SAP Install on Solaris 10 Sparse Root Zone ../usr/sap

[Former Member]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone is running SAP on Solaris 10, SAP EHP4 ECC 6.0 Oracle DB version 10. App and Db in a sparse root zone.

When we initially created our SAP install the Directories containing <SID> and trans_<SID> was give to us as "/usr/sap"

Since this is a sparse root zone, the /usr directory is read only. To accommodate SAP, a directory was created in the global zone for each of the containers ( we have ECC, PI, BW etc..) and then mounted as a filesystem in each container. /usr/sap exists in every container, and it was supposed to be nothing more than a mount point for the <SID> and trans_<SID> NFS mounts. This /usr/sap directory exists on the global zone of our M5000 and the additional files and folders are eating up OS space.

This creates me with two problems.

1. WHen I take a snapshot, I can't recover the zone in a automatic fashion because the local zone can not see the global /usr directory, so I have to recover that folder/file manually.

2. I don't know exactly, but files are being created in the usr/sap directory that is causing internal drives to grow quickly.

To resolve our issues it was determined that the best course of action is to remove the connection to the global zone by creating a /sap directory in each container and linking it as /usr/sap. The /sap directory will be an NFS/FC mount point and that will fix the issue of disk space usage and backup recovery.

Does anyone have another way to solve this problem or any suggestions that we should do something different. ?

[Former Member]

I use sparse zones on Solaris with ZFS.

I delegate filesystems to the zone.

-

---

root@global ~# zonecfg -z zone_name info

zonename: zone_name

zonepath: /zfs_zones/zone_name

brand: native

autoboot: true

bootargs:

pool:

limitpriv:

scheduling-class:

ip-type: shared

hostid:

inherit-pkg-dir:

dir: /lib

inherit-pkg-dir:

dir: /platform

inherit-pkg-dir:

dir: /sbin

inherit-pkg-dir:

dir: /usr

net:

address: w.x.y.z/nn

physical: nxge0

defrouter: w.x.y.z

dataset:

name: zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle

dataset:

name: zfs_zones/zone_name/sapmnt

dataset:

name: zfs_zones/zone_name/usr_sap

-

---

root@zone_name ~# zfs list -o name,mountpoint

NAME MOUNTPOINT

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle /oracle

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_mirrlogA /oracle/SID/mirrlogA

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_mirrlogB /oracle/SID/mirrlogB

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_oraarch /oracle/SID/oraarch

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_origlogA /oracle/SID/origlogA

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_origlogB /oracle/SID/origlogB

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_sapdata1 /oracle/SID/sapdata1

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_sapdata2 /oracle/SID/sapdata2

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_sapdata3 /oracle/SID/sapdata3

zfs_zones/zone_name/oracle/SID_sapdata4 /oracle/SID/sapdata4

zfs_zones/zone_name/sapmnt /sapmnt

zfs_zones/zone_name/usr_sap /usr/sap

Edited by: RUSS HANSEN on Dec 14, 2011 8:52 PM

[Former Member]

Hi Andrew,

I'm in a similar situation.

Before I say any more, lets just state a few things for anyone thinking of helping out here.

I am using a ufs filesystem. This is my choice. I do NOT want to use zfs. Please no one ask me why.

I am using sparse zones, due to constraints, and also MY choice. I WANT to use sparse zones.

So... this being the case.

I have a T5140 where I have been asked to build 4 vm's containing BI PI SCM & ECC servers.

I have happily created the lofs mounts to /oracle /sapmnt and can see them from inside the zones.

However I cannot yet, create /usr/sap as it is read only. So temporarily I've created a /sap to take up the disk space until I get it working.

I'm thinking that I need to create the /usr/sap in the global zone first, as you said Andrew, and then mount it in each zone, but will this be read only?

I'm actually working on this now, so will post my updated findings, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has successfully created this environment.

Thanks

colin

[markus_doehr2]

> I am using sparse zones, due to constraints, and also MY choice. I WANT to use sparse zones.

...which is fine. Just be aware that this is no more possible with Solaris 11.

Using ZFS and deduplication you will save more space with full root zones without the hazzle of configuring /usr/sap manually. But as said - mileage may vary.

Markus

[markus_doehr2]

> Does anyone have another way to solve this problem or any suggestions that we should do something different. ?

Avoid using sparse root zones. With newer Solaris OS'ses sparse root zones are no more possible to create.

If you use Solaris 10 U9 (the newest OS) you can use ZFS with deduplication for the zone root and you will save even more space.

Markus