If you want to extend the Oracle RAC cluster (also known as cloning) and add nodes to the existing environment after your initial deployment, then you must to do this on multiple layers, considering the management style that you currently use in the cluster. Oracle provides various means of extending an Oracle RAC cluster. In principle, you can choose from two different approaches to extend the current environment:
Cloning using cloning scripts
Adding nodes using the addnode.sh (addnode.bat on Windows) script
See Also:
Adding and Deleting Oracle RAC from Nodes on Linux and UNIX Systems or Adding and Deleting Oracle RAC from Nodes on Windows Systems depending on your platform
Both approaches are applicable, regardless of how you initially deployed the environment. Both approaches copy the required Oracle software on to the node that you plan to add to the cluster. Software that gets copied to the node includes the Oracle Grid Infrastructure software and the Oracle database homes.
For Oracle database homes, you must consider the management style deployed in the cluster. For administrator-managed databases, you must ensure that the database software is deployed on the nodes on which you plan to run the respective database instances. For policy-managed databases, you must ensure that the database software is deployed on all nodes on which database instances can potentially run, given your active server pool setup. In either case, you must first deploy Oracle Grid Infrastructure on all nodes that are meant to be part of the cluster.
Note:
Oracle cloning is not a replacement for cloning using Oracle Enterprise Manager as part of the Provisioning Pack. When you clone Oracle RAC using Oracle Enterprise Manager, the provisioning process includes a series of steps where details about the home you want to capture, the ___location to which you want to deploy, and various other parameters are collected.
For new installations or if you install only one Oracle RAC database, use the traditional automated and interactive installation methods, such as Oracle Universal Installer, or the Provisioning Pack feature of Oracle Enterprise Manager. If your goal is to add or delete Oracle RAC from nodes in the cluster, you can use the procedures detailed in Adding and Deleting Oracle RAC from Nodes on Linux and UNIX Systems.
The cloning process assumes that you successfully installed an Oracle Clusterware home and an Oracle home with Oracle RAC on at least one node. In addition, all root scripts must have run successfully on the node from which you are extending your cluster database.
See Also:
Oracle Enterprise Manager online Help system for more information about the Provisioning Pack