Converting Single-Instance Oracle AI Databases to Oracle RAC and Oracle RAC One Node

Learn about procedures for converting from Oracle AI Database single-instance databases to Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) and Oracle RAC One Node databases.

Converting to Oracle RAC and Oracle RAC One Node Using Oracle DBCA

Oracle DBCA automates conversion from a single-instance Oracle AI Database to Oracle RAC or Oracle RAC One Node by configuring control files, undo tablespaces, redo logs, initialization parameters, networking, Clusterware resources, and management services. The process requires supported cluster hardware, shared storage accessible by all nodes, compatible applications, Grid Infrastructure, cluster validation, a DBCA-generated database template, and RAC-enabled database software. Procedures cover creating the database image, installing Grid Infrastructure, registering the database with Clusterware, installing RAC software, and deploying the template. Additional workflows address conversions on clusters with RAC-enabled or RAC-disabled homes, automated and manual RAC conversion, and conversion from a single server to RAC One Node using relinking, SRVCTL, and DBCA.

Preparing to Convert with rconfig and Oracle Enterprise Manager

Conversions using rconfig or Oracle Enterprise Manager require a backup and a properly prepared Oracle RAC environment with Grid Infrastructure, RAC software, enabled RAC functionality, clustered ASM or shared file storage, user equivalence, and configured management agents when Enterprise Manager is used. Although rconfig is deprecated in Oracle AI Database 26ai, it can convert databases across supported Oracle homes and storage configurations, potentially enabling archiving, moving files, and configuring Oracle Managed Files. Enterprise Manager provides a guided Convert to Cluster Database workflow for credentials, cluster nodes, listeners, instance prefixes, shared storage, recovery areas, review, and job monitoring.

Converting Databases to Oracle RAC Using rconfig

The deprecated rconfig utility converts a single-instance database to Oracle RAC or Oracle RAC One Node according to settings in a customized ConvertToRAC XML file. Administrators should edit the sample configuration without storing passwords, select verification behavior, and run the utility from the Oracle home bin directory; verification can perform checks only, check before conversion, or skip prerequisite checks. If conversion fails, delete the target database with DBCA, restore the source database, inspect rconfig logs under the Oracle Base configuration logs, correct the reported issues, and retry.

Example of rconfig XML Input Files for ConvertToRAC

The sample ConvertToRAC XML configuration demonstrates converting an ASM-based single-instance database to an administrator-managed Oracle RAC database. It defines verification mode, source and target Oracle homes, source SID and SYSDBA credentials, cluster nodes, an optional instance prefix, optional RAC One Node service settings, storage type, target database area, and fast recovery area. Passwords must be omitted so rconfig can request them interactively, and the file’s storage and node values must be adapted to the target environment.

Postconversion Steps

After converting to Oracle RAC, configure load balancing and application failover with AC or TAC, run ORAchk for health validation, prefer locally managed tablespaces, and use automatic segment space management. Because RAC requires more memory than a single-instance database, increase buffer cache capacity by approximately 10 percent and shared pool capacity by approximately 15 percent, while also applying RAC service and workload-management practices.