4 Single-node Database to Real Application Clusters Database Conversion

This chapter describes the steps to clone an Oracle9i Database Certified Configuration single-instance database to a Real Application Clusters database, or add nodes to an existing Real Application Clusters environment. This chapter contains the following topics:

Convex Utility
Preparing to Convert a Database
Converting a Single-instance Database
Adding Nodes to an Existing Database

4.1 Convex Utility

A single-instance database can be converted to a Real Application Clusters database by using the convex utility. It can also be used to expand the number of nodes of an existing Real Application Clusters environment. The script must be run by the ordbname user where dbname is the name of the database.

The convex utility can only convert a database that has been installed using the Oracle9i Database Certified Configuration tools and gold image. If the database to be converted has been created differently, such as an installation using Oracle Universal Installer or as part of the Oracle E-Business Suite, then refer to "Troubleshooting" in this chapter.

4.2 Preparing to Convert a Database

The following tasks describe how to prepare a database for conversion.

Shut down the instance.
Install the cluster manger on all nodes using the procedure in "Real Application Clusters Installation" in Chapter 2, " Installation " in this guide.
Configure the cluster manager on all nodes by running the /admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/cmconfig.sh script, if the cluster manager has not been configured previously. The /oracm/oradata directory which contains the configuration files are must be on shared storage.
Create manually the ordbname user and dbdbname group with the same user ID and group ID as the original node, and the /oracm/oracle_home directory. This should be done on each new nodes where the database will be expanded by the conversion.
Run the dbcc_image.sh script to install the Oracle binaries on one of the nodes using the following command:
```
/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/install/dbcc_image.sh -create -rac  \ 

- dbname DBNAME -imagefile GOLDIMAGE
```
Enable rsh access for every node for private node names (interconnect network interfaces).

4.3 Converting a Single-instance Database

The following tasks describe how to convert a single-instance database to a Real Application Clusters database.

Log in as the ordbname user of the dbdbname group.
Run the convex script using the following command:
```
/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/convex
```
When the script runs, the user will be prompted for the following information:
- Oracle home. This is the Oracle home of the database to be converted by the script. Enter /DBNAME/oracle/product/920 when prompted by the system.
- CM Oracle home. This is the Oracle home containing the cluster manager. Enter /oracm/oracle/product/920 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_RAC_NODES. Enter the private hostname of the local node, and of the nodes where to expand the database.
- OCC_LISTENER_PORT. Enter the port number defined in the database certified configuration port number standard.
- OCC_DATA_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value /SID/oradata/data01 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_SYSTEM_TEMP_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value /SID/oradata/data02 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_DB_LOG_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value/SID/oradata/data03 when prompted by the system.

During the process, the convex utility performs the following tasks:

Run the /admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/ocheck/ocheck -postinstall procedure on the Oracle home to verify the Oracle9i database has been set up correctly. The procedure will be run on all nodes.
Relink to enable Real Application Clusters, if the binaries are not enabled for Real Application Clusters.
Check that cluster manager has been installed on every node under the OCC_CM_ORACLE_HOME directory.
Update the following variables:
- MAXDATAFILES
- MAXINSTANCES
- MAXLOGFILES
- MAXLOGMEMBERS
Regenerate control files.
Add log group and log members for the new instances.
Update the shared device for SRVM configuration repository used by srvctl.
Update the init.ora file.
Regenerate the shared spfile file.
Configure the network configuration listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files.
Replicate the passwd file.
Start the database and listener on each node.

If any step fails, then the convex utility will undo all previous steps. The convex utility logs its actions in the /var/tmp/convexlog directory. The log should be checked in case of error.

4.3.1 Troubleshooting

The convex utility halts if the following circumstances occur:

If the storage type is NAS, then the utility will check that the user IDs and group IDs for the convex user and group are identical on all nodes. If the IDs are not identical, then the utility will halt since UNIX file names include the user ID, and the file names on each node must match each other.
If the datafiles of the to-be-converted database are not in the /DBNAME/oradata directory, then the convex utility will halt, and prompt the user to move the data to these directories. The directory and file layout should follow the Oracle outsourcing standard, such as the /DBNAME/oradata/data01 directory.

The user must rerun the convex utility after moving the files. When the utility is rerun, it will find the actual data location does not match the information in the control files, and will regenerate the control files.
If cluster manager has not been configured, then the user will be prompted to run the /admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/cmconfig.sh script. The script will configure and start cluster manager and gsd processes on all nodes.
If the svrconfig device has not been created by the cmconfig.sh script, or the device has been modified and contains incorrect information, then the convex utility will halt. The user should use the following command to update the svrconfig device:
```
srvctl add instance -d DBNAME -i SID -n Public_Nodename
```
The svrconfig device should contain the database configuration information, and be located under the /oracm/oradata directory.
If the convex utility cannot locate the spfile file, then it will prompt the user to specify the directory containing the spfile file.
If the database to be converted has been created differently, such as an installation using Oracle Universal Installer, or as part of the Oracle E-Business Suite, then perform the following tasks:
1. Save the configuration files of the current database, such as the ORACLE_HOME/dbs/*SID*, and listener configuration files.
2. Install a new single-instance database under the /SID/oracle directory using the Oracle9i Database Certified Configuration gold image and script.
3. Restore the configuration files of the original database under the /SID/oracle/product/920/dbs directory for the *SID* files, and under the /SID/oracle/product/920/network/admin directory for the listener configuration files.
4. Move the datafiles of the original database under the /SID/oradata/data0n directory, where n is 1, 2, or 3, unless they are already in this location. The datafile locations should follow the file layout standards described in the Outsourcing File Standards and Naming document.
  
  The convex utility will regenerate the control files.

4.4 Adding Nodes to an Existing Database

Use the convex utility to add nodes to an existing Real Application Clusters database. For example, a Real Application Clusters database exists, and has two nodes, A and B, and the user wants to add nodes C and D.

The following procedure describes how to add nodes C and D:

Log in as the root user on node C or D.
Install the certified configuration scripts on node C and D using the following command:
```
dbcc_install_admin.sh GOLDIMAGE
```
In the preceding command, GOLDIMAGE is the name of the gold image.
Create manually the ororacm user and the dboracm group on nodes C and D with the same user ID and group ID as on nodes A and B, and the /oracm/oracle home directory.
Shut down the database on nodes A and B.
Log in as the root user.
Shut down cluster manager on nodes A and B using the following command on both nodes:
```
/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/oracm_gsd stop
```

Run the dbcc_image.sh script from node C or D using the following command:

/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/install/dbcc_image.sh restore -cm \

-imagefile GOLDIMAGE

Run the cmconfig.sh script from node A or B using the following command:
```
/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/cmconfig.sh
```
Create manually the ordbname and dbdbname users on nodes C and D, with the same user ID and group ID as on nodes A and B, and the /DBNAME/oracle_home directory.

Run the dbcc_image.sh script from node C or D using the following command:

/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/install/dbcc_image.sh -restore -rac  \

-dbname DBNAME -imagefile GOLDIMAGE

Log in as the ordbname user.
Run the convex script from node A or B using the following command:
```
/admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/convex
```
When the script runs, the user will be prompted for the following information:
- Oracle home. This is the Oracle home of the database to be converted by the script. Enter /DBNAME/oracle/product/920 when prompted by the system.
- CM Oracle home. This is the Oracle home containing the cluster manager. Enter /oracm/oracle/product/920 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_RAC_NODES. Enter the private hostnames of all the nodes of the cluster.
- OCC_LISTENER_PORT. Enter the port number defined in the database certified configuration port number convention document.
- OCC_DATA_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value /DBNAME/oradata/data01 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_SYSTEM_TEMP_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value /DBNAME/oradata/data02 when prompted by the system.
- OCC_DB_LOG_FILESYSTEM. Accept the default value /DBNAME/oradata/data03 when prompted by the system.
The convex utility performs the following tasks:
- Run the /admin/dbcc/3.1.0/ref_config/ocheck/ocheck -postinstall procedure on the Oracle home to verify the Oracle9i database has been set up correctly. The procedure is run on all nodes.
- Relink to enable Real Application Clusters, if the binaries are not enabled for Real Application Clusters.
- Check that cluster manager has been installed on every node under the /oracm/oracle directory.
- Update the following variables:
  - MAXDATAFILES
  - MAXINSTANCES
  - MAXLOGFILES
  - MAXLOGMEMBERS
- Regenerate control files.
- Add log group and log members for the new instances.
- Update the svrctl shared device.
- Update the init.ora file.
- Regenerate the shared spfile file.
- Configure the network configuration listener.ora and tnsnames.ora files.
- Replicate the passwd file.
- Start the database and listener on each node.
If any step fails, then the convex utility will undo all previous steps.

Note:

The convex utility can add as many nodes as necessary. The number of nodes was limited to two in the preceding example for reasons of simplicity and readability.

See Also:

For more information about installation, refer to Chapter 2, " Installation "