Configuring RAC monitoring

ORACLE_RAC

• DatabaseName
  • RAC configured instance1
  • RAC configured instance2
  • RAC configured instance3
  • MemberStatus parameter
  • NumOfOKMembers
  • NumOfNotOKMembers
  • RAC Service

 
The following figure displays the nested hierarchy for RAC: 

Icon hierarchy for RAC 

Following are the requirements in an RAC environment:

1. The PATROL Agent must be installed on at least one of the RAC cluster node.
2. You can configure the RAC database without using any credentials. If one of the RAC database instance is configured through the PATROL for Oracle KM and if this instance of Oracle KM is configured using the autoconfiguration method. You have to follow any one of the method shown below:

• 
  
  • You must add the following variable to the initInstanceName.ora file: remote_os_authent = TRUE, because the remote connection is made by the TNS Service string, this variable is required. Also, you must update all the initialization parameter files of RAC instances.
  • Other option is, adding username and password to connect to RAC database instead of using OS authentication user. In this case no need to set remote_os_authent = TRUE

      3.  The listener related to the RAC database instance must be running.

      4.  To monitor RAC, following are the permission required for the PATROL OS account:

• 
  
  • Executable permission of SQLPlus binary for RAC configuration on an RAC environment.
  • Read permission for the tnsnames.ora file. This file must contain information about all of the RAC cluster nodes.
  • Verify that the PATROL console user has the privilege to execute SQL*Plus commands.

Following are the limitations of PATROL for Oracle in an RAC environment:

• Remote instance configuration is not supported.
• Common TNS Service string name is not supported.
• The ORACLE_FAILOVER application does not work.
• The blackout function does not work.
• For any changes in the TNS Service string after configuration, you must update the /RACConfig. RACInstanceName.TNSService pconfig variable. Otherwise, you must reconfigure the RAC database.
• You cannot add, delete, or modify an RAC database instance. To update an RAC database instance, you must remove the RAC database from monitoring and reconfigure it.
• You cannot add the name of a virtual host system as a TNS service string. The TNS service string must be the name of a local host system.
• If you are configuring all of the databases using the ORACLE.kml, you must use a separate database monitoring accounts for each node to avoid locking issues.

Click to view a short video on how to configure an Oracle RAC instance for monitoring in a PATROL environment.

https://youtu.be/2bulK_ZVp7M

1. Load ORACLE.kml and ORACLE_RAC.kml on at least one node in the RAC environment.

2. Configure an instance for RAC monitoring on the node to be monitored.
   The ORACLE_RAC icons are displayed in the PATROL console.
   
   The following example describes different scenarios in a monitored RAC.

   Three instances (a, b, and c ) are running on three nodes (1, 2, and 3) on database TEST. Configure instance a on node 1 for RAC monitoring as described in To configure an instance for RAC monitoring. After configuration, the following conditions are true:

   • The ORACLE_RAC icon is displayed in the PATROL console.
   • Under the ORACLE_RAC application, the TEST database icon is visible, and under that database level, all the member nodes are visible.
   • If the ORACLE_RAC_MEMBER_INSTANCE application is in an alarm state, the MemberStatus parameter is also in a warning state. The annotation report that is generated shows which node instance is down.

   
   

1. Select ORACLE_RAC > RAC DB Configure from the host computer.
   The RAC DB Configure dialog box appears.
2. In the RAC DB Name field, enter the RAC database name.
3. In the RAC DB Home field, enter the RAC database home directory.

4. In the RAC UserName and Password, enter the details to connect to the Oracle RAC Database.

   Note

    These are not mandatory fields, but you should use them if you use automatic configuration method without setting remote_os_authent.= TRUE

5. Click Exit.
   After you click Exit, the RAC Instance Information dialog box appears. Use this dialog box to add TNS Service string for each RAC instance. 
   
   If you have provided valid information and the instance is running, PATROL for Oracle will configure the RAC database instance.

1. In the RAC Instance Name field, enter the RAC instance name.
2. In the TNS Service String field, enter the TNS service string.
3. Click Apply.
   PATROL for Oracle validates the TNS Service string for each RAC instance by connecting to the instance. It uses the following command:
   PATROLDatabaseUser/PATROLDatabaseUserPassword@TNSServiceString
4. Click Exit.

1. Select ORACLE_RAC > RAC DB Remove from the host.
2. In the RAC DB Name field, enter the RAC database name.
3. Click Apply.
   If you have provided valid information, the RAC database is removed from monitoring.
4. Click Exit.

You can configure the batch configuration by creating text file outside Oracle KM, or by using Global configuration from CMA.

The following describe how to perform batch configuration:

Batch configuration uses a configuration file that you can create outside of PATROL, after this file has been created, The discovery scans for the existence of the configuration file. After it finds the file, it automatically starts the configuration process, using the information in the configuration file.

The configuration file contains the settings for all the instances that you want to configure. When discovery process runs, all the instances defined in the configuration file are configured at one time.

You can create a file as the following:

• create a text file in a text editor, using the RAC_batch_conf_sample.wri file as a template

To create a batch configuration file from OS prompt:

1. Open the RAC_batch_conf_sample.wri file, from the $PATROL_HOME/../oracle/conf directory for UNIX and the %PATROL_HOME%\oracle\conf directory for Microsoft Windows.
2. Edit the SID and the keyword values to reflect the instances you want to configure.
3. Save the file as RAC_batch_conf<port_number>.txt, in a text only format.

The discovery searches for this file, and when found, starts processing the file to configure the instances on that PATROL agent port. The file name is changed to RAC_batch_conf<port_number>.done when processing is completed.

To check if there is an error or success, you can check the following log files that exists on $PATROL_HOME/../oracle/conf directory for UNIX and the %PATROL_HOME%\oracle\conf directory for Microsoft Windows:

RACBatchConfig<port_number>.log

You have an option to configure instance using PCM (Patrol Configuration Management).

The product creates the RACConfig.cfg file at the $PATROL_HOME/../oracle/rulesets directory for UNIX and the %PATROL_HOME%\oracle\rulesets directory for Microsoft Windows.

When you apply the rule set to the configured Agent, the Agent automatically configures all the instances for which the rule sets have been created.

For the details of the configuration, you can see the RAC discovery log files that are created at the $PATROL_HOME/../log directory for UNIX and the %PATROL_HOME%\log directory for Microsoft Windows.