Use of Serviceguard Extension for RAC Toolkit with Oracle RAC 10g Release 2 or later, March 2009

Introduction

This document discusses how Serviceguard Extension for RAC Toolkit enables a new framework for

the integration of Oracle 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1) or later version of Real Application Clusters

(Oracle RAC

) with HP Serviceguard Extension for Real Application Clusters A.11.17 or later

(SGeRAC

SGeRAC Toolkit leverages the multi-node package and simple package dependency features

introduced by HP Serviceguard (SG) A.11.17 to provide a uniform, easy-to-manage and intuitive

method for coordinating the operation of the combined software stack across the full range of storage

management options supported by SGeRAC.

As background to the discussion of the Toolkit, we review:

• The coordination issues, pertaining to the combined stack, that the toolkit addresses

• The features in SGeRAC that enable the framework

The discussion of SGeRAC begins with the reasons why the Toolkit uses the SG/SGeRAC multi-node

package and simple package dependency features. Next, there is an outline of the flow of control

during startup and shutdown of the combined stack using SGeRAC. This is followed by a description

of how the Toolkit interacts both with Oracle RAC and with the storage management subsystems. Then

we discuss the SGeRAC internal file structure. Lastly, we list the SGeRAC benefits.

Background

Coordinating the Oracle RAC/Serviceguard Extension for RAC stack

The Oracle 10g and later database server offers a built-in feature called Oracle Clusterware which

builds highly available RAC and single instance databases in clustered configurations. Since the

release of Oracle 10g, HP has recommended a combined SGeRAC/Oracle Clusterware

configuration for RAC deployments on HP-UX 11i.

In this combined environment, the responsibilities

of SGeRAC include:

• Providing cluster membership information to the Oracle Clusterware CSS (Cluster Synchronization

Service) daemon.

• Providing clustered storage to meet the needs of Oracle Clusterware and RAC database instances:

o The Oracle Clusterware quorum and registry devices can be configured as shared

raw logical volumes managed by SGeRAC using Shared Logical Volume Manager

(SLVM) or Cluster Volume Manager (CVM) or, beginning with SGeRAC A.11.17, as

shared files managed by SGeRAC using the Cluster File System (CFS).

o The RAC database files can be configured as shared raw logical volumes managed

by SGeRAC using SLVM or CVM. Beginning with SGeRAC A.11.17, the RAC

database files may be configured as shared files managed by SGeRAC using CFS

Also, beginning with Oracle 10g R2 and SGeRAC A.11.17, the RAC database files

may also be configured as files in Oracle ASM (Automatic Storage Management)

Disk Groups. The members of the ASM Disk Groups are configured as raw devices

Oracle RAC refers to Oracle 10g R2 or later version of Real Application Cluster in this document

SGeRAC refers to Serviceguard Extension for RAC 11.17 or later in this document

See Using Serviceguard Extension for RAC, March 2009 at http://docs.hp.com/en/ha.html →Serviceguard Extension for Real Application

Cluster (Serviceguard OPS Edition).