Sharing oracle_home for more than ONE oracle database on UNIX

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi Guys

I want to create one oracle binary directory ( ORACLE_HOME ) for 2 and more Databases on HP/UX server.( Oracle 10.2)

The steps are :

1. install ORACLE_HOME: /oracle/102_64 ( include patch 10.2.0.2 and Interim Patches (Optach) )

2. for every oracle SID ( ora<sid)) create link as : /oracle/SID/102_64 to /oracle/102_64

The advantage is by :

1.whenever I need to install Interim patches , it is shared for all the DB .

2. Fewer Oracle_home for maintenance.

Does any one have any experience with that structure otherwise Any ideas ?

Tia

Shlomi Ambar

SAP Basis admin

[Former Member]

Hello Shlomi,

I am facing a similar scenario to the one you described - Sharing oracle_home for more than ONE oracle database on UNIX (on my case it is AIX )

Can you give me the guidelines (steps) you made for installing another oracle instance with a shared oracle_home

Regards,

Moshe

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi Moshe

in brief :

1. Create Unix user name : oracle, group id =dba

2. From user oracle : Run instllation of oracle_home /oracle/102_64

3. Run the Patche and OPatch as well

4. Add the write permission to group dba for /oracle/102_64/dbs : ( should be 775 )

chmod g+w /oracle/102_64/dbs

chmod g+w /oracle/102_64/network/admin

....

Now I have Share ORACLE_HOME with write premision to other users type ora<sid> to write log / trace etc.

On this Unix server , for every ora<sid> ( There are 5 for each Server )

I make some adjustment.

1. su - ora<sid>

2. create soft link to the share ORACLE_HOME :

ln -s /oracle/102_64 /oracle/<SID>/102_64

3.chmod 775 /oracle/<SID>

4.chmod -R 775 /oracle/<SID>/sapdata* /oracle/<SID>/mirrolog*

/oracle/<SID>/origlog*

I have 10 oracle Database working with one share oracle_home.

This is working fine without any problem.

RGDS

Shlomi

[Former Member]

Hello Shlomi

Thank you very much for your answer

PLease advise in 2 more things

according to sap installation guides oracle home should be under /oracle/sid/102_64

since i already installed according to the guide (at that time adding a new instance was'nt scheduled)

now i have to add additional instance - what can i do to bypass this problem (oracle_home basically directs to the original sid)i understand that before any installation is made the oracle_home should be put on a "central" place not under a certain sid

the other issue - do i need to create additional orainventory or share the exisitng one like i shared the oracle_home?

Regards,

Moshe

[Former Member]

shlomi,

another question - what do you mean "run installation of oracle_home'?

can't i just create a new file system - /oracle/102_64

copy all subdirs from /oracle/sid/102_64 (original oracle_home after sap installation ) to /oracle/102_64 and create a soft link to the new created file system /oracle/102_64 (before that i change the env variable oracle_home to the new created file system /oracle/102_64?

regards,

Moshe

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi Moshe

For Question 1:

Create the below link from ora<sid> :

ln -s /oracle/sid/102_64 /oracle/<OTHER_SID>/102_64

For Question 2:

orainventory is already share but it needed only when you want to apply patches or display them ...

So in case of paches you will do it in the Installation user ( oracle in my example )

orainventory is not needed in the runtime ...

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi Moshe

I meant by

"Run instllation of oracle_home /oracle/102_64"

to install the standrad Oracle binnary installation

so the ORACLE_HOME=/oracle/102_64

You have for first time install a oracle binnary which request you to add SID ( It is general SID . in my case is ICL )

The install information are writen in the orainventory with the key SID=ICL

So you will not able manage orainventory from other ora<sid> only from the user that you install first time (user : oracle . )

By Coping oracle/sid/102_64 to /oracle/102_64 you will not able to mange patches beacuse your sid is not registerd in orainventory , with the original path .

[Former Member]

Shlomi,

When the db installation phase arrives, the oui asks me to point to the oracle_home - do i need to point an existing ;oracle_home?

if so - what is the next step - will the oui overwrite the exisiting oracle installation (according to the existing oracle_home?) or will it only install additional instance and?

another question - in the first oracle home - oracle version 10.2.0.1 was installed and later upgraded to 10.2.0.2-> now i'm using the same installation cds like the first installation (10.2.0.1)

if i point to the exisiting oracle_home - will it let me install additional instance although the oracle version in the cd's is lower then the one installed in the oracle_home (10.2.0.2)?

Regards,

Moshe

[Former Member]

Shlomi,

one more question regarding orainventory,

according to note 350251 in order to avoid all kind of errors during installtion , the oraInst.loc (which is in my case located on /etc and in /oracle/product which is the oracle_home dir) should be edited.

according to the note the inventory_loc=/oracle/sid/oraInventory, and if additional instance is added the inventory_loc should be changed to /oracle/new_sid/oraInventory.correct me if i'm mistaken - this note is talking about adding additional instance with new oracle_home.

in my situation the inventory_loc=/oracle/oraInventory - no sid in between.

the oraInventory dir is located in /oracle/product which is the oracle_home - how should i edit the oraInst.loc file for the new added instance , or maybe this note is not relevant in case of sharing oracle_home?

Regards,

Moshe

[fidel_vales]

Hello,

Technically that option is possible, nevertheless, it is not supported by SAP.

Each Oracle must have its own ORACLE_HOME.

I think the main disadvantage is, if the DB goes down then you have TWO SAP systems down, not only one.

> The advantage is by :

> 1.whenever I need to install Interim patches , it is shared for all the DB .

> 2. Fewer Oracle_home for maintenance.

If those are the only reasons, then use MCOD.

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi

Thanks for you idea But ,

This is not the case because I'm Sharing only the Oracle software runtime files ( /oracle/102_64/)

One Database ( Data files ) can be shutdown and other DB could be Up .

Any other ideas ?

Tia

Shlomi Ambar

SAP Basis Admin

[Former Member]

Hi,

You can have more than one DB instance sharing same Oracle Home. Yes maintenace wise it is convenient.

Disadvantage is that you will need toe shutdown all the DB instances during your maintenance on the Oracle home. And you not have any scope for testing your maintenance action (like. Oracle software upgrade, performance due to upgrade, interim patches, bug fixing, etc....)

There is also this thread going on 2 Oracle homes , certain information could be useful before you decide on your actions.

Regards,

Nilesh

[shlomi_ambar]

Hi Nilesh

On one server I have only 2 ORACLE_HOME :

First the SAP systems runtime/execution.

Second one is copied from First and it is used for Oracle software upgrade, performance due to upgrade, interim patches, bug fixing

Whenever The Second one is more updated from the Fisrs one than I can link the Second ORACLE_HOME to the SAP DB systems as own Oracle_home.

If I Have 7 SAP DB system on One server it could save to manage 5 Oracle homes .

Shlomi

[Former Member]

SAP DB is a different database having a different architecture.

Result of 10 years Oracle DB Admin: In terms of independend administration I strongly vote for separate ORACLE_HOMEs.

peter