2 Oracle Database Preinstallation Requirements

2.2.1 Memory Requirements

The following are the memory requirements for installing Oracle Database 11g Release 2:

• At least 1 GB of RAM

  To determine the RAM size, enter the following command:

  # grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo
  

  If the size of the RAM is less than the required size, then you must install more memory before continuing.

• The following table describes the relationship between installed RAM and the configured swap space requirement:

  Note:

  On Linux, the HugePages feature allocates non-swappable memory for large page tables using memory-mapped files. If you enable HugePages, then you should deduct the memory allocated to HugePages from the available RAM before calculating swap space.

  RAM	Swap Space
  Between 1 GB and 2 GB	1.5 times the size of RAM
  Between 2 GB and 16 GB	Equal to the size of RAM
  More than 16 GB	16 GB

  
  

  To determine the size of the configured swap space, enter the following command:

  # grep SwapTotal /proc/meminfo
  

  If necessary, refer to the operating system documentation for information about how to configure additional swap space.

To determine the available RAM and swap space, enter the following command:

# free

Automatic Memory Management

Starting with Oracle Database 11g, the Automatic Memory Management feature requires more shared memory (/dev/shm)and file descriptors. The size of the shared memory should be at least the greater of MEMORY_MAX_TARGET and MEMORY_TARGET for each Oracle instance on the computer. If MEMORY_MAX_TARGET or MEMORY_TARGET is set to a non zero value, and an incorrect size is assigned to the shared memory, it will result in an ORA-00845 error at startup. The number of file descriptors for each Oracle instance should be at least 512*PROCESSES. Also, the limit of descriptors for each process should be at least 512. If file descriptors are not sized correctly, you will notice ORA-27123 from various Oracle processes and potentially Linux Error EMFILE (Too many open files) errors in non-Oracle processes.

To determine the amount of shared memory available, enter the following command:

# df -h /dev/shm/

On the Initialization Parameters page, note that Memory Size (SGA and PGA), which sets the initialization parameter MEMORY_TARGET or MEMORY_MAX_TARGET. Note that the initialization parameters cannot be greater than the shared memory file system on the operating system. For example, if the shared memory file system allocation on your system is 1 GB, but you set Memory Size (MEMORY_TARGET) to 2 GB, then the following error messages are displayed during database startup:

ORA-00845: MEMORY_TARGET not supported on this system
ORA-01078: Failure in processing system parameters

In addition, if you click All Initialization Parameters and the global database name is longer than 8 characters, then the database name value (in the DB_NAME parameter) is truncated to the first eight characters, and the DB_UNIQUE_NAME parameter value is set to the global name.

2.2.2 System Architecture

To determine whether the system architecture can run the software, enter the following command:

# uname -m

This command displays the processor type. Verify that the processor architecture matches the Oracle software release that you want to install. If you do not see the expected output, then you cannot install the software on this system.

2.2.3 Disk Space Requirements

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

• At least 1 GB of disk space in the /tmp directory

  To determine the amount of disk space available in the /tmp directory, enter the following command:

  # df -h /tmp 
  

  If there is less than 1 GB of free disk space available in the /tmp directory, then complete one of the following steps:

  • Delete unnecessary files from the /tmp directory to meet the disk space requirement.

  • Set the TMP and TMPDIR environment variables when setting the oracle user's environment.

    See Also:

    "Configuring the oracle User's Environment" for more information on setting TMP and TMPDIR

  • Extend the file system that contains the /tmp directory. If necessary, contact the system administrator for information about extending file systems.

• To determine the amount of free disk space on the system, enter the following command:

  # df -h
  

• The following tables describe the disk space requirements for software files, and data files for each installation type on Linux x86:

  Installation Type	Requirement for Software Files (GB)
  Enterprise Edition	3.95
  Standard Edition	3.88

  
  

  Installation Type	Disk Space for Data Files (GB)
  Enterprise Edition	1.7
  Standard Edition	1.5

  
  

• The following tables describe the disk space requirements for software files, and data files for each installation type on Linux x86-64:

  Installation Type	Requirement for Software Files (GB)
  Enterprise Edition	4.35
  Standard Edition	3.73

  
  

  Installation Type	Disk Space for Data Files (GB)
  Enterprise Edition	1.68
  Standard Edition	1.48

  
  

Additional disk space, either on a file system or on an Automatic Storage Management disk group is required for the fast recovery area if you choose to configure automated backups.

2.2.4 Display Requirements

The minimum display requirement for Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2) is a resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher.

2.2.5 Run Level Requirement

Ensure that the system is started with run level 3 or run level 5.

2.2.6 Recommended Hardware Requirement for SQL Developer

The following table lists the recommended Memory and Display requirements for SQL Developer:

2.3.1 Operating System Requirements

The following or later versions of the operating system are required for Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2):

• On Linux x86:

  • Asianux 2 Update 7

  • Asianux 3

  • Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 7

  • Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 7

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

• On Linux x86-64

  • Asianux 2

  • Asianux 3

  • Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 Update 7

  • Oracle Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Update 3

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Update 2

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP2

  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11

Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), the Security Enhanced Linux (SE Linux) feature is supported for Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, Oracle Enterprise Linux 5, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.

To determine the distribution and version of Linux installed, enter the following command:

# cat /proc/version

Alternatively, you can also enter the following command on some distributions of Linux:

# lsb_release -id

2.3.2 Kernel Requirements

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

• On Asianux 2, Oracle Enterprise Linux 4, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4:

  2.6.9 or later

• On Asianux 3, Oracle Enterprise Linux 5, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5:

  2.6.18 or later

• On SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10:

  2.6.16.21 or later

• On SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11:

  2.6.27.19 or later

To determine whether the required kernel is installed, enter the following command:

# uname -r

The following is a sample output displayed by running this command on an Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.0 system:

2.6.18-128.el5PAE

In this example, the output shows the kernel version (2.6.18) and errata level (-128.el5PAE) on the system.

If the kernel version does not meet the requirement, then contact the operating system vendor for information about obtaining and installing kernel updates.

2.3.3 Package Requirements

The following are the list of packages required for Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2):

On Linux x86:

binutils-2.15.92.0.2
compat-libstdc++-33.2.3
elfutils-libelf-0.97
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.97
gcc-3.4.6
gcc-c++-3.4.6
glibc-2.3.4-2.41
glibc-common-2.3.4
glibc-devel-2.3.4
glibc-headers-2.3.4
libaio-devel-0.3.105
libaio-0.3.105
libgcc-3.4.6
libstdc++-3.4.6
libstdc++-devel-3.4.6
make-3.80
pdksh-5.2.14
sysstat-5.0.5
unixODBC-2.2.11
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11

binutils-2.17.50.0.6
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
elfutils-libelf-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-static-0.125
gcc-4.1.2
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-common-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5
glibc-headers-2.5
kernel-headers-2.6.18
ksh-20060214
libaio-0.3.106
libaio-devel-0.3.106 
libgcc-4.1.2
libgomp-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2 
libstdc++-devel-4.1.2
make-3.81
sysstat-7.0.2
unixODBC-2.2.11
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11

binutils-2.16.91.0.5
compat-libstdc++-5.0.7
gcc-4.1.2
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-devel-2.4
ksh-93r-12.9
libaio-0.3.104
libaio-devel-0.3.104
libelf-0.8.5
libgcc-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2
libstdc++-devel-4.1.2
make-3.80
sysstat-8.0.4

binutils-2.19
gcc-4.3
gcc-c++-4.3
glibc-2.9
glibc-devel-2.9
ksh-93t
libstdc++33-3.3.3
libstdc++43-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++43-devel-4.3.3_20081022
libaio-0.3.104
libaio-devel-0.3.104
libgcc43-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++-devel-4.3
make-3.81
sysstat-8.1.5

On Linux x86-64:

binutils-2.15.92.0.2
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3 (32 bit)
elfutils-libelf-0.97
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.97
expat-1.95.7
gcc-3.4.6
gcc-c++-3.4.6
glibc-2.3.4-2.41
glibc-2.3.4-2.41 (32 bit)
glibc-common-2.3.4
glibc-devel-2.3.4
glibc-headers-2.3.4
libaio-0.3.105
libaio-0.3.105 (32 bit)
libaio-devel-0.3.105
libaio-devel-0.3.105 (32 bit)
libgcc-3.4.6
libgcc-3.4.6 (32-bit)
libstdc++-3.4.6
libstdc++-3.4.6 (32 bit)
libstdc++-devel 3.4.6
make-3.80
pdksh-5.2.14
sysstat-5.0.5
unixODBC-2.2.11
unixODBC-2.2.11 (32 bit)
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11 (32 bit)

binutils-2.17.50.0.6
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3
compat-libstdc++-33-3.2.3 (32 bit)
elfutils-libelf-0.125
elfutils-libelf-devel-0.125
gcc-4.1.2
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-2.5-24 (32 bit)
glibc-common-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5
glibc-devel-2.5 (32 bit)
glibc-headers-2.5
ksh-20060214
libaio-0.3.106
libaio-0.3.106 (32 bit)
libaio-devel-0.3.106
libaio-devel-0.3.106 (32 bit)
libgcc-4.1.2
libgcc-4.1.2 (32 bit)
libstdc++-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2 (32 bit)
libstdc++-devel 4.1.2
make-3.81
sysstat-7.0.2
unixODBC-2.2.11
unixODBC-2.2.11 (32 bit)
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11
unixODBC-devel-2.2.11 (32 bit)

binutils-2.16.91.0.5
compat-libstdc++-5.0.7
gcc-4.1.0
gcc-c++-4.1.2
glibc-2.5-24
glibc-devel-2.4
glibc-devel-32bit-2.4
ksh-93r-12.9
libaio-0.3.104
libaio-32bit-0.3.104
libaio-devel-0.3.104
libaio-devel-32bit-0.3.104
libelf-0.8.5
libgcc-4.1.2
libstdc++-4.1.2
libstdc++-devel-4.1.2
make-3.80
sysstat-8.0.4

binutils-2.19
gcc-4.3
gcc-32bit-4.3
gcc-c++-4.3
glibc-2.9
glibc-32bit-2.9
glibc-devel-2.9
glibc-devel-32bit-2.9
ksh-93t
libaio-0.3.104
libaio-32bit-0.3.104
libaio-devel-0.3.104
libaio-devel-32bit-0.3.104
libstdc++33-3.3.3
libstdc++33-32bit-3.3.3
libstdc++43-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++43-32bit-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++43-devel-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++43-devel-32bit-4.3.3_20081022
libgcc43-4.3.3_20081022
libstdc++-devel-4.3
make-3.81
sysstat-8.1.5

To determine whether the required packages are installed, enter commands similar to the following:

# rpm -q package_name

If a package is not installed, then install it from the Linux distribution media or download the required package version from the Linux vendor's Web site.

2.3.4 Compiler Requirements

Intel C++ Compiler 10.1 or later and the version of GNU C and C++ compilers listed under "Package Requirements" are supported with Pro*C/C++, Oracle Call Interface, Oracle C++ Call Interface, and Oracle XML Developer's Kit (XDK) for Oracle Database 11g Release 2.

2.3.5 Additional Software Requirements

Depending on the components you want to use, you must ensure that the following software are installed:

• Oracle ODBC Drivers

• Oracle JDBC/OCI Drivers

• Oracle Messaging Gateway

• Browser Requirements

2.6.1 Installing on DHCP Computers

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) assigns dynamic IP addresses on a network. Dynamic addressing enables a computer to have a different IP address each time it connects to the network. In some cases, the IP address can change while the computer is still connected. You can have a mixture of static and dynamic IP addressing in a DHCP system.

In a DHCP setup, the software tracks IP addresses, which simplifies network administration. This lets you add a new computer to the network without having to manually assign a unique IP address to the newly added computer.

2.6.2 Installing on Multihomed Computers

You can install Oracle Database on a multihomed computer. A multihomed computer is associated with multiple IP addresses. This is typically achieved by having multiple network cards on the computer. Each IP address is associated with a host name. In addition, you can set up aliases for the host name. By default, Oracle Universal Installer uses the ORACLE_HOSTNAME environment variable setting to find the host name. If ORACLE_HOSTNAME is not set and you are installing on a computer that has multiple network cards, then Oracle Universal Installer determines the host name by using the first entry in the /etc/hosts file.

Clients must be able to access the computer either by using this host name or by using aliases for this host name. To verify this, ping the host name from the client computers using the short name (host name only) and the full name (host name and domain name). Both tests must be successful.

Setting the ORACLE_HOSTNAME Environment Variable

Use the following procedure to set the ORACLE_HOSTNAME environment variable. For example, if the fully qualified host name is somehost.us.example.com, then enter one of the following commands:

In Bourne, Bash, or Korn shell:

$ ORACLE_HOSTNAME=somehost.us.example.com
$ export ORACLE_HOSTNAME

In C shell:

% setenv ORACLE_HOSTNAME somehost.us.example.com

2.6.3 Installing on Computers with Multiple Aliases

A computer with multiple aliases is registered with the naming service under a single IP but with multiple aliases. The naming service resolves any of those aliases to the same computer. Before installing Oracle Database on such a computer, set the ORACLE_HOSTNAME environment variable to the computer whose host name you want to use.

2.6.4 Installing on Non-Networked Computers

You can install Oracle Database on a non-networked computer. If the computer, such as a laptop, is configured for DHCP and you plan to connect the computer to the network after the Oracle Database installation, then use the ping command on the computer on which you want to install the database to check if the computer can connect to itself. Perform this step by first using only the host name and then using the fully qualified name, which should be in the /etc/hosts file.

If the ping command fails, then contact the system administrator.

Connecting the Computer to the Network after Installation

If you connect the computer to a network after installation, then the Oracle Database instance on the computer can work with other instances on the network. The computer can use a static IP or DHCP, depending on the network to which you are connected.

2.7.1 Creating Custom Configuration Groups and Users for Job Roles

This section provides an overview of how to create users and groups to divide access privileges by job roles. Log in as root to create these groups and users.

• Users for Oracle Installations with Job Role Separation

• Database Groups for Job Role Installations

• Grid Infrastructure Groups for Job Role Installations

2.7.2 Creating Database Operating System Groups and Users with Job Role Separation

The following sections describe how to create the required operating system user and groups:

• Creating the Oracle Inventory Group

• Creating the OSDBA Group for Database Installations

• Creating an OSOPER Group for Database Installation

• Creating the OSASM Group for Automatic Storage Management

• Creating the OSDBA Group for Oracle Grid Infrastructure

• Creating the OSOPER Group for Automatic Storage Management

• Creating the Oracle Software Owner User

inventory_loc=central_inventory_location
inst_group=group

# grep oinstall /etc/group

# more /etc/oraInst.loc

inventory_loc=/u01/app/oraInventory
inst_group=oinstall

# /usr/sbin/groupadd oinstall

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 502 dba

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 505 oper

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -504 asmadmin

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 506 asmdba

# /usr/sbin/groupadd -g 505 asmoper

# id oracle

uid=501(oracle) gid=501(oinstall) groups=502(dba),503(oper)

# /usr/sbin/usermod -g oinstall -G dba,asmdba[,oper] oracle

2.9.1 Displaying and Changing Kernel Parameter Values

Enter the commands shown in the following table to display the current values of the kernel parameters, make a note of these values and identify any values that you must change:

If the value of any kernel parameter is different from the minimum value, then perform the following:

1. Using any text editor, create or edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file, and add or edit lines similar to the following:

   Note:

   Include lines only for the kernel parameter values that you want to change. For the semaphore parameters (kernel.sem), you must specify all four values. However, if any of the current values are larger than the minimum value, then specify the larger value.

   fs.aio-max-nr = 1048576
   fs.file-max = 6815744
   kernel.shmall = 2097152
   kernel.shmmax = 536870912
   kernel.shmmni = 4096
   kernel.sem = 250 32000 100 128
   net.ipv4.ip_local_port_range = 9000 65500
   net.core.rmem_default = 262144
   net.core.rmem_max = 4194304
   net.core.wmem_default = 262144
   net.core.wmem_max = 1048586
   

   Note:

   The minimum value required for shmmax is 0.5 GB. However, Oracle recommends that you set the value of shmmax to 2.0 GB for optimum performance of the system.

   By specifying the values in the /etc/sysctl.conf file, they persist when you restart the system. However, on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server systems, enter the following command to ensure that the system reads the /etc/sysctl.conf file when it restarts:

   # /sbin/chkconfig boot.sysctl on
   

2. Enter the following command to change the current values of the kernel parameters:

   # /sbin/sysctl -p
   

   Review the output from this command to verify that the values are correct. If the values are incorrect, edit the /etc/sysctl.conf file, then enter this command again.

3. Enter the command /sbin/sysctl -a to confirm that the values are set correctly.

4. On SUSE systems only, enter the following command to cause the system to read the /etc/sysctl.conf file when it restarts:

   # /sbin/chkconfig boot.sysctl on
   

5. On SUSE systems only, you must enter the GID of the oinstall group as the value for the parameter /proc/sys/vm/hugetlb_shm_group. Doing this grants members of oinstall a group permission to create shared memory segments.

   For example, where the oinstall group GID is 501:

   # echo 501 > /proc/sys/vm/hugetlb_shm_group
   

   After running this command, use vi to add the following text to /etc/sysctl.conf, and enable the boot.sysctl script to run on system restart:

   vm.hugetlb_shm_group=501
   

   Note:

   Only one group can be defined as the vm.hugetlb_shm_group.

6. After updating the values of kernel parameters in the /etc/sysctl.conf file, either restart the computer, or run the command sysctl -p to make the changes in the /etc/sysctl.conf file available in the active kernel memory.

2.10.1 Oracle Base Directory

The Oracle base directory is a top-level directory for Oracle software installations. On Linux systems, the Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) guidelines recommend that you use a path similar to the following for the Oracle base directory:

/mount_point/app/software_owner

In this example:

• mount_point is the mount point directory for the file system that will contain the Oracle software.

  The examples in this guide use /u01 for the mount point directory. However, you can choose another mount point directory, such as /oracle or /opt/oracle.

• software_owner is the operating system user name of the software owner installing the Oracle software, for example oracle, or grid.

You must specify the Oracle base folder that contains all Oracle products.

You can use the same Oracle base directory for more than one installation or you can create separate Oracle base directories for different installations. If different operating system users install Oracle software on the same system, then each user must create a separate Oracle base directory. The following are examples of Oracle base directories that can exist on the same system:

/u01/app/oracle
/u01/app/orauser
/opt/oracle/app/oracle

Refer to "Creating an Oracle Base Directory" for information on creating an Oracle base directory.

2.10.2 Oracle Inventory Directory

The Oracle Inventory directory (oraInventory) stores an inventory of all software installed on the system. It is required and shared by all Oracle software installations on a single system. If you have an existing Oracle Inventory path, then Oracle Universal Installer continues to use that Oracle Inventory.

The first time you install Oracle software on a system, Oracle Universal Installer checks if you have created an OFA-compliant directory structure with the format u[01-09]/app, such as /u01/app, and that the user running the installation has permissions to write to that path. If this is true, then Oracle Universal Installer creates the Oracle Inventory directory similar to /u[01-09]/app/oraInventory. For example:

/u01/app/oraInventory

If you have set the environment variable ORACLE_BASE for the oracle user, then Oracle Universal Installer creates the Oracle Inventory directory similar to $ORACLE_BASE/../oraInventory. For example, if ORACLE_BASE is set to /opt/oracle/11, then the Oracle Inventory directory is created similar to /opt/oracle/oraInventory.

If you have neither created an OFA-compliant path nor set ORACLE_BASE, then the Oracle Inventory directory is placed in the home directory of the user that is performing the installation. For example:

/home/oracle/oraInventory

Oracle Universal Installer creates the directory that you specify and sets the correct owner, group, and permissions for it. You do not need to create it.

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 as well as a name that identifies it. The directory that you specify must be a subdirectory of the Oracle base directory. Oracle recommends that you specify a path similar to the following for the Oracle home directory:

oracle_base/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1

Oracle Universal Installer creates the directory path that you specify under the Oracle base directory. It also sets the correct owner, group, and permissions on it. You do not need to create this directory.

2.11.1 Identifying an Existing Oracle Base Directory

Existing Oracle base directories may not have paths that comply with OFA (Optimal Flexible Architecture) guidelines. However, if you identify an existing Oracle Inventory directory or existing Oracle home directories, then you can usually identify the Oracle base directories, as follows:

• Identifying an existing Oracle Inventory directory. Refer to "Creating the Oracle Inventory Group" for more information.

  Note:

  Oracle recommends that you do not put the oraInventory directory under Oracle base for a new installation. However, if you have an existing installation, then you should follow the steps suggested in this section.

• Identifying an existing Oracle home directory

  Enter the following command to display the contents of the oratab file:

  # more /etc/oratab
  

  If the oratab file exists, then it contains lines similar to the following:

  *:/u03/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1:N
  *:/opt/orauser/infra_904:N
  *:/oracle/9.2.0:N
  

  The directory paths specified on each line identify Oracle home directories. Directory paths that end with the user name of the Oracle software owner that you want to use are valid choices for an Oracle base directory. If you intend to use the oracle user to install the software, then you can choose one of the following directories listed in the previous example:

  /u03/app/oracle
  /oracle
  

  Note:

  If possible, choose a directory path similar to the first one (/u03/app/oracle). This path complies with the OFA guidelines.

• Identifying an existing Oracle base directory

  After you have located the Oracle home directory, you can run the following command to confirm the location of Oracle base:

  cat inventory/ContentsXML/oraclehomeproperties.xml
  

Before deciding to use an existing Oracle base directory for this installation, ensure that it satisfies the following conditions:

• It should not be on the same file system as the operating system.

• It must have sufficient free disk space, as follows:

  Requirement	Free Disk Space
  The Oracle base directory will contain only software files.	Up to 4 GB
  The Oracle base directory will contain both software and database files (not recommended for production databases).	Up to 6 GB

  
  

  To determine the free disk space on the file system where the Oracle base directory is located, enter the following command:

  # df -h oracle_base_path
  

To continue:

• If an Oracle base directory exists and you want to use it, then refer to the "Choosing a Storage Option for Oracle Database and Recovery Files" section.

  When you configure the oracle user's environment later in this chapter, set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to specify the directory you chose.

• If an Oracle base directory does not exist on the system or if you want to create an Oracle base directory, then refer to the following section.

2.11.2 Creating an Oracle Base Directory

Before you create an Oracle base directory, you must identify an appropriate file system with sufficient free disk space.

To identify an appropriate file system:

1. To determine the free disk space on each mounted file system use the following command:

   # df -h
   

2. From the display, identify a file system that has appropriate free space.

   The file system that you identify can be a local file system, a cluster file system, or an NFS file system on a certified NAS device.

3. Note the name of the mount point directory for the file system that you identified.

To create the Oracle base directory and specify the correct owner, group, and permissions for it:

1. Enter commands similar to the following to create the recommended subdirectories in the mount point directory that you identified and set the appropriate owner, group, and permissions on them:

   # mkdir -p /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   # chown -R oracle:oinstall /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   # chmod -R 775 /mount_point/app/oracle_sw_owner
   

   For example:

   # mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle
   # chown -R oracle:oinstall /u01/app/oracle
   # chmod -R 775 /u01/app/oracle
   

2. When you configure the oracle user's environment later in this chapter, set the ORACLE_BASE environment variable to specify the Oracle base directory that you have created.

2.13.1 Guidelines for Placing Oracle Database Files on a File System

If you choose to place the Oracle Database files on a file system, then use the following guidelines when deciding where to place them:

• The default path suggested by Oracle Universal Installer for the database file directory is a subdirectory of the Oracle base directory.

• You can choose either a single file system or more than one file system to store the database files:

  • If you want to use a single file system, then choose a file system on a physical device that is dedicated to the database.

    For best performance and reliability, choose a RAID device or a logical volume on more than one physical device and implement the stripe-and-mirror-everything (SAME) methodology.

  • If you want to use more than one file system, then choose file systems on separate physical devices that are dedicated to the database.

    This method enables you to distribute physical input-output operations and create separate control files on different devices for increased reliability. It also enables you to fully implement the OFA guidelines. You can choose the Advanced database creation option to implement this method.

• If you intend to create a preconfigured database during the installation, then the file system (or file systems) that you choose must have at least 2 GB of free disk space.

  For production databases, you must estimate the disk space requirement depending on the use that you want to make of the database.

• For optimum performance, the file systems that you choose should be on physical devices that are used only by the database.

• The oracle user must have write permissions to create the files in the path that you specify.

2.13.2 Creating Required Directories

To create directories for the Oracle database, or recovery files on separate file systems to the Oracle base directory:

1. Use the following to determine the free disk space on each mounted file system:

   # df -h
   

2. From the display, identify the file systems that you want to use:

   File Type	File System Requirements
   Database files	Choose either: A single file system with at least 2 GB of free disk space Two or more file systems with at least 2 GB of free disk space in total
   Recovery files	Choose a file system with at least 2.4 GB of free disk space

   
   

   If you are using the same file system for more than one type of file, then add the disk space requirements for each type to determine the total disk space requirement.

3. Note the names of the mount point directories for the file systems that you identified.

4. Enter commands similar to the following to create the recommended subdirectories in each of the mount point directories and set the appropriate owner, group, and permissions on them:

   • Database file directory:

     # mkdir /mount_point/oradata
     # chown oracle:oinstall /mount_point/oradata
     # chmod 775 /mount_point/oradata
     

     The default location for Database file directory is $ORACLE_BASE/oradata.

   • Recovery file directory (fast recovery area):

     # mkdir /mount_point/recovery_area
     # chown oracle:oinstall /mount_point/recovery_area
     # chmod 775 /mount_point/recovery_area
     

     The default fast recovery area is $ORACLE_BASE/recovery_area. However, Oracle recommends that you keep the fast recovery area on a separate physical disk than that of the database file directory. This will enable you use the fast recovery area to retrieve data if the disk containing oradata is unusable due to any reasons.

5. If you also want to use Automatic Storage Management for storage, then refer to the following section:

   "Preparing Disks for an Automatic Storage Management Installation", else refer to the "Stopping Existing Oracle Processes" section.

2.15.1 Example of Creating a Udev Permissions File for Oracle Database

Refer to the examples in "Configuring Storage for Oracle Database Files Using Block Devices" for more information on creating a permissions file.

2.15.2 Example of Configuring Block Device Storage for Oracle Database

The following is the procedure to create partitions for Oracle Database files on block devices:

1. Log in as root

2. Enter the fdisk command to format a specific storage disk. For example, /sbin/fdisk /dev/sdb

3. Create a partition. For instance, make a partition of 280 MB for data files.

4. Use the command similar to the following to update the kernel partition table for the shared storage device:

   /sbin/partprobe diskpath
   

The following is an example of how to use fdisk to create one partition on a shared storage block disk device for a data file:

$ sudo sh
Password:
# /sbin/fdisk /dev/sdb
The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 1024.
Command (m for help): n
Command action
  e   extended
  P   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-1024, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-4462, default 1)
Using default value 1
Last cylinder or +size or +sizeM or +sizeK (1-1024, default 4462): using default value 4462

Command (m for help):w

The partition table has been altered!
Calling ioctl () to re-read partition table.
Synching disks.
# exit
Last login Wed Feb 21 20:23:01 from localnode
$ sudo sh
Password:
# /sbin/partprobe /dev/sdb1