Oracle Database Client Installation Checklist

Server Hardware Checklist for Oracle Database Client Installation

Oracle Database Client installation requires runlevel 3 or 5, a display resolution of at least 1024 × 768 for Oracle Universal Installer, network connectivity, and at least 256 MB of RAM. On Linux for Arm (aarch64), use a CPU capable of Neoverse N1; Oracle recommends at least an Ampere Altra or Ampere Altra Max processor.

Operating System Checklist for Oracle Database Client on Linux

Linux installations require OpenSSH and a supported kernel and release, with platform-specific requirements for Linux x86-64, IBM Linux on System z, and Linux for Arm (aarch64). Supported distributions include Oracle Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server across listed kernel versions; Linux for Arm support begins with Oracle Database 19c Release Update 19.19, while additional Arm versions support Instant Client only. Review package prerequisites, use the Oracle preinstallation RPM on Oracle Linux, and use the Oracle RPM Checker on IBM Linux on System z to validate required packages.

Server Configuration Checklist for Oracle Database Client

Configure at least 400 MB in /tmp and allocate swap according to available RAM, accounting for HugePages when enabled. Establish the oraInventory and OINSTALL group correctly, create required users and groups with ASCII-only names, follow Optimal Flexible Architecture for mount points, and ensure Oracle home paths and parent directories are not symbolic links and contain only ASCII characters. Plan root privilege delegation, locale settings, and installation-owner permissions before installation.

Oracle User Environment Configuration Checklist for Oracle Database Installation

Plan the oraInventory directory and OINSTALL primary group for all Oracle software installation owners, using existing inventory settings where applicable and following Optimal Flexible Architecture. Create required operating-system users and groups according to security needs, with ASCII-only names and appropriate resource limits. Before reuse, unset Oracle-related environment variables such as ORACLE_HOME, ORACLE_BASE, ORACLE_SID, and TNS_ADMIN, then configure the Oracle or Grid user environment with umask 022 and a valid DISPLAY setting.

Storage Checklist for Oracle Database Client

Minimum local storage depends on platform and installation type. On Linux x86-64 and Linux for Arm, provide 350 MB for Instant Client, 2.4 GB for Administrator, 2.0 GB for Runtime, and 2.4 GB for Custom or image-based installations. On IBM Linux on System z, provide 274 MB for Instant Client, 1.9 GB for Administrator or Custom, and 1.5 GB for Runtime installations.

Installer Planning Checklist for Oracle Database Client

Before running Oracle Universal Installer, review platform release notes, licensing terms, and the current support certification matrix. Use OUI and CVU to perform prerequisite checks and generate fixup scripts, prevent cleanup cron jobs from running during installation, and select the appropriate Instant Client, Administrator, Runtime, or Custom installation type. Prepare My Oracle Support credentials for updates and security configuration, determine whether separate 32-bit software is required, and verify client-to-database release interoperability.
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