6 Managing Deployments

Understanding Host Configuration Information

Part of the information that is collected for a host and uploaded to the Management Repository is host configuration information. The host configuration information collected includes information about the hardware and software configurations for the host. Specifically, host configuration information is comprised of the following categories:

• Hardware (including memory, CPU, I/O device, and network interface information) for the host

• Operating system (including installed patches) for the host

• Other installed software registered with the operating system on the host. For example, this could include information about Veritas data storage management software installed on the host.

• Installed Oracle software on the host, including (but not limited to) installed products and their components, patch sets, and interim patches applied using OPatch.

By default, the Management Agent on a host automatically collects and uploads configuration information for the host every 24 hours.

Understanding Database Configuration Information

The Management Agent on a host also automatically collects database configuration information for the Oracle databases installed on the host. By default, database configuration information is collected every 12 hours. Database configuration information is comprised of the following categories:

• Database and instance properties

• Initialization parameters

• System Global Area parameters

• Tablespaces information

• Datafiles information

• Control files information

• Redo logs information

• Rollback segments information

• High availability information

• License information

Understanding Enterprise Configuration Information

In this chapter, the term "enterprise" is used to refer to the complete set of hosts and targets for which configuration information is stored in the Management Repository. The term "enterprise configuration" is used to refer to the configuration information stored in the Management Repository for the set of hosts and targets that comprise your enterprise.

Because the Management Agent collects the latest configuration information for hosts and managed targets daily, the enterprise configuration stored in the Management Repository provides you with a very current view of your enterprise.

Viewing the Hardware and Software Configurations of a Host or Database

Enterprise Manager enables you to view the configuration information stored in the Management Repository for an individual host or Oracle database.

Tracking Changes to Host Configurations

Enterprise Manager records changes made to host configuration information over time. This history information records:

• Details of the operation that was performed. For example, if a file system mount is deleted, this is recorded in the history for the host configuration.

• The time of the Management Repository refresh operation that detected the change to the configuration.

When you are viewing a host configuration, you can display the history for all the categories of the host configuration, or you can drill down to the history for a specific host configuration category.

Viewing a Summary View of Your Enterprise Configuration

Enterprise Manager enables you to view a summary view of your enterprise configuration. The following enterprise configuration summary views are available:

• Hardware

  This summary view shows the different types of host hardware in your enterprise configuration and the number of hosts using each hardware type.

  From the summary view, you can drill down to a list of hosts using each hardware type and the operating system running on each of those hosts.

• Operating systems

  This summary view shows the different types of operating systems in your enterprise configuration, the number of hosts running each type of operating system, and whether any operating system patches were applied to that operating system.

  From the summary view, you can drill down to a list of the hosts running each type of operating system. You can also drill down to a list of the operating system patches applied or not applied to the hosts running each operating system type.

• Oracle databases

  This summary view shows the different versions of Oracle databases and application servers in your enterprise configuration, the number of targets and installations for each version, and whether or not any interim patches were applied using OPatch to any of the installations for each version.

  From the summary view, you can drill down to a list of the instances for each Oracle database. You can also drill down to a list of the installations (and Oracle home directories) for each Oracle database. Finally, you can drill down to more information about the unique interim patches applied using OPatch for each Oracle database.

• Oracle application servers

  This summary view shows the different versions of Oracle application servers in your enterprise configuration, the number of targets and installations for each version, and whether or not any interim patches were applied using OPatch to any of the installations for each version.

  From the summary view, you can drill down to a list of the instances for each Oracle application server version. You can also drill down to a list of the installations (and Oracle home directories) for each Oracle application server version. Finally, you can drill down to more information about the unique interim patches applied using OPatch for each Oracle application server version.

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  See Also: "Viewing the Enterprise Configuration" in the Enterprise Manager online help

  
  

Comparing Configurations

You can use Enterprise Manager to perform comparisons of host configurations or database configurations:

• Two host configurations, two configuration files, or a host configuration and a configuration file

• Multiple host configurations (compare one host to multiple hosts)

• Two database configurations

These configuration comparisons are useful for quickly finding similarities and differences between two host configurations or two database configurations.

Searching the Enterprise Configuration

In some cases, you may want to search your enterprise configuration to get answers to specific questions about your enterprise. For example, you might want to get answers to enterprise configuration questions such as these:

• Which hosts have not had operating system patch 105181-05 installed?

• Which hosts have an Oracle version 9.0.1.0.0 database installed and in what Oracle home directories are those databases installed?

Enterprise configuration searches query the enterprise configuration views in the Management Repository to find configuration information that satisfies the specified search criteria.

Enterprise Manager provides two types of enterprise configuration searches:

• Predefined searches

  Although these searches are predefined, you can modify the search criteria for each search. Because you can modify the search criteria, the predefined searches offer you the flexibility to create very specific search queries.

  After you enter the search criteria for a predefined search, Enterprise Manager creates the SQL query that searches the enterprise configuration views in the Management Repository.

  Enterprise Manager provides the following predefined enterprise configuration searches:

  • Search Oracle products installed in Oracle homes

  • Search operating system-registered software installed on hosts

  • Search patch sets installed in Oracle homes

  • Search interim patches installed using OPatch in Oracle homes

  • Search initialization parameter settings

  • Search initialization parameter setting changes

  • Search tablespaces

  • Search datafiles

  • Search recommended settings for databases

  • Search database feature usage

  • Search operating system components installed on hosts

  • Search operating system patches installed on hosts

  • Search operating system property settings on hosts

  • Search operating system property changes on hosts

  • Search host operating system and hardware summaries

  • Search network interface card configurations on hosts

  • Search file systems on hosts

  • Search policy library

• User-defined searches

  With a user-defined search, you specify the SQL query that will search the enterprise configuration views in the Management Repository. If you do not want to create the entire SQL query yourself, you can choose one of the predefined searches, make changes to the search criteria, then click Search Using SQL to display the SQL query that will be executed based on the current search criteria. You can execute the query, view the results, then modify it and execute it again until it returns the desired results.

  
  

  See Also: "Searching the Enterprise Configuration" in the Enterprise Manager online help

  
  

Cloning Oracle Homes and Database Instances

You can use the Enterprise Manager job system to clone Oracle home directories. For example, after you have an Oracle home in a known state (you have chosen particular install options for it, applied required patches to it, and tested it), you may want to clone that Oracle home to one or more hosts. Enterprise Manager provides a Clone Oracle Home tool that steps you through the Oracle home clone operation.

There are many advantages to cloning an Oracle home.

• Saves time. You no longer need to install, then apply, all the same patches to get an Oracle home that looks like the source Oracle home. Also, you can clone to multiple hosts and Oracle homes with a single Oracle home cloning job, instead of connecting to each host and running Oracle Universal Installer to install the Oracle home.

• Reduces risk of errors. It is more likely that the cloned home matches the source home, then if you installed then patched a new Oracle home. You would have to remember the settings and patches you used on the original source Oracle home.

• You can do the cloning from a Web browser.

You can also use Enterprise Manager to clone Oracle database instances. For example, after you have configured an instance, tuned it, and tested it, you may want to clone that database instance. Enterprise Manager provides a Clone Database tool that steps you through the Oracle database clone operation.

The Clone Database tool clones a database instance to an existing Oracle home. If you want to create a new Oracle home to clone the instance to, use the Clone Oracle Home tool to create a new Oracle home, then use the Clone Database tool to clone the instance to that home.

There are many advantages to cloning an Oracle database instance.

• Provides infrastructure for Data Guard management. Data Guard embeds Database Cloning to create a standby database (a clone of the primary database) as part of the Data Guard management process.

• Provides a testing environment for database application developers. The cloned database can be used for testing and debugging purposes while the original database is kept available.

• Provides high availability for the source database while it is cloned. The source database instance is kept up and running during the cloning operations.

• Saves time. You do not need to install a new database instance then import the data to create an identical database. Also, you can clone the same instance to multiple Oracle homes using the saved working directory without connecting to the source database instance again.

• Backs up the whole database and restores it at any time. The saved working directory contains everything needed to restore the target database. You can save the backup on disk and create a new database from it at any time. No existing target database instance is required.

Viewing Host and Database Policy Violations

You can use Enterprise Manager to determine the hosts and Oracle databases in your enterprise configuration that are not following host and database policy rules. There are different categories of policy rules, such as the configuration, security, and storage categories. The policy rules are given different priorities, including High, Medium, and Informational. Enterprise Manager compares each host and database in your enterprise with the policy rules and identifies the policy violations for each host and database.

You can view the policy violations for one or more hosts and databases. Then, for each violation, you can choose to fix the problem that caused the violation or set the violation to Ignore (specify that Enterprise Manager not report the violation in the future).

You can also remove some policy rules from the evaluation process so that your hosts or databases are not checked for compliance with that rule.

By default, policy rule evaluation takes place every 24 hours.

Simplifying the Patching of Oracle Products

Enterprise Manager simplifies the patching of Oracle software products.

You can use Enterprise Manager to:

• Search the OracleMetaLink Web site for Oracle patches and patch sets.

  After providing your OracleMetaLink Web site user name and password credentials to Enterprise Manager, you can use Enterprise Manager to search the OracleMetaLink Web site for Oracle patches and patch sets of interest.

• Stage a patch to the host or hosts on which it will be installed.

  When Enterprise Manager stages a patch, it automatically downloads it from OracleMetaLink to the patch cache in the Management Repository. Once a patch is in the patch cache, you can use Enterprise Manager to stage or apply it to any accessible host in your enterprise (any host on which the Management Agent is running). The Enterprise Manager job system is used to stage the patch to the host.

• Install a patch on the host or hosts using the Enterprise Manager job system.

  The job system provides status of the patch application at each host, through Enterprise Manager job status information. With the Enterprise Manager job system, you can schedule the patch job to begin immediately or at a specified time. The Enterprise Manager job system with its scheduling features helps you apply Oracle patches in a controlled manner.

  
  

  See Also: "About Patching" in the Enterprise Manager online help

  
  

Managing Oracle Critical Patch Advisories

You can use Enterprise Manager to manage Oracle critical patch advisories.

Some Oracle software patches have been identified as critical. To help ensure a secure and reliable configuration, all relevant and current critical patches should be applied to the appropriate Oracle homes in your enterprise.

To promote critical patch application, Enterprise Manager performs an assessment of vulnerabilities by examining your enterprise configuration to determine which Oracle homes have not applied one or more of these critical patches. Enterprise Manager provides a list of critical patch advisories and the Oracle homes to which the critical patches should be applied.

From the summary of patch advisories, you can navigate to more information about a particular patch and get a list of the Oracle homes to which the patch has not been applied. Then you can launch the Enterprise Manager Patch tool to simplify the application of the critical patch to those homes.