Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 7 Using VirtualBox and Vagrant

I have completed Oracle Database 19c RAC installation using this method on the following host
operating system with 16G RAM.

Windows 11 Pro

Download and install the following software from below links.

1. VirtualBox

2. Vagrant

3. Git

VirtualBox 7.0.10

https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Install Vagrant

Install or update to v2.3.7 (latest version) of Vagrant to get started.

Install Git

Download the latest (2.42.0) 64-bit version of Git for Windows. This is the most recent
maintained build. It was released 5 days ago, on 2023-08-21.

https://git-scm.com/download/win

You will also need to download the 19c Grid Infrastructure and Database zip files from below
link.

https://www.oracle.com/database/technologies/oracle19c-linux-downloads.html

Grid: LINUX.X64_193000_grid_home.zip
Database: LINUX.X64_193000_db_home.zip

Clone Repository

Pick an area on your PC file system (C:\git\oraclebase in my case) to act as the base for this git
repository and issue the following command.

git clone https://github.com/oraclebase/vagrant.git

Copy the Oracle software under the "C:\git\oraclebase\vagrant\rac\ol7_19\software" subdirectory.

```

$ tree

+--- config

| +--- install.env

| +--- vagrant.yml
+--- dns

| +--- scripts

| | +--- root_setup.sh

| | +--- setup.sh

| +--- Vagrantfile

+--- node1

| +--- scripts

| | +--- oracle_create_database.sh

| | +--- oracle_db_software_installation.sh

| | +--- oracle_grid_software_config.sh

| | +--- oracle_grid_software_installation.sh

| | +--- oracle_user_environment_setup.sh

| | +--- root_setup.sh

| | +--- setup.sh

| +--- Vagrantfile

+--- node2

| +--- scripts

| | +--- oracle_user_environment_setup.sh

| | +--- root_setup.sh

| | +--- setup.sh

| +--- Vagrantfile

+--- README.md

+--- shared_scripts
| +--- configure_chrony.sh

| +--- configure_hostname.sh

| +--- configure_hosts_base.sh

| +--- configure_hosts_scan.sh

| +--- configure_shared_disks.sh

| +--- install_os_packages.sh

| +--- prepare_u01_disk.sh

+--- software

| +--- LINUX.X64_193000_db_home.zip

| +--- LINUX.X64_193000_grid_home.zip

| +--- put_software_here.txt

```

## Amend File Paths

The "config" directory contains a "install.env" and a "vagrant.yml" file. The combination of
these two files contain all the config used for this build. You can alter the configuration of the
build here, but remember to make sure the combination of the two stay consistent.

At minimum you will have to amend the following paths in the "vagrant.yml" file, providing
suitable paths for the shared disks.

```

asm_crs_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol7_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_1.vdi
 asm_crs_disk_2: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol7_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_2.vdi

asm_crs_disk_3: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol7_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_3.vdi

asm_crs_disk_size: 2

asm_data_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol7_19_rac/asm_data_disk_1.vdi

asm_data_disk_size: 40

asm_reco_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol7_19_rac/asm_reco_disk_1.vdi

asm_reco_disk_size: 20

```

For example, if you were working on a Windows PC, you might create a path called "
D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac " and use the following settings.

```

asm_crs_disk_1: D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_1.vdi

asm_crs_disk_2: D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_2.vdi

asm_crs_disk_3: D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_3.vdi

asm_crs_disk_size: 2

asm_data_disk_1: D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac\asm_data_disk_1.vdi

asm_data_disk_size: 40

asm_reco_disk_1: D:\VirtualBox\rac\shared\ol7_19_rac\asm_reco_disk_1.vdi

asm_reco_disk_size: 20

```

If you don't alter them, they will get written to "C:\u05\VirtualBox\shared\ol7_19_rac".

The following commands will leave you with a functioning RAC installation.

Start the DNS server.

```

cd dns

vagrant up

```

Start the second node of the cluster. This must be running before you start the first node.

```

cd ../node2

vagrant up

```

Ignore the final "default: Host key verification failed." message at the end. That's fine.

Start the first node of the cluster. This will perform all of the installations operations. Depending
on the spec of the host system, this could take a long time. On one of my servers it took about 3.5
hours to complete.
```

cd ../node1

vagrant up

```

## Turn Off RAC

Perform the following to turn off the RAC cleanly.

```

cd ../node2

vagrant halt

cd ../node1

vagrant halt

cd dns

vagrant halt

```

## Remove Whole RAC

```

cd ../node2

vagrant destroy -f

cd ../node1

vagrant destroy -f

cd dns

vagrant destroy -f

```

Check all the shared disks have been removed as expected. If they are left behind they will be
reused, which will cause problems.

## DHCP Server Issue

If the VirtualBox DHCP server is enabled, you may see something like this.

* DNS up and running.

* Node2 up and running.

* Node1 grid configuration fails with the following error.

default: Do grid software-only installation. Wed Nov 18 23:32:46 UTC 2020

default:
******************************************************************************

default: Launching Oracle Grid Infrastructure Setup Wizard...

default: [FATAL] [INS-40718] Single Client Access Name (SCAN):ol7-19-scan could not be
resolved.

default: CAUSE: The name you provided as the SCAN could not be resolved using TCP/IP
host name lookup.

default: ACTION: Provide name to use for the SCAN for which the domain can be resolved.

```

I have seen this a few times on a Windows laptop (my main workstation). I have not seen it on
Linux. It is almost as if Node1 cannot see the DNS, even though it is there, and Node2 can see it.
I figure it must be some silly eccentricity of VirtualBox on Windows.

There are two workarounds for this.

Disable the VirtualBox DHCP server. Navigate to "File > Host Network Manager > DHCP
Server (tab)". Uncheck the "Enable Server" checkbox and click the "Apply" button.

Alternatively, do the following during the startup process.

* Start up DNS.

* Start Node2.
* Start Node1.

* While Node1 is doing the OS prerequisites, stop and start the DNS node (vagrant halt, then
vagrant up). That's not a rebuild. Just a restart. Clearly the DNS must be restarted before the
installation takes place.

Something about the DNS restart allows Node1 to see the DNS.

Reference Link: https://oracle-base.com/articles/19c/oracle-db-19c-rac-installation-on-oracle-