Managing Availability in Oracle Business Intelligence (Horizontally Scaling)

If you have multiple instances of a given Oracle Business Intelligence component in the deployment, you should first configure shared files and directories for the clustered components to use.

See Setting Up Shared Files and Directories.

After horizontally scaling out, you typically configure an HTTP server and load balancer to distribute requests across multiple managed servers. See Load Balancing in a Cluster in Administering Clusters for Oracle WebLogic Server. If a front end load balancer has been setup, then you must set the WebLogic Server Front-End Host and Port for the BI cluster (bi_cluster).

The commands described in this section should only be used by advanced users. Note that availability commands automatically create a symmetric set of processes when configuring additional hosts.

See Using the WebLogic Scripting Tool (WLST).

Note:

To add a new node to a cluster when SSL has been configured, you must scale out to the new cluster (see Adding New Computers), then ensure SSL is set up correctly (see Configuring SSL in Oracle Business Intelligence in Security Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition).

Adding New Computers

You can add a new computer to extend the BI cluster across multiple computers, increasing availability and capacity.

Assumptions

  • The new computer must meet the same install pre-requisites (for example, operating system, memory).

  • SDD must have been set up.

  • ORACLE_HOME must be the same absolute path on both computers.

  • It is recommended, but not required, that the DOMAIN_HOME is the same on both hosts.

  • A symmetric set of active-active components is created on the new computer.

  • The BI system must be stopped (offline).

  • You must have appropriate file system (offline) or Weblogic Administrator (online) permissions.

  • The same ports are allocated as on the original host.

  • The managed server is added to the existing Oracle Business Intelligence cluster.

  • Cluster Controller, Scheduler and BI Server mastership is not changed.

  • Note that optional base computer and server parameters are provided to support the case where m1/bi_server1 has been deleted.

  • Unless provided the computer (WebLogic machine) name will default to the listen address and must be less than 32 characters.

Adding a new computer creates an additional managed server, node manager, system components, and services on the new computer.

  1. Shutdown all services on the master computer (node 1) before running the clone script:
    ORACLE_HOME/user_projects/domains/bi/bitools/bin/stop.sh
  2. On node 1, run the clone script:

    The script creates the Jar file containing the domain directory and updates the config.xml file in node 1 with the new host name, Managed Server and BI System Components.

    DOMAIN_HOME/bitools/bin/clone_bi_machine.sh|cmd [-m <new machine name>] <listen address> <Jar file>

    <new machine name> is optional and defaults to the listen address.

    The SSL certificate step is done for you in the script.

    For example:

    ORACLE_HOME/user_projects/domains/bi/bitools/bin/clone_bi_machine.sh example.com /oracle/nfs_shared/clone/demobi2.jar

  3. On the new computer (node 2), install WebLogic Server and Oracle Business Intelligence.

    See Installing and Configuring Oracle Business Intelligence.

  4. Test connectivity between the two hosts.
  5. Copy the Jar file from the master computer (node 1 with the Admin server) to the new computer (node 2).
  6. On the new computer, apply the Jar file by running the unpack command.

    ORACLE_HOME/oracle_common/common/bin

    ./unpack.sh -template=[location of copied jar file from master node] –domain=DOMAIN_HOME -nodemanager_type=PerDomainNodeManager

    Note:

    The syntax to display help is: ./unpack.sh|cmd -help.

    For example:

    /../../Oracle_Home/oracle_common/common/bin/unpack.sh -template=/refresh/home/oracle/nfs_shared/clone/demobi2.jar -domain=/../../Oracle_Home/user_projects/domains/bi -nodemanager_type=PerDomainNodeManager

  7. Start the following components:

    On node 1: Node Manager, Admin server, Managed server for node 1 and BI System Components for node 1.

    On node 2: Node Manager and Managed server (this is so the config.xml can be created).

    The BI System Components for node 2 should remain down for now.

    Note:

    If Node Manager on node 2 is started, then all other components can be started using the same script from node 1. So you can start the components in this order:

    • On node 2:

      Node Manager for node 2

    • On node 1:

      Node Manager for node 1.

      Admin server.

      Managed server for node 1

      BI system components for node 1

    For example:

    Node 2:

    /../../Oracle_Home/user_projects/domains/bi/bin/startNodeManager.sh

    Node 1:

    /../../Oracle_Home/user_projects/domains/bi/bitools/bin/start.sh -i AdminServer,bi_server1,obis1,obips1,obiccs1,obijh1,obisch1,bi_server2

  8. Re-synchronize the data source on new machine (node 2).

    On node 2 run the following script:

    DOMAIN_HOME/bitools/bin/sync_midtier_db.sh

    See BI-Specific WLST Command Reference.

  9. On the master host computer (node 1), start the new BI System Components for node 2:

    DOMAIN_HOME/bitools/bin/

    Enter:

    ./start.sh -i obis2,obips2,obiccs2,obijh2,obisch2

    The scaled out process is complete and all components should be running now.

    See Starting Oracle Business Intelligence Component Processes in a Domain.

Post Conditions

  • Computer, Managed server, Node Manager and System Components are created.

  • Service instances are registered on the second computer.

  • Ports are allocated.

Removing Existing Computers

Remove a failed or redundant computer from a BI Cluster.

Assumptions

  • No binaries, configuration or state is deleted from the removed computer.

  • Cluster Controller, Scheduler and BI Server mastership is unchanged.

  • You cannot remove the master computer.

  • Service Instance registrations can be added or removed.

  • The BI system can be running (online) or stopped (offline).

  • You must have appropriate file system (offline) or Weblogic Administrator (online) permissions.

  • The command does not result in a loss of service.

  • The command can only result in a loss of availability if forced by the user.

Prerequisites

If possible, you should stop active components on the target computer before removing it using the status.sh and stop.sh scripts. See Using Commands to Start, Stop, and View Status of Oracle BI EE Processes.

  1. Use the deleteBIMachine WLST command to remove components created by cloneBIMachine or clone_bi_machine.sh in:

    ORACLE_HOME/oracle_common/common/bin/wlst.sh

    For example:

    deleteBIMachine(DOMAIN_HOME, <machine>)

    Or run the delete_bi_machine.sh script in:

    DOMAIN_HOME/bitools/bin/delete_bi_machine.sh|cmd machineName

  2. The command displays the removed computer name.

Post Conditions

  • Computer, Managed Server, Node Manager and System Components are removed from that computer.

  • Service Instances are unregistered from that computer.

  • Ports are unallocated.