Contents

Title and Copyright Information

List of Figures

List of Tables

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Preface

What's New in Oracle Cluster Software?

New Terminology

Installation and Configuration

Cache Fusion and Resource Management

SRVCTL Utility

Storage

Oracle Enterprise Manager

Listener Load Balancing and Failover for Dedicated Servers

Diagnostic Features

Discovery

High Availability Features

Shutdown Transactional Local Command

Quiesce Database Feature

New SQL Scripts

TRACE_ENABLED Parameter

New Parameters

Obsolete Parameters

New Views

Replacement Views

Previous Cluster Software Product Features

Oracle8i Release 3 (8.1.7) New Features

Oracle8i Release 2 (8.1.6) New Features

Part I Cluster Database Processing Fundamentals

1 Introduction to Real Application Clusters

Prerequisite Knowledge

Real Applications Clusters Terminology

What is Real Applications Clusters?

Benefits of Real Applications Clusters

Scalability

High Availability

Transparency

2 Real Application Clusters Architecture

Overview of Clustered Systems Components

Real Application Clusters Software Components

Overview of Components for Clustered Systems

Cluster Manager

Failure Detection

The Node Monitor

Diagnosability Daemon

The Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Transparency in the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Distributed Architecture in the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Fault Tolerance in the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Resource Mastering in the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Resource Affinity in the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service

Example of Global Cache Service Processing

Interaction of the Global Cache Service and Global Enqueue Service with the Cluster Manager

Cluster Interconnect and Interprocess Communication (Node-to-Node)

Disk Subsystems

3 Cluster Hardware Architecture

Overview of Cluster Hardware Components

Node Components

Memory, Interconnect, and Storage

Memory Access

The High Speed IPC Interconnect

Storage Access in Clustered Systems

Uniform Disk Access

Non-Uniform Disk Access

Clusters: Nodes and the Interconnect

Interoperability with Other Systems

Part II Resource Coordination in Real Application Clusters

4 Local Resource Coordination

Overview of Resource Coordination

Resource Coordination Components

Local Concurrency Controls

Latches

Local Enqueues

Row Locks

5 Cache Fusion and the Global
Cache Service

Overview of Cache Fusion

Global Cache Service Operations

Cache Coherency

GCS Resource Modes and Roles

Resource Modes

Resource Roles

Write Protocol and Past Image Tracking

Real Application Clusters Resource Control Mechanisms

Eliminating the Need for Configuring Resources

Resource Control, Cache-to-Cache Transfer, and Cache Coherency

Cache Fusion Resource Assignment and Block Coverage

Block Access Modes and Buffer States

How Buffer States and Block Access Modes Change

Block Access Modes Can Be Compatible or Incompatible

Cache Fusion Scenarios

Requesting a Block for a Read from Another Instance: Scenario

Requesting a Changed Block for Modification: Scenario

Writing Blocks to Disk: Scenario

How the GCS Grants and Coordinates Resource Requests

Interrupt and Completion Processing

Block Access Requests are Queued

Acquisition Interrupts Communicate Block Access Request Status

Block Access Requests are Granted and Converted

Recovery in Real Applications Clusters

6 Coordination by the Global Enqueue Service

Cache Synchronization

Global Enqueue Service Concurrency Control

Concurrency for Database Global Enqueues

Global Enqueue Service Processing

Transaction Locks

Table Locks

Library Cache Locks

Dictionary Cache Locks

Database Mount Lock

Deadlock Detection in the Global Enqueue Service

Part III Implementing Real Application Clusters

7 Real Application Clusters Components

Instance and Database Components for Real Application Clusters

Real Application Clusters Processes

Cache Fusion Processing

Overview of Real Application Clusters Processes

System Change Number Processing

Lamport SCN Generation

8 Real Application Clusters Storage Considerations

Storage Issues

Datafile Storage in Real Application Clusters

Parameter File Storage in Real Application Clusters

Redo Log File Storage in Real Application Clusters

Rollback Segments in Real Application Clusters

Space Management and Free List Groups

How Oracle Handles Free Space

Free Lists and Free List Groups

Free List Group Examples

Basic Free List Group Example

Complex Free List Group Example

Controlling Extent Allocation

Automatic Allocation of New Extents

9 Scalability in Real Application Clusters

Scalability Features of Real Application Clusters

Enhanced Throughput: Scale Up

Speed-Up and Scale Up: The Goals of Cluster Database Processing

Where are Cluster Databases Advantageous?

Transaction Systems

Decision Support Systems

Oracle Parallel Execution on Real Application Clusters

Levels of Scalability

Network Scalability

Operating System Scalability

Database Management System Scalability

Part IV High Availability

10 High Availability Concepts and Best Practices

Understanding High Availability

Measuring Availability

High Availability Measurements

Causes of Downtime

Planning for High Availability

System Level Planning

Configuring Real Application Clusters for High Availability

Cluster Components and High Availability

Disaster Planning

Failure Protection Validation

Failover and Real Application Clusters

Failover Basics

Client Failover

Uses of Transparent Application Failover

Server Failover

How Failover Works

Detecting Failure

Reorganizing Cluster Membership

Performing Database Recovery

High Availability Configurations

Default n-node Configuration

Basic High Availability Configurations

Shared High Availability Node Configuration

Toward Deploying High Availability

11 Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Architecture

Overview of Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Components

Packs

PFSCTL Control Utility

Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Monitors

Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Configuration Templates

PFS Setup Utility

Concepts of Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard

Instance Roles

Preferred Primary and Secondary Nodes

Home and Foreign Nodes

Architecture of Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard

Packs

Monitors

Additional Configurations of Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard

Hub Configuration

Ring Configuration

12 Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Operation

Overview of Oracle Real Application Clusters Guard Operation

Failure of the Primary Instance

Restoring the Nodes to their Original Roles

Failure of the Secondary Instance

Failure of Both Instances

Part V Reference

A Restrictions

Compatibility Between Shared and Exclusive Mode

Export and Import Utilities

Mode Compatibility

Restrictions

Maximum Number of Blocks Allocated at a Time

Restrictions in Cluster Database Mode

B Using Multi-Block Lock Assignments (Optional)

When to Use Locks

How to Use Locks

Lock Granularity

1:1 Locks

1:n Locks

Understanding Lock Management

Example of Locks Covering Multiple Blocks

Periodicity of Locks

Forced Writing: Signaling the Need to Update

Glossary

Index