4 Oracle Real Application Clusters Postinstallation Procedures

After you have installed the Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) with Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) software, there are postinstallation tasks to complete.

Note:

This chapter describes only basic configurations. See also:

4.1 Required Postinstallation Tasks

Perform these tasks after completing your installation.

4.1.1 Determine If Any Patches Are Required For Your New Software

If you did not choose to download software options during installation, then after installing Oracle RAC, verify if there are any patches needed for your system.

4.1.2 Configure Exceptions for the Windows Firewall

If the Windows Firewall feature is enabled on one or more nodes of your Oracle RAC cluster, then you must create exceptions for Oracle RAC applications and ports.

Enabling the Windows Firewall feature on one or more of the nodes in your cluster blocks virtually all TCP network ports to incoming connections. As a result, any Oracle product that listens for incoming connections on a TCP port does not receive any of those connection requests and the clients making those connection requests report errors.
  • Review the instructions in Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for details on how to configure exceptions for the Windows Firewall, if you have not done so already as part of the Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation.

4.1.3 Create the OraMTS Service for Microsoft Transaction Server

Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server (OraMTS) permit Oracle databases to be used as resource managers in Microsoft application coordinated transactions.

OraMTS acts as a proxy for the Oracle database to the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC). As a result, OraMTS provides client-side connection pooling and allows client components that leverage Oracle to participate in promotable and distributed transactions. In addition, OraMTS can operate with Oracle databases running on any operating system, given that the services themselves are run on Windows.

On releases earlier than Oracle Database 12c, the OraMTS service was created as part of a software-only installation. Starting with Oracle Database 12c, you must use a configuration tool to create this service.

To create the OraMTS service after performing a software-only installation of Oracle RAC or after adding a node to an existing cluster, perform the following steps:

  1. Open a command window.
  2. Change directories to %ORACLE_HOME%\bin.
  3. Run the OraMTSCtl utility to create the OraMTS Service, where host_name is a list of nodes on which the service should be created: 
    C:\..bin> oramtsctl.exe -new -host host_name

See Also:

Oracle Services for Microsoft Transaction Server Developer's Guide for Microsoft Windows for more information about OraMTS

4.1.4 Configure Oracle Products

Many Oracle products and options must be configured before you use them for the first time.

Before using individual Oracle Database 12c Release 1 (12.1) products or options, refer to the appropriate manual in the product documentation library, which is available online at: http://docs.oracle.com.

Refer to the following topics for information about configuring various products and features after installation.

4.1.4.1 Configuring Oracle Database Vault

Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) installs Oracle Database Vault by default when you install the Oracle RAC software, but requires additional configuration steps.

  1. Register Oracle Database Vault with the Oracle RAC database.
  2. Create the Database Vault Owner user and, optionally, the Database Vault Account Manager administrative user accounts.

4.1.4.2 Configuring Oracle Label Security

After installation, you must configure Oracle Label Security in a database before you use it.

You can configure Oracle Label Security in two ways: with Oracle Internet Directory integration and without Oracle Internet Directory integration.

Table 4-1 Configuration Options and Requirements for Oracle Label Security

Configuration Requirements

With Oracle Internet Directory integration

To configure Oracle Label Security with Oracle Internet Directory integration, Oracle Internet Directory must be installed in your environment and the Oracle database must be registered in the directory.

Without Oracle Internet Directory integration

If you configure Oracle Label Security (OLS) without Oracle Internet Directory integration, then you cannot configure it to use Oracle Internet Directory at a later stage. To configure Oracle Label Security with Oracle Internet Directory on your database at a later time, you must remove the OLS option on the database and configure the OLS with Oracle Internet Directory integration option.

4.1.4.3 Configuring the OraClrAgnt Service for Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

Oracle Database Extentions (ODE) for .NET depends on a Windows service to operate properly. This service is called the OraClrAgnt service.

In versions of Oracle Database prior to Oracle Database 12c, this CLR service was created automatically by the installer.
  • After installation you use the OracleClrCtl.exe utility to create, start, stop, and delete the OraClrAgnt service.
    When you use the OraClrCtl.exe utility to create the service, a new service is created named OracleHomenameClrAgent, where Homename represents an Oracle Home name. The OraClrAgnt service is configured by this tool using the Oracle Home User account specified during the Oracle Database installation.
  • Refer to Oracle Database Extensions for .NET Developer's Guide for Microsoft Windows for more information about using the OraClrCtl.exe tool and installing and configuring the OraClrAgnt service

4.1.4.4 Configuring Oracle XML DB

Oracle XML DB is a required component of the Oracle Database installation. However, you must manually configure the FTP and HTTP ports for Oracle XML DB.

4.1.5 Recompile All PL/SQL Modules

The utlrp.sql script recompiles all PL/SQL modules that might be in an invalid state, including packages, procedures, and types. Run this script immediately after creating or upgrading a database, not at a later date.

  1. (Optional) Complete setting up the Oracle Installation User environment, as described in "Setting the Oracle User Environment Variables"
  2. Log in as an Administrator user, or as the Oracle Home user.
  3. Start SQL*Plus, as follows:
    1. Click Start.
    2. Select Programs (or All Programs).
    3. Select Oracle - HOME_NAME.
    4. Select Application Development.
    5. Select SQL*Plus.
  4. Login to the database as a SYSDBA user.
  5. Run the utlrp.sql script, where Oracle_home is the Oracle home path: 
    SQL> @Oracle_home\rdbms\admin\utlrp.sql

4.1.6 Configure Storage for External Tables, Shared Files, or Directory Objects

If your Oracle RAC database uses files that are external to the database, then the external files should be located on shared storage that is accessible to all nodes.

  • Each node should use the same mount point to access the file.
    Acceptable shared file systems include Database File System (DBFS), Oracle ASM Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS), or a supported network file system (NFS) using the Direct NFS Client.
  • The database directory object used to write and read files external to the database must point to a shared storage ___location.
  • Each node must use the same mount point for the same shared storage ___location.
    For example, each node might have a directory object called DPUMP for the mount point C:\app\acfsmounts\dpump, which accesses Oracle ACFS shared storage.

Note:

There is no checking of the contents of the external files or directory object specified as part of the external table to ensure that the directory contents are consistent on each node. To avoid unpredictable results, you must ensure that the same file is accessed from all nodes, or that the same file is used on all nodes.

4.2 Recommended Postinstallation Tasks

Oracle recommends that you complete these tasks after completing an Oracle RAC installation.

4.2.1 About Using CVU Cluster Healthchecks After Installation

You can use the CVU healthcheck command to check your Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Database installations for their compliance with mandatory requirements and best practices guidelines, and to ensure that they are functioning properly.

Syntax

cluvfy comp healthcheck [-collect {cluster|database}] [-db db_unique_name]
[-bestpractice|-mandatory] [-deviations] [-html] [-save [-savedir directory_path]

Options

Option Description
-collect [cluster | database]

Use this option to specify that you want to perform checks for Oracle Clusterware (cluster) or Oracle Database (database). If you do not use the collect flag with the healthcheck command, then cluvfy comp healthcheck performs checks for both Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Database.
-db db_unique_name

Use this flag to specify checks on the database unique name that you enter after the —db option.

CVU uses JDBC to connect to the database as the user CVUSYS to verify various database parameters. For this reason, if you want checks to be performed for the database you specify with the -db option, then you must first create the CVUSYS user on that database, and grant that user the CVU-specific role, CVUSAPP. You must also grant members of the CVUSAPP role SELECT permissions on system tables. The SQL script cvusys.sql is included in the CVU_home\cv\admin directory to facilitate the creation of this user. Use this SQL script to create the CVUSYS user on all the databases that you want to verify using CVU.

If you use the -db option but do not provide a database unique name, then CVU discovers all the Oracle databases on the cluster. To perform best practices checks on these databases, you must create the CVUSYS user on each database, and grant that user the CVUSAPP role with the SELECT privileges needed to perform the best practice checks.
[-bestpractice | -mandatory] [-deviations]

  • Use the -bestpractice option to specify best practice checks

  • Use the -mandatory option to specify mandatory checks

  • Add the -deviations option to specify that you want to see only the deviations from either the best practice recommendations or the mandatory requirements

  • If you specify neither -bestpractice or -mandatory, then both best practices and mandatory requirements are displayed.

You can specify either the -bestpractice or -mandatory option, but not both options.
-html

Use the -html option to generate a detailed report in HTML format.

If you specify the -html option, and a browser that is recognized by CVU is available on the system, then the browser is started and the report is displayed on the browser when the checks are complete.

If you do not specify the -html option, then the detailed report is generated in a text file.
-save [-savedir dir_path]

Use the -save or -save -savedir options to save validation reports (cvuchecdkreport_timestamp.txt and cvucheckreport_timestamp.htm), where timestamp is the time and date of the validation report.

If you use the -save option by itself, then the reports are saved in the path CVU_home\cv\report, where CVU_home is the ___location of the CVU executable files.

If you use the options -save -savedir, and enter a path where you want the CVU reports saved, then the CVU reports are saved in the path you specify.

Example 4-1 Running a Cluster Healthcheck After the Software Installation

To run a healthcheck for your Oracle Grid Infrastructure cluster, to check for any deviations from best practices, and display the results in HTML format, use the following command:

C:\> cd \app\oracle\product\12.1.0\dbhome_1\bin
C:\..bin> cluvfy comp healthcheck -html

Example 4-2 Running a Healthcheck for Oracle RAC Database

To run a healthcheck for your Oracle RAC cluster, to check best practices recommendations and mandatory requirements, and display the results in HTML format, use the following command:

C:\> cd app\12.1.0\grid\bin
C:\..bin> cluvfy comp healthcheck -html

4.2.2 Setting the Oracle User Environment Variables

Unlike on other platforms, do not set ORACLE_HOME as a fixed environment variable when running Oracle Database on Windows operating systems. This is because the Oracle software determines where executable files reside at run time.

When you invoke an Oracle executable program on Windows, for example sqlplus.exe, the ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_BASE, and ORACLE_SID variables are determined by the PATH environment variable and the ___location of the executable program (which Oracle home it resides in). To use SQL*Plus to manage a different database or Oracle ASM instance, click the Windows Start button, select the correct Oracle Home for the instance you want to manage, and then select the SQL*Plus utility.

You can use Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) to specify an Oracle home as the default Oracle home and update the PATH environment variable to point to that Oracle home. Refer to "Multiple Oracle Home Directories on Windows" for detailed instructions on how to change the default Oracle home.

4.2.3 Setting Up Additional User Accounts

You can set up additional user accounts to manage your database.

4.2.4 Configuring Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows

Oracle Administration Assistant for Windows requires the Microsoft Management Console and HTML Help 1.2 or later to run.

  • Make sure you are using Microsoft Management Console (MMC) version 3.0 or later.
    MMC version 3.0 is available with Windows Server 2008 and later. Oracle recommends that you use the latest version of MMC that is available.
  • Make sure you are using HTML Help 1.2 or later.

See Also:

4.3 Configuring the Oracle Home User

Under certain circumstances you may have to perform additional configuration steps for the Oracle Home user.

The additional configuration steps you might need to perform for the Oracle Home user include:

  • Creating an OCR wallet for Oracle Home user

  • Changing the password for the Oracle Home user

4.4 Oracle Configuration Manager Postinstallation Configuration for Oracle RAC

If you have installed Oracle Configuration Manager, then you must run a script to create a database account to collect database configuration collections.

You must create this database account in both Connected and Disconnected modes. The database account stores the PL/SQL procedures that collect the configuration information, and the account owns the database management system (DBMS) job that performs the collection. After the account has been set up, the account is locked because login privileges are no longer required.
  • Run the the script installCCRSQL.exe.

    The script installCCRSQL.exe creates an Oracle Configuration Manager user and loads the PL/SQL procedure into the database defined by the ORACLE_SID environment variable. For Oracle RAC, you must run the database script against only one instance, such as the local instance on which you performed the installation. However, Oracle Configuration Manager must be installed in all instance homes.

    You can also specify the database SID by using the -s option in the command line, as in the following example, where the SID is orcl:

    %ORACLE_HOME%/ccr/admin/scripts/installCCRSQL.exe collectconfig -s orcl

    By default, the connection to the database is through OS authentication, "/as sysdba." To specify a different SYSDBA user and password, you can use these options:

    -r SYSDBA-USER: The login name of the SYSDBA user

    -p SYSDBA-PASSWORD: The password for the SYSDBA user

    Note:

    • If you specify the user name without specifying the password (with the -p parameter), then the script prompts you to enter the password.

    • If you specify only the password without specifying the user name, then the script uses the user SYS by default.

See Also:

Oracle Configuration Manager Installation and Administration Guide for more information

4.5 Enabling and Disabling Database Options After Installation

When you install Oracle Database, some options are enabled and the others disabled. You can view the enabled Oracle Database options by querying the V$OPTION view using SQL*Plus.

See Also:

Oracle Database Administrator's Guide

If you need to enable or disable a particular database feature for an Oracle home, then use the chopt tool. The chopt tool is a command-line utility that is located in the ORACLE_HOME\bin directory. The syntax for chopt is as follows:

chopt [ enable | disable] db_option

The possible values for db_option described in the following table.

Table 4-2 Database Options for Chopt Tool Command

Value Description

oaa

Oracle Advanced Analytics

olap

Oracle OLAP

partitioning

Oracle Partitioning

rat

Oracle Real Application Testing

ode_net

Oracle Database Extensions for .NET

Example 4-3 Running the Chopt Tool

To enable the Oracle Data Mining RDBMS Files option in your Oracle binary files:

  1. Shut down the database with srvctl or SQL*Plus:

    srvctl stop database -d myDb

  2. Stop the database service, OracleServiceSID, using the Services program in Control Panel.

  3. Run the following commands:

    cd ORACLE_HOME/bin
chopt enable dm

  4. Start the database service, OracleServiceSID, using the Services program in Control Panel.

  5. Start up the database:

    srvctl start database -d myDb