12 Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
Preparing the database for an enterprise deployment involves ensuring that the database meets specific requirements, creating database services, using SecureFiles for large objects in the database, and creating database backup strategies.
This chapter provides information about the database requirements, creating database services, and about the database backup strategies.
- Overview of Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
It is important to understand how to configure a supported database as part of an Oracle Fusion Middleware enterprise deployment. - About Database Requirements
Before you configure the enterprise deployment topology, you have to verify that the database meets the requirements described in the following sections. - Creating Database Services
When multiple Oracle Fusion Middleware products are sharing the same database, each product should be configured to connect to a separate, dedicated database service. This service should be different from the default database service. Having a different service name from the default, allows you to create role based database services for Disaster Recovery and Multi-Datacenter topologies. - Using SecureFiles for Large Objects (LOBs) in an Oracle Database
SecureFiles is a new LOB storage architecture introduced in Oracle Database 11g Release 1. It is recommended to use SecureFiles for the Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas, in particular for the Oracle SOA Suite schemas. - About Database Backup Strategies
Performing a database backup at key points in the installation and configuration of an enterprise deployment enables you to recover quickly from any issue that might occur in the later configuration steps.
Parent topic: Preparing for an Enterprise Deployment
Overview of Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
It is important to understand how to configure a supported database as part of an Oracle Fusion Middleware enterprise deployment.
Most Oracle Fusion Middleware products require a specific set of schemas that must be installed in a supported database. The schemas are installed by using the Oracle Fusion Middleware Repository Creation Utility (RCU).
In an enterprise deployment, Oracle recommends a highly available Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) database for the Oracle Fusion Middleware product schemas.
Parent topic: Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
About Database Requirements
Before you configure the enterprise deployment topology, you have to verify that the database meets the requirements described in the following sections.
- Supported Database Versions
- Additional Database Software Requirements
- Databases Required
- Minimum Initialization Parameters
Parent topic: Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
Supported Database Versions
Use the following information to verify what databases are supported by each Oracle Fusion Middleware release and which version of the Oracle database you are currently running:
-
For a list of all certified databases, refer to Oracle Fusion Middleware Supported System Configurations.
-
To check the release of your database, query the
PRODUCT_COMPONENT_VERSION
view:SQL> SELECT VERSION FROM SYS.PRODUCT_COMPONENT_VERSION WHERE PRODUCT LIKE 'Oracle%';
Oracle Fusion Middleware requires that the database supports the AL32UTF8 character set. Check the database documentation for information on choosing a character set for the database.
For enterprise deployments, Oracle recommends that you use GridLink data sources to connect to Oracle RAC databases.
Note:
For more information about using GridLink data sources and SCAN, see Using Active GridLink Data Sources in Administering JDBC Data Sources for Oracle WebLogic Server.
Use of Active GridLink has specific licensing requirements, including a valid WebLogic Suite license. See Oracle WebLogic Server data sheet .
Parent topic: About Database Requirements
Additional Database Software Requirements
In the enterprise topology, there are two database host computers in the data tier that host the two instances of the RAC database. These hosts are referred to as DBHOST1 and DBHOST2.
Before you install or configure the enterprise topology, you must ensure that the following software is installed and available on DBHOST1 and DBHOST2:
-
Oracle Clusterware
See Installing Oracle Grid Infrastructure for a Cluster in Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide for Linux.
-
Oracle Real Application Clusters
See Installing Oracle RAC and Oracle RAC One Node in Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide for Linux and UNIX.
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Time synchronization between Oracle RAC database instances
The clocks of the database instances must be in sync if they are used by servers in a Fusion Middleware cluster configured with server migration.
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Automatic Storage Management (optional)
See Introducing Oracle Automatic Storage Management in Oracle Automatic Storage Management Administrator's Guide.
General Database Characteristics
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Character Set–The character set must be Unicode compliant, for example: AL32UTF8.
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Database Options–The following database options must be installed into the database:
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Oracle JVM
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Oracle Text
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Database Views–The following Database view must be created on the database:
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XAVIEWS
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Database Packages–The following Database package must exist in the database:
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DBMS_SHARED_POOL
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Transparent Data Encryption - This is required by Oracle Privileged Account Manager
Parent topic: About Database Requirements
Databases Required
For Oracle Identity and Access Management, a number of separate databases are recommended. Table 12-1 provides a summary of these databases. Which database or databases you use depends on the topology that you are implementing.
For this release of Oracle Identity and Access Management, you must use a separate RCU schema prefix for each domain. This allows different products to use a the same or different databases if required.
If you are planning on creating a Multi-Datacenter, you should use separate database for Access and Governance. This allows different replication mechanisms to be used for each.
Table 12-1 Mapping between Databases and Schemas
Database Names | Database Hosts | Scan Address | Service Name | RCU Prefix | Schemas in Database |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IADDB |
DBHOST1 DBHOST2 |
|
|
EDGIAD |
OAM, IAU, MDS, OPSS |
IGDDB |
DBHOST1 DBHOST2 |
|
|
EDGIGD |
OIM, SOAINFRA, MDS, OPSS, ORASDPM, BI, ODS |
Note:
Databases can be combined if you are not planning on creating a multi-datacenter deployment.
Parent topic: About Database Requirements
Minimum Initialization Parameters
The databases must have the following minimum initialization parameters defined:
Table 12-2 Minimum Initialization Parameters for Oracle Databases
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It is recommended that you set these parameters in the database configuration assistant when creating the database. If you have not done this, you can adjust them after creation by using the alter system
database command. For example:
sqlplus / as sysdba alter system set aq_tm_processes=1 scope=spfile;
After making changes in the spfile
, restart the database. For example
srvctl stop database -d iaddb srvctl start database -d iaddb
Note:
For guidelines on setting up optimum parameters for the Database, see Tuning Performance.
Parent topic: About Database Requirements
Creating Database Services
When multiple Oracle Fusion Middleware products are sharing the same database, each product should be configured to connect to a separate, dedicated database service. This service should be different from the default database service. Having a different service name from the default, allows you to create role based database services for Disaster Recovery and Multi-Datacenter topologies.
Note:
The instructions in this section are for the Oracle Database 12c (12.1) release. If you are using another supported database, refer to the appropriate documentation library for more up-to-date and release-specific information.
Beginning with Data Guard 11g Release 2, you can automatically control the startup of database services on primary and standby database by assigning a database role to each service. This service is in addition to the default service created when the database was commissioned. A role based database service will automatically start upon database startup if the management policy of the service is AUTOMATIC and if one of the roles assigned to that service matches the current role of the database; for example, if the database is running as a primary.
Creating a database service in this way means that, the service is started whenever the database with the role primary
is started. The service will move between sites as the underlying databases roles are moved through switchover or failover.
If you are planning to use a standard disaster recovery solution as described in Disaster Recovery Guide, then each database service should be defined as a Role Based Database service.
If you are planning on using a multi-datacenter deployment, then the database service created for the Oracle Identity Governance (IGDDB) database should be a role based service.
For more information about connecting to Oracle databases using services, see Overview of Using Dynamic Database Services to Connect to Oracle Databases in Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide.
In addition, the database service should be different from the default database service. For complete instructions on creating and managing database services for an Oracle Database 12c database, see Overview of Automatic Workload Management with Dynamic Database Services in Real Application Clusters Administration and Deployment Guide.
Runtime connection load balancing requires configuring Oracle RAC Load Balancing Advisory with service-level goals for each service for which load balancing is enabled.
You can configure the Oracle RAC Load Balancing Advisory for SERVICE_TIME
or THROUGHPUT
. Set the connection load-balancing goal to SHORT.
You create and modify Oracle Database services by using the srvctl
utility.
To create and modify a database service:
Parent topic: Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
Using SecureFiles for Large Objects (LOBs) in an Oracle Database
SecureFiles is a new LOB storage architecture introduced in Oracle Database 11g Release 1. It is recommended to use SecureFiles for the Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas, in particular for the Oracle SOA Suite schemas.
Beginning with Oracle Database 11g Release 1, Oracle introduced SecureFiles, a new LOB storage architecture. Oracle recommends that you use SecureFiles for the Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas, in particular for the Oracle SOA Suite schemas. See Using Oracle SecureFiles LOBs in the Oracle Database SecureFiles and Large Objects Developer's Guide.
In Oracle 12c Databases, the default setting for using SecureFiles is PREFERRED
. This means that the database attempts to create a SecureFiles LOB unless a BasicFiles LOB is explicitly specified for the LOB or the parent LOB (if the LOB is in a partition or sub-partition). The Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas do not explicitly specify BasicFiles, which means that Oracle Fusion Middleware LOBs defaults to SecureFiles when installed in an Oracle 12c database.
For Oracle 11g databases, the db_securefile
system parameter controls the SecureFiles usage policy. This parameter can be modified dynamically. The following options can be used for using SecureFiles:
-
PERMITTED
: Allows SecureFiles to be created (This is the default setting for db_securefile. The default storage method uses BasicFiles). -
FORCE
: Creates all (new) LOBs as SecureFiles. -
ALWAYS
: Tries to create LOBs as SecureFiles, but falls back to BasicFiles if not possible (if ASSM is disabled).
Other values for the db_securefile parameter are:
-
IGNORE
: Ignore attempts to create SecureFiles. -
NEVER
: Disallow new SecureFiles creations.
For Oracle 11g Databases, Oracle recommends that you set the db_securefile parameter to FORCE
before you create the Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas with the Repository Creation Utility (RCU).
Note that the SecureFiles segments require tablespaces managed with automatic segment space management (ASSM). This means that LOB creation on SecureFiles will fail if ASSM is not enabled. However, the Oracle Fusion Middleware tablespaces are created by default with ASSM enabled. As a result, with the default configuration, nothing needs to be changed to enable SecureFiles for the Oracle Fusion Middleware schemas.
Parent topic: Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment
About Database Backup Strategies
Performing a database backup at key points in the installation and configuration of an enterprise deployment enables you to recover quickly from any issue that might occur in the later configuration steps.
At key points in the installation and configuration of an enterprise deployment, this guide recommends that you back up your current environment. For example, after you install the product software and create the schemas for a particular Oracle Fusion Middleware product, you should perform a database backup. Performing a backup allows you to perform a quick recovery from any issue that might occur in the later configuration steps.
You can choose to use your own backup strategy for the database, or you can simply make a backup by using operating system tools or RMAN for this purpose.
Oracle recommends that you use Oracle Recovery Manager for the database, particularly if the database was created using Oracle Automatic Storage Management. If possible, you can also perform a cold backup by using operating system tools such as tar.
Parent topic: Preparing the Database for an Enterprise Deployment