5
Administering Real Application Clusters Databases with Oracle Enterprise Manager

This chapter describes how to use Oracle Enterprise Manager to administer Real Application Clusters databases. This chapter only describes Oracle Enterprise Manager administration for Real Application Clusters. Use this section as a supplement to information in the Oracle Enterprise Manager Administrator's Guide and other Oracle Enterprise Manager documentation. The topics in this chapter are:

• Overview of Oracle Enterprise Manager Administration
• Starting the Console
• Displaying Objects in the Navigator Pane
• Using the Cluster Database Right-Mouse Menu
• Starting a Cluster Database
• Shutting Down a Cluster Database
• Viewing the Cluster Database Operation Results
• Viewing Cluster Database Status
• Creating a Job for a Cluster Database or Instance
• Specifying Job Details
• Registering Cluster Database Events

Overview of Oracle Enterprise Manager Administration

The Oracle Enterprise Manager Console provides a central point of control for the Oracle environment through a graphical user interface (GUI). You can use the Oracle Enterprise Manager Console to initiate a variety of cluster database management tasks.

Once you have created or modified the configuration of a cluster database, then you should use Oracle Enterprise Manager to discover the nodes on which you configured the cluster database. Once discovery completes, you can administer all of the databases and their instances and listeners that are associated with the nodes discovered by Oracle Enterprise Manager.

This enables you to start, stop, and monitor databases, instances, and their listeners, as well as to schedule jobs or register events. You can perform these tasks simultaneously on multiple cluster databases. You can also use the Console to manage schemas, security, and cluster database storage features.

Starting the Console

To use the Oracle Enterprise Manager Console, start the following components:

1. An Oracle Intelligent Agent on each node
2. A Global Services Daemon (GSD) on each node
3. The Management Server
4. The Oracle Enterprise Manager Console

   See Also: Oracle9i Real Application Clusters Setup and Configuration for Real Application Clusters-specific information on installing Oracle Enterprise Manager and Oracle Intelligent Agent User's Guide for more information about the Oracle Intelligent Agent

Displaying Objects in the Navigator Pane

From the Navigator pane, you can view and manage cluster database instances in the same manner as you view and manage single-instance databases. After Oracle Enterprise Manager discovers a node, the Navigator displays all the cluster databases, their instances and their listeners that are discovered on that node.

The information available for cluster databases is essentially the same as for single-instance databases. Just as in single-instance databases, cluster databases and their related elements can be administered using master and detail views of the Oracle Enterprise Manager Console.

In the Navigator tree, cluster databases are listed under the Databases folder as siblings to single-instance databases. Just as in single-instance databases, each cluster database folder contains the instances and sub-folders for Instance, Schema, Security, Storage, and Distributed as shown in Figure 5-1.

By selecting objects within a cluster database subfolder, you can access property sheets to inspect and modify properties of these objects, just as you can for single-instance databases. For example, by expanding the Storage folder and then right-clicking Redo Log Groups subfolder and then choosing Create, you can add a new redo log group. Oracle Enterprise Manager displays all discovered cluster database instances under the Cluster Database Instances folder.

When accessing cluster databases, only the Instance folder has subfolder contents that differ from those seen in single-instance databases. Within the Instance folder, the instance database subfolders are split into two parts:

• Database-Specific Objects
• Instance-Specific Objects

Database-Specific Objects

All of the database-specific functionality appears directly under the Instance subfolder for the cluster database. The available database-specific functionality enables you to view, create, and modify resource consumer groups.

Instance-Specific Objects

All instance-specific functionality appears beneath the individual instance icons within the Cluster Database Instances subfolder. The instance-specific functionality includes:

Configuration

You can view instance states, view and edit initialization parameters, toggle the archive mode on and off, and view performance statistics of active resource plans. You can also view or modify the current undo tablespace assigned to an instance, as well as the undo tablespace retention period.

Stored Configurations

You can create, edit, and store multiple startup configurations for instances. This eliminates the need to track initsid.ora parameter files.

Sessions

You can list the status of connected users, view the latest SQL for sessions, and terminate sessions.

Locks

You can view details for currently held User type and System type locks.

Resource Plans

You can define and modify the resource plans for the cluster database and also activate a specific resource plan for an individual instance.

Resource Plan Schedule

You can schedule the activation of a resource plan.

The contents of a typical database folder are shown in Figure 5-1.

Figure 5-1 Database Subfolders

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You can expand the Cluster Database Instances folder to display the instances belonging to each discovered database or node, as shown in Figure 5-2.

Figure 5-2 Cluster Database Instances Folder

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Using the Cluster Database Right-Mouse Menu

Right-clicking on a cluster database displays the specialized cluster database right-mouse menu. The right-mouse menu contains entries for the functions listed in Table 5-1. All other menus are identical to those appearing in the single-instance version of Oracle Enterprise Manager. When selected, you will see dialogs that differ from single-instance databases.

Table 5-1 Right-Mouse Menu Functions for Real Application Clusters

Option	Description
Startup	Starts the database See Also: "Starting a Cluster Database"
Shutdown	Shuts down the database See Also: "Shutting Down a Cluster Database"
Results	Displays startup and shutdown results See Also: "Viewing the Cluster Database Operation Results".
View Edit Details	Enables inspection of the state of the cluster database, including which instances are active. See Also: "Viewing Cluster Database Status"
Related Tools	Contains access to other tools which have been enabled for a cluster database.

Starting a Cluster Database

The Console enables you to start an entire cluster database or selected instances within a cluster database. To start a cluster database or its instances:

1. In the Navigator pane expand Databases.
2. Right-click a cluster database.

   A menu appears with options for the database.

3. Choose Startup from the menu.

   The Cluster Database Startup dialog box appears.

4. Select a startup type as shown in Table 5-2.

Table 5-2 Cluster Database Startup Types

Option	Description
No Mount	Does not mount the database upon instance startup
Mount	Mounts a database but does not open it
Open	(default) Opens the database
Force the instance(s) to start	Shuts down any currently running Oracle instances with the SHUTDOWN mode, ABORT, before restarting them. If the instances are running and FORCE is not specified, an error results. Note: You should not use the FORCE mode under normal circumstances. Use the FORCE mode only while debugging or under abnormal circumstances.
Restrict access to the database	Makes the started instances accessible only to users with the RESTRICTED SESSION system privilege. Users already connected are not affected.

5. To start up all instances and their related listeners, click Startup. To start up only selected instances, follow these steps:
   1. Click Select Instances.

      The Select Instances to Start dialog box appears.

   2. Select the instances to start in the Available list and click Add.
   3. Click OK to close the Select Instances to Start dialog box.
   4. Click Startup from the Cluster Database Startup dialog box.

   The Cluster Database Startup Results dialog box displays the progress of the startup operation, as described in "Viewing the Cluster Database Operation Results". If the instances were started successfully, the Cluster Database Started message box appears with a successful message. Click OK in the Cluster Database Started message to acknowledge the message, then click Close in the Cluster Database Startup Results.

   If the startup fails, the Cluster Database Started message box appears with a failure message. Click View Details to see more information in the Cluster Database Startup Results dialog box about the failure, then click Close.

   Shutting Down a Cluster Database

   The Console enables you to shut down an entire cluster database or selected instances within a cluster database. Once all instances are shut down, the database is also considered shut down.

   Note: A cluster database can occasionally be completely down, however, some of its services, such as the database listener, might remain running.

   To shut down a cluster database or its instances:

   1. In the Navigator pane expand Databases.
   2. Right-click a cluster database.

      A menu appears with options for the database.

   3. Choose Shutdown from the menu.

      The Cluster Database Shutdown dialog box appears.

   4. Select a shutdown type, as shown in Table 5-3.

      Table 5-3  Shutdown Types

      Option	Description
      Normal	Waits for the currently connected users to disconnect from the database, prohibits further connects, and closes and dismounts the database before shutting down the instance. Instance recovery is not required on next startup.
      Immediate	(default) Does not wait for current calls to complete, prohibits further connects, and closes and dismounts the database.The instance is immediately shut down. Connected users are not required to disconnect and instance recovery is not required on next startup.
      Abort	Proceeds with the fastest possible shutdown. Connected users are not required to disconnect. The database is not closed or dismounted, but the instances are shut down. Instance recovery is required on next startup. Note: You must use this option if a background process terminates abnormally.
      Transactional	Waits for transactions to complete before shutting down
      Shutdown Database Only	(default) Shuts down the database only. The services required for an instance, such as the listener, remain up and available.
      Shutdown Database And Other Services	Shuts down the database and associated services, such as the listener.

   5. To shut down all instances, click Shutdown.

   To shut down only selected instances, follow these additional steps:

   1. Click Select Instances.

      The Select Instances to Stop dialog box appears.

   2. Select the instances to stop in the Available list, then click Add.
   3. Click OK to close the Select Instances to Stop dialog box.
   4. Click Shutdown from the Cluster Database Shutdown dialog box.

   The Cluster Database Shutdown Progress dialog box displays the progress of the shutdown operation.

   If the instances were shut down successfully, the Cluster Database Stopped message box appears with a successful message. Click OK in the Cluster Database Stopped message to acknowledge the message, then click Close in the Cluster Database Shutdown Results window.

   If the shutdown fails, the Cluster Database Stopped message box appears with a failure message. Click View Details to see information in the Cluster Database Shutdown Progress dialog box about the shutdown failure, then click Close.

Viewing the Cluster Database Operation Results

The Cluster Database Startup/Shutdown Results dialog displays information about the progress of the instance startup or shutdown operation you selected: The operation results are presented in two views:

• Status Details Tab
• Output Tab

The Cluster Database Startup/Shutdown Results dialog box automatically displays during a startup or shutdown operation. You can also initiate it with the following steps:

1. In the Navigator pane, expand Databases.
2. Right-click a cluster database.

   A menu appears with options for the database.

3. Choose Results from the menu.

Status Details Tab

While a startup or shutdown operation is running against a cluster, the Status Details tab appears and is updated dynamically as the operation progresses.

A successful startup operation for a two-node cluster looks like the following in the Status Details tab, as shown in Figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3 Status Details Tab

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A successful shutdown operation for a two-node cluster looks like the Status Details tab shown in Figure 5-4.

Figure 5-4 Successful Shutdown Results

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Table 5-5 shows the possible states in which each component might appear.

Table 5-4 Possible Component States

State	Description
Up (green flag)	The component is running.
Down (red flag)	The component is not running.
In Progress (timer)	Oracle Enterprise Manager cannot determine the state of the component. This state occurs typically when the component startup or shutdown operation has not completed.
Component does not exist on this node (blank background)	The component was not configured on the node. Not all components (listener, instance) are required on every node.

Output Tab

The Output tab displays the commands executed by the node and any associated error messages in textual format.

A successful shutdown looks like the following in the Output tab as shown in Figure 5-5.

Figure 5-5 Successful Shutdown Results

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Oracle Enterprise Manager displays a Results tab that is similar to the Shutdown tab in Figure 5-5.

Viewing Cluster Database Status

The Edit Cluster Database dialog box displays status information about the database, such as instances available in the cluster and the status of cluster components.

To view status information about a database:

1. In the Navigator pane, expand Databases > database_name.
2. Right-click a cluster database under the Databases folder in the Navigator pane.

   A menu appears with options for the database.

3. Choose View/Edit Details from the menu.

   The Edit Cluster Database dialog box appears.

The operation results are presented in two views:

• General Tab
• Status Details Tab

General Tab

The General tab displays information about the currently running instances by querying the V$ACTIVE_INSTANCES table as shown in Figure 5-6. Oracle Enterprise Manager makes a connection to the cluster database. Therefore, this tab will not appear if the database is down.

Figure 5-6 General Tab

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Table 5-5 describes the Fields in Output Tab Form.

Table 5-5 Fields in Output Tab Form

Column Name	Description
Instance Number	Identifies the instance number
Instance Name	The name specified for the instance and the node it is running on. This name has the following format: node:instance_name.
Secondary	A checkmark appears if the node is an secondary instance in a primary/secondary instance configuration

Status Details Tab

The Status Details Tab displays an overall view of the state of the cluster and related components as shown in Figure 5-7. This tab displays the status of the various components, such as listeners and instances, for all nodes on which you have configured the cluster database.

Figure 5-7 Status Details Tab

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Table 5-4 shows the possible states in which each component might appear.

Creating a Job for a Cluster Database or Instance

The job scheduling system provides a highly reliable and flexible mechanism for you to schedule and automate repetitive jobs on both the cluster database and instances.

The Console contains a full-featured scheduling mechanism that enables you to develop a customized schedule. This provides you with actual "lights out" management capability so that you can focus on other tasks.

You can create a job with a cluster database or instance as the target. To create a new job, follow these steps:

1. Choose Job > Create Job.
2. Complete the tabs of the Create Job property sheet.
3. Click Submit to submit the job to Oracle Intelligent Agent. The job appears in the Active Jobs window.
4. Select Submit to submit the job, Add to Library to add the job to the library, or Submit and Add to do both. Then click the button on the lower right-hand side relative to the operation you want to perform. The job appears in the Job Library window. You can later modify or submit a saved job.

Specifying Job Details

From the Create Job property sheet, you can specify the details of a new job. The Create Job property sheet contains the tabs listed in Table 5-6.

Table 5-6 Tabs Contained in the Create Job Property Sheet

Tab	Description
General	Specify the job name, description, target type, and destination.
Tasks	Choose the task(s) for the job.
Parameters	Set the run-time parameters for the tasks. The parameters that appear on this tab depend on which task(s) you chose on the Task list box.
Schedule	Schedule the time and frequency for Oracle Enterprise Manager to run the job.
Permissions	Specify the administrator to perform the job.

The following tabs contain options specific to cluster databases:

• General Tab
• Tasks Tab
• Parameters Tab

  See Also: Oracle Enterprise Manager Administrator's Guide for general job scheduling information

General Tab

As shown in Figure 5-8, from the General tab you can specify:

• Job Name
• Target Type (either Cluster Database or Cluster Database Instance)
• Description
• Targets

Figure 5-8 General Tab

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The General Tab contains the options in Table 5-7.

Table 5-7 General Tab Options

Option	Description
Job Name	Enter the name of the new job.
Description	Enter a description of the job.
Target Type	Select a Target Type from the drop-down list box. You can select from the following options: Cluster Database, Cluster Database Instance, Database, Listener, or Node.
Available Targets	The targets are determined by your selection of the Target Type. The targets include Cluster Databases, Cluster Database Instances, Databases, Listeners, and Nodes. Click the targets of the job in the Available Targets list, then click Add to move the target to the Selected Targets list. To remove a target from a job, click the target in the Selected Targets list, then click Remove.

Tasks Tab

From the Tasks tab, choose the task(s) for the job to perform. The list of tasks that appears is different depending on whether you select a cluster database or cluster database instance as your Target Type from the General tab. Move the tasks between the Available Tasks and Job Tasks lists with the Add and Remove buttons.

Tasks for Cluster Database Targets

If your Target Type is a Cluster Database, then you can select from these tasks that are specific to cluster databases:

• Shutdown Cluster Database
• Startup Cluster Database

  See Also: Oracle Enterprise Manager Administrator's Guide for a description of these tasks and the parameters to set

Parameters Tab

From the Parameters tab, you can specify parameter settings for the job tasks you selected on the Tasks tab. The parameters that display vary according to the job task. Parameters specific to cluster database startup and shutdown tasks are described in the next subsection.

Cluster Database Startup Task

When you select the Startup Cluster Database task on the Tasks tab, the following display appears Figure 5-9.

Figure 5-9 Parameters Tab

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The Parameters tab for Startup contains the options listed in Table 5-8.

Table 5-8 Parameters Tab for Startup

Parameters	Description
Startup	Select the startup modes for the job from the drop-down list box.
Connect As	Specify the role. Only Normal is allowed for Oracle7. For Oracle8i and subsequent releases, SYSOPER and SYSDBA roles allow you the maximum database administration privileges. You require SYSDBA or SYSOPER privileges to run job tasks such as shutdown or startup on the database. See Also: Oracle9i Database Administrator's Guide for more information about SYSOPER and SYSDBA roles If you attempt to connect as SYSDBA and do not have SYSDBA privileges, an error message states that an invalid user name or password was entered.
Override Preferred Credentials	You can use the preferred credentials that have been set up for the database, or you can enter another database user name and password.

Parameters for the Cluster Database Shutdown Task

When you select Shutdown Cluster Database on the Tasks tab, the display in Figure 5-10 appears.

Figure 5-10 Shutdown Cluster Database Parameters

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Complete the parameter entries on the tab and click Submit to run the cluster database shutdown task. The Parameters tab for Shutdown contains the options listed in Table 5-9.

Table 5-9 Parameters Tab for Shutdown

Options	Description
Mode	Select Immediate (default) or Abort
Connect As	Select SYSDBA (default) or SYSOPER.
Override Preferred Credentials	You can use the preferred credentials that have been set up for the database or you can use another database user name and password.

Registering Cluster Database Events

Oracle Enterprise Manager includes an Event Management feature that enables you to monitor tests on cluster database instances. You can run all tests available for single-instance databases on cluster database instances. In addition to these standard event tests, specialized event tests are available only for cluster database instances. These tests include global cache converts, consistent read requests, and so on. The Intelligent Agents running on the cluster nodes gather the data for the event tests and detect the occurrence of specific event conditions.

To access the Event Management feature, from the Event menu, select Create Event and the Create Event window opens. On the Create Event window you can select targets, set parameters, and set notification preferences, using the following sub-pages:

• Use the General Page to select the cluster database and cluster database instance target types.
• Use the Test Page to select the type of specialized cluster database tests that you want to schedule.
• Use the Parameters Page to select the parameter for your test event.
• Use the Schedule Page to schedule the execution of a test event.
• Use the Access Page for setting notification options.
• Use the Fixit Jobs Page to specify a job that should be run after the event occurs.

Figure 5-11 shows the selection list of event tests that are specific to cluster databases.

Figure 5-11 Event Management Tests Menu

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