Walkthrough: Setting up Oracle RAC One Node

This walkthrough describes how to start using BMC Database Automation (BDA). It contains the following sections:

Introduction

Beginning with BDA 8.7, you can create a RAC One Node database on all the nodes that are part of a cluster. One advantage of this feature is that, for a planned migration, a RAC One Node environment works effectively because it enables you to continue work without impacting the business by relocating the instance from one node to another while moving the sessions along with it.

Deviations from other database types

Introduced in Oracle version 11.2.0.1 databases, Oracle RAC One Node differs from an Oracle RAC database in that a full RAC database operates as an Active-Active solution where all the nodes in the cluster are active and can accept connections as a single unit. RAC One Node, on the other hand, works as an Active-Passive solution where only one node can be active at a time, and the other nodes are available to accept the workload in the case of a planned or an unplanned downtime related to the first node.

Most of the properties of the RAC One Database are similar to those of a typical RAC database. One of the differences is the ability to configure candidate servers, which are nodes on which you can relocate a RAC One Node database. Only during a planned online database relocation is a second instance of an Oracle RAC One Node database created, so that any database sessions can continue while the database is relocated to a new node.

As the following walkthrough demonstrates, BDA does not require you to add RAC One Node databases using a new wizard. In the GUI, the existing wizard can be used and you can choose RAC One Node as the database type on the Configuration page of the same wizard.

Terminology

The following table details terms and definitions related to Oracle RAC One Node.

Term	Definition
Oracle RAC	A database clustering solution that allows more than one instance to mount and open an Oracle database
RAC One Node Database	A single instance of an Oracle RAC-enabled database running on one node in a cluster
Database instance	A set of memory structures and background processes that manage an Oracle database

Before you get started

This example assumes that you have performed all of the steps outlined in the following table:

Task	Description
Plan your deployment.	Planning all aspects of your deployment, including system requirements and security, ensures a successful implementation. When planning access control, note that RAC One Node capabilities have been mapped to existing Oracle capabilities, and no new ones are required.
Download the installation files, including the Additional Utilities folder.	The installation program for the latest service pack or patch also includes the full installation of the product. To install the product for the first time or apply product updates, select the Additional Products tab and download the latest service pack or patch. You can find the latest information about service packs and patches under Release notes.
Carefully review the system requirements for your platform and other tasks necessary for preparing for installation.	You must perform these tasks before you launch the installation program.
Install BDA.	If you are performing a first-time installation, see Performing the installation. If you are installing a service pack or patches, see Applying maintenance, patches, or fixes. If you are performing an upgrade, see Upgrading a Standalone Manager for standalone configurations or Upgrading a Multi-Manager configuration for megamesh configurations.
Download the ORA-Relocate-RON-DB Action and import it into your Action Repository.	The ORA-Relocate-RON-DB Action is used to relocate the active instance of a RAC One Node database to an available candidate server. The Action can be downloaded from a BDA ZipKit available on the BDA Community at https://communities.bmc.com/docs/DOC-36130.

How to set up for RAC One Node

For this walkthrough, you log on as a BDA Administrator.
In this example an Oracle Cluster Ready Services (CRS) cluster is running and currently managed by BDA, and the node meets all of the Oracle database prerequisites.

Procedure

Example screens

1

Add a database to an Oracle cluster.

From the Management Console, select the cluster within which you want to create an Oracle database.
Select Provision > Add Oracle Database.
Step through the wizard until you get to the Configuration page.
In the Configuration page, notice that there is a new RAC Database Type field in the Configuration page of the Create Oracle Database wizard (there is not a separate wizard for configuring RAC One Node databases).
Choose RAC One Node and click Next.
This creates a RAC One Node database on all the nodes that are part of the cluster.
In the Database Options page, check the boxes for each of the database options you want.
The figure to the right shows the Oracle 12.1.0.2 Database Options page.
Step through the remaining wizard pages until you get to the Summary page.
Review the information and click Create Oracle Database.
The RAC One Node database creation process begins. A pop-up window appears upon successful creation of the instance/node.
In the BDA GUI, Oracle RAC One Node databases appear as a database icon appended with a '1'.

2

Add a candidate server to the database.

From the Management Console, navigate to the RAC One Node database on which you want to add a candidate server.
Under the object in Context Tree, the cluster node where the database was created is displayed as an application Instance with a green icon, indicating that it is an active RAC One Node instance.
Click on the instance in the Context Tree and review the Node Configuration page.
The Application Instance Details section displays a status of the instance of Up.
Select Provision > Add Candidate Server.
Because you are working with a two-node cluster, the Node menu in the General page displays as read-only because BDA automatically selects the only available instance that can be added.
In the Instance Information page, select the following options, as necessary, and click Next.
1. Fix Inventory Permissions. (Optional) Select to change the permissions on the inventory to 770, so that it is writeable by all users in the install group.
  Note: Selecting this option is recommended when the host contains Oracle Homes owned by different users and to avoid pre-verification errors.
2. Fix Permissions. (Optional) Select to fix permissions on directories and files that require changes for deployment in a multi-user environment (that is, environments where different Oracle Homes on the same node are owned by different users).
3. Upgrade Opatch. (Optional) Select to upgrade the version of OPatch that is installed by default to the current version on the Manager.
Click Skip Ahead to advance the wizard to the Summary page.
Review the information and click Add Candidate Server.
The candidate server creation process begins. A pop-up window appears upon successful creation of the instance/node.
In the Context Frame, nodes are represented by two differently colored icons under the RAC One Node database; green (indicating an active instance), and gray (indicating a passive instance). On the Instances tab, only one active instance has an SID name displayed. Passive nodes do not contain SID names.

3

Relocate the database active instance.

Download the ORA-Relocate-RON-DB Action, available as a zipkit on the BDA Community (https://communities.bmc.com/docs/DOC-36130) and import it into your Action Repository.
Note

You must provide values for certain fields when running the Action using the Run Action wizard. See the steps in Relocating an Oracle RAC One Node active instance for more information.
Ensure that an Oracle RAC One Node database with at least one instance that is online and one or more available candidate servers are currently available and being managed by BDA. For more information, see Adding a candidate server to an Oracle RAC One Node database.
From the Management Console, navigate to the RAC One Node database and select the active node/instance under that database.
Select Management > Relocate Instance.
In the Action page, select a template and an execution sequence, and click Next.
Click Skip Ahead to advance the wizard to the Summary page.
Review the information and click Execute Job or Schedule Job (depending on your selection in the Scheduling step).
If the Action is running, a progress page appears.
The Instances section of Database Configuration page for the RAC One Node database in the Context Frame will show the active and passive instances switched.

Where to go from here

For additional details of the procedures demonstrated in this walkthrough, including explicit details of the options in each wizard page, see the following topics: