B Noninteractive Installation and Configuration

B.1.1 What Is a Response File?

A response file contains answers to installation questions that otherwise would be provided by the user in an interactive installation session. Each answer is stored as a value for a variable that is identified in the response file. For example, values for ORACLE_HOME or Install Type can be set automatically within the response file. Response file templates are generated by the installation developer. The response file template for the installation of the product can be found on the ship set (CD-ROM number 1) under the device:[Disk1.response] directory. You should be able to find one for your choice of install type (for example, enterprise.rsp for an Enterprise Edition server installation, or custom.rsp for a custom installation).

B.1.2 Why Perform a Silent Installation?

Silent installations can be useful if you need to install an Oracle product multiple times on multiple computers, or if you prefer not to use the GUI because of performance reasons over a slow remote X connection. If the options that you select while installing on each computer are always the same, then you save the time of reviewing each installation screen and selecting the various installation options.

Silent installations can also ensure that multiple users in your organization use the same installation options when they install Oracle products. You can therefore more easily support those users because you already know what components and options have been installed on each computer.

Before you perform a silent installation, you should review the settings in the response file template that is provided with the Oracle product.

B.1.3 Modifying a Response File

If the product installation includes a response file template, then you can find it on the ship set (CD-ROM) in the device:[Disk1.response] directory. For a list of response files, refer to Section B.1.3.1, "List of Response File Names". Mandatory items have the following comment just before the definition:

# OPENVMS_VALUE_REQUIRED

Three values must be provided:

• FROM_LOCATION

• ORACLE_HOME

• ORACLE_HOME_NAME

FROM_LOCATION is the complete path of the source of the products to be installed (in other words, to the [.Disk1.stage]products.xml file) from CD-ROM number 1. If contents of CDs were copied to a local device, then specify that path. ORACLE_HOME is the directory into which the Oracle software will be installed. The account from which Oracle Universal Installer is run must have appropriate privileges to create a root-level directory if the directory that was specified for ORACLE_HOME does not already exist.

To modify the response file:

1. Make a copy of the response file for the product, and open it in a text editor.

2. Search for the three items that are listed in the preceding paragraph (or for the string OPENVMS_VALUE_REQUIRED), and provide values for those items.

3. Modify other fields as applicable (refer to comments within the response file that you are modifying).

B.2.1 Creating the oraInst.loc File

If you plan to install Oracle products noninteractively, then you must manually create the oraInst.loc file, if it does not already exist. This file specifies the location of the Oracle Inventory directory where Oracle Universal Installer creates the inventory of Oracle products that are installed on the system.

To create the oraInst.loc file, perform the following steps:

1. Set default directory to the Oracle oraInventory directory.

   set def disk:[oraInventory_dir]
   
   

2. Use a text editor to create the oraInst.loc file, containing the following lines:

   inventory_loc=oraInventory_location
   inst_group=group_id
   
   

   In this example, oraInventory_location is the locationof the Oracle Inventory directory, and group_id is the group ID of the Oracle OpenVMS account.

3. Set the file protection on the oraInst.loc file as follows:

   $ set file/prot=(o:rwed,s:rwed,g:rwe,w:re) oraInventory_directory:oraInst.loc
   

B.2.2 Preparing Response Files

Oracle provides response file templates for each product and installation type and for each configuration tool. These files are located in the response directory on the CD-ROM or the [.db.response] directory on the DVD.

Table B-1 lists the response files that are provided with Oracle Database 10g.

To prepare a response file:

1. Copy the response file from the response file directory to a directory on the system:

   $ copy [src_path]response_file dest_path
   
   

   In this example, src_path is the CD-ROM mount point directory or the db directory on the DVD. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, then you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

2. Open the response file in a text editor:

   $ ed [dest_path]response_file
   
   

3. Edit the file by following the instructions in the file.

   
   

   Note: Oracle Universal Installer or the configuration assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file. Refer to Section G.6, "Silent Response File Error Handling" for more information about troubleshooting a failed noninteractive installation.

   
   

B.2.3 Running Oracle Universal Installer Noninteractively

To run Oracle Universal Installer noninteractively, enter a command similar to the following:

$ [directory_path]runInstaller [-silent] -responseFile filename

In this command:

• directory_path is either the disc directory path, or the path of the Disk1 directory on the hard drive

• -silent specifies a completely noninteractive installation

• filename is the full path and file name of the installation response file that you configured

B.5.1 Using DBCA in Noninteractive Mode

In noninteractive mode, DBCA uses values that you specify in the response file or as command line options to create a database. As DBCA configures and starts the database, it displays a screen that contains status messages and a progress bar. The screen that it displays is the same screen that is displayed when you create a preconfigured database during an Enterprise Edition installation.

To run DBCA in noninteractive mode, you must use a graphical display and set the DISPLAY.

B.5.2 Using DBCA in Silent Mode

In silent mode, DBCA uses values that you specify in the response file or as command-line options to create a database. DBCA does not display any screens or information while it creates the database. It logs all messages (including information, errors, and warnings) in a log file.

From the command line, enter the following command to see all of the DBCA options that are available when you use the silent mode:

$ @ora_root:[bin]dbca.com -help

B.5.3 Running DBCA in Noninteractive or Silent Mode

To run DBCA in noninteractive or silent mode, use the following steps:

$ @ORA_ROOT:[bin]dbca

1. Copy the dbca.rsp response file template from the response file directory to a directory on the system:

   $ copy [src_path]dbca.rsp dest_path
   
   

   In this example, src_path is the CD-ROM directory or the db directory on the DVD. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, then you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

2. Open the response file in a text editor as follows:

   $ ed netca.rsp
   
   

3. Edit the file by following the instructions in the file.

   
   

   Note: DBCA stops if you do not correctly configure the response file.

   
   

4. Log in as the Oracle software owner user (typically oracle) and set the ORACLE_HOME logical to specify the correct Oracle home directory.

5. If you intend to run DBCA in noninteractive mode, then set the DISPLAY.

6. Enter a command similar to the following to run DBCA in noninteractive or silent mode with a response file:

   $ @ORA_ROOT:[bin]dbca {-progressOnly | -silent} [-cloneTemplate] -
   [-datafileDestination /datafilepath] -responseFile /local_dir/dbca.rsp
   
   

   In the example:

   • -silent indicates that you want to run DBCA in silent mode.

   • -progressOnly indicates that you want to run DBCA in noninteractive mode.

   • -cloneTemplate is required if you want to create one of the following preconfigured databases:

     • General Purpose

     • Transaction Processing

     • Data Warehouse

   • -datafileDestination specifies the parent directory where you want to create the database files. If you do not specify this option, then the parent directory for database files is the ora_root:[oradata] directory.

   • local_dir is the full path of the directory where you copied the dbca.rsp response file template.

The following sections contain examples that illustrate the use of silent mode.

DBCA Silent Mode Example 1: Creating a Clone Database

To create a clone database, enter the following in SYS$SCRATCH:DBCA.ARGS:

-silent 
-createDatabase 
-templateName Transaction_Processing.dbc 
-gdbname ora10 
-sid ora10 
-datafileJarLocation /disk$disk1/oracle10g/ora10/assistants/dbca/templates 
-datafileDestination /disk$disk1/oracle10g/ora10/oradata 
-responseFile NO_VALUE 
-characterset WE8ISO8859P1 

Then, ensure that the ORACLE_HOME environment is set up by running:

$ @ORACLE_HOMEorauser

For example:

$ @Disk$disk1:[oracle10g.ora10]orauser

Next, start DBCA. Log files are located in the same place as with an interactive install. In this example:

Disk$disk1:[oracle10g.ora10.admin.ora10.create]

In addition, check the ORA_ROOT:[assistants.dbca.logs] directory.

DBCA Silent Mode Example 2: Creating a Seed Template

To create a seed template, enter the following in SYS$SCRATCH:DBCA.ARGS:

-silent
-createCloneTemplate
-sourceDB ora10
-sysDBAUserName sys
-sysDBAPassword change_on_install
-templateName copy_of_ora10
-datafileJarLocation /disk$disk1/oracle10g/ora10/assistants/dbca/templates

Then, ensure that the ORACLE_HOME environment is set up by running the orauser script, start DBCA. Log files for creating a seed template are located in the ORA_ROOT:[assistants.dbca.logs] directory.