The node is down

• Executables required by Cluster Verification Utility are missing in the /bin directory in the CRS home or Oracle home directory

• The user account starting Cluster Verification Utility does not have privileges to run common operating system executables on the node

• The node is missing an operating system patch, or a required package

• The node has exceeded the maximum number of processes or maximum number of open files, or there is a problem with IPC segments, such as shared memory or semaphores

2.16.1 Checking the Network Setup with CVU

As the oracle user, enter a command using the following syntax to verify node connectivity among all of the nodes for which your cluster is configured:

/mountpoint/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh comp nodecon -n node_list [-verbose]

In the preceding syntax example, the variable node_list is a comma-delimited list of nodes in your cluster. This command detects all the network interfaces available on the cluster nodes, and verifies the connectivity among all the nodes through the network interfaces it finds.

Select the option -verbose to receive progress updates as Cluster Verification Utility performs its system checks, and detailed reporting of the test results.

For example, to verify node connectivity on a two-node cluster with nodes node1 and node2, with the mountpoint /dev/dvdrom, and with updates and a summary of the verification checks Cluster Verification Utility performs, enter the following command:

/dev/dvdrom/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh comp nodecon -n node1,node2 -verbose

2.16.2 Checking the Hardware and Operating System Setup with CVU

As the oracle user, use the following command syntax to start Cluster Verification Utility (CVU) stage verification to check hardware and operating system setup:

/mountpoint/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh stage –post hwos –n node_list [-verbose]

In the preceding syntax example, replace the variable node_list with the names of the nodes in your cluster, separated by commas. For example, to check the hardware and operating system of a two-node cluster with nodes node1 and node2, with the mountpoint /dev/dvdrom/ and with the option to limit the output to the test results, enter the following command:

/dev/dvdrom/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh stage –post hwos –n node1,node2

Select the option -verbose to receive detailed reports of the test results, and progress updates about the system checks performed by Cluster Verification Utility.

2.16.3 Checking the Operating System Kernel Requirements Setup with CVU

As the oracle user, use the following command syntax to check if your system meets the operating system requirement preinstallation tasks:

/mountpoint/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh comp sys -n node_list -p {crs|database}
-osdba osdba_group -orainv orainv_group -verbose

In the preceding syntax example:

• The variable mountpoint is the mountpoint of the Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1) installation media

• The variable node_list is the list of nodes in your cluster, separated by commas

• The -p flag identifies either crs or database, and indicates that checks are performed for Oracle Clusterware or Oracle Database system requirements

• The variable osdba_group is the name of your OSDBA group, typically dba

• The variable orainv_group is the name of your Oracle Inventory group, typically oinstall

You can select the option -verbose to receive progress updates as Cluster Verification Utility performs its system checks, and detailed reporting of the test results.

For example, to perform a system check for an Oracle Clusterware installation on a two-node cluster with nodes node1 and node2, with the OSDBA dba and Oracle inventory group oinstall, and with the media mountpoint /dev/dvdrom/, then enter the following command:

/dev/dvdrom/clusterware/cluvfy/runcluvfy.sh comp sys -n node1,node2 -p crs -osdba crs -orainv oinstall