Installation guide

The order that the server’s NIC cards (and IP addresses) are dened to Windows is important. Windows must recognize the public IP
address as the rst address. Otherwise, any Oracle ulity that uses “gethostbyname” (such as Oracle
Enterprise Manager) might idenfy the wrong host. In Windows 2000, to check (and, if necessary, x) the order that NICs are dened
in:
1. Choose Start -> Sengs -> Network and Dial-up Connecons.
2. Choose Advanced -> Advanced Sengs.
3. Check the order in the Connecons eld. Click on the Arrow buons to move the NICs up or down in the list.
4. Click OK when the order is correct.
You will also need to check that the TEMP and TMP host variables are dened properly in Windows. These host variables need to
point to a directory or directories that can be used for temporary les, normally the temporary folders
already dened during installaon. To install properly across all nodes, the Oracle Universal Installer will need to use these temporary
folders. The TEMP and TMP folders should be the same across all nodes in the cluster. By default
these sengs are dened as %USERPROFILE%\Local Sengs\Temp and %USERPROFILE%\Local Sengs\Tmp in the Environment
Sengs of My Computer. It is recommended to explicitly redene these as WIN_DRIVE:\temp and WIN_DRIVE:\tmp; for example: C:\
temp and C:\tmp for all nodes. You will need to create these directories manually.
Finally, you should congure the Microso Service Distributed Transacon Coordinator to avoid conict with Oracle patch installa-
on. By default, this service is set to autostart on each boot. MSDTC has been known to interfere with patch installaon. To avoid this
problem, set the service to run manually, at least unl the Oracle installaon is nished. This service may be congured by navigang
to Control Panel -> Administrave Tools -> Services
You may set the service back to automac startup once the installaon is nished.
Conguring the Cluster Hardware
Any implementaon of clustered servers is as much about hardware as it is about clustering soware. Oracle Real Applicaon
Clusters are no excepon to this rule. An Oracle RAC system requires parcular hardware components, congured in a parcular
way. If the hardware components are missing or mis-congured, there is no chance that the cluster soware will ever work properly.
One of the most signicant hardware components in an Oracle RAC system is the shared storage. Shared storage is somemes imple-
mented with external SCSI arrays, direct aached to two clustered servers. More commonly, a shared Storage Area Network (SAN) is
ulized. A SAN is essenal for any cluster with more than two nodes.
The secons below will detail the specic Dell hardware components and conguraon steps required for a successful Oracle RAC
deployment on Dell hardware and Microso Windows Server. Special aenon will be given to the requirements for shared storage
and SANs.