Veritas Cluster Server 6.

0 for UNIX:
Example Application Configurations
Example 2: Clustering Databases

Lesson objectives
Topic

Objectives

VCS database agents

Describe VCS agents for managing

databases.

Database
preparation

Prepare a database for use in a VCS

environment.

The database agent

for Oracle

Install and configure the VCS Oracle agent.

Database failover
behavior

Configure database failover behavior.

Additional Oracle
agent functions

Implement additional functionality provided

by the Oracle agent.

VCS database agents

After completing this topic, you
will be able to describe VCS
agents for managing databases.

Agents for managing databases

Database agents

Not all agents are supported on all

platforms.

You can also manage some databases using the

Application agent or customized agents.

Database agent functions

Start a specified database
instance.
Stop the specified instance.
Monitor the instance.
Clean up after a fault to enable
failover and prevent possible
concurrency violations.

Most database agents have multilevel monitoring.

Basic-level monitoring may check the process table for
applicable database processes.
Detail or second-level monitoring may write to a test
table in the specified database.

Second-level monitoring

Information required to access and write to a table

A database user account with update
privileges.
The password for the database user account.
The name of the database table.
The name of the SQL script used to write to
the table

Monitoring listener processes

Some databases have listeners built-in and do not
require additional VCS agents for monitoring.
The Netlsnr agent has two-level monitoring for the
Oracle listener:
Basic: Scans the process table for the tnslsnr process
Detail: Uses lsnrctl to test the listener
Oracle
server

Listener
Net8
User

ONS
Protocol

Server

Data

Database preparation
After completing this topic, you
will be able to prepare a database
for the VCS environment.

Verifying software compatibility

Use the latest database agent available for the VCS version in use.
Check agent guides to verify that the database version is supported.

Examples:

sort.symantec.com

Oracle on
Solaris
Oracle agent 6.0:
VCS 6.0

DB2 on AIX and

Linux
DB2 agent 6.0
VCS 6.0

Solaris SPARC 10 (32-,

64-bit)

AIX 6.1, 7.1

Solaris x64 10 (64-bit)

Oracle 10g R2, 11g R1
and R2

RHEL 5 & 6, SLES 10 &

11, OEL5
DB2 ESE 9.1, 9.5, and 9.7

Database program (binary) files

Comparing binary file locations
Local disk
Provides redundancy
Requires the database
to be installed and
configured identically on
each system

Shared storage
Simplifies configuration
when there are many
systems that can run
the database
Requires all systems to
have the same mount
point directory for the
database home
directory

Data files
Comparing shared storage objects
File system
File systems must be located on shared disks.
Create the same file system mount point on each system
in the cluster.

Raw volume
Set the permissions for the volumes to be owned permanently by
the database:
vxedit g diskgroup set group=dba user=oracle \
mode=660 volume
You cannot change permission only in UNIX. VxVM sets volume
permissions upon import.

Database-related system files

Database-related system files must be consistent on all
systems that can run the database:
Database user accounts
Passwords for database user accounts
Database group entries
Listener entries
Database shared memory settings
The database service group (virtual) IP address

NOTE: Refer to Database vendor documentation for details

Network configuration
For listener service failover:
Include at least one IP resource in the service group for the
database.
Set the host name for this virtual IP address for the host field in
the listener configuration file.
LISTENER=
listener.ora
(DESCRIPTION=
(ADDRESS_LIST=
(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=hr_ora)(PORT=1521))
(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=extproc))))
. . .

IP
. . .
10.10.21.54 hr_ora
. . .

/etc/hosts

10.10.21.54

The database agent

for Oracle
After completing this topic, you
will be able to install and
configure the Oracle agent.

Installing database agents

Database agents:
Are automatically installed on all cluster systems
if you select recommended or all package sets
Are included in the VRTSvcsea package
Must be installed on all database failover target
systems.
Can be installed manually from the software
distribution manually using operating system
utilities
Note: Agent-specific types file must be added to
main.cf if you install agents manually

High availability database configuration

overview
Binaries on local storage
Prepare OS
Install database sw
Configure database

More
systems?
N
Add service group

Test database
Add/test resources
Stop resources
Test service group

Oracle service group configuration

example
hr_oralistener
hr_oraip
hr_orasg

hr_oracle

hr_oraarchivemnt
hr_oraredomnt

hr_oraarchivevol

hr_oraredovol
hr_oradg

hr_oranic
hr_oradatamnt

hr_oradatavol

Configuring an Oracle resource

Resource definition

value

Service group name

hr_orasg

Resource name

hr_oracle

Resource type

Oracle

Starts and stops an

Oracle instance
Monitors the process
table

Required attributes
Sid

HR

Owner

oracle

Home

/hrdata

main.cf
Oracle hr_ora(
Sid = HR
Owner = oracle
Home = "/hrdata"
)

Optional Oracle attributes: The

StartUpOpt attribute
Value

Action

STARTUP

Runs startup

STARTUP_FORCE
(default)

Runs startup force

RESTRICTED

Starts the database in restricted mode

RECOVERDB

Performs a recovery of database files upon instance

startup
Runs a custom SQL command file;

CUSTOM

an example is to start up in standby mode and

apply logs

The ShutDownOpt attribute

Value

Action

IMMEDIATE (default)

Runs shutdown immediate

TRANSACTIONAL

Performs a transactional stop

SRVCTLSTOP

Uses srvctl to stop the database

CUSTOM

Runs a custom SQL command file

Other optional Oracle attributes

Attribute

Function

MonitorOption

Enables the use the Oracle 10g Health Check APIs to

monitor the SGA and retrieve information

AutoEndBkup

Takes the tablespaces out of backup mode when

coming online
Is set to 1 by default

EnvFile

Specifies the location of a file containing environment

variables

Defines how VCS responds when Oracle stopped outside

IntentionalOffli of VCS
ne
Requires MonitorOption set to 1
Encoding
AgentDebug

Specifies encoding for other language sets

Causes additional debug messages to be logged
Is set to 0 by default

IMF monitoring for Oracle resources

Type Attributes Defaults:
IMF
Mode

MonitorFreq

default)
RegisterRetryLimit

online and offline monitoring

runs monitor entry point every 5 minutes
(MonitorInterval = 60 seconds by
3

IMFRegList

Home, Owner, Sid, MonitorOption

LevelTwoMonitorFreq

Configuring Oracle second-level

monitoring
Oracle hr_oracle(

main.cf

Sid = HR
Owner = oracle
Home = "/hr_ora
EnvFile = "/hr_ora/.ora_envfile"

Enable

LevelTwoMonitorFreq = 1
User = "scott"
Pword = "lgLimHmmKum"
Table = "testtable"

User defined in HR
database with update
privileges for testtable

MonScript = "/opt/VRTSagents/ha/bin/Oracle/SqlTest.pl"

)
The table created in
HR database before
enabling the VCS resource

The executable script

containing SQL
statements

Error handling for detail monitoring

Customized error handling configured in:
/opt/VRTSagents/ha/bin/Oracle/oraerror.dat.
Example entry for invalid user name or password error:
ORA-01017 invalid username/password; logon denied

Action

Description

IGNORE

Takes no action; error is not critical

UNKNOWN

Marks the resource state as UNKNOWN

WARN

FAILOVER

Marks the resource state as ONLINE

Generates Warning level message in engine_A.log
Marks the resource offline when a serious error
occurs
Faults resource and fails over service group

NOFAILOVER

Freezes the service group temporarily

Marks the resource OFFLINE

Configuring a Netlsnr resource

Resource
definition

Value

Service Group
Name

hr_orasg

Resource Name

hr_oranetlsnr

Resource Type

Netlsnr

Required attributes
Owner

oracle

Home

/hr_ora

Starts and stops a

listener process using
lsnrctl
Monitors the process
table

Example optional attributes

TnsAdmin

/hr_ora/net/admin

Listener

LISTENER

LsnrPwd

S2cEjcD5s3Cbc

EnvFile

/oracle/dbs/envfile

Monscript

/opt/VRTSagents/
ha/bin/Netlsnr/
LsnrTest.pl

Level-two
monitoring

Other common Oracle configurations

Netlsnr
Oracle
Mount

IP

NIC
Oracle

BinVol

DataVol
Mount

Mount

Netlsnr

DBDG
LogVol

DataVo
l
DBDG

IP

NIC

Database failover
behavior
After completing this topic, you
will be able to configure database
service group failover behavior.

Database failover scenarios

To restart the listener and never fail over if it faults:
Set the listener resource to non-critical.
Do not make the listener a child of a critical resource.
Set RestartLimit = x.

To prevent VCS from cleaning or failing over:

Set ManageFaults=NONE for the service group.
Send notification on fault only; no clean, no
failover

Even if a database resource is non-critical:

The clean entry point runs if the resource faults.
The database is shutdown and left offline.

Additional Oracle
agent functions
After completing this topic, you
will be able to implement
additional functions provided by
the Oracle agent.

Other Oracle agent functions

Action
Run virtual fire drills.
Perform predefined
actions on a resource.
Script common DBA
tasks.

Info
Obtain static and
dynamic information
about the state of an
online resource (such
as a database).

See the VCS Agent for Oracle Installation and

Configuration Guide for details about using the
action and info entry points.

Running a virtual fire drill

hr_orasg
s1

Oracle actions:
getid
hr_orasg

pfile.vfd
home.vfd
owner.vfd
tnsadmin.vfd

havfd hr_orasg sys s1 -v

Lesson summary
Key points
VCS provides a variety of agents to manage databases.
The Oracle agent has specialized functions for managing
Oracle databases.

Reference materials
Veritas Cluster Server Bundled Agents Reference Guide
Veritas Cluster Server Agent for Oracle, Installation and
Configuration Guide
Veritas Cluster Server Agent Developers Guide
High Availability Design Using Veritas Cluster Server Course

End of Presentation