Environment:

  • Exadata X9M2
  • Virtual environment with KVM
  • Oracle Home in use: 19.22.0.0
  • Oracle Home to remove: 12.1.0.2
  • OS Linux 7.9
  • VM Name: ex2-itouglab01

Check if the home is in use

Connect to VM where you want to remove the oracle home and check as root if it is in use on both nodes:

# lsof +D /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2/dbhome_1|wc -l
0

Save KVM image info:

As root save info about the KVM image from fstab file:

# cat /etc/fstab

/dev/VGExaDbDisk.db12.1.0.2.220719_4.img/LVDBDisk /u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2.220719/dbhome_1 xfs defaults 0 0
/dev/VGExaDbDisk.db19.22.0.0.240116_4.img/LVDBDisk /u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1      xfs defaults 1 1

This can be useful because oedacli remove from the fstab related mount point

# cp -p /etc/fstab /orabackup/fstab.$(hostname -s).$(date +'%Y%m%d_%H%M')

Backup all useful home data

Back up the following directories in the oracle home:

  • admin
  • assistants
  • dbs
  • network
  • sqlplus

If you have changed something else outside these directories, it should be better that you backup also changed ones.

Check environment on Exadata:

Connect to Physical Exadata Database Server on node 1 and go to the directory onecommand (available usually only on node 1):

/EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand  

This directory contains OEDA files generated for Exadata setup, in particular XML files related to VMs configurations:

# ls -l *.xml

Itoug-ex2-itouglab.xml
Itoug-ex2-itouglab_ADD_DBHOME_DEPLOY_20241217.xml
Itoug-ex2-itouglab_DELETE_DBHOME_DEPLOY_20240620.xml

In the subdirectory Linux-x64 you can find OEDACLI setup:

/EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand/linux-x64

[root@ex2dbadm01 linux-x64]# ll
total 296
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    233 May  8  2018 applyElasticConfig.sh
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    234 May  8  2018 changePassword.sh
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root   8192 Jun  5  2024 config
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root     97 May  8  2018 config.sh
drwxr-xr-x 1 root root     60 Jun 17  2024 ExadataConfigurations
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    241 May  8  2018 genPasswordHash.sh
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    899 May 19  2023 installOedaServer.sh
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    311 Feb 20  2024 install.sh
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root     94 Feb  2  2024 jre
drwxr-xr-x 8 root root    126 Jan 30  2024 jre-oeda-11.0.22
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root   4096 Jun  5  2024 Lib
drwxrwxr-x 2 root root   8192 Dec 17 08:25 log
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    303 May 20  2023 oedacli
drwxrwxr-x 2 root root     30 Jun  5  2024 out
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root   4096 Sep 20 10:11 properties
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root 115178 Jun  5  2024 README.html
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root 106545 Jun  5  2024 README.txt
-r-xr-x--- 1 root root    259 Aug 29  2019 setuprootssh.sh
drwxrwxr-x 7 root root    150 Jun  5  2024 webApp
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root   4096 Jun  5  2024 WebLib
drwxrwxr-x 1 root root     47 Jun 20  2024 WorkDir

Setup root password:

Before to start activity you have to set root password for the involved VM.

There are different ways to complete this task:

  1. Using genPasswordHash.sh tool to save the root password in OEDA encrypted file
  2. Using root private key for ssh connection

My choice is the second one because if you are using different password for different VMs you don’t have to change it each time.

To complete this task copy in the Workdir all the private keys of involved VMs and physical hosts too so that OEDACLI will be able to connect on each of them.

The SYNTAX for rsa files is the following:

id_rsa.<hostname>.root

Example:

id_rsa.ex2-itouglab01-dbadm.root
id_rsa.ex2dbadm01.root

Check XML file is valid and available:

First of all open OEDACLI and load XML file (in the /EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand directory) related to the VM where you want to drop the oracle home:

# cd /EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand/linux-x64

Then load XML file related to th VM that you want to update:

# ./oedacli
oedacli> LOAD FILE NAME=/EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand/Itoug-ex2-itouglab.xml
SUCCESS - file loaded OK
Customer : Itoug - On Line Games Stage and Prod
oedacli>

If you exit from oedacli you can find automatic backup files generated in the same path including date and time of the activity:

# ll Itoug-ex2-itouglab*.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Mar  5 12:04 Itoug-ex2-itouglab_20240305_120402.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Mar  5 12:05 Itoug-ex2-itouglab_20240305_120551.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Mar  5 12:36 Itoug-ex2-itouglab_20240305_123617.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Mar  5 15:51 Itoug-ex2-itouglab_20240305_155123.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Mar 15 16:21 Itoug-ex2-itouglab_20240315_162151.xml
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 118393 Aug 23  2023 Itoug-ex2-itouglab.xml

The correct file is the one without any additional info other that VM’s name.

Delete oracle home:

Execute the following steps to drop the unused oracle home:

STEP 1: Load XML file

Load XML file of the involved VM:

# ./oedacli
oedacli> LOAD FILE NAME=/EXAVMIMAGES/onecommand/Itoug-ex2-itouglab.xml
SUCCESS - file loaded OK
Customer : Itoug - On Line Games Stage and Prod

STEP 2: List Database Homes and cluster

Check the list of database homes available in the VM to be sure the one you want to delete is correctly listed:

oedacli> list databasehomes
  version : "CloneInstall"
  cluster :
    id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id"
  databaseHomeName : "itouglab_home_121"
  databaseSwOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseVersion : "12.1.0.2.220719"
  databaseHomeLoc : "/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2.220719/dbhome_1"
  inventoryLocation : "/u01/app/oraInventory"
  installType : "rac_database"
  language : "all_langs"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  basedir : "/u01/app/oracle"
  id : "DbHome_6f71f8a3-a1e0-1607-c66f-3d551f58c320_id"
  version : "CloneInstall"
  cluster :
    id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id"
  databaseHomeName : "itouglab_home_1922"
  databaseSwOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseVersion : "19.22.0.0.240116"
  databaseHomeLoc : "/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1"
  inventoryLocation : "/u01/app/oraInventory"
  language : "all_langs"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  patches :
    patch :
  basedir : "/u01/app/oracle"
  useZfs : "false"
  id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_databaseHome1"

List clusters configuration to be sure that you are working on the right one:

oedacli> list clusters
  version : "CloneInstall"
  clusterName : "ex2itouglab"
  clusterOwner : "710c8ec9-4b4d-2e51-4845-ee47a2bec251"
  clusterVersion : "19.22.0.0.240116"
  clusterHome : "/u01/app/19.0.0.0/grid"
  inventoryLocation : "/u01/app/oraInventory"
  asmScopedSecurity : "true"
  clusterVips :
    clusterVip :
      vipName : "ex2-itouglab01-vip"
      domainName : "farm.Itoug-italia.local"
      vipIpAddress : "10.20.6.133"
      machines :
        machine :
          domainGroup :
          machine :
          id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id_vip"
      vipName : "ex2-itouglab02-vip"
      domainName : "farm.Itoug-italia.local"
      vipIpAddress : "10.20.6.134"
      machines :
        machine :
          domainGroup :
          machine :
          id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id_vip"
  customerName : "Itoug"
  application : "Bwin Production"
  scanIps :
    scanIp :
  clusterScans :
    clusterScan :
      id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id_scan_client"
  diskGroups :
    diskGroup :
      id : "b44bb2cc-41c2-99fe-d3d8-35a5f1d5709a"
      id : "3a22d93c-16bd-6a79-21f1-7a6d095b8ccb"
      id : "5a21e8cc-c59c-61a2-aa15-6b61517a4a1a"
  basedir : "/u01/app/grid"
  language : "all_langs"
  patches :
    patch :
  id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id"

STEP 3: List XML actions

Check the list of XML actions to be sure that there is nothing pending and everything has been deployed correctly:

oedacli> LIST XMLACTIONS

Action ID=1 merged=true deployed=true
  ID=1,CMDID=1,CMD="ADD DATABASEHOME OWNER=oracle DBVERSION='19.22.0.0.240116' BASEDIR='/u01/app/oracle' VOLUMESIZE=50G DBHOMELOC='/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' DBHOMENAME='itouglab_home_1922' where CLUSTERNAME='ex2itouglab'"

STEP 4: Reset XMLACTIONS

Clean already completed actions:

oedacli> RESET ACTIONS

STEP 5: List XML actions

oedacli> LIST XMLACTIONS
There are no actions in this XML file

STEP 6: Define delete home command

Just to check for syntax errors execute the command to delete the home (this will not be executed but only saved in the list of actions in pending):

oedacli> DELETE DATABASEHOME where CLUSTERNAME='ex2itouglab' DBHOMELOC='/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2.220719/dbhome_1'

STEP 7: Save the current action

Save the delete action in memory:

oedacli> SAVE ACTION

STEP 8: List XML actions

Check pending actions:

oedacli> LIST XMLACTIONS

Action ID=1 merged=false deployed=false
  ID=2,CMDID=1,CMD="DELETE DATABASEHOME where CLUSTERNAME='ex2itouglab' DBHOMELOC='/u01/app/oracle/product/19.18.0.0/dbhome_1'"

STEP 9: Merge the current action

This activity merge the actions before to deploy them:

oedacli> MERGE ACTIONS
processMerge 
processMergeActions 
Merging Action : delete databasehome where id='c0_databaseHome1' 
Merging DELETE DATABASEHOME 
Action Validated and Merged OK

If you are deleting a database home previously used, you could receive an error like the following:

oedacli> MERGE ACTIONS
processMerge
processMergeActions
Merging Action : DELETE DATABASEHOME where CLUSTERNAME='ex2itouglab' DBHOMELOC='/u01/app/oracle/product/19.18.0.0/dbhome_1'
Merging DELETE DATABASEHOME

ERROR:Unable to delete database home, please delete the following database(s) first
Database ID=database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_id depends on this Home
Database ID=database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_pdb1 depends on this Home

Even if you are using the database in a new ORACLE_HOME, OEDACLI XML file could be still connected to the ORACLE_HOME you are going to delete, so execute ALTER DATABASE to set the new ORACLE_HOME.

Check involved databases to understand the correct home to set:

oedacli> LIST DATABASES
  version : "2"
  databaseOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseSid : "ITOUGLAB"
  databaseBlockSize : "8192"
  characterset : "AL32UTF8"
  dbConfigType : "rac_database"
  databaseHome :
    id : "DbHome_fb24f1d6-74a1-9083-330f-3129a94c2446_id"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  databaseType : "cdb"
  databaseTemplate : "OLTP"
  databaseStyle : "ADMIN"
  language : "all_langs"
  diskGroups :
    diskGroup :
      id : "b44bb2cc-41c2-99fe-d3d8-35a5f1d5709a"
      id : "5a21e8cc-c59c-61a2-aa15-6b61517a4a1a"
  id : "database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_id"

  version : "2"
  databaseOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseSid : "ITOUGPDB"
  databaseHome :
    id : "DbHome_fb24f1d6-74a1-9083-330f-3129a94c2446_id"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  databaseType : "pdb"
  cdbId : "database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_id"
  databaseTemplate : "OLTP"
  id : "database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_pdb1"

Check database homes available to be sure that the home id is related to the one you are deleting:

oedacli> LIST DATABASEHOMES
  version : "CloneInstall"
  cluster :
    id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id"
  databaseHomeName : "bwprd_home_1918"
  databaseSwOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseVersion : "12.1.0.2.220719"
  databaseHomeLoc : "/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2.220719/dbhome_1"
  inventoryLocation : "/u01/app/oraInventory"
  installType : "rac_database"
  language : "all_langs"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  basedir : "/u01/app/oracle"
  id : "DbHome_fb24f1d6-74a1-9083-330f-3129a94c2446_id"

  version : "CloneInstall"
  cluster :
    id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_id"
  databaseHomeName : "bwprd_home_1922"
  databaseSwOwner : "0594e31d-1e80-2c36-b847-89a63c721963"
  databaseVersion : "19.22.0.0.240116"
  databaseHomeLoc : "/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1"
  inventoryLocation : "/u01/app/oraInventory"
  language : "all_langs"
  machines :
    machine :
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_713bcc3f-b4fa-4011-8108-98b70836a6aa_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
      domainGroup :
      machine :
      id : "ex2_3dec114a-9eeb-42f8-a038-b2224d00ef8d_compute_Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_vm01_id"
  patches :
    patch :
  basedir : "/u01/app/oracle"
  useZfs : "false"
  id : "Cluster-c570fead1-8ea0-b75d-6303-d553d84200e7_databaseHome1"

Check on the virtual machine to confirm the home used:

$ srvctl config database -d ITOUGLAB

Database unique name: ITOUGLAB
Database name: ITOUGLAB
Oracle home: /u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1
Oracle user: oracle
...

Reset actions:

oedacli> RESET ACTIONS

Alter databases involved to set the correct home (in this case both container and pluggable):

oedacli> ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID='database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_id';

oedacli> ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID=' database_4ae111ce-3bb2-b8cc-bdf8-0ffb640197e7_pdb1';

Save action:

oedacli> SAVE ACTION

List actions:

oedacli> LIST XMLACTIONS
Action ID=1 merged=false deployed=false
  ID=1,CMDID=1,CMD="ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID='database_370096d6-2d72-8588-4ed2-231fadd993a5_id'"

Merge actions:

oedacli> MERGE ACTIONS
processMerge
processMergeActions
Merging Action : ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID='database_370096d6-2d72-8588-4ed2-231fadd993a5_id'
Merging ALTER DATABASE
Action Validated and Merged OK

List actions:

oedacli> LIST XMLACTIONS
Action ID=1 merged=true deployed=false
  ID=1,CMDID=1,CMD="ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID='database_370096d6-2d72-8588-4ed2-231fadd993a5_id'"

Deploy is a quite quick operation, so you can execute it directly fro the command line interface:

oedacli> DEPLOY ACTIONS
Deploying Action ID : 1 ALTER DATABASE DBHOMELOC= '/u01/app/oracle/product/19.22.0.0/dbhome_1' WHERE ID='database_370096d6-2d72-8588-4ed2-231fadd993a5_id'
Deploying ALTER DATABASE
Done...
Done [Elapsed = 141 mS [0.0 minutes] Thu Sep 05 15:25:15 CEST 2024]]

Or you can create a CMD file and execute it, but we will see this in the second part of the article.

Now we are ready to remove the Oracle Home and image disks associated, this will be done in part 2 of the article.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmmn/detach-command.html

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmin/oedacli-command-reference1.html

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmin/delete-databasehome.html