Installing Oracle8i Release 3 (8.1.7)

This article describes how to install and configure Oracle on a local AIX machine. The instructions assume the following:

  • You have enough memory and disk space for your installation. See the Oracle product documentation on the Oracle Web site at docs.oracle.com/database_mp_8i.html for the requirements.
  • You do not have a previous version of Oracle already installed on your machine. If you have a previous version of Oracle installed, you might need to migrate databases, depending on the version installed. In this case, do not follow these instructions. Instead, refer to Oracle product documentation on the Oracle Web site at docs.oracle.com/database_mp_8i.html.
  • Your Oracle database server will be located on the same machine as WebSphere Application Server. This configuration and the use of default settings documented in these instructions are appropriate only for development and small production environments. For information on more complicated scenarios, refer to the IBM Redbook WebSphere V3.5 Handbook at www.redbooks.ibm.com/redbooks/SG246161.html.

Note: Install Oracle before installing WebSphere Application Server.

Perform the following steps to install Oracle8i from the product CD-ROM:

  1. Ensure that you are logged into the machine with superuser (root) privileges.
  2. Ensure that the DISPLAY and TERM environment variables are set correctly for your environment.
  3. Create a file system, logical volume, or directory to hold the Oracle software. Ensure that the location you choose has enough free disk space to accommodate a Typical installation. This file system, logical volume, or directory represents the the value for the ORACLE_BASE environment variable and the home directory of the user named oracle.
  4. If you plan to use Oracle in a production environment, it is recommended that you create a file system on a separate partition to store the database files. Refer to the Oracle8i Installation Guide and your AIX documentation for information about creating and mounting a file system.
  5. If the groups named dba and oinstall do not already exist, use the AIX System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to create them. Perform the following steps for each group you are creating:
    1. Invoke SMIT for creating a group by entering the following command:
      # smitty mkgroup
      The Add a Group screen displays.
    2. In the Group NAME field, type the name of the group you are creating.
    3. In the USER list field, type root.
    4. In the ADMINISTRATOR list field, type root.
    5. Press Return to create the group. When the group creation process is complete, press F3 to exit from SMIT.
  6. Use SMIT to create the operating system user named oracle:
    1. Invoke SMIT for creating a user by entering the command
      # smitty mkuser
      The Add a User screen displays.
    2. In the User NAME field, type oracle.
    3. In the Primary GROUP field, type oinstall.
    4. In the Group SET field, type dba.
    5. In the HOME directory field, specify the home directory for the user oracle. The value of this field represents the full pathname of the file system, logical volume, or directory you created to contain the Oracle software.
    6. In the Initial PROGRAM field, specify the initial shell for the user oracle. The steps in this article use the Korn shell (/usr/bin/ksh).
    7. Press Return to create the user. When the user creation process is complete, press F3 to exit from SMIT.
  7. Create a .profile file in the home directory of the user named oracle and ensure that the file contains the following information. Note that your Oracle SID may differ. If you are using a different shell, edit the appropriate file accordingly.
    #-----------------------------------
    # Oracle environment setup
    #-----------------------------------
    #
    ORACLE_BASE=oracle_home_directory
    export ORACLE_BASE
    ORACLE_SID=ORA817
    export ORACLE_SID
    ORACLE_HOME=$ORACLE_BASE/$ORACLE_SID
    export ORACLE_HOME
    PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
    export PATH
    LIBPATH=$LIBPATH:$ORACLE_HOME/lib
    export LIBPATH
    ORA_CLIENT_LIB=shared
    export ORA_CLIENT_LIB
    echo 'The Oracle 8.1.7 environment is set'

    In the example text above, the variable oracle_home_directory represents the file system, logical volume, or directory you created to contain the Oracle software and the home directory for the user oracle.

  8. Ensure that the /tmp directory has at least 200 MB of free disk space.
  9. Ensure that the Oracle directory structure you created has the correct permissions. If necessary, change to the directory structure you plan to use for Oracle installation and enter the following chmod command:
    # chmod 777 .
  10. Insert the Oracle8i product CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive and mount it using the steps below. Note that the steps assume that you have already created and properly configured a CD-ROM mount point (for example, /cdrom). Refer to your AIX operating system documentation for more information about mounting a CD-ROM drive.
    1. Invoke SMIT for mounting a file system:
      # smitty mountfs
    2. With the cursor in the FILE SYSTEM name field, press F4, and then choose the appropriate CD-ROM file system that you want to mount.
    3. In the DIRECTORY over which to mount field, type the name of the mount point for the CD-ROM. (These steps assume you are using the /cdrom mount point.)
    4. With the cursor in the TYPE of file system field, press F4, and then choose the cdrfs option.
    5. Verify or change the entries in the remaining fields, depending on how you want to mount the CD, and then press Return. SMIT mounts the CD as a file system. When the process is complete, exit from SMIT by pressing F3.
  11. Run the rootpre.sh script to install the Oracle post-wait kernel extension:
    # cd /cdrom
    # ./rootpre.sh
  12. After executing the rootpre.sh script navigate out of the /cdrom directory, as follows:
    # cd $HOME
  13. Authenticate as the user oracle by using the su command, as follows:
    # su - oracle
  14. Ensure that the TERM and DISPLAY environment variables are still set correctly.
  15. Enter the following commands to launch the Oracle Universal Installer:
    $ cd /cdrom
    $ ./runInstaller
    When you are asked if you have run the rootpre.sh script, press y. The Oracle Universal Installer opens, displaying the Welcome screen.
  16. Click Next. The File Locations screen displays.
  17. Verify the values in the Source and Destination fields. The value of the Source field must be /cdrom/stage/products.jar, and the value of the Destination field must be the same as the value you set for the ORACLE_HOME environment variable.
  18. Click Next. If this is the first Oracle installation on the machine, the Inventory Location screen opens, prompting you to specify the base directory for installation files.
  19. Accept the default value ($ORACLE_BASE/oraInventory) or specify a different base directory, and then click Next. The UNIX Group Name screen displays.
  20. Type oinstall in the UNIX Group Name field, and then click Next.

    Note: If the /var/opt/oracle directory does not exist or cannot be written to by the user oracle, you are prompted to run the /oracle/ORA817/orainstRoot.sh script, where ORA817 is the Oracle SID. Open another terminal, log in as root, and run the script. After the script runs, return to the Oracle Universal Installer to continue the installation process.

  21. In the Available Products screen, verify that the Oracle8i Enterprise Edition 8.1.7.0.0 option is selected, and click Next.
  22. In the Installation Types screen, choose the Typical option and click Next.
  23. In the Choose JDK Home Directory screen, accept the default location or specify a different directory, and click Next.
  24. In the Database Identification screen, type a global database name in the Global Database Name field (for example, ORA817.machine_name) and verify that the value in the SID field is the same as the value you set for the ORACLE_SID environment variable. Then click Next.
  25. In the Database File Location screen, specify the installation location for the Oracle database files in the Directory for Database Files field, and then click Next. The Summary screen opens, summarizing the installation choices that you have made so far.
  26. Verify the information on the Summary screen. After you determine that it is correct, click Install. The Install screen displays; it tracks the status of the Oracle installation.
  27. When prompted to run the root.sh configuration script to set necessary file permissions for Oracle products, open another terminal, log in as root, and run the script. After the script runs, return to the Oracle Universal Installer to finish the installation process.
  28. After the installation and linking processes finish, the Configuration Tools screen displays. The Net8 Configuration Assistant and Oracle Database Configuration Assistant are automatically configured, along with an Oracle database.

    After the configuration process is complete, click Next. The End of Install screen displays, enabling you to exit from the Oracle Universal Installer.

  29. Proceed to the article Configuring Oracle8i Release 3 (8.1.7) to configure Oracle for use with WebSphere Application Server.