Tools for Installing, Configuring, and Managing Oracle RAC , 11g R2

The following is a description of the tools used for installing, configuring, and managing the Oracle Clusterware, Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM), and Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC):



Oracle Universal Installer (OUI)—OUI installs the Oracle grid infrastructure software (which consists of Oracle Clusterware and Oracle ASM) and the Oracle Database software with Oracle RAC. After you configure the nodes that you want to use in your cluster, OUI installs the Oracle software on the specified nodes using a network connection.



Cluster Verification Utility (CVU)— CVU is a command-line tool that you can use to verify a range of cluster and Oracle RAC components such as shared storage devices, networking configurations, system requirements, and Oracle Clusterware, as well as operating system groups and users. You can use CVU for preinstallation as well as postinstallation checks of your cluster environment. CVU is especially useful during preinstallation and during installation of Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC components. OUI runs CVU after the Oracle Clusterware installation to verify your environment.



Oracle Enterprise Manager—Oracle Enterprise Manager has both the Database Control and Grid Control graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for managing single- instance and Oracle RAC environments.



SQL*Plus—To issue SQL and PL/SQL statements to Oracle Database, you can use SQL*Plus. This tool provides a command-line interface that enables you to perform database management operations for a database, and also to query, insert, update, or delete data directly in the database.



Server Control (SRVCTL)—SRVCTL is a command-line interface that you can use to manage the resources defined in the Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR). These resources include the node applications, called nodeapps, that make up Oracle Clusterware, which includes the Oracle Notification Service (ONS), the Global Services Daemon (GSD), and the Virtual IP (VIP). Other resources that can be managed by SRVCTL include databases, instances, listeners, services, and applications. Using SRVCTL you can start and stop nodeapps, databases, instances, listeners, and services, delete or move instances and services, add services, and manage configuration information.



Cluster Ready Services Control (CRSCTL)—CRSCTL is a command-line tool that you can use to manage Oracle Clusterware daemons. These daemons include Cluster Synchronization Services (CSS), Cluster-Ready Services (CRS), and Event Manager (EVM). You can use CRSCTL to start and stop Oracle Clusterware and to determine the current status of your Oracle Clusterware installation.



Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA)—DBCA is a utility that is used to create and configure Oracle Databases. DBCA can be launched by OUI, depending upon the type of install that you select. You can also launch DBCA as a standalone tool at any time after Oracle Database installation. You can run DBCA in interactive mode or noninteractive/silent mode. Interactive mode provides a graphical interface and guided workflow for creating and configuring a database. DBCA is the preferred way to create a database, because it is a more automated approach, and your database is ready to use when DBCA completes.



Oracle Automatic Storage Management Configuration Assistant (ASMCA)—ASMCA is a utility that supports installing and configuring Oracle ASM instances, disk groups, volumes, and Oracle Automatic Storage Management Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS). ASMCA provides both a GUI and a non-GUI interface.



Oracle Automatic Storage Management Command Line utility (ASMCMD)—ASMCMD is a command-line utility that you can use to manage Oracle ASM instances, Oracle ASM disk groups, file access control for disk groups, files and directories within Oracle ASM disk groups, templates for disk groups, and Oracle ASM volumes.



Listener Control (LSNRCTL)—The Listener Control utility is a command-line interface that you use to administer listeners.You can use its commands to perform basic management functions on one or more listeners. Additionally, you can view and change parameter settings for the listener.



If you have installed Oracle grid infrastructure for Oracle Database 11g release 2 (11.2), when using utilities to manage your cluster, databases, database instances, Oracle ASM, and listeners, use the appropriate binary that is in the home directory of the object or component you are managing and set your ORACLE_HOME environment variable to point to this directory. For example:



If you use ASMCMD, srvctl, sqlplus, or lnsrctl to manage Oracle ASM or its listener, then use the binaries located in the Grid home, not the binaries located in the Oracle Database home, and set ORACLE_HOME environment variable to the location of the Grid home.



If you use srvctl, sqlplus, or lnsrctl to manage a database instance or its listener, then use the binaries located in the Oracle home where the database instance or listener is running, and set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to the location of that Oracle home