Install Oracle Workflow Server on 11gR2 Database

We have just installed Oracle Workflow Server on 11gR2 Database using below steps:

1. Go to $ORACLE_HOME\owb\wf\install

2. run below script:
Linux: $ ./wfinstall.csh
Windows: wfinstall.bat

3. insert values as below on the form displayed with the above command:
Install Option : Server Only
Workflow Account : owf_mgr
Workflow Password : Specify a password for owf_mgr
SYS Password : Enter SYS password for the database on which we are installing Oracle Workflow.
TNS Connect Descriptor : Descriotion of TNS of Target Database
[ (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = HOSTNAME/IP)(PORT = 1521)) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVER = DEDICATED) (SERVICE_NAME = MYDB)))]
LDAP Parameters : [If needed]
Mailer Parameters : [If needed]
Tablespace : Default tablespace for worlflow server

4. Submit to start

5. After Successful installation a completion message will be displayed

Thanks to below links:
http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/B28359_01/owb.111/b31280/install_opts05.htm#i1008852
http://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=663891

Exadata: Implementing Database Machine Bundle Patch (8)

According to the readme and companion documents we have prepared below action plan:
(We need to monitor Oracle MOS Note 888828.1 for Exadata supported patch)

** This patch is RAC Rolling Installable for ourcase, as BP5 9870547 is currently installed

-- -------------
-- Prerequisites
-- -------------

1. Inatall latest version of OPatch and dismount all DBFS:

** Logon to each(4) DB Machine and follow below steps:

For GI HOME:
------------
$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
/u01/app/11.2.0/grid

$ mv /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/OPatch /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/OPatch_old
$ unzip p6880880_112000_Linux-x86-64.zip -d /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/
$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$ ./opatch version [to check that the version is 11.2.0.1.4]

For DB HOME:
------------
$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1

$ mv /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/OPatch /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/OPatch_old
$ unzip p6880880_112000_Linux-x86-64.zip -d /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/
$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$ ./opatch version [to check that the version is 11.2.0.1.4]


2. Verify the OUI Inventory:

** Logon to each(4) DB Machine and follow below steps:

For GI HOME:
------------
$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
/u01/app/11.2.0/grid

$cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$./opatch lsinventory

For DB HOME:
------------
$ echo $ORACLE_HOME
/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1

$ cd $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$ ./opatch lsinventory

[If the command errors out, contact Oracle Support]

3. Create a location PATCH_TOP

** Logon All 4 DB Machine and follow below steps:

$ mkdir /u01/app/patch/p10389035_112010_Linux-x86-64
$ export PATCH_TOP=/u01/app/patch/p10389035_112010_Linux-x86-64
$ unzip -d $PATCH_TOP p10389035_112010_Linux-x86-64.zip

4. Determine whether any currently installed one-off patches conflict with the DBM bundle patch8 10389035:
** For Both RDBMS & GI_HOME on all 4 nodes, check below

$ $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch/opatch prereq CheckConflictAgainstOHWithDetail -phBaseDir $PATCH_TOP/10389035
- Conflicts with a patch already applied to the ORACLE_HOME - In this case, stop the patch installation and contact Oracle Support Services
- Conflicts with subset patch already applied to the ORACLE_HOME - In this case, continue with the patch installation because as the new patch

-- ------------
-- Installation
-- ------------
**for all 4 nodes repeat below steps [steps 5 to 7]:

5. Install Patch on GI_HOME
- As oracle run below:
$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1
$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/srvctl stop instance -d db_unique_name -n node_name

- As root run below:
# /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/bin/crsctl stop crs
# /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/crs/install/rootcrs.pl -unlock

- As oracle run below:
$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/11.2.0/grid
$ export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$ which opatch
/u01/app/11.2.0/grid/OPatch/opatch
$ export PATCH_TOP=/u01/app/patch/p10389035_112010_Linux-x86-64
$ cd $PATCH_TOP/10389035
$ opatch apply -local

- As root run below:
# /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/crs/install/rootcrs.pl -patch
# /u01/app/11.2.0/grid/bin/crsctl start crs

- As oracle run below:
$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1
$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/srvctl start instance -d db_unique_name -n node_name

6. Install Patch on DB_HOME [Start a new session to unset ENV variable in step:5]
- As oracle run below:
$ export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1
$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/srvctl stop home -o /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1 -s STAT_FILE_LOCATION -n NODE_NAME
$ export PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/OPatch
$ which opatch
/u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1/OPatch/opatch
$ export PATCH_TOP=/u01/app/patch/p10389035_112010_Linux-x86-64
$ cd $PATCH_TOP/10389035
$ opatch apply -local
$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/srvctl start home -o /u01/app/oracle/product/11.2.0/dbhome_1 -s STAT_FILE_LOCATION -n NODE_NAME

-- ---------------------------------------------
-- Postinstallation only on a ***single instance
-- --------------------------------------------

7. Reload the packages into the database:

$ sqlplus /nolog
SQL> connect / as sysdba
SQL> @?/rdbms/admin/catbundle.sql exa apply

8. Navigate to the $ORACLE_HOME/cfgtoollogs/catbundle directory
(if $ORACLE_BASE is defined then the logs will be created under $ORACLE_BASE/cfgtoollogs/catbundle),
and check the following log files for any errors like "grep ^ORA | sort -u".
If there are errors, refer to "Known Issues". Here, the format of the is YYYYMMMDD_HH_MM_SS.

catbundle_EXA__APPLY_.log
catbundle_EXA__GENERATE_.log

-- --------------
-- Deinstallation
-- --------------

9. **for all 4 nodes repeat steps 5 to 7 except use "opatch rollback -id 10389035 -local" inetead of "opatch apply -local"

Changing spfile location of RAC DATABASE

Last week we made some changes in the configuration (SGA & PGA) of our RAC DB using pfile. After open the each instance using pfile we executed below commands pfile with new configuration:
create spfile from pfile='.....';

As a result now each instance has different spfile in their default location ($ORACLE_HOME/dbs).
So we were planning to shift back spfile to a common location in ASM.

To do this we followed steps bellow:

1. Take backup of pfile & spfile

2. login to a instance(my case instance "dw1" of DB "dw") as sysdba

3. SQL> create pfile='/home/oracle/pfileaug31aug2010.ora' from spfile;

4. SQL> create spfile='+DATA1/dw/spfiledw.ora' from pfile='/home/oracle/pfileaug31aug2010.ora';

5. Then create a pfile in the default location($ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initSID.ora) having only the spfile location:
echo "SPFILE='+DATA1/axdw/spfiledw.ora'" > $ORACLE_HOME/dbs/initdw1.ora

6. delete the spfile in default location($ORACLE_HOME/dbs)

7. restart the current instance

8. Now repeat steps 5,6 & 7 for all other instances

9. Now while a instance starts
- it will look for spfile in the default location
- as no spfile is there it will look for pfile
- in pfile it will find the location of spfile and load init params for it