Oracle® Database

4.1 Operating System Requirement

In addition to the supported operating systems listing in the installation guide, AIX 6L, version 6.1, 64-bit kernel is supported with service pack 01 (6100-00-01) or later.

Refer to Oracle Database Installation Guide for AIX 5L Based Systems (64-Bit) for additional information on operating system listings.

4.2 Operating System Filesets for AIX 6L

The following filesets are supported on Oracle Database 10g Release 2:

• bos.adt.base

• bos.adt.lib

• bos.adt.libm

• bos.perf.libperfstat

• bos.perf.perfstat

• bos.perf.proctools

• xlC.aix61.rte:9.0.0.1

• xlC.rte:9.0.0.1

4.3 Oracle Installations

Installing on AIX 6L requires the following installations:

• Oracle patch 6613550

• Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1)

• Oracle Database patch set 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.3)

4.4 32-Bit Kernel Support

Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) supports 32-bit kernel for single-instance databases but does not support 32-bit kernel for Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC).

4.5 Configuring Shell Limits for Oracle RAC Installations

Unlimited shell values must be set for both the Oracle installation owner (oracle) and the root user. The root user requirement for unlimited is needed because the Oracle Clusterware daemon (crsd) runs as root.

Configure the shell limits setting to unlimited either by using the smit utility or by editing the /etc/security/limits file. Add the following lines to the limits file:

rss = -1
data = -1

This requirement supplements the description of shell limits in "Section 2.4.1, Configure Shell Limits" in Oracle Database Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide for AIX 10g Release 2 (10.2).

5.1 Latest Upgrade Information

For late-breaking updates and best practices about preupgrades, postupgrades, compatibility, and interoperability discussions refer to note 466181.1 on My Oracle Support (formerly OracleMetaLink) (https://support.oracle.com) that links to "10g Upgrade Companion" page.

5.2 Operating System Kernel Required for Oracle RAC

Oracle RAC on AIX 5.3 requires a 64-bit kernel. Refer to OracleMetaLink Note 169426.1 for instructions for switching between the 32-bit and 64-bit AIX kernels.

5.3 Oracle RAC Support

The list of supported installation options and supported storage types for Oracle Clusterware, Oracle RAC, and vendor clusterware are described in this section. Oracle plans to support additional Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC configurations in the future. Please check for updates to this document for the latest list of supported installation scenarios on the OTN Web site at:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/indexes/documentation/index.html

5.4 Upgrading of Oracle9i to Oracle Database 10g Release 2 on Raw Devices

Use the following upgrade process if the database files are created on plain raw devices not using Logical Volume Manager (LVM). These steps are needed due to the skip offset differences between Oracle9i Release 2 and Oracle Database 10g Release 2. The skip offset for Oracle9i Release 2 is 4k bytes. Starting with Oracle Database 10g Release 2, the skip offset is 0 bytes.

1. Back up the database.

2. Back up each of the database file on the plain raw disks to a file using following command:

   # dd if=db_disk_name of=backup_file_name bs=512  skip=8
   

3. Restore the backed up database file to the disk using following commands:

   # dd if=backup_file_name of=db_disk_name bs=512
   

4. Follow the manual upgrade steps documented in Oracle Database Upgrade Guide.

5.5 Installing Enterprise Security Manager

To install Oracle Security Manager, install Oracle Database Client and then select the Administrator installation type.

5.6 Upgrading Oracle Cluster Ready Services from Release 10.1.0.2

This section lists the additional steps required when running the preupdate and rootupgrade scripts:

• When upgrading Oracle Cluster Release 10.1 to 10.2, run the following command as the root user after running the preupdate.sh script and then complete the Oracle Clusterware Release 10.2 installation:

  /usr/sbin/slibclean
  

• When upgrading Oracle Clusterware Release 10.1.0.2, activate the volume group before running the rootupgrade script. Use the following command to activate the volume group:

  /usr/sbin/vgchange -a s vg1
  

  where vg1 is the volume group that stores the OCR and voting disks.

5.7 Installing Standard Edition on Automated Storage Management (ASM)

When installing Standard Edition and the starter database on Oracle Automated Storage Management (ASM), the Email enabled notification check box on the Select Database Management Option page is disabled.

This issue is tracked with Oracle bug 4553151.

5.8 extjob Executable Required Directory Permissions

To enable the extjob executable to locate required libraries, the $ORACLE_HOME/lib directory and all of its parent directories must have execute permissions for group and other.

5.9 Modifying a Virtual IP Address Node Application

When modifying the name, IP address, or netmask of an existing virtual IP address (VIP) resource, use the srvctl modify nodeapps command and include the existing interfaces for the VIP in the -A argument. For example:

srvctl modify nodeapps -n mynode1 -A 100.200.300.40/255.255.255.0/eth0

This issue is tracked with Oracle bug 4500688.

5.10 Rootpre_aix.zip File Location

If you have downloaded Oracle Database 11g Release 1 prior to January 18, 2008 from Oracle Technology Network or media and were prompted to execute the rootpre.sh script, then you must install the rootpre_aix.zip file available on Oracle Technology Network:

http://download.oracle.com/otn/aix/oracle11g/rootpre_aix.zip

New customers do not have to download the rootpre_aix.zip file. You can directly download the Oracle Database 11g Release 1 software available on Oracle Technology Network:

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/database/enterprise-edition/downloads/index.html

5.11 Installing Oracle Database on AIX 6.1

You must install Oracle Database Patch 6613550, Oracle Database 10.2.0.1, and Oracle Database Patch set 10.2.0.3 to proceed with the installation on AIX 6L. The following section lists all the installation steps:

1. Download patch 6613550:

   1. Log on to My Oracle Support (formerly OracleMetalink). You must have a valid My Oracle Support Identifier (CSI) for it. Refer to https://support.oracle.com for more information.

   2. Enter 6613550 in the Quick Find field, click Go.

   3. Download patch 6613550 into a temporary directory on your computer.

   4. Switch user to root:

      $ su -
      password:
      #
      

   5. Unzip the files of this patch into /temp folder:

      cd /temp
      

   6. Run the rootpre.sh script as follows:

      # ./rootpre.sh
      

2. Set the LANG parameter to C for the remaining steps, as follows:

   • Bourne shell (sh), or Korn shell (ksh), or Bash shell (bash):

     $LANG=C
     

   • C shell (csh):

     % setenv LANG C
     

3. Install Oracle Database 10.2.0.1:

   1. Run Oracle Universal Installer with -ignoreSysPrereqs option:

      $ ./runInstaller -ignoreSysPrereqs
      

   2. In the Select Installation Type screen, select Enterprise Edition installation type.

   3. In the Product-specific Prerequisites Checks page, check the following errors as user specified to continue with the installation:

      • Checking operating system requirements

      • Checking recommended operating system patches

   4. In the Select Configuration Option screen, select Install Database Software only option.

4. To install Patch Set Release 10.2.0.3, run Oracle Universal Installer with -ignoreSysPrereqs option as follows:

   $ ./runInstaller -ignoreSysPrereqs
   

   You must refer to patch set release note for preinstall, install, postinstall, and other known issues. Refer to metalink note 316900.1 for more information.

5. Create a database:

   1. Run Oracle Database Configuration Assistant as follows:

      $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbca
      

   2. Select General Purpose Database to create a starter database.

This issue is tracked with the Oracle bugs 4711923, 6278227, 4997291.

5.12 Installing Oracle Database Client into an Existing Oracle Home

Oracle Database Client can be installed in the same Oracle Database home if both products are at the same release level. For example, you can install Oracle Database Client 10g Release 2 (10.2) into an existing Oracle Database 10g Release 2 (10.2) home. If you apply a patch set before installing the client, then you must apply the patch set again.

5.13 Database Installation Types

If you perform a Custom installation, then ensure that you install only the components covered by your license. You cannot install Standard Edition using Custom installation.

5.14 Oracle Storage Compatibility Program Obsolete

Oracle Storage Compatibility Program (OSCP) is no longer valid. Disregard any content about OSCP in the Oracle Database Installation Guide for AIX 5L Based Systems (64-Bit).

6.1 Performance Issues with Generic Connectivity

There is a performance issue with Generic Connectivity (hsodbc). On the first query of a new connection, there could be significant delay up to several minutes. All subsequent SQL issued through the same dblink session will proceed without delay.

Check Oracle bug 4549924 for patch availability.

6.2 Importing a User Certificate Into Oracle Wallet Using Oracle Wallet Manager

Oracle Wallet Manager will fail to recognize the user certificate as valid if you capture the user certificate contents from the Oracle Certificate Authority site and save this as a flat file. This is because when saving as a flat file, all the lines of the user certificate are run together with no line breaks.

Workaround: Edit the user certificate. Insert a new line after -----BEGIN CERTIFICATE----- and a new line before -----END CERTIFICATE-----.

6.3 Removing Metrics for Wait Classes Removes Them Permanently

Do not remove the key values for the wait class metrics. Doing so removes them permanently and currently there is no easy way to recover them.

This issue is tracked with Oracle bug 4602952.

6.4 Hitachi HDLM for Storage

If you use Hitachi HDLM (dmlf devices) for storage, then automatic storage instances do not automatically identify the physical disk. Instead, the instances identify only the logical volume manager (LVM). This is because the physical disks can only be opened by programs running as root.

Physical disks have path names similar to the following:

• /dev/rdlmfdrv8

• /dev/rdlmfdrv9

6.5 Vendor Clusterware Restrictions for Node Names

If you use a vendor clusterware with Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters, then you must use the node names and host names registered with that vendor clusterware you have installed.