Building the 10g rac Database

Once you have successfully installed Oracle 10g binaries and CRS. Its time to build the database. This is not a complicated task for a DBA who has built oracle instances and databases. There are few RCA specific parameters that need to be added to the init.ora file. I'll not cover this topic in detail, but will provide enough information to build a new database.
1) The first task is to create the initialization file. I'll list the init parameters that are requuired for RAC.
db_name =
instance_name =
instance_number = 1
cluster_database_instances = 2local_listener = '(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=hostname)(port=1521))
cluster_database = true
thread = 1
2) I use DBCA to generate scripts to build the database. If you already have the scripts to build the database, you could use that as well.
3) Make sure the "cluster_database" parameter is set to "false" before building the database else the create database command will fail.
4) Create the database as you would create a non-RAC database.
5) Make sure you execute the script "$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/catclust.sql" after executing the create catalog scripts.
6) The next job is to create additional undo segments for other instances on the RAC cluster.Please add the corresponding undo tablespace name in the respective init.ora for instances.
create undo tablespace UNDO02 datafile size 10240m reuse autoextend off;
7) Create additional redo thread for other instances in the RAC cluster.
alter database add logfile thread 2
group 21 (‘//RD21.rdo’) size
…
1024m reuse;
alter database enable thread 2;
8) Shutdown the first instance.
sqlplus > shutdown immediate
9) Edit the init file and set "cluster_database to true"
startup the first instance.
10) Copy the initfile from the primary node and create initfile for second instance.
Make sure you edited the following parameters.
Thread = 2
instance_name =
instance_number = 2
local_listener = '(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=hostname)(port=1521))'
undo_tablespace = UNDO02
11) startup the second instance.
sqlplus> startup
12) verify both the databases are up and running from any node.
sqlplus> select * from gv$instance;
The query result should dsiplay all the instances you created for the RAC database.
13)Add database to CRS using "srvctl" commands.
$srvctl add database -d -o $ORACLE_HOME -y manual
$srvctl add instance -d -i -n
$srvctl add instance -d -i -n
14) if everything goes well, the crs_stat -t command should list the database and instances.
$ crs_stat -t
Name Type Target State Host
------------------------------------------------------------
ora....re2.gsd application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA
ora....re2.ons application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA
ora....re2.vip application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA
ora.fvdev1.db application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA
ora....11.inst application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA
ora....12.inst application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB
ora....b02.gsd application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB
ora....b02.ons application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB
ora....b02.vip application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB

Next step is creating Listeners for RAC
--------------------------------------
1) Set the TNS_ADMIN variable in CRS.
$srvctl setenv nodeapps -n -t TNS_ADMIN=
$srvctl setenv nodeapps -n -t TNS_ADMIN=
2) Start netca from any one node after setting the "DISPLAY" variable.
$netca
3) select Cluster configuration and hit next.

4) select both the nodes to configure.

5) select listener configuration and add listener.

6) select the default listener name.

7) Select protocol "tcp" and port 1521 on the next screen.

8)sample content of the listener.ora file.

SID_LIST_LISTENER_name =
(SID_LIST =
(SID_DESC =
(SID_NAME = PLSExtProc)
(ORACLE_HOME = /u01/app/oracle/product/10.2.0)
(PROGRAM = extproc)
)
)

LISTENER_name =
(DESCRIPTION_LIST =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = hostname)(PORT = 1521)(IP = FIRST))
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = xx.xx.xx.xx)(PORT = 1521)(IP = FIRST))
)
)

9) set up client side TAF by adding TAF tnsnames entry into tnsnames.ora file of the Oracle clients.

e.g.

name =
(DESCRIPTION =
(load_balance = off) --> you can set it to on if you choose
(failover = on)
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = nodea)(PORT = 1521))
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = nodeb)(PORT = 1521))
(CONNECT_DATA =

(SERVICE_NAME = db_name)
(failover_mode =
(type = select)
(method = basic)
(retries = 5)
(delay = 1)
)
)
)

Validation

----------

Try the following commands.

1) crs_stop -all

2) crs_start -all

3)crs_stat -t

4)srvctl start/stop database –d $DB_NAME

5)srvctl start/stop instance –d $DB_NAME –i $INSTANCE_NAME

6) srvctl start/stop nodeapps –n $node

Back up the vote disk on both nodes. This step needs to be run any time after a new node is added or an existing node is removed.

$ cp /u01/app/oracle/dbdata/vote/vote_file /u01/app/oracle/cluster/crs/backup/crs/vote_file.`date +%y%m%d`

$verify all components are ONLINE using "crs_stat -t"

Name Type Target State Host

------------------------------------------------------------

ora....E2.lsnr application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora....re2.gsd application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora....re2.ons application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora....re2.vip application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora.fvdev1.db application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora....11.inst application ONLINE ONLINE nodeA

ora....12.inst application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB

ora....02.lsnr application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB

ora....b02.gsd application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB

ora....b02.ons application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB

ora....b02.vip application ONLINE ONLINE nodeB