Using Serviceguard Extension for RAC, 10th Edition, April 2011

4 SGeRAC Toolkit for Oracle RAC 10g or later
Introduction
This chapter 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 RAC1) with HP Serviceguard Extension for Real Application Clusters A.11.17 or later
(SGeRAC2).
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, the following is reviewed:
• 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, the SGeRAC internal file structure is discussed. Lastly, the SGeRAC benefits are listed.
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.3 In this combined environment, the responsibilities
of SGeRAC include the following:
• Provide cluster membership information to the Oracle Clusterware CSS (Cluster Synchronization
Service) daemon.
• Provide clustered storage to meet the needs of Oracle Clusterware and RAC database instances.
• The Oracle Clusterware quorum voting 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). Beginning with Oracle 11gR2 release, Oracle
Clusterware voting and registry devices can also be configured using oracle ASM (Automatic
Storage Management) disk groups. The members of disk groups are configured as raw devices
(on HP-UX 11i v3). Oracle 11gR2 is supported only on HP-UX 11i v3 (11.31) with SGeRAC
A.11.19 or later.
• 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.
Introduction 81