Overview of Oracle RAC Storage

Overview of Oracle RAC Storage

Preinstallation Checklist 1-11 the HTML 4.0 and CSS 1.0 standards. The following browsers meet these

requirements:

■ Netscape Navigator 7.2

■ Netscape Navigator 8.1

■ Mozilla version 1.7

■ Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2

■ Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0 or later

■ Firefox 1.0.4

■ Firefox 1.5

■ Firefox 2.0

1.2.7 Overview of Platform-Specific Server Configuration

Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC are tested with specific operating system kernels, and specific operating system components. Oracle requires that you use the operating system kernel and components that are certified for this release.

Oracle recommends that you or your system administrator review the system requirements carefully in Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide before beginning installation, to ensure that your system meets these requirements. If your system does not meet minimum operating system kernel and component requirements, then your installation may fail to complete, or other errors may develop during Oracle

Clusterware or Oracle Database runtime.

In addition to the standard system requirements configuration, deployment on specific server hardware can include additional operating system configuration steps. Review the Preinstallation chapter, and check the My Oracle Support Certify page to ensure that you are aware of any additional requirements or recommendations for your specific hardware platform configuration.

Overview of Oracle RAC Storage

1.3.1 Overview of Oracle Database and Recovery File Options

There are two ways of storing Oracle Database and recovery files:

■ Oracle Automatic Storage Management: Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM) is an integrated, high-performance database file system and disk manager for Oracle Database files. It performs striping and mirroring of database files automatically.

■ A supported shared file system: Supported file systems include the following:

– A supported cluster file system: Note that if you intend to use a cluster file system for your data files, then you should create partitions large enough for the database files when you create partitions for Oracle Clusterware.

– NAS Network File System (NFS) listed on Oracle Certify: Note that if you intend to use NFS for your data files, then you should create partitions large enough for the database files when you create partitions for Oracle

Clusterware.

See Also : The Certify page on My Oracle Support for the most current information about storage options:

https://metalink.oracle.com

Oracle Database Storage Administrator's Guide for an overview of storage configuration administration

Note: Installing on raw or block devices is not supported. Install on a shared file system or on Oracle ASM. Upgrading existing raw or block devices is supported.

Note: For Standard Edition Oracle Database installations using Oracle RAC, Oracle ASM is the only supported storage option.

See Also: The Certify page on My Oracle Support for supported cluster file systems

See Also: The Certify page on My Oracle Support for supported Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, and supported cluster file systems

Note: Oracle RAC software can be installed on OCFS2. However, it cannot be installed on Oracle Cluster File System (OCFS). Oracle RAC and grid infrastructure software can be installed on network-attached storage (NAS).

For OCFS2 certification status, refer to the Certify page on My Oracle Support.

Overview of Oracle RAC Storage

Preinstallation Checklist 1-13

1.3.2 General Storage Considerations for Oracle RAC

For all installations, you must choose the storage option that you want to use for Oracle Database files, or for Oracle Clusterware with Oracle RAC (Oracle RAC). If you want to enable automated backups during the installation, then you must also choose the storage option that you want to use for recovery files (the Fast Recovery Area). You do not have to use the same storage option for each file type.

The following table shows the storage options supported for storing Oracle Database files and Oracle Database recovery files. Oracle Database files include data files, control files, redo log files, the server parameter file, and the password file.

Use the following guidelines when choosing the storage options that you want to use for each file type:

■ You can choose any combination of the supported storage options for each file type provided that you satisfy all requirements listed for the chosen storage options.

■ Oracle recommends that you choose Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM) as the storage option for database and recovery files.

■ For Standard Edition Oracle RAC installations, Oracle ASM is the only supported storage option for database or recovery files.

■ If you intend to upgrade an existing Oracle RAC database, or an Oracle RAC database with Oracle ASM instances, then you must ensure that your system meets the following conditions:

Note: For the most up-to-date information about supported storage options for Oracle RAC installations, refer to the Certify pages on the My Oracle Support Web site:

https://metalink.oracle.com

Table 1–2 Supported Storage Options for Oracle Database and Recovery Files

Storage Option File Types Supported

Database Recovery

Automatic Storage Management Yes Yes

OCFS2 Yes Yes

Red Hat Global File System (GFS); for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Oracle Enterprise Linux

Yes Yes

Local storage No No

NFS file system

Note: Requires a certified NAS device

Yes Yes

Shared raw devices being used with

existing installation Yes

for upgrades only, or as a manual configuration

No

Shared block devices being used with existing installations

Yes

for upgrades only, or as a manual configuration

No

Additional Information to Prepare for Installation

– Oracle Universal Installer (OUI) and Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) are run on the node where the Oracle RAC database or Oracle RAC database with Oracle ASM instance is located.

– The Oracle RAC database or Oracle RAC database with an Oracle ASM instance is running on the same nodes that you intend to make members of the new cluster installation. For example, if you have an existing Oracle RAC database running on a three-node cluster, then you must install the upgrade on all three nodes. You cannot upgrade only 2 nodes of the cluster, removing the third instance in the upgrade.

■ If you do not have a storage option that provides external file redundancy, then you must configure at least three voting disk areas to provide voting disk redundancy.