33 Troubleshooting Apply

Is the Apply Process Enabled?

An apply process applies changes only when it is enabled.

You can check whether an apply process is enabled, disabled, or aborted by querying the DBA_APPLY data dictionary view. For example, to check whether an apply process named apply is enabled, run the following query:

SELECT STATUS FROM DBA_APPLY WHERE APPLY_NAME = 'APPLY';

If the apply process is disabled, then your output looks similar to the following:

STATUS
--------
DISABLED

If the apply process is disabled, then try restarting it. If the apply process is aborted, then you might need to correct an error before you can restart it successfully. If the apply process did not shut down cleanly, then it might not restart. In this case, it returns the following error:

ORA-26666 cannot alter STREAMS process

If this happens then, then run the STOP_APPLY procedure in the DBMS_APPLY_ADM package with the force parameter set to TRUE. Next, restart the apply process.

To determine why an apply process aborted, query the DBA_APPLY data dictionary view or check the trace files for the apply process. The following query shows when the apply process aborted and the error that caused it to abort:

COLUMN APPLY_NAME HEADING 'APPLY|Process|Name' FORMAT A10
COLUMN STATUS_CHANGE_TIME HEADING 'Abort Time'
COLUMN ERROR_NUMBER HEADING 'Error Number' FORMAT 99999999
COLUMN ERROR_MESSAGE HEADING 'Error Message' FORMAT A40

SELECT APPLY_NAME, STATUS_CHANGE_TIME, ERROR_NUMBER, ERROR_MESSAGE
  FROM DBA_APPLY WHERE STATUS='ABORTED';

Is the Apply Process Current?

If an apply process has not applied recent changes, then the problem might be that the apply process has fallen behind. If apply process latency is high, then you might be able to improve performance by adjusting the setting of the parallelism apply process parameter.

You can check apply process latency by querying the V$STREAMS_APPLY_COORDINATOR dynamic performance view.

Does the Apply Process Apply Captured LCRs?

An apply process can apply either captured LCRs from its buffered queue, or it can apply messages from its persistent queue, but not both types of messages. Messages in a persistent queue can be persistent LCRs and persistent user messages. An apply process might not be applying messages of a one type because it was configured to apply the other type of messages.

You can check the type of messages applied by an apply process by querying the DBA_APPLY data dictionary view. For example, to check whether an apply process named apply applies captured LCRs or not, run the following query:

COLUMN APPLY_CAPTURED HEADING 'Type of Messages Applied' FORMAT A25

SELECT DECODE(APPLY_CAPTURED,
                'YES', 'Captured',
                'NO',  'Messages from Persistent Queue') APPLY_CAPTURED
  FROM DBA_APPLY
  WHERE APPLY_NAME = 'APPLY';

If the apply process applies captured LCRs, then your output looks similar to the following:

Type of Messages Applied
-------------------------
Captured

If an apply process is not applying the expected type of messages, then you might need to create a new apply process to apply the messages.

Is the Apply Process's Queue Receiving the Messages to be Applied?

An apply process must receive messages in its queue before it can apply these messages. Therefore, if an apply process is applying messages captured by a capture process or a synchronous capture, then the capture process or synchronous capture that captures these messages must be configured properly. If it is a capture process, then it must also be enabled. Similarly, if messages are propagated from one or more databases before reaching the apply process, then each propagation must be enabled and must be configured properly. If a capture process, a synchronous capture, or a propagation on which the apply process depends is not enabled or is not configured properly, then the messages might never reach the apply process's queue.

The rule sets used by all Oracle Streams clients, including capture processes, synchronous captures, and propagations, determine the behavior of these Oracle Streams clients. Therefore, ensure that the rule sets for any capture processes, synchronous capture, or propagations on which an apply process depends contain the correct rules. If the rules for these Oracle Streams clients are not configured properly, then the apply process's queue might never receive the appropriate messages. Also, a message traveling through a stream is the composition of all of the transformations done along the path. For example, if a capture process uses subset rules and performs row migration during capture of a message, and a propagation uses a rule-based transformation on the message to change the table name, then, when the message reaches an apply process, the apply process rules must account for these transformations.

In an environment where a capture process or synchronous capture captures changes that are propagated and applied at multiple databases, you can use the following guidelines to determine whether a problem is caused by a capture process, a synchronous capture, or a propagation on which an apply process depends or by the apply process itself:

• If no other destination databases of a capture process or synchronous capture are applying the changes, then the problem is most likely caused by the capture process or synchronous capture, or by a propagation near the capture process. In this case, first ensure that the capture process or synchronous capture is configured properly, and then ensure that the propagations nearest the capture process or synchronous capture are enabled and configured properly. In the case of a capture process, also ensure that the capture process is enabled.

• If other destination databases of a capture process or synchronous capture are applying the changes, then the problem is most likely caused by the apply process itself or a propagation near the apply process. In this case, first ensure that the apply process is enabled and configured properly, and then ensure that the propagations nearest the apply process are enabled and configured properly.

Is a Custom Apply Handler Specified?

You can use apply handlers to handle messages dequeued by an apply process in a customized way. These handlers include procedure DML handlers, DDL handlers, precommit handlers, and message handlers. If an apply process is not behaving as expected, then check the handler procedures used by the apply process, and correct any flaws. You might need to modify a handler procedure or remove it to correct an apply problem.

You can find the names of these procedures by querying the DBA_APPLY_DML_HANDLERS and DBA_APPLY data dictionary views.

Is the AQ_TM_PROCESSES Initialization Parameter Set to Zero?

The AQ_TM_PROCESSES initialization parameter controls time monitoring on queue messages and controls processing of messages with delay and expiration properties specified. In Oracle Database 10g or later, the database automatically controls these activities when the AQ_TM_PROCESSES initialization parameter is not set.

If an apply process is not applying messages, but there are messages that satisfy the apply process rule sets in the apply process's queue, then ensure that the AQ_TM_PROCESSES initialization parameter is not set to zero at the destination database. If this parameter is set to zero, then unset this parameter or set it to a nonzero value and monitor the apply process to see if it begins to apply messages.

To determine whether there are messages in a buffered queue, you can query the V$BUFFERED_QUEUES and V$BUFFERED_SUBSCRIBERS dynamic performance views. To determine whether there are messages in a persistent queue, you can query the queue table for the queue.

Does the Apply User Have the Required Privileges?

If the apply user does not have explicit EXECUTE privilege on an apply handler procedure or custom rule-based transformation function, then an ORA-26808 error might result when the apply user tries to run the procedure or function. Typically, this error is causes the apply process to abort without adding errors to the DBA_APPLY_ERROR view. However, the trace file for the apply coordinator reports the error. Specifically, an error similar to the following appears in the trace file:

ORA-26808: Apply process AP01 died unexpectedly

Typically, error messages surround this message, and one or more of these messages contain the name of the procedure or function. To correct the problem, grant the required EXECUTE privilege to the apply user.

Is the Apply Process Encountering Contention?

An apply server is a component of an apply process. Apply servers apply DML and DDL changes to database objects at a destination database. An apply process can use one or more apply servers, and the parallelism apply process parameter specifies the number of apply servers that can concurrently apply transactions. For example, if parallelism is set to 5, then an apply process uses a total of five apply servers.

An apply server encounters contention when the apply server must wait for a resource that is being used by another session. Contention can result from logical dependencies. For example, when an apply server tries to apply a change to a row that a user has locked, then the apply server must wait for the user. Contention can also result from physical dependencies. For example, interested transaction list (ITL) contention results when two transactions that are being applied, which might not be logically dependent, are trying to lock the same block on disk. In this case, one apply server locks rows in the block, and the other apply server must wait for access to the block, even though the second apply server is trying to lock different rows. See "Is the Apply Process Waiting for a Dependent Transaction?" for detailed information about ITL contention.

When an apply server encounters contention that does not involve another apply server in the same apply process, it waits until the contention clears. When an apply server encounters contention that involves another apply server in the same apply process, one of the two apply servers is rolled back. An apply process that is using multiple apply servers might be applying multiple transactions at the same time. The apply process tracks the state of the apply server that is applying the transaction with the lowest commit SCN. If there is a dependency between two transactions, then an apply process always applies the transaction with the lowest commit SCN first. The transaction with the higher commit SCN waits for the other transaction to commit. Therefore, if the apply server with the lowest commit SCN transaction is encountering contention, then the contention results from something other than a dependent transaction. In this case, you can monitor the apply server with the lowest commit SCN transaction to determine the cause of the contention.

The following four wait states are possible for an apply server:

• Not waiting: The apply server is not encountering contention and is not waiting. No action is necessary in this case.

• Waiting for an event that is not related to another session: An example of an event that is not related to another session is a log file sync event, where redo data must be flushed because of a commit or rollback. In these cases, nothing is written to the log initially because such waits are common and are usually transient. If the apply server is waiting for the same event after a certain interval of time, then the apply server writes a message to the alert log and apply process trace file. For example, an apply server AS01 might write a message similar to the following:

  AS01: warning -- apply server 1, sid 26 waiting for event:
  AS01: [log file sync] ...
  

  This output is written to the alert log at intervals until the problem is rectified.

• Waiting for an event that is related to a non apply server session: The apply server writes a message to the alert log and apply process trace file immediately. For example, an apply server AS01 might write a message similar to the following:

  AS01: warning -- apply server 1, sid 10 waiting on user sid 36 for event:
  AS01: [enq: TM - contention] name|mode=544d0003, object #=a078, 
        table/partition=0
  

  This output is written to the alert log at intervals until the problem is rectified.

• Waiting for another apply server session: This state can be caused by interested transaction list (ITL) contention, but it can also be caused by more serious issues, such as an apply handler that obtains conflicting locks. In this case, the apply server that is blocked by another apply server prints only once to the alert log and the trace file for the apply process, and the blocked apply server issues a rollback to the blocking apply server. When the blocking apply server rolls back, another message indicating that the apply server has been rolled back is printed to the log files, and the rolled back transaction is reassigned by the coordinator process for the apply process.

  For example, if apply server 1 of apply process AP01 is blocked by apply server 2 of the same apply process (AP01), then the apply process writes the following messages to the log files:

  AP01: apply server 1 blocked on server 2
  AP01: [enq: TX - row lock contention] name|mode=54580006, usn<<16 | 
        slot=1000e, sequence=1853
  AP01: apply server 2 rolled back
  

  You can determine the total number of times an apply server was rolled back since the apply process last started by querying the TOTAL_ROLLBACKS column in the V$STREAMS_APPLY_COORDINATOR dynamic performance view.

Is the Apply Process Waiting for a Dependent Transaction?

If you set the parallelism parameter for an apply process to a value greater than 1, and you set the commit_serialization parameter of the apply process to FULL, then the apply process can detect interested transaction list (ITL) contention if there is a transaction that is dependent on another transaction with a higher SCN. ITL contention occurs if the session that created the transaction waited for an ITL slot in a block. This happens when the session wants to lock a row in the block, but one or more other sessions have rows locked in the same block, and there is no free ITL slot in the block.

ITL contention also is possible if the session is waiting due to a shared bitmap index fragment. Bitmap indexes index key values and a range of rowids. Each entry in a bitmap index can cover many rows in the actual table. If two sessions want to update rows covered by the same bitmap index fragment, then the second session waits for the first transaction to either COMMIT or ROLLBACK.

When an apply process detects such a dependency, it resolves the ITL contention automatically and records information about it in the alert log and apply process trace file for the database. ITL contention can negatively affect the performance of an apply process because there might not be any progress while it is detecting the deadlock.

To avoid the problem in the future, perform one of the following actions:

• Increase the number of ITLs available. You can do so by changing the INITRANS setting for the table using the ALTER TABLE statement.

• Set the commit_serialization parameter to DEPENDENT_TRANSACTIONS for the apply process.

• Set the parallelism apply process parameter to 1 for the apply process.

Is an Apply Server Performing Poorly for Certain Transactions?

If an apply process is not performing well, then the reason might be that one or more apply servers used by the apply process are taking an inordinate amount of time to apply certain transactions. The following query displays information about the transactions being applied by each apply server used by an apply process named strm01_apply:

COLUMN SERVER_ID HEADING 'Apply Server ID' FORMAT 99999999
COLUMN STATE HEADING 'Apply Server State' FORMAT A20
COLUMN APPLIED_MESSAGE_NUMBER HEADING 'Applied Message|Number' FORMAT 99999999
COLUMN MESSAGE_SEQUENCE HEADING 'Message Sequence|Number' FORMAT 99999999

SELECT SERVER_ID, STATE, APPLIED_MESSAGE_NUMBER, MESSAGE_SEQUENCE 
  FROM V$STREAMS_APPLY_SERVER
  WHERE APPLY_NAME = 'STRM01_APPLY'
  ORDER BY SERVER_ID;

If you run this query repeatedly, then over time the apply server state, applied message number, and message sequence number should continue to change for each apply server as it applies transactions. If these values do not change for one or more apply servers, then the apply server might not be performing well. In this case, you should ensure that, for each table to which the apply process applies changes, every key column has an index.

If you have many such tables, then you might need to determine the specific table and DML or DDL operation that is causing an apply server to perform poorly. To do so, run the following query when an apply server is taking an inordinately long time to apply a transaction. In this example, assume that the name of the apply process is strm01_apply and that apply server number two is performing poorly:

COLUMN OPERATION HEADING 'Operation' FORMAT A20
COLUMN OPTIONS HEADING 'Options' FORMAT A20
COLUMN OBJECT_OWNER HEADING 'Object|Owner' FORMAT A10
COLUMN OBJECT_NAME HEADING 'Object|Name' FORMAT A10
COLUMN COST HEADING 'Cost' FORMAT 99999999

SELECT p.OPERATION, p.OPTIONS, p.OBJECT_OWNER, p.OBJECT_NAME, p.COST
  FROM V$SQL_PLAN p, V$SESSION s, V$STREAMS_APPLY_SERVER a
  WHERE a.APPLY_NAME = 'STRM01_APPLY' AND a.SERVER_ID = 2
    AND s.SID = a.SID
    AND p.HASH_VALUE = s.SQL_HASH_VALUE;

This query returns the operation being performed currently by the specified apply server. The query also returns the owner and name of the table on which the operation is being performed and the cost of the operation. Ensure that each key column in this table has an index. If the results show FULL for the COST column, then the operation is causing full table scans, and indexing the table's key columns might solve the problem.

In addition, you can run the following query to determine the specific DML or DDL SQL statement that is causing an apply server to perform poorly, assuming that the name of the apply process is strm01_apply and that apply server number two is performing poorly:

SELECT t.SQL_TEXT
  FROM V$SESSION s, V$SQLTEXT t, V$STREAMS_APPLY_SERVER a
  WHERE a.APPLY_NAME = 'STRM01_APPLY' AND a.SERVER_ID = 2
    AND s.SID = a.SID
    AND s.SQL_ADDRESS = t.ADDRESS
    AND s.SQL_HASH_VALUE = t.HASH_VALUE
    ORDER BY PIECE;

This query returns the SQL statement being run currently by the specified apply server. The statement includes the name of the table to which the transaction is being applied. Ensure that each key column in this table has an index.

If the SQL statement returned by the previous query is less than one thousand characters long, then you can run the following simplified query instead:

SELECT t.SQL_TEXT
  FROM V$SESSION s, V$SQLAREA t, V$STREAMS_APPLY_SERVER a
  WHERE a.APPLY_NAME = 'STRM01_APPLY' AND a.SERVER_ID = 2
    AND s.SID = a.SID
    AND s.SQL_ADDRESS = t.ADDRESS
    AND s.SQL_HASH_VALUE = t.HASH_VALUE;

Are There Any Apply Errors in the Error Queue?

When an apply process cannot apply a message, it moves the message and all of the other messages in the same transaction into the error queue. You should check for apply errors periodically to see if there are any transactions that could not be applied.

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