Exploring Oracle Grid Infrastructure

Fig 1:Grid Control and Oracle Applications

Grid computing treats computing as a utility. The goal is to make computing a utlitity and a commodity and therefore the term "grid". This view of utility computing is of course a "client-side" view.

As a user of Data or application,you should not care where data resides or which server processes your request. You should be able to request information or computation and have it delivered as much as you want and whatever you want. Server side, the Grid is about resource allocation,information sharing, and high availability.

Fig 2: Enterprise Grid Control Topology


Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Grid Control provides you with holistic management of your grid. You can manage your grid as a whole, rather than managing each component individually.

In E-Business Suites,OAM integration helps to monitor Multiple systems,compare systems and analyze trends etc.

You can control Applicatons services,configure the system,Diagnose and resolve system problems etc.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control Installation 10g R2 (10.2)

Basic Installation Methods (Linux x86 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0)
- Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using a New Database Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using an Existing Database
- Advance Installation Methods (Linux x86 - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0)
# Install Grid Control in any non-interactive mode
# Configure your system to support installation of an additional Management Service or Management Agent
# Upgrade an existing installation to the latest version
# Install Grid Control on Real Application Clusters
# Troubleshoot your installation session
# Configure post-installation settings
# Use Enterprise Manager Grid Control
# Require secure communications between all Management Agents and the secure Management Service

Ref Oracle Documentation: http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/oem.html

In this post, Only the basic installation methods are covered. I will discuss the advance installation methods in future posts

System Requirements

# Check system pre-req using Oracle Universal Installer # Check Space & Memory Requirement

Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using a New Database => 4.5 GB, min 1GB o/s memory

Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using an Existing Database => 2.5 GB, min 1GB o/s memory

# Hardware Requirements (To run Enterprise Manager)

For Management Service => Min 1GHz processor speed,Min 2GB of free physical memory

For Managment Repository node => Min 2GB of free physical memory

# Software Requirements:The system must meet minimum software requirement for
o/s,packages and kernel parameters

#O/S Requirements

For New Database Installation the o/s must be one of the following:-

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0 (kernel version 2.4.9.25) - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 (kernel version 2.6.9) - SUSE Linux Server Enterprise 9 (kernel version 2.4.9.25)

#Pacakge Requirements

For Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0:

- glibc-2.3.4-2.9, make-3.79,binutils-2.15.92.0.2-13,gcc-3.4.3-22.1
- libaio-0.3.96,glibgc-common-2.3.4-2.9,setarch-1.6-1,pdksh-5.2.14-30
- openmotif21-2.1.30-11,sysstat-5.0.5-1,gnome-libs-1.4.1.2.90-44.1
- libstdc++-3.4.3-22.1,libstdc++devel-3.4.3-22.1,compat-libstdc++-296-2.96-132.7.2
- compat-db-4.1.25-9,control-center-2.8.0-12,xscreensaver-4.18-5.rhel4.2

#Kernel Parameters Requirements

- semmsl & semmsl2 = 250,semmns = 32000,semopm = 100,semmni = 128,shmmax = 536870912
- shmmni = 4096,shmall = 2097152,filemax = 65536,ip_local_port_range = 1024 65000
- rmem_default = 262144,rmem_max = 262144,wmem_default = 262144,wmem_max = 262144

You can change Kernel parameter settings in /etc/sysctl.conf. You may need to reboot your system after changing kernel parameters

# Mount the Oracle Enterprise Manger Grid Control Disk

Switch to user root
su - root

# mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd

#Install OEM Grid Control

a. Go to Disk1 under the mounted location (OEM Proudct DVD) and Run the installer
./runInstaller

b. OUI Screen will appear which will show you "Specify Installation Type" . Select the one installation types provided on this Screen. By default Complete installation is selected. OUI screen are easy to navigate,opt and also have useful help provided.

You need to enter the following information on OUI screens.

- specify Installation Location=> Installation's Parent directory. Sub-directories are create under parent directory of all ORACLE_HOME installations
- Language Selection => languages to run Grid Control in.Selection of language at this point is for installation session.
- Inventory Directory and Credentials=> This option will populate only once on your first installation of Oracle products.
- Product-Specific Prerequisite Checks => This will check all Hardware and software requirement to configure Oracle Software.
- Specify Configuration=> This option populate only for "Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using a New Database". At this point you can specify Database name,location of Management Repository files. Select location which is outside to your ORACLE_HOME.Select at this point two groups which required to grant SYSDBA and SYSOPER privileges required to create new database (OSDBA,OSOPERgroup).
- Specify Repository Database Configuration =>This option will populate only for "Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using an Existing Database". You can specify here Database connection details of your existing database,also locations of the new Management Repository tablespaces. - Specify Optional=> You can configure these option after Grid control installation like email,Oracle metalink credentials and proxy configuration settings.
- Configuration,Security Options=> This will populate only for "Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using a New Database". Specify password to secure the Management service and the management repository database.
- Specify Passwords=> This will populate for "Enterprise Manager Grid Control Using an Existing Database". Specify password for secure Management Service and SYSMAN user.
- Summary => You can review the information and then click on install
- Install=> You can see the status of you installation
- Execute Configuration Scripts=> Run the script as root user. Read the instructions carefully before execution.
- Configuration Assistants=> You can see status of Confiuration Assistants.
- End of Installation=> Information about your installation,including the URL's of your applications.Port information of these URL's stored in $ORACLE_HOME/install/portlist.ini

I will discuss about other Installation or Upgrade Options in my next post.

- Install an additional Management Service.
- Install Management Agents using the Agent Deployment application.

Coming Soon...

Fusion Architecture defines the technology components required for Fusion Applications and the linkage between enterprise applications, middleware and grid infrastructure technologies. In Oracle Fusion the focus is on architectural integration and openness for business applications information

Oracle Fusion Architecture Technical Components

Oracle Grid Infrastructure - Oracle 10g Database and Oracle Fusion Middleware in a Grid Env.

Fusion Service Registry - Oracle EBS Web Services Registry

Fusion Service Bus - Runtime Environment for Application Services

Business Process Orchestration - Oracle Fusion Middleware BPEL technology.

Business Intelligence and Business Activity Monitoring - Oracle Discoverer, Fusion BAM Technology.

Unified Portal - Oracle Collaboration Suite 10g and Oracle Portal.

I will share my practical experience also my research on Fusion Application.

Source:Oracle Sites Documents and my practical experience

Please provide your valueable comments to improve the blogs.

Ramnik Gupta

Patch Analysis

In Oracle EBS environment, patching play very important roles. Patch Analysis knowledge is key for any New or Experienced Oracle Apps DBA.

I am writing this post based on my experience and knowledge. Please post your comments to correct me if any thing you feel is not correct or you didn't understood.

The order to start with Patch Analysis (Sequence to apply the patch in Oracle E-Business Suites enviornment)

The best approach to start with any patch or CPU patches take the backup of your DB and file system so that you can revert back to same state in the event of any issue with patches. Normally every setup/Organization have daily backup schedule and you can fall back to last backup.

Take at least minimum backup of you configuration files in you application user home directory for important files like context .xml file, tns files,formservlet.ini,adalctl.sh,env files,Jserv config files etc

1 - RDBMS
2 - HTTP
3 - Developer 6i - Patch set (for e.g patchset 18)
3a - Bug Fixes - if any
3b - Developer (Forms , Reports and 8.0.6.3 Home or now 10g Home)
4a - IO (Interoperability)

1st Checkpoint to perform Application healthcheck to rule out any issue at this stage (by my experience recommanded way)

5 - Oracle Jinitiator

6 - JDK Upgrade - if any required

2nd Checkpoint to perform Application healthcheck to rule out any issue at this stage (by my experience recommanded way)

7 - ATG RUP patches before applying any apps patches
8 - Oracle E-Business Application Patches

3rd Checkpoint to perform Application healthcheck to rule out any issue at this stage (by my experience recommanded way)

PS: It is very important to carefully read patch readme's and metalink note to cover all pre-req patches and manual steps. Before applying any patch it is very important to apply the pre-req patches.

Needs inputs from all my blog readers to improve the blogs. I am writing this blog whenever i am getting time from family and work. I will try to update this blog on frequent basis with my all efforts.

Ramnik Gupta