Alejandro Vargas' Blog

In this post I'm reviewing Real Application Testing Database Reply and SQL Performance Analyzer step by step.

The initial understanding of the implementation process demand some work, but the results are excellent and worth the effort, we get valuable information to asses how our systems will behave after change, something much needed for production environments.

The document I'm attaching to this post cover the functional tests I did of both Database Replay and SQL Performance Analyzer, I'm still working on the following stages of evaluating a production load on a different platform.

The test steps can be followed on this document Real Application Testing on 10g and they are the following:

1. Clone production database on test server, start it up
2. Create 11g database on test server on Windows
3. Download patch 6998002 for Windows 32 bit
4. Download patch 6903335 for Windows 32 bit
5. Download patch 7044721 for 11.0.6.1 on windows
6. Download patch 6974999 for 10.2.0.3 on Linux
7. Download RAT scripts and docs from OTN
8. Install patch 6998002 on Windows 10g clone database
9. Install patch 6903335 on Windows 10g clone database
10. Install patch 7044721 on Windows 11g test database
11. Install patch 6974999 on Linux 10g test database
12. Configure and execute functional RAT tests on Windows
13. Install 11g on Linux
14. Create 11g Database on Linux
15. Migrate clone of production Database from windows to Linux
16. Configure and execute functional RAT tests on Linux
17. Install patch 6903335 on production database
18. Capture load on production Database
19. Replay production load on Linux

This post describes the procedure required to migrate a database from Windows to Linux using the RMAN Convert Database command.

Both Windows and Linux platforms have the same endian format, which makes possible to transfer the whole database, making the migration process very straightforward and simple.

To migrate between platforms that have a different endian format, Cross Platform Transportable Tablespaces (XTTS) needs to be used instead.

List of Steps Needed to Complete the Migration

The migration process is simple, but as it has several steps it is convenient to be familiar with them before running it.

1. Check platform compatibility between source and target OS
2. Start the database in read only mode
3. Check database readiness for transport from Windows to Linux using DBMS_TDB.CHECK_DB
4. Check if there are any external objects
5. Execute the Rman Convert database command
6. Copy converted datafiles, generated Transport Script and Parameter File to Linux
7. Edit the init.ora for the new database
8. Edit the Transport Script and Parameter File changing the windows paths to Linux Paths
9. Execute the Transport Script
10.Change the Database ID
11.Check database integrity

For a detailed step by step guide please check this document : Database Migration From Windows to Linux Using RMAN

Preparing Linux for Oracle Clusterware and RAC installation is made fast and simple with the help of the Oracle Validated Rpm.

The Oracle-Validated rpm automatize the install of the numerous components required to setup OCW and RAC on Linux, and execute most of the required OS configuration steps.

That was a long and tedious task on the time before the rpm was made available.

Until recently to be able to use the Oracle-Validated rpm was necessary to have an Unbreakable Linux Network (ULN) support contract. Now this valuable rpm is available to the general public. Note 728346.1 contains general information about it.

On my test I did install the rpm on Enterprise Linux 5, I did download the rpm matching my kernel from http://oss.oracle.com/el5/oracle-validated/

Enterprise Linux can be downloaded from the Oracle EDelivery site.

The following document contains details of the rpm install: Installing the Oracle-Validated rpm on EL5