If you use the client interface as the default access for your database, then use the -clusternodes command-line option to instruct Oracle EXAchk to communicate over the management interface.

-clusternodes dbadm01,dbadm02,dbadm03,dbadm04

Oracle Exachk supports virtualization on Oracle Exadata.

To run hardware and operating system level checks for database, storage servers, InfiniBand fabric, and InfiniBand switches:

• Install Oracle Exachk into the management domain also referred to as DOM0
• Run Oracle Exachk as root

When you run Oracle Exachk from DOM0, Oracle Exachk:

• Discovers all compute nodes, storage servers, and InfiniBand switches in the entire InfiniBand fabric
• Runs on all those components

To run Oracle Exachk on a subset of nodes when Oracle Exachk is run in the management domain, use the command-line options:

• -clusternodes to designate databases
• -cells to designate storage servers
• -ibswitches to designate InfiniBand switches

exachk -clusternodes randomadm01,randomadm02 \
       -cells randomceladm01,randomceladm02,randomceladm03 \
       -ibswitches randomsw-ibs0,randomsw-iba0,randomsw-ibb0

Run Oracle Exachk separately for each cluster in a user domain also referred to as DOMUs in addition to running it in the management domain dom0. Within the DOMU, there is no need to use the above parameters because Oracle Exachk will automatically discover the nodes in the cluster.

For example, consider 2 clusters and 4 user domains in each cluster. Although there are a total of 8 user domains, Oracle Exachk runs only twice. Once on the first node of the first cluster running in the first user domain and once on the first node of second cluster running in the second user domain. The user domain runs do not include hardware or operating system level checks on the database, storage servers, or InfiniBand switches.

By default, Oracle EXAchk runs parallel data collection for the storage servers, InfiniBand switches, and Oracle Databases.

1. To collect database server data in serial:

   export RAT_COMPUTE_RUNMODE=serial

2. To collect storage server data in serial:

   export RAT_CELL_RUNMODE=serial

3. To collect InfiniBand switch data in serial:

   export RAT_IBSWITCH_RUNMODE=serial

Run Oracle EXAchk as root to simplify the work required in asymmetric or role separated environments.

If database homes are not symmetric, then install Oracle EXAchk on multiple databases in the cluster, such that there is one installation for each Oracle Database home located on a subset of databases.

For this example, assume the following configuration in the same cluster:

Further, there is role separation between user1 and user2 and Grid, such that none can access the database structure of the others. You can also enforce company policy to isolate the system administrators from the database administrators.

Do the following:

1. As root, install Oracle EXAchk in the /tmp/exachk/121026 directory on db01 .

2. As root, install Oracle EXAchk the /tmp/exachk/121026 directory on db05.

3. As root , on db01:

   cd /tmp/exachk/121026
   exachk -clusternodes db01,db02,db03,db04

   Choose dbm-a from the database selection list to collect the database checks for dbm-a.

4. As root on db05:

   cd /tmp/exachk/121026
   exachk -excludeprofiles storage,switch -clusternodes db05,db06,db07,db08
   

   Choose dbm-b and dbm-c from the Oracle Database selection list to collect the database checks for dbm-b and dbm-c.

5. If desired, use the -merge command-line option to merge the reports.

Review the list of environment variables for specifying a different user than root.

• RAT_CELL_SSH_USER

  By default, Oracle EXAchk runs as root  to run checks on an Oracle Exadata Storage Server.

  If security policies do not permit connection to a storage server as root over SSH, then you can specify a different user by setting this environment variable:

  export RAT_CELL_SSH_USER=celladmin

  Note:

  If you specify RAT_CELL_SSH_USER, then a subset of checks is run, based upon the privileges of the alternate user you specify.

• RAT_IBSWITCH_USER

  By default, Oracle EXAchk runs as root to run checks on the InfiniBand switches, when you run Oracle EXAchk on an Oracle Database as root. By default, when Oracle EXAchk is run as a user other than root on a database, the nm2user is used to run checks on the InfiniBand switches.

  If security policies do not permit connection to an InfiniBand switch as either the root or nm2user user over SSH, then specify a different user by setting this environment variable:

  export RAT_IBSWITCH_USER=ilom-admin

  Note:

  If you specify RAT_IBSWITCH_USER , then a subset of checks is run, based upon the privileges of the alternate user you specify.

This topic explains how Oracle EXAchk InfiniBand switch processing is done when Oracle Exalogic and Oracle Exadata engineered systems reside on the same InfiniBand fabric.