2 Preinstallation Tasks

2.1.1 Minimum Hardware Requirements

The following are the minimum hardware requirements for installing Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2):

RAM

A minimum of 2 GB RAM is required to install Oracle Database products. However, Oracle Corporation suggests having at least 4 GB RAM. Oracle Database Client products require 1 GB RAM. Also, consider the associated applications used on your system when calculating RAM.

To determine the amount of RAM installed on the system and the amount of paging currently configured on the system, enter the following command:

$ SHOW MEMORY

To review memory reservations on the node, run the following command:

$ SHOW MEMORY/RESERVED 
System Memory Resources on 13-JUL-2002 09:57:11.72 

Memory Reservations (pages):   Group   Reserved  In Use  Type
ORA_PROD_SGA                   SYSGBL  5120      0       Allocated
ORA_PROD_SGA                   SYSGBL  5         0       Page Table
Total (40.04 Mbytes reserved)          5125      0

Chip Set

All HP OpenVMS Itanium chip sets are supported.

DVD Drive

This product is available for download and an optional DVD disk is provided upon request. Please ensure that you have a DVD drive that is supported by HP OpenVMS. Oracle uses ODS-5 format installation media.

2.1.2 Images

Oracle Database Enterprise Edition is installed with three default images, namely, LIBCLNTSH.SO, ORACLE.EXE, and ORA_JAVA_VMS_SHR.EXE.

LIBCLNTSH.SO is linked with Oracle Database Client images, reduces their size by removing direct references to Oracle Net Services and other common routines. ORACLE.EXE is the Oracle server image and will not be present in a Client-only installation. ORA_JAVA_VMS_SHR.EXE is the Oracle Java VM shared image.

In addition, HP OpenVMS 11g Release 2 (11.2) has the following four shareable images used by the server: LIBCORENLS11.SO, LIBORASHR11.SO, LIBSKGXN2.SO, and LIBSKGXP11.SO.

2.1.3 Disk Space Requirements

Oracle Universal Installer enables you to select an installation category and type. Your choices determine how much disk space is required. The disk space requirements do not include the size of the database. A production Oracle Database that supports many users requires significant disk space and memory.

2.1.4 Oracle Advanced Security

Oracle Advanced Security is an add-on product that is added to the standard Oracle Net Services Server or Oracle Net Services Client. If you purchase it, then install it on both the server and the client.

The SSL version compatibility is SSL3.0 or later.Kerberos and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) have requirements for authentication protocols that are supported by Oracle Advanced Security. No additional authentication protocol software is required to relink Oracle products. The requirements for Kerberos and SSL are as follows:

• Kerberos

  Requires MIT Kerberos version 5 Release 1.1. The Kerberos authentication server must be installed on a physically secure system.

• SSL

  Requires a wallet that is compatible with the Oracle Wallet Manager version 11.2. Wallets that were created by using earlier releases of the Oracle Wallet Manager are not upward-compatible. Oracle Advanced Security provides and installs SSL.

2.3.1 New Oracle Home

Do not install Oracle Database into the root directory of an existing Oracle installation containing any Oracle Software. Oracle recommends that you install Oracle Database products into a new Oracle Home.

Logical Names

Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2) has two separate logical names that specify the top-level directory of the installation. ORA_ROOT is a concealed logical name used in earlier releases, and ORACLE_HOME is a nonconcealed logical name. You can use both logical names with the following restriction:

If the top-level directory is DISK$DISK1:[ORACLE11204], then the logical names are defined as follows:

$ SHOW LOGICAL ORA_ROOT
DISK$DISK1:[ORACLE11204.]

$ SHOW LOGICAL ORACLE_HOME
DISK$DISK1:[ORACLE11204.]

Therefore, the following command is invalid:

$ SET DEFAULT ORA_ROOT

The following commands are valid:

$ SET DEFAULT ORA_ROOT:[000000]
$ SET DEFAULT ORACLE_HOME

2.3.2 JDK

The JDK release that is shipped with Oracle Database is used by Oracle Java applications such as Oracle Universal Installer and is the only JDK that is supported to run with these applications. You must not modify this JDK, unless it is done through a patch provided by Oracle Support Services.

2.3.3 Devices

With Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2), all file systems must reside on ODS-5 (On-Disk Structure Level 5) formatted disks. This includes the installation location, login directory, database files, and redo log files. This is required for mixed case file name support.

Oracle Database server must be able to verify that files have been written to disk. Devices that do not support this verification are not supported for use with Oracle Databases, although Oracle software can be installed on them. Datafiles always must reside on volumes with write through cache enabled.

2.4.1 Creating an Oracle Database DBA Account

Create an HP OpenVMS user account to administer and maintain the Oracle installation. Setting up an Oracle Database account is the same as setting up any other HP OpenVMS user account.

To set up an Oracle Database account:

1. Determine the values that you want to enter to create the account.

2. Run the AUTHORIZE utility to add a record in the User Authorization File (UAF).

3. Use AUTHORIZE to set the following account requirements:

   • Account quotas

   • Account privileges

   • Process rights identifiers

4. Exit AUTHORIZE to complete the account setup.

   See Also:

   The Hewlett-Packard documentation for more information about running the AUTHORIZE utility

Determining Account Information

To add an account, you must enter the following information:

• User name

• User password

• USER and GROUP numbers for the UIC (octal values)

• Login device and directory

• Owner

Although this guide refers to this account as the Oracle Database account or Oracle account, you can assign any name or number to the account after taking into account UIC restrictions. The Oracle Database account owns the run-time libraries and executable images for every Oracle product. Therefore, the database administrator (DBA) must manage this account and install all Oracle products from it.

The UIC group number of the Oracle Database account must be greater than the system parameter MAXSYSGROUP (which defaults to octal 10). Group numbers 1 through the value of MAXSYSGROUP are reserved for use by the HP OpenVMS operating system.If the UIC group number is not greater than the value of MAXSYSGROUP, then all Oracle Database account commands are not supported. For example:

• STARTUP

• CREATE DATABASE or CREATE TABLESPACE

• ALTER DATABASE or ALTER TABLESPACE

The following command gives the value of MAXSYSGROUP (in decimal format):

$ WRITE SYS$OUTPUT F$GETSYI("MAXSYSGROUP")

2.4.2 Adding a Record in the User Authorization File

Use the AUTHORIZE utility to create or modify records in the UAF as follows:

1. To run the AUTHORIZE utility, enter the following commands:

   $ SET DEFAULT SYS$SYSTEM
   $ RUN AUTHORIZE 
   

2. At the UAF prompt, enter the ADD command to create the user account from which you install the product software:

   UAF> ADD /ACCOUNT=ORACLE11G /PASSWORD=ORACLE/UIC=[277,100]-
   /DEVICE=device/DIRECTORY=[ORACLE11G]/OWNER="ORACLE DBA"
   

In this example, the account name is ORACLE11G. Ensure that the UIC group number is 277. The UIC group number must be greater than MAXSYSGROUP.

After adding the account, you must alter the account privileges and quotas. This can be done in any order. However, in most cases, the account privileges are set before the account quotas.

2.4.3 Setting Account Privileges

The following privileges are required as both authorized and default privileges for the Oracle Database DBA account:

• CMKRNL

• GROUP

• GRPNAM

• IMPERSONATE

• LOG_IO

• NETMBX

• OPER

• PFNMAP

• PRMGBL

• PRMMBX

• SHARE

• SYSGBL

• SYSLCK

• SYSNAM

• SYSPRV

• TMPMBX

• WORLD

Use the AUTHORIZE utility to set the account privileges for the Oracle Database DBA account. At the UAF prompt, use the MODIFY command to add the required default and authorized privileges as follows:

UAF> MODIFY ORACLE11G -
/PRIVILEGE=(CMKRNL,NETMBX,OPER,PFNMAP,PRMGBL,PRMMBX,SHARE,SYSGBL, -
  SYSNAM,TMPMBX,GROUP,GRPNAM,IMPERSONATE,LOG_IO,WORLD,SYSLCK, SYSPRV) - 
/DEFPRIVILEGE=(CMKRNL,NETMBX,OPER,PFNMAP,PRMGBL,PRMMBX,SHARE, SYSGBL, -
  SYSNAM,TMPMBX,GROUP,GRPNAM,IMPERSONATE,LOG_IO,WORLD,SYSLCK, SYSPRV)

2.4.4 Setting Account Quotas

Use the AUTHORIZE utility to change account quotas to meet the requirements of Oracle Database installation.

Account Quotas

Table 2-2 lists the Oracle Database account quotas, their minimum recommended values, and their equivalent HP OpenVMS quota names as displayed by the SHOW PROCESS/QUOTA and SHOW WORKING_SET DCL commands.

Modifying the Default Quotas

After adding a record with the default quotas, use the MODIFY command to alter the default values. The following example changes the enqueue quota (ENQLM) from the default value to a value of 150:

UAF> MODIFY ORACLE11G/ENQLM=150

2.4.5 Process Rights for Database Administrators

The Oracle Database DBA account must be granted one or more process rights identifiers. These identifiers enable you to run the CONNECT /AS SYSDBA command that is required to perform database administration functions. Table 2-3 displays the combinations of adding and granting rights identifiers to this account:

For example, to grant the ORA_sid_DBA rights identifier to the Oracle Database account for an instance called TEST, enter the following command:

UAF> ADD/IDENTIFIER ORA_TEST_DBA

Then, grant the rights identifier to the Oracle Database account as follows:

UAF> GRANT/IDENTIFIER ORA_TEST_DBA ORACLE11G

If you add the ORA_TEST_DBA rights identifier, but grant only ORA_DBA to the ORACLE11G account, then the account would have insufficient privileges to administer the TEST instance.

The third row of the table shows that you can add and grant different identifiers, which restricts control of a particular instance while it grants control to other instances.

You can also grant database maintenance privileges to accounts (for example, privileges to start and shut down the database) other than the Oracle Database account. However, with the Oracle Database account, the user UIC group number must be greater than MAXSYSGROUP. By granting the ORA_sid_DBA identifier, you can similarly restrict user privileges to an instance named sid.

2.4.6 Process Rights for SGA Protection

The SGA is protected by an access control list (ACL) that grants access to the identifier ORA_SGA. Before you start a database, add this rights identifier to the UAF, if it does not exist. To do this, the system manager must enter the following command:

UAF > ADD/IDENTIFIER/ATTRIBUTES=SUBSYSTEM ORA_SGA

2.4.7 Security Issues with Multiple Databases

If a site has several databases managed by different DBAs, then you may not want to grant the CMKRNL privilege to every DBA Oracle Database account. This privilege enables a DBA to activate any process rights identifiers and to install shared images.

For security reasons, Oracle recommends that the HP OpenVMS system administrator handle these tasks. This person should be responsible for starting Oracle Database instances from a controlled account with a UIC group number that is greater than the value of MAXSYSGROUP. If this is not possible, then at least one Oracle Database account must have the CMKRNL privilege.

2.4.8 Completing Account Setup

Exit the AUTHORIZE utility. If the user account that you modified is logged on at the time you exit this utility, then this user must log out and log in again before the changes take effect.

2.4.9 Verifying Privileges

Enter the following command to verify that your account has the correct privileges and rights identifiers:

$ SHOW PROCESS/PRIVILEGE

2.4.10 Setting Permissions for File Creation

Set default file protections for the ORACLE11G account to ensure that GROUP and WORLD have READ and EXECUTE permissions, but not WRITE permission on installed files.

1. Enter the $ SHOW PROTECTION command to check the current setting.

2. If the $ SHOW PROTECTION command does not show the expected protection, then set protection in the LOGIN.COM of the ORACLE11G account as follows:

   $ SET PROTECTION=(s:RWE, o:RWED, g:RE, w:RE)/default
   

2.5.1 Reserved Memory Registry

Through its interface within the SYSMAN utility, the reserved memory registry enables you to configure an HP OpenVMS system with large amounts of memory set aside for use within memory-resident global sections. The AUTOGEN utility considers the preallocated reserved memory when it tunes the system.

Oracle recommends that you do not use reserved memory until the instance SGA size is stable. In most cases, this is a few weeks after the database is performing well.

The advantages to reserving memory for an SGA are as follows:

• You can be certain that the memory is available and that the system is correctly tuned.

• The memory is reserved at startup time as contiguous aligned physical pages. This enables the system to optimize the mapping of the SGA.

• The memory is preallocated and zeroed. This results in faster SGA mapping and faster instance startup.

To reserve memory for an SGA, use the SYSMAN utility. The size qualifier is specified in megabytes. For example, to reserve memory for a 6 GB SGA for the SID named TEST, use the following commands:

$ MCR SYSMAN
SYSMAN> RESERVED_MEMORY ADD ORA_TEST_SGA/SIZE=6144/ALLOCATE/ZERO/PAGE
SYSMAN> EXIT

Next, run AUTOGEN and restart the system to allow AUTOGEN to adjust other system parameters for the reduced amount of memory that is available to the rest of the system.

Memory for multiple SGAs may be reserved. Any change to the name or size of a piece of reserved memory may require restarting the system. During instance startup, Oracle Database compares the size of the reserved memory, if any, with the size of the SGA. If appropriate, one of the following messages is included in the alert log:

** Reserved memory size = size greater than created SGA size = size**
** Please reduce reserved memory size to avoid wasting memory. **

** Memory was not reserved for the SGA. SGA size = size **
** There might be performance advantages to allocating memory for
    the SGA in the VMS reserved memory registry. **

If the memory reserved for an SGA is insufficient, then the instance startup fails. In this case, you must adjust the amount of reserved memory, run AUTOGEN, and restart the system. For example, to expand the SGA to 6.5 GB for the TEST instance, enter the following commands:

$ MCR SYSMAN
SYSMAN> RESERVED_MEMORY REMOVE ORA_TEST_SGA
SYSMAN> RESERVED_MEMORY ADD ORA_TEST_SGA/SIZE=6656/ALLOCATE/ZERO/PAGE 
SYSMAN> EXIT

Next, run AUTOGEN and save it permanently using the SAVEPARAMS parameter. This saves the change in the AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT file.

If you do not want to save permanently then, instead of running AUTOGEN, use SYSMAN to free the memory reservation and proceed with starting the Oracle instance without reserved memory. The risk involved with this is that the system may not have enough fluid pages to create the SGA. In addition, the performance advantages of using reserved memory are not available.

To review memory reservations on the node, run the following command:

$ SHOW MEMORY/RESERVED 

System Memory Resources on 13-JUL-2001 09:57:11.72 
Memory Reservations (Pages)    Group    Reserved   In Use   Type
ORA_PROD_SGA                   SYSGBL   5120       0        Allocated
ORA_PROD_SGA                   SYSGBL   5          0        Page Table
Total (40.04 Mbytes reserved)           5120       0

2.5.2 AUTOGEN

Because SYSGEN parameters affect the entire operating system, the system administrator is the only person who should modify them. At some sites, the DBA and system administrator may be the same person. The instructions in this section are directed to the system administrator.

For setting or modifying SYSGEN parameters, HP OpenVMS provides the AUTOGEN utility. You can also use SYSGEN, but this is an older utility and its use is discouraged, except perhaps for checking current values. You must have the SYSPRV or BYPASS privilege to run these utilities.

AUTOGEN provides a permanent method for setting parameters, and it documents all changes. AUTOGEN also lets you recalculate any parameters that depend on other parameters that you may have changed. Remember to record parameter values before changing them, and determine in advance what results you expect from the changes you make. If the expected changes do not occur, then restore the old values before trying again.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Run the AUTOGEN utility with the SAVPARAMS parameter by entering the following command:

   $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS GETDATA
   

   This step saves current parameters to a file named AGEN$FEEDBACK.DAT.

2. If you have not already done so, run AUTOGEN GETDATA to ensure that the file PARAMS.DAT has been generated.

   $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN GETDATA 
   

3. Examine the parameter settings in the current PARAMS.DAT, and if they are correct, then change them in the MODPARAMS.DAT file by using the MIN_parameter=value format as follows:

   MIN_GBLSECTIONS=3000 
   MIN_GBLPAGES=300000
   

   The MIN prefix indicates that you are setting a lower limit for the specified parameter. To use the MIN prefix, identify the current value of the specified parameter (using SYSGEN) and the amount by which you want to increase the parameter. The sum of these two values is used for the MIN_parameter entry.

4. Run the AUTOGEN utility with the GENPARAMS and REBOOT parameters by entering the following command:

   $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN GENPARAMS REBOOT
   

   Caution:

   The REBOOT parameter in this example causes the system to automatically restart when the SYSGEN is complete.

   This step generates new SYSGEN parameters in a file named SETPARAMS.DAT and runs the SYSGEN utility to set these parameter values as specified in the file.

   See Also:

   HP OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference for more information about using the AUTOGEN utility

2.7.1 Creating an Oracle Database Account

The Oracle Database account is the HP OpenVMS user account that owns Oracle Database software after installation. Run Oracle Universal Installer with this user account.

Details of creating this account are covered in Section 2.4, "Creating a User Account"

Use the AUTHORIZE utility to create an oracle account with the properties listed in Table 2-5.

Sites with multiple ORA_ROOT directories on one system may install Oracle software with the same ORACLE11G account, or separate accounts. Each ORACLE11G account must have the same group UIC.

2.7.2 Creating an Apache Server Account

The Apache account is an HP OpenVMS user account that owns the Apache server after installation. If you use a default Apache configuration (one that listens to ports lower than 1024, which are reserved for the system), then Oracle recommends, for security reasons, that a separate account owner be set up for Apache. Configure the Apache server to assign the ownership of listener and module actions to this account. It is not necessary for the Apache user account to have privileges to run the Apache Server on port numbers that are lower than 1023. Images that are installed with privileges during installation in the oracle account ensure that this can be done.

See Section G.3.3, "Customizing the Server Environment" for information about how to configure the server to run as a user other than the 'oracle' user.

The Apache account owner should have minimal user privileges, and should not be a member of any groups where files are not intended to be visible to the public.

2.8.1 Setting the Display

Before starting Oracle Universal Installer, set the display by using the following command:

$ SET DISPLAY/CREATE/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE=workstation_name or IP_address

Verify that you have set the display correctly by using the following command:

$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:DECW$CLOCK

Do not use the host name or IP address of the system where you install the software unless you perform the installation from the X Window console of that system. Use the computer name or IP address of the workstation if you are installing from a remote system. If you are not sure of the X server and screen settings, then use 0 (zero) for both.

2.8.2 Setting Up a Batch Queue for the Oracle Enterprise Manager Agent and HAS

In this release, the architecture and implementation of the Oracle Enterprise Manager Agent has undergone a major revision. The new agent is based on an HTTP listener that communicates with the Management Server using XML and that uses Perl to perform a number of tasks. This has been implemented to run in a batch queue instead of running as detached processes. The Oracle Enterprise Manager Agent runs a main process. To support monitoring of both internal (using the same Oracle home) and external databases and listeners, the Enterprise Manager Agent submits additional batch jobs.

From the operational and management perspective, this has been implemented to run under a batch queue to get a better collective view of all processes related to the Enterprise Manager Agent running at any given time. This makes it easy to monitor and control all processes spawned by the Enterprise Manager Agent. In addition, it may be possible to delete batch jobs or processes that can potentially fail when trying to connect to databases or listeners that are not running.

For High-Availability Services (HAS), OCSSD, EVMD, and CRSD, are collectively run as batch process. The Enterprise Manager Agent and HAS use the following method to determine the name of the batch queue on which to submit jobs:

• If the ORA_BATCH_QUEUE_hostname logical name is defined, then the value of this logical is used.

• If the ORA_BATCH_QUEUE_hostname logical is itself a valid queue name, then it is used.

The ORA_BATCH_QUEUE_hostname logical name need not always be defined. It is sufficient that it is defined at least once during installation. Alternatively, you can define it before running ORAUSER.COM at any time after the installation. Ensure that the Enterprise Manager Agent and HAS services can only be started up after setting up this batch queue logical name and running ORAUSER.COM.

The two components record the batch queue name in the installation, and use that as a reference for subsequent calls to the services. The default batch queue SYS$BATCH generally points to a batch queue that runs under a lower priority (usually, 2) than the priority of a normal user (usually, 4). Therefore, it is inappropriate to use the default queue for the two services. This would result in poor and, in some cases, defective performance of the two services.

The number of jobs submitted for the Enterprise Manager Agent batch queue depends on the number of monitoring targets which include databases and listeners. An approximation of two to five monitoring targets would be a good number for the job_limit. In the case of HAS, a job_limit of about 10 would be sufficient. The batch queue priority should be the same as all other Oracle processes, which is typically 4 on a standard VMS system.

2.9.1 Precompilers and Tools

The following sections list the preinstallation tasks for the precompilers and tools that are required for HP OpenVMS.

2.9.2 Network and System Management Products

This section describes tasks that need to be completed prior to installation if you have existing network and system management products.

$ TCPIP SHOW DEVICE/PORT=port_number

$ SHOW DEVICE/FULL device_name

$ SHOW PROCESS/CONTINUOUS/ID=pid

2.10.1 Oracle Inventory Directory

The Oracle inventory directory (ORAINVENTORY) stores an inventory of all Oracle software installed on the system. It is required by, and shared by, all Oracle software installations on a single system.

The Installer creates this directory if it does not exist and sets the correct owner, group, and permissions on it.

inst_group=VMS1
inventory_loc=/DISK1/ORACLE11GR2/INVENTORY_NODE1

2.10.2 Oracle Base Directory

The Oracle base directory is a top-level directory for Oracle software installations. On HP OpenVMS, a typical Oracle base directory is similar to the following example:

DISK1:[ORACLE11GR2]

2.10.3 Oracle Home Directory

The Oracle home directory is the directory where you choose to install the software for a particular Oracle product. You must install different Oracle products, or different releases of the same Oracle product, in separate Oracle home directories. When you run Oracle Universal Installer, it prompts you to specify the path to this directory, and a name that identifies it.

Oracle Universal Installer creates the directory path that you specify. It also sets the correct ownership and permissions. You do not need to create this directory.

Oracle Universal Installer can use either one of the following format examples:

• OpenVMS format:

  DISK1:[ORACLE11GR2.DBHOME1]
  

• UNIX format:

  /disk1/oracle11gr2/dbhome1