Creating a Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure Resource

A Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure (Distributed ExaDB-XS) resource contains the configuration details of the distributed database, including nodes (shards), catalog, data distribution method, replication method, connection details, backup configuration, and more.

You create the resource in the Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure home page.

1. Log in to the Console as a user with permissions to create Distributed ExaDB-XS resources, and navigate to the Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure home page.

   See Listing Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure Resources for help.

2. Select Create database.

Provide configuration details in each section of the Create Globally Distributed Exadata Database on Exascale Infrastructure page.

• Provide basic information

• Tags

• Nodes configuration

• Catalog configuration

• Create administrator credentials

• Encryption key

• Select private endpoint

• Select character sets

• Select ports

• Advanced options: Database configuration

• Advanced options: Configure database backups

• Advanced options: GSM networking details

• Validate

• Create

Provide basic information

Provide the following information:

Setting	Description and Notes
Display name	Enter a user-friendly description or other information that helps you easily identify the Distributed ExaDB-XS. Avoid entering confidential information. You can modify this name after resource creation.
Database name prefix	This prefix is appended to all of the database names in the configuration for ease of use.
Compartment	Select a compartment to host the Distributed ExaDB-XS resource
Database version	Oracle AI Database release 26ai is supported at this time.
Cluster infrastructure type	Select Exascale VM cluster or Dedicated VM cluster

Tags

You can add tags to the Distributed ExaDB-XS resource. These can also be added after creation.

Nodes configuration

Select a data distribution method and replication method, then configure the nodes required for your topology.

Data distribution

• Automated: Data is automatically distributed across nodes using partitioning by consistent hash. The partitioning algorithm evenly and randomly distributes data across nodes.

• User managed: Not currently supported

  Note: When Raft is selected in Replication type the User managed option is not available.

Replication type

• Raft replication creates replication units consisting of sets of chunks and distributes them automatically among the nodes to handle chunk assignment, chunk movement, workload distribution, and balancing upon scaling.

Configure deployment options

• Deployment options: Select a Single-Raft Cluster or Multi-Raft Cluster topology.

  • Single-Raft Cluster: You will deploy a single read-write Raft cluster.

  • Multi-Raft Cluster: You will deploy a read-write Raft cluster and one or two read-only Raft clusters that are replicas of the read-write cluster.

• Number of clusters: With Single-Raft Cluster option selected, you will have 1 number of clusters. With Multi-Cluster Raft option selected you can select 2 or 3 clusters.

Configure Raft clusters

The list is prepopulated with values based on the deployment options you selected.

Select Edit in the Actions menu (three dots) to edit Raft cluster details.

• Replication factor: In Raft replication, the replication factor is the number of replicas in a replication unit. This number includes the primary (leader) member of the unit and its replicas (followers).

• Raft cluster name: You can rename the Raft cluster here.

• Number of nodes: Indicate the number of nodes (databases) to deploy in the Raft cluster.

• Mode: Indicates whether the Raft cluster will be read-write or read-only.

• Witness: (Optional) Enable this option to designate one follower of each replication unit as a witness. A witness retains the Raft consensus module but only stores a portion of the Raft log and does not contain a table partition. The witness replica actively participates in nearly every aspect of the consensus protocol.

Map and table views

Use the Show map toggle to select between the map and list view to configure the nodes.

• Map view: The map view filters and shows you the available Exadata clusters where nodes can be deployed. Note that some regions will be selected by default. To configure the selected nodes using the map, hover over an available region, and select View/Edit node. To remove the current configuration, select Reset, then you can select a region and select Configure Nodes.

• Table view: With Show map switched off you can configure the nodes in a tabular format. To configure each node, select Edit in the Actions menu (three dots).

Node options

Whether in Map or Table view, you configure the following options for the nodes. Note that the details are different when you select Create new cluster.

• Raft cluster name: Select the Raft cluster to which the node will belong.

• Create new cluster: Select to create a node in a new VM cluster, rather than in an existing VM cluster.

• Region: Select the OCI region where you would like to host your node. When Create new cluster is not selected, OCI regions where you have available VM clusters are listed.

• VM cluster compartment: When Create new cluster is selected, you select the compartment in which to place the cluster.

• Availability domain: Availability domains configured in the region are shown.

  When more than one availability domain is configured in a region:

  • When Create new cluster is not selected, you can select a domain that contains existing VM clusters.

  • When Create new cluster is selected, you can make a selection.

• VM cluster: When Create new cluster is not selected, you select a cluster from the list.

  Note: It is recommended that you use one VM cluster per node.

• Subnet and Backup subnet: When Create new cluster is selected, you select the subnet and backup subnet to assign.

• Networking details: When Create new cluster is selected, you select the VCN and NSG IDs to assign the cluster

Catalog configuration

The catalog configuration is preconfigured in the table. To change the configuration select Edit in the Actions menu (three dots).

• Replica: A logical unit to contain the primary catalog. When a Data Guard standby is configured it will reside in a different Replica.

• Create new cluster: Select to create the catalog in a new VM cluster, rather than in an existing VM cluster.

The remaining settings are the same as the Node configuration settings listed previously.

Data protection for the catalog is configured after the Globally Distributed Database is created. See Adding Catalog Data Guard Replication.

Note that Raft replication type does not apply to the catalog.

Create administrator credentials

Set the SYS password for the user that will be able to access all of the databases in the configuration, including the catalog.

Encryption key

Select the vault and master encryption key that were configured in Configure Security Resources.

Select private endpoint

Select the private endpoint that was created for this Distributed ExaDB-XS in Common Network Resources.

Select character sets

Select the Character set and National character set that will be used in all of the node and catalog databases.

The AL32UTF8 character set is recommended by default for character set and the AL16UTF16 character set is recommended by default for National character set.

Select ports

Enter the GSM listener port, ONS port (local), and ONS port (remote).

Note: The ONS port (remote) number must be unique to each Globally Distributed Database. Do not reuse a port number used in another Globally Distributed Database unless a delete operation is fully processed on the original.

Advanced options: Database configuration

• Chunks: You can optionally configure the number of chunks per node.

• Replication units:

Advanced options: Configure database backups

Under Advanced Options you can enable and schedule automated database backups. See Exadata Database Service on Exascale Infrastructure documentation for information about the settings.

Advanced options: GSM networking details

These settings allow you to assign a network security group (NSG) to a virtual cloud network (VCN) that hosts the GSMs.

The NSGs need to have already been configured. See Creating an NSG.

• Virtual cloud network region: Select the region with the VCN you want to assign to the GSM host.

• GSM virtual cloud network compartment: Select the compartment that contains the VCN you want to assign.

• GSM virtual cloud network: Select the VCN you want to assign.

• GSM network security group compartment: Select the compartment that contains the NSG you want to assign.

• GSM network security group IDs: Select the NSG you want to assign.

Validate

Select Validate to run validation checks against the configuration.

Create

Once any validation errors are addressed and validation is successful, select Create.

Now the Distributed ExaDB-XS display name appears in the list while the creation operation runs.

The creation operation can take a while, because several tasks are performed as part of the create operation, including host procurement, VM deployment, installing software, and generating certificates for the GSMs.

You can monitor the operation status in the State column and select the Distributed ExaDB-XS display name to track progress in the Work requests tab. When the status of all of the nodes on the Nodes tab is Available, Distributed ExaDB-XS creation is complete and successful.

Caution: After creating a Distributed ExaDB-XS, do not move any of its vaults or keys or the Distributed ExaDB-XS will not work.