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Oracle® Application Server Installation Guide
10g Release 2 (10.1.2) for Linux on POWER
B25827-01
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3 Requirements

Before installing Oracle Application Server, ensure that your computer meets the requirements described in this chapter.

Table 3-1 Sections in This Chapter

Section Highlights

Section 3.1, "Using OracleMetaLink to Obtain the Latest Oracle Application Server Hardware and Software Requirements"


Describes how to find the most current requirements for Oracle Application Server 10g Release 2 (10.1.2).

Section 3.2, "System Requirements"


Lists requirements such as supported operating systems, processor speed, memory, disk space, and swap space.

Section 3.3, "Software Requirements"


Lists the software requirements for different versions of Linux on POWER.

Section 3.4, "Kernel Parameters"


Lists required values for kernel parameters

Section 3.5, "Ports"


Describes how to configure components to use ports other than the default ports.

Section 3.6, "Operating System Groups"


Describes why the operating system user who installs Oracle Application Server should belong to certain operating system groups.

Section 3.7, "Operating System User"


Describes why you should create an operating system user to install Oracle Application Server.

Section 3.8, "Environment Variables"


Describes how to set or unset environment variables required for installation.

Section 3.9, "The /etc/hosts File"


Describes how the installer uses the information in the hosts file. This section also describes how to specify the same information without editing the file.

Section 3.10, "Network Topics"


Describes network issues such as installing Oracle Application Server on a remote computer, using a remote CD-ROM/DVD drive, or installing from a hard disk.

Section 3.11, "Prerequisite Checks Performed by the Installer"


Lists the items checked by the installer, such as length of the Oracle home name and whether or not the Oracle home directory already contains another Oracle product.


3.1 Using OracleMetaLink to Obtain the Latest Oracle Application Server Hardware and Software Requirements

The Oracle Application Server 10g (10.1.2.0.2) hardware and software requirements included in this guide were accurate at the time this manual was released to manufacturing. For the most up-to-date information about hardware and software requirements, refer to OracleMetaLink:

http://metalink.oracle.com/

After logging into OracleMetaLink, click Certify and Availability. From the resulting Web page, you can view the latest certifications by product, platform, and product availability.

3.2 System Requirements

Table 3-2 lists the system requirements for running Oracle Application Server. The installer checks many of these requirements at the start of the installation process and warns you if any of them is not met. To save time, you can manually check only the ones that are not checked by the installer. Refer to Table 3-2 to see which requirements are not checked by the installer.

You can also run the system checks performed by the installer without doing an installation, by running the runInstaller command as shown. The runInstaller command is on the Oracle Application Server CD-ROM (Disk 1) or DVD (in the application_server directory).

CD-ROM:

prompt> mount_point/1012disk1/runInstaller -executeSysPrereqs

DVD:

prompt> mount_point/application_server/runInstaller -executeSysPrereqs

The results are displayed on the screen as well as written to a log file. For more information about the types of checks performed, refer to Section 3.11, "Prerequisite Checks Performed by the Installer".

Table 3-2 System Requirements

Item Requirement

Network

Oracle Application Server can be only installed on a computer that is connected to a network.

Checked by Installer: No

IP

IP address must be static. The installation is not supported on computers that obtain the IP addresses using DHCP.

Checked by Installer: No

Hostname

Ensure that your hostnames are not longer than 255 characters.

Processor type

POWER 5

You can check the processor type by using the following command:

# grep "cpu" /proc/cpuinfo

Checked by Installer: No

Processor speed

900 MHz or faster

You can check the processor speed by using the following command:

# grep "clock" /proc/cpuinfo

Memory

The memory requirements provided for the various installation types represents enough physical memory to install and run Oracle Application Server. However, for most production sites, you should configure at least 1 GB of physical memory. For sites with substantial traffic, increasing the amount of memory further may improve your performance. For Java applications, you should either increase the maximum heap allocated to the OC4J processes, or configure additional OC4J processes to utilize this memory. Refer to Oracle Application Server Performance Guide for details.

To determine the optimal amount of memory for your installation, the best practice is to load test your site. Resource requirements can vary substantially for different applications and different usage patterns. In addition, some operating system utilities for monitoring memory can overstate memory usage, partially due to the representation of shared memory. The preferred method for determining memory requirements is to monitor the improvement in performance resulting from the addition of physical memory in your load test.

Refer to your platform vendor documentation for information on how to configure memory and processor resources for testing purposes.

OracleAS Infrastructure:

  • OracleAS Metadata Repository and Identity Management: 1 GB

  • Identity Management only: 1 GB

  • OracleAS Metadata Repository only: 1 GB

Oracle Application Server middle tier:

  • J2EE and Web Cache: 512 MB

  • Portal and Wireless: 1 GB

  • Business Intelligence and Forms: 1 GB

OracleAS Developer Kits: 256 MB, but 512 MB recommended

Note:

To determine the amount of memory, run the following command:

prompt> grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo

Checked by Installer: Yes

Available Memory

In addition to the total memory requirement (refer to previous row), you also need to check that your computer has enough available memory during installation.

# free

The output is as follows:

total   used      free      shared    buffers    cached
Mem:   3734420    3655240   79180     142584    217192    2153260
-/+ buffers/cache:  1284788    2449632
Swap:   4193608     872528    3321080

The available memory shows up under the free column on the first line.

Checked by Installer: No

Disk space

OracleAS Infrastructure:

  • OracleAS Metadata Repository and Oracle Identity Management: 5 GB.

    You can install the data files for the OracleAS Metadata Repository database on a disk that is different from the disk where you are installing OracleAS Infrastructure. If you do this, make sure the disk for the data files has at least 3 GB of free space.

  • Oracle Identity Management only: 1.5 GB

  • OracleAS Metadata Repository only: 2 GB

  • Oracle AS Metadata Repository with data files: 5 GB

Oracle Application Server middle tier:

  • J2EE and Web Cache: 1.25 GB

  • Portal and Wireless: 1.75 GB

  • Business Intelligence and Forms: 2.25 GB

OracleAS Developer Kits: 1.25 GB

The installer may display inaccurate disk space requirement figures. Refer to these values for disk space requirements.

To determine the amount of free disk space, use the df command:

prompt> df -k dir

Replace dir with the Oracle home directory or with the parent directory if the Oracle home directory does not exist yet. For example, if you plan to install Oracle Application Server in /opt/oracle/infra, you can replace dir with /opt/oracle or /opt/oracle/infra.

Checked by Installer: No

Space in /tmp or directory

250 MB

To determine the amount of free disk space in the /tmp directory, use the df command:

prompt> df -k /tmp

If the /tmp directory does not have enough free space, you can specify a different directory by setting the TMP or TMPDIR environment variable. Refer to Section 3.8.5, "TMP and TMPDIR" for details.

Checked by Installer: Yes

Swap space

1.5 GB of available swap space

To determine the amount of available swap space, run the following command:

prompt> grep SwapTotal /proc/meminfo

If necessary, refer to your operating system documentation for information about how to configure additional swap space.

Checked by Installer: Yes

Monitor

256 color display

To determine your monitor's display capabilities, run the following command:

prompt> /usr/X11R6/bin/xdpyinfo

Look for the "depths" line. You need a depth of at least 8 (bits per pixel).

Checked by Installer: Yes

Supported browsers

Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g is supported on the following browsers:

  • Netscape 7.2

  • Mozilla 1.7. You can download Mozilla from http://www.mozilla.org.

  • Firefox 1.0.4. You can download Firefox from http://www.mozilla.org.

  • Safari 1.2 (on Apple Macintosh computers)

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 with service pack 2 or later (for windows only)

For the most current list of supported browsers, check the OracleMetaLink site:

http://metalink.oracle.com

Checked by Installer: No. However, if you access Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g using a non-supported browser, you will get a warning message.


3.2.1 Memory Requirements for Running Multiple Instances on the Same Computer

If you plan to run OracleAS Infrastructure and a middle tier on the same computer, ensure the computer meets the memory requirements listed in Table 3-3.

Note that these values have been tested against a small number of users. If you have many users, you might have to increase the amount of memory.

Table 3-3 Memory Requirements for Running Multiple Instances on the Same Computer

Description Memory

OracleAS Infrastructure plus J2EE and Web Cache

1 GB

OracleAS Infrastructure plus Portal and Wireless

1.5 GB

OracleAS Infrastructure plus Business Intelligence and Forms

1.5 GB


3.2.2 Installing from the Console or X Windows

If you are performing the installation from the console or X Windows, then add the following line to the /etc/pam.d/xdm file:

session required pam_limits.so

3.2.3 Tips for Reducing Memory Usage

If you need to reduce memory consumption:

  • Configure only the components that you need.

  • Choose the smallest middle-tier type that contains the components that you need.

  • After installation, start up only the components that you need. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for details.

  • Run Application Server Control only when you need to administer an instance. In most cases, you do not need Application Server Control running all the time.

    If you are running multiple Oracle Application Server instances on one computer, each Application Server Control can consume a lot of memory. Running Application Server Control only when you need it can free up memory for other components.

  • Configure Application Server Control so that it can manage multiple instances. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for details.

3.3 Software Requirements

Depending on your distribution of Linux, refer to one of the following sections for information on checking the software requirements:

Oracle does not support customized kernels or modules not supported by the Linux on POWER vendor.

3.3.1 Software Requirements for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0 Systems

Table 3-4 lists the software requirements for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0. The procedure that follows the table describes how to ensure that your system meets these requirements and any additional requirements for installing Oracle Application Server.


Note:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 are certified and supported. For the most current list of supported Linux Operating Systems, check OracleMetaLink:

http://metalink.oracle.com


Table 3-4 Software Requirements for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0 Systems

Item Requirements

Operating System

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0

For more information on Red Hat, refer to:

http://www.redhat.com

The minimum supported kernel versions are:

  • kernel-2.6.9-11.EL

Red Hat Update

Update 1 or later

Software packages (check that these versions or higher versions are installed)

make-3.80-5
binutils-2.15.92.0.2-13
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3-47.3
gcc-3.4.3-22.1
gcc-ppc32-3.4.3-22.1
gcc-c++-3.4.3-22.1
gcc-c++-ppc32-3.4.3-22.1
glibc-2.3.4-2.9
glibc-2.3.4-2.9 (64-Bit)
libgcc-3.4.3-22.1
libgcc-3.4.3-22.1 (64-Bit)
libstdc++-3.4.3-22.1
libstdc++-devel-3.4.3-22.1
libaio-0.3.103-3
libaio-0.3.103-3 (64-Bit)
libaio-devel-0.3.103-3 (64-Bit)
sysstat-5.0.5-1
pdksh-5.2.14-30
openmotif21-2.1.30-11.RHEL4.5
db4-4.2.52-7.1
compat-db-4.1.25-9
gdbm-1.8.0-24

C/C++ Runtime Environment

IBM XL C/C++ Advanced Edition V7.0.1 for Linux Runtime Environment Component and XL Optimization Libraries component.

You can download these components at:

(http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24007906)

IBM XL C/C++ Advanced Edition V7.0.1 for Linux Runtime Environment Component is available free of cost and without any license requirements on this site.


To ensure that the system meets all the requirements, follow these steps:

  1. Log in as the root user.

  2. To determine which distribution and version of Linux is installed, run the following command:

    # cat /etc/issue
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 4 (Nahant Update 1)
    
    
  3. To check that Update 1 or later is installed:

    # cat /etc/redhat-release
    Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 4 (Nahant Update 1)
    
    
  4. To determine whether any other package is installed, run a command similar to the following:

    # rpm -q package_name
    
    

    If a package is missing, download it and install it using the following command:

    # rpm -i package_name
    
    

    When installing a package, make sure you are using the correct architecture and optimization rpm file. To check the architecture of an rpm file, run the following command:

    # rpm -q package_name --queryformat "%{arch}\n"
    
    

    In the following example, the glibc rpm file is suitable for PPC architecture

    # rpm -q glibc --queryformat "%{arch}\n" 
    ppc 
    
    
  5. To install Apache 2.0 from the companion CD, log in as the root user. If the /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.3 file is not present, enter the following command:

    #ln -s /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.2 /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.3
    
    

3.3.2 Software Requirements for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 Systems

Table 3-5 lists the software requirements for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 systems. The procedure after the table describes how to ensure that the system meets these requirements and any additional installation requirements.


Note:

Oracle Application Server 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) is certified with the following Operating System specific software. For the most current list of supported Operating System specific software, for example JDK version, Operating System version, check OracleMetaLink:

http://metalink.oracle.com


Table 3-5 Software Requirements for SUSE Linux Enterprise Edition 9 Systems

Item Requirement

Operating System

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.

For more information on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, refer to:

http://www.suse.com.

The minimum supported kernel versions are:

  • 2.6.5-7.191-pseries64

SUSE Update : SP 2 or later

Software packages (check that these versions or higher versions are installed

binutils-2.15.90.0.1.1-32.10
binutils-64bit-9-200505240008
gcc-3.3.3-43.34
gcc-64bit-9-200505240008
gcc-c++-3.3.3-43.34
glibc-2.3.3-98.47
glibc-64bit-9-200506062240
libgcc-3.3.3-43.34
libgcc-64bit-9-200505240008
libstdc++-3.3.3-43.34
libstdc++-devel-3.3.3-43.34
libaio-0.3.102-1.2
libaio-64bit-9-200502241152
libaio-devel-0.3.102-1.2
libaio-devel-64bit-9-200502241152
make-3.80-184.1
openmotif-2.1.30-4_MLI 
sysstat-5.0.1-35.4
pdksh-5.2.14-780.7
db-4.2.52-86.3
db1-1.85-85.1
gdbm-1.8.3-228.1

C/C++ Runtime Environment

IBM XL C/C++ Advanced Edition V7.0.1 for Linux Runtime Environment Component and XL Optimization Libraries component.

You can download these components at:

(http://www-1.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg24007906)

IBM XL C/C++ Advanced Edition V7.0.1 for Linux Runtime Environment Component is available free of cost and without any license requirements on this site.


To ensure that the system meets all the requirements, follow these steps:

  1. Log in as the root user.

  2. To determine which distribution and version of Linux is installed, run the following command:

    # cat /etc/issue
    Welcome to SUSE LINUX Enterprise Server 9(ppc) - Kernel \r (\l)
    

    Note:

    Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 are certified and supported. For the most current list of supported Linux Operating Systems, check OracleMetaLink:

    http://metalink.oracle.com


  3. To determine the kernel version, run the following command:

    prompt> uname -r
    2.6.5-7.191-pseries64
    
    
  4. To determine whether any other package is installed, run a command similar to the following:

    prompt> rpm -q package_name
    
    

    If a package is missing, download it and install it using the following command:

    prompt> rpm -i package_name
    
    

    When installing a package, make sure you are using the correct architecture and optimization rpm file. To check the architecture of an rpm file, run the following command:

    prompt> rpm -q package_name --queryformat "%{arch}\n"
    
    

    In the following example, the glibc rpm file is suitable for PPC architecture

    prompt> rpm -q glibc --queryformat "%{arch}\n" 
    ppc
    
    
  5. Create the following symbolic link for the Perl executable if it does not already exist:

    prompt> ln -sf /usr/bin/perl /usr/local/bin/perl
    
    
  6. Create the following symbolic link for the fuser executable if it does not already exist:

    prompt> ln -sf /bin/fuser /sbin/fuser
    
    
  7. If the orarun package was installed on a SUSE Linux Enterprise Server system, complete the following steps as the oracle user to reset the environment:

    1. Run the following commands:

      prompt> cd /etc/profile.d 
      prompt> mv oracle.csh oracle.csh.bak
      prompt> mv oracle.sh oracle.sh.bak
      prompt> mv alljava.sh alljava.sh.bak
      prompt> mv alljava.csh alljava.csh.bak
      
      
    2. Use any text editor to comment out the following line from the $HOME/.profile file:

      . ./.oracle
      
      
    3. Log out of the oracle user account.

    4. Log into the oracle user account for the changes to take effect.

  8. If any Java packages are installed on the system, unset the Java environment variables, for example JAVA_HOME.


    Note:

    Oracle recommends that you do not install any of the Java packages supplied with the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server distribution.

  9. Check the /etc/services file to make sure that the following port ranges are available on the system:

    • ports 3060-3129 required for Oracle Internet Directory

    • ports 3130-3199 required for Oracle Internet Directory (SSL)

    • ports 1812-1829 required for Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g (console)

    • ports 1830-1849 required for Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g (agent)

    • ports 1850-1869 required for Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g (RMI)

    If necessary, removDVDe entries from the /etc/services file and restart the system. To remove the entries, you can use the perl script included in the utils/3167528/ directory of CD-ROM Disk 1 and in the application_server/utils/3167528/ directory on the DVD. Run the script as the root user. This script is also available as patch 3167528. This patch is available from:

    http://metalink.oracle.com
    
    

    If these ports are not available, the associated configuration assistants will fail during the installation.

  10. If you use Network Information Service (NIS):

    1. Make sure that the following line exists in the /etc/yp.conf file:

      hostname.domainname broadcast 
      
      
    2. Make sure that the following line exists in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file:

      hosts: files nis dns 
      
      
  11. Make sure that the localhost entry in the /etc/hosts file is an IPv4 entry. If the IP entry for localhost is IPv6 format, installation cannot succeed. The following example shows an IPv6 entry:

    # special IPv6 addresses
    ::1             localhost ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback
    ::1             ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback
    
    

    To correct this example /etc/hosts file, comment the localhost entry as follows:

    # special IPv6 addresses
    # ::1             localhost ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback
    # ::1             ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback
    
    

    To comment the entries, you can use the perl script included in the utils/4015045/ directory of CD-ROM Disk 1 and in the application_server/utils/4015045/ directory on the DVD. Run the script as the root user. This script is also available as patch 4015045. This patch is available from:

    http://metalink.oracle.com
    
    

3.4 Kernel Parameters

The computers on which you plan to install Oracle Application Server require their kernel parameters to be set to the minimum values listed in the following sections:

3.4.1 Kernel Parameter Settings for All OracleAS Installations

As a pre-installation requirement, it is mandatory to set the nofile shell limit to 2048 for all Oracle Application Server installations on IBM Linux on POWER. Complete the following tasks to increase the nofile soft shell limit:

  1. Log in as the root user and add the following line in the /etc/security/limits.conf file:

    *        soft   nofile        2048
    
    
  2. Restart the computer for the new value to take effect.

  3. Run the following command to set the nofile soft shell limit to 2048:

    prompt> ulimit -S -n 2048
    

3.4.2 Kernel Parameter Settings for OracleAS Web Cache

This section applies if you are installing OracleAS Web Cache:

  • If you are installing the J2EE and Web Cache middle tier, the OracleAS Web Cache component is optional.

  • If you are installing the Portal and Wireless middle tier, the OracleAS Web Cache component is always installed.

Complete the following tasks to set the kernel parameters for OracleAS Web Cache:

  1. Run the following command to check that the nofile kernel parameter is set to at least 65536:

    prompt> ulimit -Hn
    
    
  2. If the command returns a value less than 65536, add this line to the /etc/security/limits.conf file (use a text editor to edit the file):

    *       hard    nofile  65536
    
    

    You need to be the root user to edit the /etc/security/limits.conf file.

  3. Restart the computer for the new value to take effect.

3.4.3 Kernel Parameter Settings for OracleAS Metadata Repository

Verify that the kernel parameters shown in the following table are set either to the formula shown, or to values greater than or equal to the recommended value shown. The procedures following the table describe how to verify and set the values.


Note:

The Linux threads model creates a process for each thread. Oracle Application Server is highly multi-threaded to improve performance. On Linux, this requires that the kernel can handle many hundreds of processes.

Parameter Value File
semmsl

semmns

semopm

semmni

256

32000

100

142

/proc/sys/kernel/sem
shmall 2097152 /proc/sys/kernel/shmall
shmmax 2147483648 /proc/sys/kernel/shmmax
shmmni 4096 /proc/sys/kernel/shmmni
msgmax 8192 /proc/sys/kernel/msgmax
msgmnb 65535 /proc/sys/kernel/msgmnb
msgmni 2878 /proc/sys/kernel/msgmni
file-max 131072 /proc/sys/fs/file-max
ip_local_port_range Minimum:1024

Maximum: 65000

/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_local_port_range


Note:

  • The semmns parameter should be set to the sum of the PROCESSES initialization parameter for each Oracle database, adding the largest one twice, and then adding an additional 10 for each database.

  • If the current value for any parameter is higher than the value listed in this table, do not change the value of that parameter.


To view the current value specified for these kernel parameters, and to change them if necessary, follow these steps:

  1. Run commands similar to the following to view the current values of the kernel parameters:


    Note:

    Make a note of the current values and identify any values that you must change.

    Parameter Command
    semmsl, semmns, semopm, and semmni # /sbin/sysctl -a | grep sem

    This command displays the value of the semaphore parameters in the order listed.

    shmall, shmmax, and shmmni # /sbin/sysctl -a | grep shm

    This command displays the details of the shared memory segment sizes.

    msgmax, msgmnb, and msgmni # /sbin/sysctl -a | grep msg
    file-max # /sbin/sysctl -a | grep file-max

    This command displays the maximum number of file handles.

    ip_local_port_range # /sbin/sysctl -a | grep ip_local_port_range

    This command displays a range of port numbers.


  2. If the value of any kernel parameter is different from the recommended value, complete the following steps:

    1. Using any text editor, create or edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file and add or edit lines similar to the following:


      Note:

      Include lines only for the kernel parameter values that you want to change. For the semaphore parameters (kernel.sem), you must specify all four values. However, if any of the current values are larger than the recommended value, specify the larger value.

      kernel.shmall = 2097152
      kernel.shmmax = 2147483648
      kernel.shmmni = 4096
      # semaphores: semmsl, semmns, semopm, semmni
      kernel.sem = 256 32000 100 142
      fs.file-max = 65536
      net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 1024 65000
      kernel.msgmni = 2878
      kernel.msgmax = 8192
      kernel.msgmnb = 65535
      
      

      By specifying the values in the /etc/sysctl.conf file, they persist when you restart the system.

    2. Run the following command to change the current values of the kernel parameters.

      # /sbin/sysctl -p
      
      

      Review the output from this command to verify that the values are correct. If the values are incorrect, edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file, then run this command again.

    3. On SUSE Linux Enterprise Server only, run the following command to cause the system to read the /etc/sysctl.conf file when it restarts:

      # /sbin/chkconfig boot.sysctl on
      

3.4.4 Setting Shell Limits for the Oracle Use

To improve the performance of the software on Linux systems, you must increase the following shell limits for the oracle user:

Bourne or Bash Shell Limit Korn Shell Limit C or tcsh Shell Limit Hard Limit
nofile nofile descriptors 65536
noproc processes maxproc 16384

To increase the shell limits:

  1. Add the following lines to the /etc/security/limits.conf file:

    *        soft   nproc         2047
    *        hard   nproc         16384
    *        soft   nofile        2048
    *        hard   nofile        65536
    
    
  2. Add or edit the following line in the /etc/pam.d/login file, if it does not already exist:

    session    required     /lib/security/pam_limits.so
    
    
  3. Depending on the oracle user's default shell, make the following changes to the default shell start-up file:

    • For the Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell, add the following lines to the /etc/profile file:

      if [ $USER = "oracle" ]; then
              if [ $SHELL = "/bin/ksh" ]; then
                    ulimit -p 16384
                    ulimit -n 65536
              else
                    ulimit -u 16384 -n 65536
              fi
      fi
      
      
    • For the C shell (csh or tcsh), add the following lines to the /etc/csh.login file (or the file on SUSE systems)/etc/csh.login.local):

      if ( $USER == "oracle" ) then
              limit maxproc 16384
              limit descriptors 65536
      endif
      
      

3.5 Ports

Many Oracle Application Server components, such as Oracle HTTP Server, OracleAS Web Cache, and Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g, use ports. You can have the installer assign default port numbers, or use port numbers that you specify.

Why the Default Port for Oracle HTTP Server Is Port 7777 and Not Port 80

By default, the installer configures Oracle HTTP Server to use port 7777, not port 80. Port 7777 is the default port because on UNIX, components that use port numbers lower than 1024 require additional steps to be performed as the root user before the components can run. Because the installer does not have root access, it has to use a port greater than 1024.

If you want Oracle HTTP Server to use a different port, such as port 80, use the "static ports" feature, which enables you to specify port numbers for components. Although you can change the port number after installation, it is easier to set the port number during installation.

3.5.1 Checking If a Port Is in Use

To check if a port is being used, you can run the netstat command as follows:

prompt> netstat -an | grep portnum

3.5.2 Using Default Port Numbers

If you want to use the default port numbers for components, you do not have to do anything. Refer to Appendix C, "Default Port Numbers" for a list of the default port numbers and ranges. Make sure that at least one port is available in the port range for each component. If the installer is unable to find a free port in the range, the installation will fail.


Note:

  • In the default configuration of the /etc/services file includes ports 389 and 636 (for LDAP and LDAP/SSL). These happen to be the default ports for Oracle Internet Directory. This means that if you want to use these port numbers for Oracle Internet Directory, you must either delete or comment out these lines in the /etc/services file. To comment out a line, add a # at the beginning of the line, as shown:

    # ldap   389/tcp   # Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
    # ldap   389/udp   # Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
    # ldaps  636/tcp   # LDAP protocol over TLS/SSL (was sldap)
    # ldaps  636/udp   # LDAP protocol over TLS/SSL (was sldap)
    
    

    If you do not comment out or remove the lines from /etc/services, then the installer will not assign ports 389 and 636. It assigns a number from the port number range for Oracle Internet Directory. Refer to Appendix C, "Default Port Numbers" for a list of default port numbers.

  • The installer will not assign port numbers that are specified in the /etc/services file. If you do not want the installer to assign a specific port number, then add the port number to the /etc/services file. For example, if you want to reserve port 7777 for an application, you can add something like the following line to /etc/services:

    myApplication      7777/tcp
    
    

    The installer will not assign port 7777 to any component if this line exists in the /etc/services file.


3.5.3 Using Custom Port Numbers (the "Static Ports" Feature)

To instruct the installer to assign custom port numbers for components:

  1. Create a file containing the component names and port numbers. Section 3.5.3.1, "Format of the staticports.ini File" describes the file format. This file is typically called the staticports.ini file, but you can name it anything you want.

  2. In the installer, on the Specify Port Configuration Options screen, select Manual and enter the full path to the staticports.ini file.

    If you do not specify the full path to the file, the installer will not be able to find the file. The installer will then assign default ports for all the components, and it will do this without displaying any warning.

3.5.3.1 Format of the staticports.ini File

The staticports.ini file has the following format. Replace port_num with the port number that you want to use for the component.

# J2EE and Web Cache
Oracle HTTP Server port = port_num
Oracle HTTP Server Listen port = port_num
Oracle HTTP Server SSL port = port_num
Oracle HTTP Server Listen (SSL) port = port_num
Oracle HTTP Server Diagnostic port = port_num
Java Object Cache port = port_num
DCM Java Object Cache port = port_num
DCM Discovery port = port_num
Oracle Notification Server Request port = port_num
Oracle Notification Server Local port = port_num
Oracle Notification Server Remote port = port_num
Application Server Control port = port_num
Application Server Control RMI port = port_num
Oracle Management Agent port = port_num
Web Cache HTTP Listen port = port_num
Web Cache HTTP Listen (SSL) port = port_num
Web Cache Administration port = port_num
Web Cache Invalidation port = port_num
Web Cache Statistics port = port_num
Log Loader port = port_num
ASG port = port_num

# Business Intelligence and Forms
Reports Services SQL*Net port = port_num
Reports Services discoveryService port = port_num
Reports Services bridge port = port_num

# Infrastructure
Oracle Internet Directory port = port_num
Oracle Internet Directory (SSL) port = port_num
Oracle Certificate Authority SSL Server Authentication port = port_num
Oracle Certificate Authority SSL Mutual Authentication port = port_num
Ultra Search HTTP port number = port_num

The easiest way to create the file is to use the staticports.ini file on the CD-ROM (Disk 1) or DVD as a template:

  1. Copy the staticports.ini file from the CD-ROM or DVD to your hard disk.

    Table 3-6 Location of the staticports.ini File on CD-ROM and DVD

    Media Location of staticports.ini File

    CD-ROM

    Disk 1: mount_point/1012disk1/stage/Response/staticports.ini

    DVD

    mount_point/application_server/stage/Response/staticports.ini


  2. Edit the local copy (the file on the hard disk) to include the desired port numbers.

    You do not need to specify port numbers for all components in the staticports.ini file. If a component is not listed in the file, the installer uses the default port number for that component.

    You cannot change the port used by the OracleAS Metadata Repository (port 1521) during installation, but you can do so after installation. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for details.

    The following example sets the Application Server Control port and some OracleAS Web Cache ports. For components not specified, the installer will assign the default port numbers.

    Application Server Control port = 2000
    Web Cache Administration port = 2001
    Web Cache Invalidation port = 2002
    Web Cache Statistics port = 2003
    
    

    When installation is complete, you can check the ORACLE_HOME/install/portlist.ini file to refer to the assigned ports.

Tips on Choosing Port Numbers

Following are some guidelines for choosing port numbers:

  • Port numbers cannot be greater than 65535.

  • If you use a port number less than 1024 for a component, you must run the component as the root user.

  • If you use a port number less than 1024 for a component, the installer will not be able to start up the component at the end of installation. You may need to configure the component first before you can start it up. Refer to the corresponding component documentation for details.

  • You still have to comment out ports 389 and 636 in the /etc/services file if you want to use these port numbers for Oracle Internet Directory.

    Refer to the Note for details.

  • If you plan to set port numbers for Oracle HTTP Server and OracleAS Web Cache, be sure you read Section 3.5.3.3, "Ports for Oracle HTTP Server and OracleAS Web Cache".

The installer verifies that the ports specified in the file are available by checking memory. This means that it can only detect ports that are being used by running processes. It does not look in configuration files to determine which ports an application is using.

If the installer detects that a specified port is not available, it displays an alert. The installer will not assign a port that is not available. To fix this:

  1. Edit the staticports.ini file to specify a different port, or shut down the application that is using the port.

  2. Click Retry. The installer re-reads the staticports.ini file and verifies the entries in the file again.

Using portlist.ini as the staticports.ini File

The staticports.ini file uses the same format as the ORACLE_HOME/install/portlist.ini file, which is created after an Oracle Application Server installation. If you have installed Oracle Application Server and you want to use the same port numbers in another installation, you can use the portlist.ini file from the first installation as the staticports.ini file for subsequent installations.

However, note this difference: in staticports.ini, the line "Oracle Management Agent port" corresponds to "Enterprise Manager Agent port" in portlist.ini.

3.5.3.2 Error Conditions that Will Cause the Installer to Use Default Ports Instead of Specified Ports

Check your staticports.ini file carefully because a mistake can cause the installer to use default ports without displaying any warning. Here are some things that you should check:

  • If you specify the same port for more than one component, the installer will use the specified port for the first component, but for the other components, it will use the components' default ports. The installer does not warn you if you have specified the same port for multiple components.

  • If you specify different ports for one component on multiple lines, the installer assigns the default port for the component. The installer does not warn you if you have specified different ports for one component.

  • If you specify the same port for one component on multiple lines, the installer assigns the default port for the component. The installer does not warn you if you have specified the same port on multiple lines.

  • If you have syntax errors in the staticports.ini file (for example, if you omitted the = character for a line), the installer ignores the line. For the components specified on such lines, the installer assigns the default ports. The installer does not display a warning for lines with syntax errors.

  • If you misspell a component name, the installer assigns the default port for the component. Names of components in the file are case sensitive. The installer does not display a warning for lines with unrecognized names.

  • If you specify a non-numeric value for the port number, the installer ignores the line and assigns the default port number for the component. It does this without displaying any warning.

  • If you specify a relative path to the staticports.ini file (for example, "./staticports.ini" or just "staticports.ini"), the installer will not find the file. The installer continues without displaying a warning and it will assign default ports to all components. You must specify a full path to the staticports.ini file.

3.5.3.3 Ports for Oracle HTTP Server and OracleAS Web Cache

Be sure you understand the following when setting ports for these components.

In the httpd.conf file for Oracle HTTP Server, the Port and the Listen directives specify the ports used by OracleAS Web Cache and Oracle HTTP Server. The correct lines in the staticports.ini file for setting these ports depend on which components you are configuring.

If You Are Configuring OracleAS Web Cache and Oracle HTTP Server

  1. Set the port for OracleAS Web Cache.

    OracleAS Web Cache uses the port specified by the Port directive (Figure 3-1). To set this port, use this line in the staticports.ini file:

    Web Cache HTTP Listen port = port_number
    
    

    To configure the SSL port for OracleAS Web Cache, use the following line:

    Web Cache HTTP Listen (SSL) port = port_number
    
    

    You cannot set the port number using the "Oracle HTTP Server port" line in this case. If your staticports.ini file contains both "Oracle HTTP Server port" and "Web Cache HTTP Listen port", the "Oracle HTTP Server port" line is ignored. For example, if you have these lines in staticports.ini:

    Web Cache HTTP Listen port = 7979
    Oracle HTTP Server port = 8080
    
    

    the Port directive would be set to 7979.

  2. Set the port for Oracle HTTP Server.

    Oracle HTTP Server uses the port specified by the Listen directive. To set this port, use this line in the staticports.ini file:

    Oracle HTTP Server Listen port = port_number
    
    

    To configure the SSL Listen port, use the following line:

    Oracle HTTP Server Listen (SSL) port = port_number
    
    

Figure 3-1 Configuring Both OracleAS Web Cache and Oracle HTTP Server

Description of Figure 3-1 follows
Description of "Figure 3-1 Configuring Both OracleAS Web Cache and Oracle HTTP Server"

If You Are Configuring Oracle HTTP Server Only (no OracleAS Web Cache)

If you are configuring Oracle HTTP Server only, then Oracle HTTP Server uses both Port and Listen directives (Figure 3-2). In this case, you must set both directives to use the same port number.

To set these ports, use the "Oracle HTTP Server port" and "Oracle HTTP Server Listen port" lines in the staticports.ini file. For example:

Oracle HTTP Server port = 8080
Oracle HTTP Server Listen port = 8080

To set the SSL version of these ports, use the following lines. As in the non-SSL version, the port numbers must be the same.

Oracle HTTP Server SSL port = 443
Oracle HTTP Server Listen (SSL) port = 443

If you also specify the Web Cache lines in staticports.ini, they will be ignored because you are not configuring OracleAS Web Cache.

Figure 3-2 Configuring Only Oracle HTTP Server

Description of Figure 3-2 follows
Description of "Figure 3-2 Configuring Only Oracle HTTP Server"

3.5.3.4 Examples

This section describes some common scenarios for using staticports.ini.

Configure Oracle HTTP Server to Use Ports 80 and 443 With OracleAS Web Cache as the Front-End

In this scenario, create a staticports.ini file that includes the following lines:

Web Cache HTTP Listen port = 80
Oracle HTTP Server Listen port = 81
Web Cache HTTP Listen (SSL) port = 443
Oracle HTTP Server Listen (SSL) port = 444

The ports for Oracle HTTP Server Listen and SSL Listen can be any available port. The example uses ports 81 and 444. These port numbers do not have to be less than 1024. If you select port numbers less than 1024, you have to start up Oracle HTTP Server and OracleAS Web Cache as the root user.


Note:

Because you are using ports less than 1024, you have to configure Oracle HTTP Server and OracleAS Web Cache to run as the root user. You can perform the configuration during installation or after installation.
  • If you want to do the configuration during installation, you must follow the steps listed in Section 6.17, "Install Fragment: The Last Few Screens of the Installation" after running root.sh but before clicking OK. You run root.sh near the end of the installation.

  • You can choose to perform the configuration after installation, but note that the installer will not be able to start up the components (because they are not yet configured).

For details, refer to these guides: Oracle HTTP Server Administrator's Guide and Oracle Application Server Web Cache Administrator's Guide.


Configure Oracle HTTP Server to Use Ports 80 and 443 Without OracleAS Web Cache

In this scenario, create a staticports.ini file that includes the following lines:

Oracle HTTP Server port = 80
Oracle HTTP Server Listen port = 80
Oracle HTTP Server SSL port = 443
Oracle HTTP Server Listen (SSL) port = 443


Note:

Because you are using ports less than 1024, you have to configure Oracle HTTP Server to run as the root user. Refer to the Note for details.

3.5.4 If Port 1521 Is in Use

The installer configures port 1521 for the OracleAS Metadata Repository listener (version 10.1.0.3). This port cannot be changed through the staticports.ini file.


Note:

If your computer has a listener that uses the IPC protocol with the EXTPROC key, you should change the key to have some other value. This is because the OracleAS Metadata Repository listener requires access to the EXTPROC key.

If port 1521 on your computer is already in use by an existing application, such as Oracle database listener or some other application, you might have to take some action before running the installer. Refer to the following sections for details.

3.5.4.1 If Port 1521 Is In Use by an Existing Oracle Database

If you are installing a new database for the OracleAS Metadata Repository on a computer that is already running an Oracle database, ensure that the listeners for both databases do not conflict.

You might be able to use the same listener for both the existing database and the OracleAS Metadata Repository database. You have to consider the version of the existing listener as well as the port number. Table 3-7 shows scenarios and outcomes.

You can change the OracleAS Metadata Repository listener to use a different port after installation. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for details.

Table 3-7 Scenarios and Outcomes if You Have an Existing Database on the Computer Where You Want to Install the OracleAS Metadata Repository

Version of the Existing Listener Existing Listener Uses Port 1521 Existing Listener Uses a Port Other Than 1521

10.1.0.3 or later

The existing listener supports both the existing database and the OracleAS Metadata Repository.

Refer to Scenario 1: Existing Listener Uses Port 1521 and Listener Version Is 10.1.0.3 or Later

You need two listeners: one for the existing database and one for the OracleAS Metadata Repository.

Refer to Scenario 2: Existing Listener Uses a Port Other Than 1521.


To check the listener version, run the following command:

prompt> $ORACLE_HOME/bin/lsnrctl VERSION

where ORACLE_HOME is the home directory for your database.

You can also use the same command to check the listener port.

Here is an example of the command's output:

prompt> lsnrctl VERSION
LSNRCTL for UNIX: Version 10.1.0.5 - Production on 12-JUL-2005 16:08:16

Copyright (c) 1991, 2004, Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=test-lin.us.oracle.com)(PORT=1521)))
TNSLSNR for UNIX: Version 10.1.0.5 - Production
        TNS for UNIX: Version 10.1.0.4.0 - Production
        Unix Domain Socket IPC NT Protocol Adaptor for UNIX: Version 10.1.0.4.0 - Production
        Oracle Bequeath NT Protocol Adapter for UNIX: Version 10.1.0.4.0 - Production
The command completed successfully

Scenario 1: Existing Listener Uses Port 1521 and Listener Version Is 10.1.0.3 or Later

The existing listener will support both the existing database and the OracleAS Metadata Repository. The installer will perform this configuration automatically.

The listener can be running during installation.

Scenario 2: Existing Listener Uses a Port Other Than 1521

You will end up running two listeners: one for the existing database and one for the OracleAS Metadata Repository, regardless of the version of the existing listener.

The existing listener can be running during installation, because it is not using port 1521.

3.5.4.2 If Port 1521 Is In Use by Some Other Application

If you have some other application listening on port 1521, you need to reconfigure it to listen on a different port. If that is not possible, shut it down while you install the OracleAS Metadata Repository. After installation, you can reconfigure the OracleAS Metadata Repository to use a port other than 1521. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for instructions on how to do this.

3.6 Operating System Groups

You need to create operating system groups in these situations:

To create a local operating system group:

Run the following command to create the oinstall group:

# /usr/sbin/groupadd oinstall

For more information about operating system users and groups, refer to your operating system documentation or contact your system administrator.

3.6.1 Create a Group for the Inventory Directory

If you plan to install Oracle Application Server on a computer that does not have Oracle products, create a group to own the inventory directory. The installer writes its files in the inventory directory to keep track of the Oracle products installed on the computer.

This guide uses the name oinstall for this operating system group.

By having a separate group for the inventory directory, you allow different users to install Oracle products on the computer. Users need write permission for the inventory directory. They can achieve this by belonging to the oinstall group.

For the first time installation of any Oracle product on a computer, the installer displays a screen where you enter a group name for the inventory directory, and a screen where you enter the location of the inventory directory.

The default name of the inventory directory is oraInventory.

If you are unsure if there is already an inventory directory on the computer, look in the /etc/oraInst.loc file. This file lists the location of the inventory directory and the group who owns it. If the file does not exist, the computer does not have Oracle products installed on it.

3.6.2 Create Groups for Database Administrators

This section applies only if you plan to install the OracleAS Metadata Repository in a new database created by the installer.

When the database is not mounted and database authentication is unavailable, the database uses operating system groups to determine user privileges. The database recognizes these groups and privileges:

Table 3-8 Privileges for the OSDBA and OSOPER Groups

Group Description

OSDBA

This is the database administrator group. Users in this group are granted SYSDBA privileges.

OSOPER

Users in this group are granted SYSOPER privileges, which comprise privileges required for basic maintenance. These include database startup and shutdown, and other privileges required for database operation. SYSOPER privileges are a subset of SYSDBA privileges.


You need to create operating system groups for these groups.

If you want an operating system group called dba to have SYSDBA privileges:

  1. Create the dba group.

  2. Ensure that the user running the installer is a member of the dba group.

If you want a different operating system group to have SYSDBA privileges, or if you want to associate SYSDBA and SYSOPER privileges with different groups, ensure the user running the installer does not belong to the dba group.

If the user running the installer does not belong to the dba group, the installer displays a screen where you can enter the names of groups to have the database administrator privileges. The screen has two fields: one for the OSDBA group and one for the OSOPER group (refer to Table 3-8). You can enter the same operating system group for both fields.

3.7 Operating System User

Create an operating system user to install and upgrade Oracle products. This guide refers to this user as the oracle user. The oracle user running the installer must have write permission for these directories:

If the computer contains other Oracle products, you might already have a user for this purpose. Look in the /etc/oraInst.loc file. This file lists the location of the inventory directory and the group who owns it. If the file does not exist, the computer does not have Oracle products installed on it.

If you do not already have a user for installing Oracle products, create a user with the following properties:

Table 3-9 Properties of the Operating System User Who Runs the Installer

Item Description

Login name

You can use any name for the user. This guide refers to the user as the oracle user.

Group identifier

The primary group of the oracle user must have write permission for the oraInventory directory. Refer to Section 3.6.1, "Create a Group for the Inventory Directory" for more information about this group.

You can use any name for the group. This guide uses the name oinstall.

Home directory

The home directory for the oracle user can be consistent with the home directories of other users.

Login shell

The default login shell can be the C, Bourne, or Korn shell.



Note:

Use the oracle user only for installing and running Oracle products. Do not use root as the oracle user.

To create a local operating system user:

  1. To create the oracle user, run a command similar to the following:

    # /usr/sbin/useradd -g oinstall -G dba[,oper] oracle
    
    

    In this command:

    • The -g option specifies the primary group, which must be the Oracle Inventory group, for example oinstall

    • The -G option specifies the secondary groups, which must include the OSDBA group and if required, the OSOPER group, for example dba or dba,oper

  2. Set the password of the oracle user:

    # passwd oracle
    
    

To check which groups an operating system user belongs to, run the groups command with the name of the user. For example:

prompt> groups oracle

For more information about operating system users and groups, refer to your operating system documentation or contact your system administrator.

3.8 Environment Variables

The operating system user who will be installing Oracle Application Server needs to set (or unset) the following environment variables.

Table 3-10 summarizes whether you set or unset an environment variable.

Table 3-10 Environment Variable Summary

Environment variable Set or Unset

ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID


Must not be set.

PATH, CLASSPATH, and Shared Library Path Environment Variables


Must not contain references to directories in any Oracle home directories

DISPLAY


Set it to the monitor where you want to the installer window to appear.

TMP and TMPDIR


Optional. If unset, defaults to /tmp.

TNS_ADMIN


Must not be set.

ORA_NLS


Must not be set.

LD_BIND_NOW


Must not be set.


3.8.1 Environment Variable Tips

Here are some tips when working with environment variables:

  • If you set environment variables in the .profile file, they might not be read. To ensure environment variables are set to the correct values, check their values in the shell where you will be running the installer.

  • To check the value of environment variables, use the env command. This displays all the currently defined environment variables and their values.

    % env
    
    
  • If you use the su command to switch users (for example, switching from the root user to the oracle user), check the environment variables when you are the new user because the environment variables might not be passed to the new user. This can happen even if you run su with the - parameter (su - user).

    # /* root user */
    # su - oracle
    % env
    
    

3.8.2 ORACLE_HOME and ORACLE_SID

These environment variables must not be set.

3.8.3 PATH, CLASSPATH, and Shared Library Path Environment Variables

Edit your PATH, CLASSPATH, and LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variables so that they do not reference any Oracle home directories.

3.8.4 DISPLAY

Set the DISPLAY environment variable to point to the X server that will display the installer. The format of the DISPLAY environment variable is:

hostname:display_number.screen_number

Example (C shell):

% setenv DISPLAY test.mydomain.com:0.0

Example (Bourne or Korn shell):

$ DISPLAY=test.mydomain.com:0.0; export DISPLAY

You can test the display by running the xclock program:

$ xclock &

Oracle Application Server requires a running X server during installation only. The frame buffer X server installed with your operating system requires that you remain logged in and have the frame buffer running during installation. If you do not wish to do this, then you must use a virtual frame buffer, such as X Virtual Frame Buffer (XVFB) or Virtual Network Computing (VNC).

For information about obtaining and installing XVFB or other virtual frame buffer solutions, search for "frame buffer" on the Oracle Technology Network site. You can access the site at:

http://www.oracle.com/technology

3.8.5 TMP and TMPDIR

The installer uses a temporary directory for swap space. The installer checks for the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables to locate the temporary directory. If this environment variable does not exist, the installer uses the /tmp directory.

If you want the installer to use a temporary directory other than /tmp, set the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables to the full path of an alternate directory. The oracle user must have right permission for this directory and the directory must meet the requirements listed in Table 3-2.

Example (C shell):

% setenv TMP /tmp2
% setenv TMPDIR /tmp2

Example (Bourne or Korn shell):

$ TMP=/tmp2; export TMP
$ TMPDIR=/tmp2; export TMPDIR

If you do not set this environment variable, and the default directory does not have enough space, then the installer displays an error message that says the environment variable is not set. You can either set the environment variable to point to a different directory or free up enough space in the default directory. In either case, you have to restart the installation.

3.8.6 TNS_ADMIN

This section describes two requirements:

These requirements are necessary to prevent conflicts between the Net configuration files for different Oracle products.

If you need to set TNS_ADMIN or if you have the tnsnames.ora file in /etc , do the following steps before installing Oracle Application Server.

  1. If you have the tnsnames.ora file in /etc , move the file from these directories to a different directory. Alternatively, you can rename the file.

  2. Make sure the TNS_ADMIN environment variable is not set.

    Example (C shell):

    % unsetenv TNS_ADMIN
    
    

    Example (Bourne or Korn shell):

    $ unset TNS_ADMIN
    
    

After installation, you can merge the contents of the newly created tnsnames.ora file with your existing tnsnames.ora file.

3.8.7 ORA_NLS

To make sure that the Oracle Application Server installation completes successfully, unset this environment variable.

Example:

$ unset ORA_NLS

3.8.8 LD_BIND_NOW

To make sure that the Oracle Application Server installation completes successfully, unset this environment variable.

Example:

$ unset LD_BIND_NOW

3.9 The /etc/hosts File

Although the contents of the /etc/hosts file affect the location of the default Identity Management Realm and hostname for OracleAS Single Sign-On, the installer provides alternative methods for you to enter the values that you need without editing the hosts file. Refer to the following sections for details:

3.9.1 Location of the Default Oracle Identity Management Realm

The installer reads the hosts file to construct the location of the default Oracle Identity Management realm. It displays this location in the "Specify Namespace in Internet Directory" screen.

The hosts file should use the following format:

ip_address   fully_qualified_hostname   short_hostname

Example:

123.45.67.89   primaryHost.mydomain.com   primaryHost

In the preceding example, the location of the default Oracle Identity Management realm would look like "dc=mydomain,dc=com".

If the file uses a different format, the installer displays an incorrect value in the screen. For example, if the hosts file contains:

123.45.67.89   primaryHost   primaryHost.mydomain.com  <--- incorrect format

the installer would display "dc=primaryHost,dc=com" as the default Oracle Identity Management realm. This is probably not the value that you want for the default Oracle Identity Management realm.


Tip:

If you need the hosts file to use a different format, you can edit the file to use the required format, perform the installation, then revert the file back to its original format after installation.

If you are unable, or unwilling, to edit the hosts file, you can enter the desired value for the default Oracle Identity Management realm in the Custom Namespace field on the "Specify Namespace in Internet Directory" screen.


3.9.2 Hostname for OracleAS Single Sign-On

If you are installing OracleAS Single Sign-On, and your hosts file contains only the hostname of your computer, without the domain name, then you will only be able to sign on to the Single Sign-On server using the hostname by itself (without the domain name).

If you want to require a domain name when connecting to the Single Sign-On server, you can edit the hosts file to include the domain name. If you do not want to edit the file, you can use the OUI_HOSTNAME command-line parameter to the installer to override the value in hosts. For example:

prompt> mount_point/1012disk1/runInstaller OUI_HOSTNAME=myserver.mydomain.com

3.10 Network Topics

Typically, the computer on which you want to install Oracle Application Server is connected to the network, has local storage to contain the Oracle Application Server installation, has a display monitor, and has a CD-ROM or DVD drive.

This section describes how to install Oracle Application Server on computers that do not meet the typical scenario. It covers the following cases:

3.10.1 Installing on Multihomed (Multi-IP) Computers

You can install Oracle Database on a multihomed computer. A multihomed computer is associated with multiple IP addresses. This is typically achieved by having multiple network cards on the computer. Each IP address is associated with a hostname; additionally, you can set up aliases for the hostname. By default, Oracle Universal Installer uses the ORACLE_HOSTNAME environment variable setting to find the hostname. If ORACLE_HOSTNAME is not set and you are installing on a computer that has multiple network cards, Oracle Universal Installer determines the hostname by using the first name in the /etc/hosts file.

Clients must be able to access the computer using this hostname (or using aliases for this hostname). To check, ping the hostname from the client computers using the short name (hostname only) and the full name (hostname and domain name). Both must work.

3.10.2 Copying CD-ROMs or DVD to Hard Drive, and Installing from the Hard Drive

Instead of installing from the Oracle Application Server CD-ROMs or DVD, you can copy the contents of the CD-ROMs or DVD to a hard drive and install from there. This might be easier if you plan to install many instances of Oracle Application Server on your network, or if the computers where you want to install Oracle Application Server do not have CD-ROM or DVD drives.

(You can install from remote CD-ROM or DVD drives; refer to Section 3.10.3, "Installing from a Remote CD-ROM or DVD Drive".)

When you install from the hard drive, the installer does not prompt you to swap CD-ROMs. It can find all the files if they are in the proper locations (refer to Figure 3-3).

Space Requirement

Ensure that the hard drive contains enough space to hold the contents of the CD-ROMs or the application_server directory on the DVD. Each CD-ROM contains approximately 650 MB. This means that if you are copying three CD-ROMs, you need approximately 1.9 GB of disk space.

On the DVD, the application_server directory is approximately 1.6 GB.

This space is in addition to the space required for installing Oracle Application Server (listed in Table 3-2).

To Copy the CD-ROMs:

  1. Create a directory structure on your hard drive as shown in Figure 3-3.

    You need to create a parent directory (called OracleAS_10g in the example, but you can name it anything you like), and, under the parent directory, create subdirectories called Disk1, Disk2, and so on. The names of the subdirectories must be DiskN, where N is the CD-ROM number.

    Figure 3-3 Directory Structure for Copying CD-ROMs to Disk

    Description of Figure 3-3 follows
    Description of "Figure 3-3 Directory Structure for Copying CD-ROMs to Disk"

  2. Copy the contents of each CD-ROM into the corresponding directory.

    prompt> cp -pr /cdrom_mount_point/10.1.2disk1/* /path/to/hard/drive/Disk1/
    prompt> cp -pr /cdrom_mount_point/10.1.2disk2/* /path/to/hard/drive/Disk2/
    ... Repeat for each CD-ROM.
    
    

To run the installer from the copied files, invoke the runInstaller executable from the Disk1 directory. Run it from the computer that will be running Oracle Application Server.

prompt> /path/to/hard/drive/Disk1/runInstaller

To Copy the application_server Directory from the DVD

  1. (optional) Create a directory to contain the application_server directory.

  2. Copy the application_server directory from the DVD to your hard disk.

    prompt> cp -pr /dvd_mount_point/application_server /path/to/hard/drive
    
    

To run the installer from the copied files, invoke the runInstaller executable from the computer that will be running Oracle Application Server:

prompt> /path/to/hard/drive/application_server/runInstaller

3.10.3 Installing from a Remote CD-ROM or DVD Drive

You can run the installer on a remote computer ("remote_computer"), but have the installer screens display on your local computer ("local_computer"). The installer will install Oracle Application Server on the remote computer.

  1. Allow remote_computer to display on local_computer. You need to run this command on the local computer's console.

    local_computer> xhost +remote_computer
    
    

    If you do not run xhost, you might get an Xlib error similar to "Failed to connect to server", "Connection refused by server," or "Can't open display" when starting the installer.

  2. On local_computer, perform a remote login (using telnet or rlogin) to remote_computer. Log in as the oracle user, as described in Section 3.7, "Operating System User". Ensure that the user has set the environment variables correctly, as described in Section 3.8, "Environment Variables".

    local_computer> rlogin -l oracle remote_computer.mydomain.com
    - OR -
    local_computer> telnet remote_computer.mydomain.com
    
    
  3. Set the DISPLAY environment variable on remote_computer to point to local_computer.

    Example (C shell):

    remote_computer> setenv DISPLAY local_computer.mydomain.com:0.0
    
    

    Example (Bourne or Korn shell):

    remote_computer> DISPLAY=local_computer.mydomain.com:0.0; export DISPLAY
    
    
  4. Run the installer. Refer to Section 4.18, "Starting Oracle Universal Installer".


Note:

You can use a PC X emulator to run the installer if it supports a PseudoColor color model or PseudoColor visual. Set the PC X emulator to use a PseudoColor visual, and then start the installer. Refer to the X emulator documentation for instructions on how to change the color model or visual settings.

3.10.4 Installing on Remote Computers

You can run the installer on a remote computer ("remote_computer"), but have the installer screens display on your local computer ("local_computer"). The installer will install Oracle Application Server on the remote computer.

  1. Allow remote_computer to display on local_computer. You need to run this command on the local computer's console.

    local_computer> xhost +remote_computer
    
    

    If you do not run xhost, you might get an Xlib error similar to "Failed to connect to server", "Connection refused by server," or "Can't open display" when starting the installer.

  2. On local_computer, perform a remote login (using telnet or rlogin) to remote_computer. Log in as the oracle user, as described in Section 3.7, "Operating System User". Ensure that the user has set the environment variables correctly, as described in Section 3.8, "Environment Variables".

    local_computer> rlogin -l oracle remote_computer.mydomain.com
    - OR -
    local_computer> telnet remote_computer.mydomain.com
    
    
  3. Set the DISPLAY environment variable on remote_computer to point to local_computer.

    Example (C shell):

    remote_computer> setenv DISPLAY local_computer.mydomain.com:0.0
    
    

    Example (Bourne or Korn shell):

    remote_computer> DISPLAY=local_computer.mydomain.com:0.0; export DISPLAY
    
    
  4. Run the installer. Refer to Section 4.18, "Starting Oracle Universal Installer".


Note:

You can use a PC X emulator to run the installer if it supports a PseudoColor color model or PseudoColor visual. Set the PC X emulator to use a PseudoColor visual, and then start the installer. Refer to the X emulator documentation for instructions on how to change the color model or visual settings.

3.10.5 Installing on NFS-Mounted Storage

To run Oracle Application Server on NFS systems, you have to use a certified NFS-mounted storage system.

Currently Oracle Application Server is certified to run on these NFS systems:

  • Network Appliance (NetApp) filers

The NetApp system should be exported to at least the remote install user and remote root user. You can do this using exportfs command:

prompt> exportfs -i /vol/vol1

Before installing, verify that the NFS mount setuid permission is set to suid. The nosuid option will cause the install to fail.

To check the latest certification list for any updates, visit Oracle Technology Network at:

http://www.oracle.com/technology

3.10.6 Running Multiple Instances from One Installation

Oracle Application Server components are intended to be run only on the computer where they are installed. You cannot run the components on remote computers, even though the computers can access the files through NFS.

Figure 3-4 Run Oracle Application Server Only on the Computer Where It Is Installed

Description of Figure 3-4 follows
Description of "Figure 3-4 Run Oracle Application Server Only on the Computer Where It Is Installed"

3.10.7 Support for NIS and NIS+

You can install and run Oracle Application Server in NIS and NIS+ environments.

3.11 Prerequisite Checks Performed by the Installer

Table 3-11 lists the checks performed by the installer:

Table 3-11 Prerequisite Checks Performed by the Installer

Item Description

Processor

Refer to Table 3-2 for recommended values.

Operating system version

Refer to Section 3.3, "Software Requirements" for supported versions.

Operating system patches

Refer to Section 3.3, "Software Requirements" for a list of required patches.

Software packages

Refer to Section 3.3, "Software Requirements" for a list of required packages.

Operating system kernel parameters

Refer to Section 3.4, "Kernel Parameters" for a list of required kernel parameters.

Memory

Refer to Table 3-2 for recommended values.

Swap space

Refer to Table 3-2 for recommended values.

TMP space

Refer to Table 3-2 for recommended values.

Instance name

The installer checks that the computer on which you are installing Oracle Application Server does not already have an instance of the same name.

Oracle home directory name

The installer checks that the Oracle home directory name does not contain any spaces.

Path to Oracle home directory

The installer checks that the path to the Oracle home directory is not longer than 127 characters.

Oracle home directory contents

The installer checks that the Oracle home directory does not contain any files that might interfere with the installation.

Oracle home directory

You should install Oracle Application Server in a new directory, unless you are expanding a middle tier (refer to Section 6.14, "Expanding a MiddleTier") or installing a middle tier in an Oracle home that contains Oracle Developer Suite 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) (refer to Section 4.5, "Oracle Home Directory"). Here are some examples of installations that are not allowed:

  • Any type of Oracle Application Server into an Oracle Management Service Oracle home

  • Any type of Oracle Application Server into an Oracle Collaboration Suite Oracle home

  • Any type of Oracle Application Server into an Oracle HTTP Server standalone Oracle home

  • Any type of Oracle Application Server into an OracleAS Web Cache standalone Oracle home

  • Any type of Oracle Application Server into an Oracle Application Server Containers for J2EE standalone Oracle home

  • Oracle Application Server middle tier into an infrastructure 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) Oracle home

  • OracleAS Developer Kits into an infrastructure 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) Oracle home

  • OracleAS Developer Kits into an Oracle9iAS middle tier 10.1.2 Oracle home

  • OracleAS Developer Kits into an Oracle Developer Suite 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) Oracle home

  • OracleAS Infrastructure into an Oracle Application Server 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) middle tier or OracleAS Developer Kits Oracle home

  • OracleAS Infrastructure into an Oracle Developer Suite 10g Release 2 (10.1.2) Oracle home

  • OracleAS Infrastructure or middle tier into an Oracle home installed from the Business Intelligence CD-ROM

Port 1521

The installer displays a warning if port 1521 is in use by any application, including database listeners of any version. You need to stop the application that is using port 1521, then click OK in the warning dialog.

If it is a database listener that is using port 1521, you might be able to use it for the metadata repository database. Refer to Section 3.5.4, "If Port 1521 Is in Use" for details.

If it is another application that is using port 1521, you need to stop it or configure it to use a different port. Alternatively, you can change the database listener to use a port other than 1521, but you can do this only after installation. Refer to Oracle Application Server Administrator's Guide for details.

Static port conflicts

The installer checks the ports listed in the staticports.ini file, if specified. Refer to Section 3.5, "Ports".

Monitor

The installer checks that the monitor is configured to display at least 256 colors.

Display permission

The installer checks that the user has permissions to display on the monitor specified by the DISPLAY environment variable.

DISPLAY environment variable

The installer checks that the DISPLAY environment variable is set.

TNS_ADMIN environment variable

The TNS_ADMIN environment variable must not be set.

There must not be a tnsnames.ora file in the /etc directories.

DBCA_RAW_CONFIG environment variable

If you are installing the OracleAS Infrastructure in a Real Application Clusters environment, you need to set this environment variable to point to a file that describes the locations of your raw partitions.

Cluster file system

The installer checks that you are not installing Oracle Application Server in a cluster file system (CFS).

Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g directories are writable

The installer runs this check only if you are expanding a middle tier or if you are reinstalling Oracle Application Server in the same Oracle home. The installer checks that these directories are writable by the operating system user running the installer:

  • ORACLE_HOME/sysman/emd

  • ORACLE_HOME/sysman/config

  • ORACLE_HOME/sysman/webapps/emd/WEB-INF/config

Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g files exist

The installer runs this check only if you are expanding a middle tier or if you are reinstalling Oracle Application Server in the same Oracle home. The installer checks that these files exist:

  • ORACLE_HOME/sysman/config/iasadmin.properties

  • ORACLE_HOME/sysman/webapps/emd/WEB-INF/config/consoleConfig.xml

Kernel check on Linux systems

The installer runs this check only if you are installing on Linux. The installer makes sure that the kernel version contains the string 2.6.9-11.EL for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0, and the string 2.6.5-7.191-pseries64 for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.

glibc version check on Linux

The installer runs this check only if you are installing on Linux. The installer makes sure that the glibc version is glibc-2.3.4-2.9 for Red Hat Enterprise AS 4.0 and glibc-2.3.3-98.47 or higher on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.

Packages check on Linux

The installer runs this check only if you are installing on Linux.The installer makes sure that the mandatory packages are installed. For example, it checks the gcc, sysstat and openmotif packages as specified in Table 3-4 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0 Systems and,Table 3-5 for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9.