SAP Hardware migration / Oracle upgrade to 11g

[Former Member]

Hi,

We are required to perform a SAP hardware migration and upgrade oracle database to 11g.

Current environment is a distributed installation with CI and DB on seperate hosts. Both host have the same OS version.

Our landscape consist of ECC 6.0 / PI 7.0 / BW 7.0/ SOLMAN 7.1 . All these instance are on seperate hosts.

Current environemnt:

OS - RHEL 5.4

DB - Oracle 10.2.0.4

DB Hardware - Sun Blade X6240

CI (Application server hardware) - Sun Blade X6240

Desired target environment:

OS - RHEL 5.4

DB - Oracle 11.2.0.3

DB Hardware - HP (model N/A)

CI (Application server hardware) - V-Block (Virtual environment)

I am thinking of the following approach :

1. Homogeneous system copy with DB restore method to setup the target system

2. Upgrade Oracle to 11.2.0.3

3. Setup oracle log shipping from the current producitve environemnt to the newly created target system until cutover.

4. During cutover change the IP and hostname of the newly created target to that of the current production application server.

Is this a good approach  ?

Or is there a better way to achieve this ?

Thanks

LM

Message was edited by: L M

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

other wise if you have good downtime then go with Homoginies system copy using R3load method.

this way you can directly install 11g on target system.

Thanks,

Venkat

[nicholas_chang · Accepted solution]

It also depends on how big is your database and how powerful is your source and target system. if you can allocate affordable downtime, i would agree with Venkat, go for R3load migration where you can directly install with 11g instead of upgrade after backup/restore.

Since the source IP and hostname and transfer to the target, you shouldn't face any integration & connectivity issue. But, please test properly in your D & Q env.

Thanks,

Nicholas Chang

[former_member185534]

This message was moderated.

[Former Member]

Your approach works, but downtime is not

1. Setup Oracle DR database in target server. There is downtime to primary database server if you use "Maximum performance." However, Oracle DBA will often wanted a downtime. So request them to setup standby 3 times using a dummy database and document the steps as complete as possible. If I'm not mistaken, the alert log will contain no critical error in both primary and standby database. Ignore them as they are not critical and you want 0 downtime

2. Both Oracle 10.2 and 11.2 have to install in target server ahead of time, and in 2 different location. Backup /etc/orainst.loc immediately after installation of each Oracle version. One will overwrite another one. No downtime for this software install like you said

3. Oracle archive logs will continue ship from old to new database until cut-over day. No downtime, but someone needs to actively monitor the archive log in both databases to ensure standby database is catching up, and any space/network issues are resolve before cut-over. It may take 24 hour to catch up 1 weeks of archive log (estimate 6 MB/s of archive log catch up)

4. During cut-over to target database, standby database (10.2)

4.1. Old DB: startup restrict - prepare to create latest archive log

4.2. Old DB: alter database switch logfile - create latest archive log (database can shutdown after that)

4.3. New DB: Ensure latest archive log shipped to DR

4.4. New DB: alter database mount standby database

4.5. New DB: alter database recover managed standby database

4.6. New DB: alter database activate standby database

4.7. New DB: shutdown

4.8. New DB: startup - or use SAP to start it

5. At last step above, you have Oracle 10.2 running in new server with few minutes of downtime (create and apply the latest archive log)

6. Continue with Oracle 11.2 upgrade. This takes about 45 min. Ask DBA to practice 3 times using a backup of PROD copy

6.1. New DB: shutdown immediate

6.2. New DB: startup migrate

6.3. New DB: follow steps for Oracle 11.2 upgrade

7. After database upgraded, and verified without error, migrate hostname and IP to new DB server. SAP NetWeaver will able to connect to it like usual

Verify latest

alter database needs to shutdown and issue "alter database

Critical consideration

If Oracle DBA setup standby database as "Maximum protection" or "Maximum Maximum availability" (Oracle Data Guard configuration)

[Former Member]

Thanks all for your recommnedation. Your suggestiosn are really valueble. I will work out a plan with these inputs and work with that. We have also contacted SAP on this mgrations and they will get back to us with some of there best practices on this scenario.

Will update once we have a solid plan.

[Former Member]

I'd go for a much simpler approach.

Install oracle 10g on the new host.

Shut production down and simply copy the datafiles across

Start database and then upgrade to oracle.

The copy process should not really take that long, probably just a small proportion of the overall oracle 11 upgrade

[former_member189725]

This proposition in complex and costly , but it is possible .

Check this note Note 1508271 - Oracle to Oracle Online Migration - Triple-O

This needs Oracle and SAP intervention for this.

Another way to do it through SAP IMIG (Incremental migration) , but this again needs to be done by consultant from SAP.

Note 693168 - Minimized Downtime Service and Incremental Migration (IMIG)

Once the migration is over , you can switch back you IP and hostname to the old ones in the new server .

Regards

Ratnajit

[Former Member]

I was under the impression that the log shipping from the current production database can bring the new target up-to-date after the 11g upgrade.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks

[Former Member]

Any confirmation on the above with the steps and the assumption made with log shipping ?

Thanks

[nicholas_chang]

Hi LM,

I "dont think" it should work. You can create a thread in sap oraclem session, i believe the oracle expert there can confirm.

Cheers,

Nicholas Chang

[Former Member]

Thanks Venkat and Nicholas.

My approch to avoid downtime was to install the target system completely and do log shipping of the current live produciton system to the target system. Like a standby database.

Its only durintg the cutover the IP and hostname will change of the target system to that of the current prodcution server. After which the target system goes live.

So be it database restore or R3Load method there shouldnt be any issues with my approch right ? and the downtime will not play any role in deciding the method right ? please correct me if I am wrong.

[nicholas_chang]

Then when is your oracle upgrade? After migration?

[Former Member]

Hi Nicholas,

Yes, oracle upgrade will happen after the migration.

steps that i am planning to follow

1 homogeneous system copy with DB restore - no downtime

2 make this new target system database like a standby database with log shipping from the current database - no downtime

3. upgrade oracle to 11g in the new environment -  no downtime

4. cutover from current production to the new environemnt by changing the IP and hostname of the new env to match with current production - downtime needed during the cut over will be minimal

Would the above work ?

Thanks

[nicholas_chang]

3. upgrade oracle to 11g in the new environment -  no downtime --> How do you acchieve this? What happen to the transaction running or commited on your old 10g database whilst your 11g is being upgraded?