B Installing and Configuring Oracle Database Using Response Files

B.1.1 Reasons for Using Silent Mode or Response File Mode

The following table provides use cases for running the installer in silent mode or response file mode.

B.1.2 General Procedure for Using Response Files

The following are the general steps to install and configure Oracle products using the installer in silent or response file mode:

1. Create the oraInst.loc file if it is not present on the server.

2. Prepare a response file.

3. Run the installer in silent or response file mode.

4. If you completed a software-only installation, then run Net Configuration Assistant and Database Configuration Assistant in silent or response file mode.

These steps are described in the following sections.

B.3.1 Editing a Response File Template

Oracle provides response file templates for each product and installation type, and for each configuration tool. These files are located at database/response directory on the installation media.

Table B-1 lists the response files provided with this software:

To copy and modify a response file:

1. Copy the response file from the response file directory to a directory on your system:

   $ cp /directory_path/response/response_file.rsp local_directory
   

   In this example, directory_path is the path to the database directory on the installation media. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, then you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

2. Open the response file in a text editor:

   $ vi /local_dir/response_file.rsp
   

   Remember that you can specify sensitive information, such as passwords, at the command line rather than within the response file. "How Response Files Work" explains this method.

   See Also:

   Oracle Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide for Windows and UNIX for detailed information on creating response files

3. Follow the instructions in the file to edit it.

   Note:

   The installer or configuration assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file.

4. Change the permissions on the file to 600:

   $ chmod 600 /local_dir/response_file.rsp
   

   Note:

   A fully specified response file for an Oracle Database installation contains the passwords for database administrative accounts and for a user who is a member of the OSDBA group (required for automated backups). Ensure that only the Oracle software owner user can view or modify response files or consider deleting them after the installation succeeds.

B.3.2 Recording a Response File

You can use the installer in interactive mode to record a response file, which you can edit and then use to complete silent mode or response file mode installations. This method is useful for custom or software-only installations.

Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), you can save all the installation steps into a response file during installation by clicking Save Response File on the Summary page. You can use the generated response file for a silent installation later.

When you record the response file, you can either complete the installation, or you can exit from the installer on the Summary page, before it starts to copy the software to the system.

If you use record mode during a response file mode installation, then the installer records the variable values that were specified in the original source response file into the new response file.

To record a response file:

1. Complete preinstallation tasks as for a normal installation.

   When you run the installer to record a response file, it checks the system to verify that it meets the requirements to install the software. For this reason, Oracle recommends that you complete all of the required preinstallation tasks and record the response file while completing an installation.

2. If you have not installed Oracle software on this system previously, create the oraInst.loc file as described in Creating the oraInst.loc File.

3. Ensure that the Oracle software owner user (typically oracle) has permissions to create or write to the Oracle home path that you will specify when you run the installer.

4. On each installation screen, specify the required information.

5. When the installer displays the Summary screen, perform the following:

   1. Click Save Response File and specify a file name and location to save the values for the response file.

   2. Click Finish to create the response file and continue with the installation.

      Click Cancel if you only want to create the response file but not continue with the installation. The installation will stop, but the settings you have entered will be recorded in the response file.

6. If you do not complete the installation, then delete the Oracle home directory that the installer created using the path you specified in the Specify File Locations screen.

7. Before you use the saved response file on another system, edit the file and make any required changes.

   Use the instructions in the file as a guide when editing it.

B.6.1 About the Database Configuration Assistant in Response File Mode

In the response file mode, Database Configuration Assistant uses values that you specify, in the response file or as command line options, to create a database. As it configures and starts the database, it displays a window that contains status messages and a progress bar. The window that it displays is the same window that is displayed when you choose to create a preconfigured database during an Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition installation.

To run Database Configuration Assistant in response file mode, you must use a graphical display and set the DISPLAY environment variable. Use -progressOnly flag to set the run mode to response file.

Oracle provides a response file template named dbca.rsp in the /response directory on the installation media.

B.6.2 Running Database Configuration Assistant in Response File or Silent Mode

To run Database Configuration Assistant in response file or silent mode:

1. Copy the dbca.rsp response file template from the response file directory to a directory on your system:

   $ cp /directory_path/response/dbca.rsp local_directory
   

   In this example, directory_path is the path of the database directory on the DVD. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

   Note:

   As an alternative to editing the response file template, you can also create a database by specifying all required information as command line options when you run Database Configuration Assistant. For information about the list of options supported, enter the following command:

   $ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbca -help
   

2. Open the response file in a text editor:

   $ vi /local_dir/dbca.rsp
   

3. Edit the file, following the instructions in the file.

   Note:

   Database Configuration Assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file.

4. Log in as the Oracle software owner user, and set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to specify the correct Oracle home directory.

5. If you intend running Database Configuration Assistant in response file mode, set the DISPLAY environment variable.

6. Use the following command syntax to run Database Configuration Assistant in silent or response file mode using a response file:

   $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbca {-progressOnly | -silent} -responseFile \
   /local_dir/dbca.rsp 
   

   In this example:

   • The -silent option runs Database Configuration Assistant in silent mode.

   • The -progressOnly option runs Database Configuration Assistant in response file mode.

   • local_dir is the full path of the directory where you copied the dbca.rsp response file template.

B.7.1 About the Postinstallation Configuration File

When you run a silent or response file installation, you provide information about your servers in a response file that you otherwise provide manually during a graphical user interface installation. However, the response file does not contain passwords for user accounts that configuration assistants require after software installation is complete. The configuration assistants are started with a script called configToolAllCommands. You can run this script in response file mode by creating and using a password response file. The script uses the passwords to run the configuration tools in succession to complete configuration.

If you keep the password file to use for clone installations, then Oracle strongly recommends that you store it in a secure location. In addition, if you have to stop an installation to fix an error, you can run the configuration assistants using configToolAllCommands and a password response file.

The configToolAllCommands password response file consists of the following syntax options:

• internal_component_name is the name of the component that the configuration assistant configures

• variable_name is the name of the configuration file variable

• value is the desired value to use for configuration.

The command syntax is as follows:

internal_component_name|variable_name=value

For example:

oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMPASSWORD=welcome

Oracle strongly recommends that you maintain security with a password response file:

• Permissions on the response file should be set to 600.

• The owner of the response file should be the installation owner user, with the group set to the central inventory (oraInventory) group.

B.7.2 Running Postinstallation Configuration Using a Response File

To run configuration assistants with the configToolAllCommands script:

1. Create a response file using the syntax filename.properties. For example:

   $ touch cfgrsp.properties
   

2. Open the file with a text editor, and cut and paste the password template, modifying as needed.

   Example B-1 Password response file for Oracle grid infrastructure installation for a cluster

   Oracle grid infrastructure requires passwords for Automatic Storage Management Configuration Assistant (ASMCA), and for Intelligent Platform Management Interface Configuration Assistant (IPMICA) if you have a BMC card and you want to enable this feature. Provide the following response file:

   oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMMONITORPASSWORD=password
   oracle.crs|S_BMCPASSWORD=password
   

   If you do not have a BMC card, or you do not want to enable IPMI, then leave the S_BMCPASSWORD input field blank.

   Example B-2 Password response file for Oracle Real Application Clusters

   Oracle Database configuration requires the SYS, SYSTEM, SYSMAN, and DBSNMP passwords for use with Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA). The S_ASMSNMPPASSWORD response is necessary only if the database is using Oracle ASM for storage. Also, if you selected to configure Oracle Enterprise Manager, then you must provide the password for the Oracle software installation owner for the S_HOSTUSERPASSWORD response.

   oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSTEMPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSMANPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.server|S_DBSNMPPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.server|S_HOSTUSERPASSWORD=password
   oracle.assistants.server|S_ASMSNMPPASSWORD=password
   

   If you do not want to enable Oracle Enterprise Manager or Oracle ASM, then leave those password fields blank.

3. Change permissions to secure the file. For example:

   $ ls -al cfgrsp.properties
   -rw------- 1 oracle oinstall 0 Apr 30 17:30 cfgrsp
   

4. Change directory to $ORACLE_HOME/cfgtoollogs, and run the configuration script using the following syntax:

   configToolAllCommands RESPONSE_FILE=/path/name.properties

   for example:

   $ ./configToolAllCommands RESPONSE_FILE=/home/oracle/cfgrsp.properties