This chapter describes how to create and manage databases on Oracle Database Appliance. It also covers how to use Oracle Database Appliance solid-state drives (SSDs) and how to update and upgrade Oracle Database on Oracle Database Appliance.
Topics:
Manage and maintain Oracle Database Appliance components using the Oracle Appliance Manager Command-Line Utility (OAKCLI).
Oracle Database Appliance provides its own command-line tool, OAKCLI, to manage all components on the system. Use OAKCLI commands for the following tasks:
Create, upgrade, and patch databases
Create and upgrade Oracle homes
Create and modify database creation parameter files
Many tasks related to managing Oracle Databases are also required with databases on Oracle Database Appliance. Tasks common to Oracle Database generally are described in the Oracle Database documentation library. However, to simplify database creation and related tasks, use the OAKCLI utility. The OAKCLI utility combines the capabilities of the SYS database administrator role and the operating system Superuser (root user). Always perform administrative tasks using the OAKCLI utility.
Caution:
Do not use Oracle Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) to create databases on Oracle Database Appliance. Only use Oracle Appliance Manager for database configuration. Deploying Oracle Database instances using Oracle Appliance Manager ensures that these databases are properly configured, optimized, and supported on Oracle Database Appliance.Review the Oracle Database features that are available with Oracle Database Appliance.
Topics:
Use the Oracle Database Appliance plug-in for Oracle Enterprise Manager to monitor Oracle Database Appliance targets that are configured in Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.
When you install the Oracle Database Appliance plug-in with Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 12c or Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control 13c, you can Monitor Oracle Database Appliance targets. The plug-in provides configuration and monitoring information about any Oracle Database Appliance target running Appliance Manager 12.1.2.2 or later.
See Oracle Enterprise Manager Plug-in for Oracle Database Appliance User's Guide for more information about the plug-in.
Related Topics
You can use Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express, also known as EM Express, to manage your database.
Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express is a web-based tool for managing Oracle Database 12c. Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express is installed with Oracle Database on the Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express provides the following features:
Support for basic administrative tasks, such as storage and user management
Comprehensive solutions for performance diagnostics and tuning
Performance advisors in a graphic user interface
Oracle Database utilities in a graphic user interface, such as SQL*Loader and Oracle Recovery Manager (RMAN)
Oracle Database Appliance supports the use of standard Oracle Database loading and migration tools.
If you are loading data or migrating data from an existing database to Oracle Database Appliance, then you can use the standard Oracle Database loading and migration tools. These tools include the following:
Oracle GoldenGate
SQL*Loader
Oracle Data Pump
transportable tablespaces
RMAN
You can also use the RMAN utility to back up and recover databases on Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Clusterware provides the clustering infrastructure for Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Clusterware provides the cluster technology required for Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC). In addition, Oracle Clusterware manages applications and processes as resources that you register with Oracle Clusterware, to provide high availability services. The number of resources that you register with Oracle Clusterware to manage an application depends on the application. Applications that consist of only one process are usually represented by only one resource. More complex applications that use multiple processes or components can require multiple resources to maintain high availability.
Oracle RAC One Node is available with Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Real Application Clusters One Node (Oracle RAC One Node) is a single instance of an Oracle RAC database that runs on one node in a cluster. Instead of stopping and starting instances, you can use the Oracle RAC One Node online database relocation feature to relocate an Oracle RAC One Node instance to another server.
Administration of Oracle RAC One Node databases on Oracle Database Appliance is different from administering Oracle RAC or single-instance Oracle Databases. For Oracle RAC One Node databases, one node is the primary node, and the other node is a candidate node, which is available to accommodate services if the primary node fails, or is shut down for maintenance. The nodes, Oracle Databases, and database services reside in the generic server pool.
Related Topics
Oracle Database Appliance supports administrator-managed Oracle RAC Databases.
Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) provides technology that links two or more individual computers so that they function as one system. Oracle RAC deployed on Oracle Database Appliance enables each node to share access to a database. If one node fails or is taken offline, then the other node continues operating and the entire Oracle RAC database remains available.
Oracle Database Appliance currently supports only administrator-managed databases, where the database administrator allocates each instance of the database to a specific node in the cluster. Oracle Database Appliance does not support Policy-managed databases, where the database administrator defines the number of database instances required, but not the nodes where they run.
When you review the database resource for an administrator-managed database, you see a server pool defined with the same name as the Oracle Database. This server pool is part of a special Oracle-defined server pool, called the Generic server pool. The Generic server pool stores any server that is not in a top-level server pool and is not policy managed. Servers that host administrator-managed databases are statically assigned to the Generic server pool. Oracle RAC manages the Generic server pool to support administrator-managed databases. You cannot use SRVCTL or Oracle Clusterware Control (CRSCTL) utility commands to modify the Generic server pool.
Oracle Database Appliance configuration creates operating system groups and users whose members are granted system administration privileges on the appliance.
During configuration, two administrative accounts are created for Oracle Database Appliance: the user grid, with a user ID (UID) of 1000, and the user oracle, with a UID of 1001. The user grid is the Oracle Grid Infrastructure installation owner. The user oracle is the Oracle Database installation owner, and the owner of all Oracle Database homes (Oracle homes). By default, these users are members of operating system groups whose members are granted privileges to start up and administer Oracle Database and Oracle Automatic Storage Management.
The following table describes the Oracle system privileges groups, and information about the operating system authentication groups:
Table 2-1 Operating System Groups and Users on Oracle Database Appliance
| Oracle System Privileges | Group Name | Group ID (GID) | grid is a member | oracle is a member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Inventory group (OINSTALL) |
|
1001 |
yes (primary group) |
yes (primary group |
| OSDBA group |
|
1002 |
no |
yes |
| OSOPER for Oracle RAC group |
|
1003 |
yes |
yes |
| OSDBA for ASM group |
|
1004 |
yes |
yes |
| OSOPER for ASM group |
|
1005 |
yes |
no |
| OSASM Group for Oracle ASM |
|
1006 |
yes |
no |
If you create an initial database during deployment, then the password for the SYS and SYSTEM users is welcome1. Change this password for both users as soon as possible after configuration to prevent unauthorized access to your database using these privileged accounts.
Use the Oracle Appliance Manager Command Line Interface (OAKCLI) to create and manage databases on Oracle Database Appliance.
Topics:
Create additional Oracle Databases using the Oracle Appliance Manager Command-Line Utility (OAKCLI) to ensure that your database is configured optimally for Oracle Database Appliance.
OAKCLI assists you to deploy Oracle Databases that follow Optimal Flexible Architecture guidelines. The Optimal Flexible Architecture standard provides best practices configurations to help to ensure database deployments that are easier to support and maintain. Optimal Flexible Architecture includes the following
Structured organization of directories and files, and consistent naming for critical database files, such as control files, redo log files, and other critical files, which simplifies database administration.
Separation of tablespace contents to minimize tablespace free space fragmentation, and maximize administrative flexibility
Stripe and Mirror Everything (SAME) deployment, which safeguards against database failures
Refer to "Optimal Flexible Architecture" in Oracle Database Installation Guide for Linux for more information about Optimal Flexible Architecture.
Start the OAKCLI utility by using the command oakcli create database to create additional databases on Oracle Database Appliance.
When you run this command, respond to each prompt by entering the number that corresponds with the option you want to apply to your database. When a default is supplied, and the default is the value you want to use (typically shown as option 1), click Enter to accept that value. When there are many options, and the value you want is not displayed, press 0 to show all of the options.
Related Topics
You can use OAKCLI to create and use configuration files to deploy databases on Oracle Database Appliance. Also use OAKCLI to remove unwanted configuration files.
Use the Oracle Appliance Manager Command-Line Utility (OAKCLI) ommand option oakcli create db_config_params to create a configuration file that you can use to configure multiple Oracle Database deployments. The command uses the following syntax, where params_file is the name of the configuration file that you want to create:
oakcli create db_config_params params_file
When you run oakcli create db_config_params, you are prompted to select one of a set of available parameter setting options to use in the configuration file. Respond to each prompt by entering the number that corresponds to the configuration that you want to use to set up your databases. If there is a default value, and you want to use this value (typically option 1), then press Enter to accept that value. If there are many options, then you may need to select option 0 to show all of the available parameter options.
To see your existing database configuration files, use the commandoakcli show db_config_params command. For example
# oakcli show db_config_params Available DB configuration files are: default eurodbs 4kblockdbs mytest.params
Configuration files using the default extension .dbconf do not show the extension in this command output. Oracle recommends that you use this default file extension to simplify file management. If you create a configuration file that does not use the .dbconf default extension, then the nondefault extension is shown as part of the output of oakcli show db_config_params.
To use a database configuration file to create a single Oracle Database, or to use the command to create many Oracle Database instances with the identical profile, use the following command syntax, where db_name is the name of the database that you want to create, and params_file is the name of the parameter configuration file that you want to use to configure the database:
oakcli create database -db db_name -params params_file
For example, this command creates the database named myxldb, using the parameter configuration file myxldb.dbconf:
oakcli create database -db myxldb -params myxldb.dbconf
After you have completed using configuration files, you can delete files that you do not plan to use again.
Remove unwanted database configuration files using the following command syntax, where params_file is the name of the parameter configuration file that you want to delete:
oakcli delete db_config_params params_file
As with other Oracle Database Appliance Manager commands related to database configuration files, you do not need to include the parameter configuration filename extension if your file has the default extension value, which is .dbconf.
You can use OAKCLI to create snapshot databases.
An Oracle snapshot database is created by taking a snapshot of the Oracle ASM Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS) where the source data files reside. The source database can be a single instance, Oracle RAC, or Oracle RAC One Node. Compared to other methods of creating copies of databases, snapshot databases require less time and storage space and involve no downtime of the source database. Additionally, you can create any database type and class from any other type and class. For example, you can create an Oracle RAC database from an Oracle RAC One Node database. Similarly, you can create a database that is different in size than the source database.
On Oracle Database Appliance, you can create snapshot databases from any Oracle Database instance stored on Oracle ACFS. Beginning with Oracle Database Appliance release 12.1.2.0.0, you can create snapshot databases with Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2.0.4) or later databases created or upgraded on the system.
Snapshot database candidates must meet the following requirements:
They must not be a standby or container database
They must not be running in read-only mode, or in restricted mode, or in online backup mode
They must be in ARCHIVELOG mode
They must have all defined data files available and online
They must not use centralized wallets with Transparent Data Encryption.
Also, ensure that the system clocks on the two Oracle Database Appliance nodes are synchronized before you create a snapshot database. If the clocks are significantly different, then the command can fail.
To create a snapshot database, use the command oakcli create snapshotdb. The following example creates a snapshot database named snapprod from the database named prod.
oakcli create snapshotdb -db snapprod -from prod
Caution:
Oracle Database Appliance does not support centralized wallets with Transparent Data Encryption. Recovery of encrypted data may fail in the snapshot database if the source database relies on an external, centralized wallet.
Oracle provides utilities to enable you to convert your existing single-instance databases to Oracle Real Application Clusters or Oracle RAC One Node databases.
Use the procedures for converting your single-instance database as described in Oracle Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide. You can convert a single-instance database either to Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC), or to Oracle RAC One Node.
For example, you can use RCONFIG to convert your single instance Oracle Database.
Open the template fileConvertToRAC_AdminManaged.xml, and modify it as required for your migration, in accordance with the instructions in the file. Then save the file with a new filename. The information you provide determines how your converted database is configured. The template file is located in the following path:
$ORACLE_HOME/sampleXMLs/ConvertToRAC_AdminManaged.xml
Refer to the section "Converting Single-Instance Oracle Databases to Oracle RAC and Oracle RAC One Node" in Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation and Configuration Guide for more information.
Review this topic to understand Oracle requirements for multiple Oracle home support.
The Oracle home is the directory in which you install Oracle Database binaries, and from which Oracle Database runs. Use Oracle Appliance Manager OAKCLI commands to create and manage multiple Oracle homes and databases on Oracle Database Appliance. Oracle Database Appliance Manager automatically creates an Oracle Database Oracle home that is compliant with Oracle’s Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) standards.
Oracle Database Appliance supports multiple Oracle homes, including support of different release Oracle Database homes. Check the related readme files or the Release Notes to obtain information about the specific Oracle software releases supported for your Oracle Database Appliance platform.
When you use OAKCLI commands to create multiple homes on Oracle Database Appliance, the commands start the Oracle Grid Infrastructure cloning process. In Oracle Database Appliance deployments, the user oracle is the software installation owner account that owns the Oracle homes.
Note:
If you are not upgrading from an earlier release, then download the Oracle Database Appliance End-User Bundle for the Oracle Database version that you want to install.
Use OAKCLI commands to create, manage, patch, and upgrade multiple databases on Oracle Database Appliance. The command oakcli create database enables you to create a database with minimal user input. When you run this command without any additional options, the command creates a new database home. You can also create a database in an existing home by running the command oakcli create database -oh oracle_home, where oracle_home is the Oracle home in which you want to create the Oracle Database.
Caution:
Do not apply Oracle Database patches directly to Oracle Databases on Oracle Database Appliance. Only use Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles, which are tested to work across the whole software stack.
Only use oakcli commands to create new databases in either existing Oracle homes, or in new Oracle homes.
Related Topics
Download an Oracle Database Appliance End-User RDBMS Clone file onto your local machine to create a new database home.
There are no base clone files for 12.1.0.2.170117, 11.2.0.4.161018, or 11.2.0.3.15. In an environment patched to at least Oracle Database Appliance 12.1.2.10.0, you can update the existing database to 12.1.0.2.170117, 11.2.0.4.161018, or 11.2.0.3.15.
Perform the following steps to create new dbhomes for these releases:
Download 12.1.0.2.170117, 11.2.0.4.161018, or 11.2.0.3.15 clone file.
Unpack the clone file with the command oakcli unpack -package.
Create a new dbhome for 12.1.0.2.170117, 11.2.0.4.161018, or 11.2.0.3.15.
# oakcli create dbhome –version <version_number
Create the databases for the new dbhome.
Use instance caging to manage your system resources on Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Database provides a method for managing CPU allocations on a multi-CPU server that runs multiple database instances. This method is called instance caging. Instance caging uses an initialization parameter to limit the number of CPUs that an instance can use simultaneously.
Instance caging and Oracle Database Resource Manager (the Resource Manager) work together to support your desired service levels across multiple instances. Consolidation can minimize idle resources, maximize efficiency, and lower costs.
Oracle Database Appliance templates are already tuned for the size of each database instance workload. They are designed to run on a specific number of cores. Instance caging ensures that each database workload is restricted to the set of cores allocated by the template, enabling multiple databases to run concurrently with no performance degradation, up to the capacity of Oracle Database Appliance. You can select database template sizes larger than your current needs to provide for planned growth.
Note:
Oracle strongly recommends that you use the Oracle Database Appliance templates, because they implement best practices and are configured specifically for Oracle Database Appliance.
The Oracle Database Appliance Manager interface refers to the database sizing templates as database classes.
By default, instance caging is not enabled on Oracle Database Appliance. To enable instance caging, set the initialization parameter, RESOURCE_MANAGER_PLAN, for each database on Oracle Database Appliance. The parameter specifies the plan to be used by the Resource Manager for the current instance. Setting this parameter directs the Resource Manager to allocate core resources among databases. If a plan is not specified with this parameter, then the Resource Manager and instance caging are not enabled.
Instance caging allocation of core resources is enabled in accordance with the Oracle Database Appliance database template size that you select for each database. The CPU_COUNT initialization parameter is set in the template. Use the CPU_COUNT setting that matches the size of each database to consolidate, and follow the standard instructions for configuring instance caging.
Oracle Database Appliance includes solid-state drives (SSDs) to enhance storage performance.
Oracle Database Appliance includes solid-state drives (SSDs) to enhance the performance of certain operations. SSDs increase the speed of storage operations by accelerating redo log writes, caching database data more efficiently than standard disk drives, and improving read/write (I/O) performance for database files.
Accelerating Redo Log Writes
Oracle Database Appliance contains four dedicated SSDs in slots 20 through 23 specifically for database redo logs. An Oracle ASM disk group named +REDO with High Redundancy is provisioned during the deployment process to accelerate database redo log write operations and improve latency. Databases automatically utilize these SSDs, and no other files can be hosted on them.
Caching Database Data
Oracle Database Appliance X5-2 introduces four additional 400 GB SSDs in slots 16 through 19 that can be used to host database files, or as a database flash cache in addition to the buffer cache.
An Oracle ASM disk group named +FLASH with Normal Redundancy is provisioned on these SSDs. All of the storage in the +FLASH disk group is allocated to an Oracle ASM Dynamic Volume (flashdata), and formatted as an Oracle ACFS file system. Storage in this flashdata file system is then made available as an Oracle ACFS file system and is used to create database flash cache files that accelerate read operations. The file that contains the flash cache is automatically created for each database and is specified using the database init.ora parameter db_flash_cache_file. By default, db_flash_cache_size is set to 3 times the size of SGA, up to 196 GB, unless there is not enough space, in which case the size parameter is set to 0. After you change the db_flash_cache_size parameter, you must restart the database to use the newly sized flash cache.
Improving I/O Performance for Database Files
Oracle Database Appliance Manager Configurator and Oracle Appliance Manager (OAKCLI) both give you the option to configure your appliance to store entire databases in flash memory using the flash data Oracle ACFS file system on 400 GB SSDs. These SSDs are also used for the database flash cache.
The OAKCLI command oakcli create database gives you the option to create the database using the SSD drives for data file storage. If there is not enough space available in the +FLASH disk group, then the oakcli create database command does not prompt you with the option to store the database data files on the SSD drives. Database files instead are created automatically in the +DATA disk group. You can also store database data files on both flash and hard disk drives. However, you must manage this storage allocation manually. Oracle recommends that you attempt to manage your files on both flash and hard disk files only if you have an advanced storage administrator understanding of database usage patterns
Your Oracle Database must meet the following requirements to use SSDs for data file storage:
Oracle Databases must be release 11.2.0.4 or later
The database types must be OLTP
Oracle Databases stored completely in the +FLASH storage space must be non-container databases (non-CDBs).
There must be 160 GB of available space in the +FLASH disk group.
Review the information in these topics to select the procedure for upgrading and updating your Oracle Database release.
Topics:
Use Oracle Database Appliance bundles to upgrade or update Oracle Database instances, as well as other components and features of Oracle Database Appliance.
Oracle Database Appliance upgrades and updates use specially developed Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles. Only use these patch bundles to perform upgrades and updates on Oracle Database Appliance.
Use the appropriate Oracle Database Appliance patch bundle for your appliance. Typically, Oracle recommends that you use the latest Oracle Database Appliance patch bundle.
Oracle Database Appliance patch bundles can include updates and upgrades to Oracle Database software, and updates and upgrades to other components of Oracle Database Appliance, including updates to Infrastructure (infra) and Grid Infrastructure (gi) components.
For information about Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundles, known issues, and workarounds, see the Oracle Database Appliance Release Notes. Also refer to the patch readme file.
Use this example to understand steps required to update Oracle Database 12c release 1 (12.1) releases on Oracle Database Appliance.
You use Oracle Appliance Manager (OAKCLI) to update Oracle Database installations. In this scenario, you have updated two databases to Oracle Database 12c release 1 12.1.0.2.161018 when you ran the Oracle Database Appliance 12.1.2.6 Patch Bundle, but you have not updated two other Oracle Database instances that are patched at Oracle Database 12c release 1 (12.1.0.2.4). This procedure describes how to update databases manually after the patch bundle.
The Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundle for Oracle Database uses a new numbering sequence. The Oracle Database update for Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundle 12.1.2.6 is 12.1.0.2.161018.
Use this example to understand steps required to upgrade Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) releases on Oracle Database Appliance.
You use Oracle Appliance Manager (OAKCLI) to upgrade Oracle Database installations. In this scenario, you have upgraded the Oracle Database Appliance infrastructure and Oracle Grid Infrastructure to Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundle 12.1.2.6, but you have not upgraded Oracle Database installations. This procedure describes how to upgrade Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2) databases.
The Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundle upgrade for Oracle Database uses a new numbering sequence. The Oracle Database upgrade for Oracle Database Appliance Patch Bundle 11.1.2.9 is 11.2.0.4.161018.
Before you start this procedure, you must complete the following tasks:
Completed running the Oracle Database Appliance 12.1.2.6 Patch Bundle for infrastructure and Oracle Grid Infrastructure.
Configured at least one Oracle Database Appliance database home for release 11.2.0.4.161018.
You configure an Oracle Database home using Oracle Appliance Manager, either as part of your patch bundle update initially, or as a manual procedure using the command oakcli create dbhome. You can run multiple Oracle Database instances on one Oracle Database home, to save storage space and obtain greater ease of management, or you can run Oracle Database instances in individual Oracle Database homes, for greater flexibility.
You must always have an Oracle Database Appliance database home for the database release to which you want to upgrade. In a new 12.1.2.9 deployment, a new 11.2.0.4.161018 Oracle Database home is set up for you automatically. If you are updating from an earlier release, then you must create at least one 11.2.0.4.161018 Oracle Database home manually using oakcli create dbhome.