Yet Another Oracle DBA Blog: Upgrading Oracle Grid ASM 12C to 19C

In my previous post I installed Oracle ASM Grid Infrastructure V19 into a VM, and now I've decided to install V12 and do an upgrade to V19, because I have one coming up.

Once again I used OEL7, this ISO: OracleLinux-R7-U9-Server-x86_64-dvd.iso

When installing it into a VM (I use Proxmox, VirtualBox will work), select Server with GUI and make it at least 10GB RAM, 4 CPUs (2 cores, 2 Sockets) and 100GB or more of Disk.

When installed, do a yum update, then shut it down and edit it to add another disk (40GB is fine). The disk won't show up initially but will be added to ASM.

The 12C downloads aren't available on the main Oracle download page any more, so you need to go to edelivery.oracle.com and search for them there. You need to search for Oracle Database Grid Infrastructure and Database 12C.

Once these have been downloaded, move them to /tmp.

I did try to install V19C database, but it complained that ASM version was too low and I had to upgrade that first.

Do another yum update, then install (as root), the pre-install packages:

Open a terminal and install the required packages for the database and ASM:

sudo yum -y install oracle-database-server-12cr2-preinstall
sudo yum -y install oracleasm-support oracleasm kmod-oracleasm wget

Change the host name to something meaningful:

vi /etc/hosts

192.168.1.120 oel7asm2 oel7asm2.localdomain

and

vi /etc/hostname
oel7asm1.localdomain

Reboot the VM.

As root, create the groups and users

groupadd -g 54327 asmdba
groupadd -g 54328 asmoper
groupadd -g 54329 asmadmin
useradd -u 54322 -g oinstall -G dba,asmdba,asmoper,asmadmin,racdba grid

Create the directories and assign ownership

mkdir -p /u01/app/grid/product/12.0.0/grid_home
mkdir -p /u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0/dbhome_1
mkdir -p /u01/app/oraInventory
chown -R oracle:oinstall /u01
chown -R grid:oinstall /u01/app/grid
chown -R grid:oinstall /u01/app/oraInventory

Allow the oracle user access to ASM

usermod -u 500 -g oinstall -G dba,oper,asmdba,asmoper,asmadmin,kmdba,dgdba,backupdba,racdba oracle

Set up asm - run this as root

oracleasm init
oracleasm configure -i
Enter 'grid'
Enter 'oinstall'
Enter 'y'
Enter 'y'

You can now use the disk you added and configure it with ASM:

fdisk -l

look for the 40GB disk you added:

Format it into 2 partitions - one will be DATA, one will be FRA.
fdisk /dev/sdb
Enter 'n' for a new partition, then enter at the next 3 prompts, then +30G to make the first partition 30GB.
Enter 'n' again and then enter for all the prompts to create the second partition with the rest of the space (10GB).
Finally, enter 'w' to create the partitions

Create the ASM disks

oracleasm createdisk DATA2 /dev/sdb1
oracleasm createdisk FRA2 /dev/sdb2

Then scan and list the disks

You can now install the GI software.

Set the password for the grid and oracle users as the root user

passwd grid
passwd oracle

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/grid/product/12.0.0/grid_home
export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH
cd $ORACLE_HOME
pwd
/u01/app/grid/product/12.0.0/grid_home
unzip -oq /tmp/V840012-01.zip

Once extracted, run the installer as the grid user

./gridSetup.sh

Select 'Configure...for Standalone Server'

Click 'next'

At the next screen, click on 'Change Discovery Path" and enter "/dev/oracleasm/disks*' and click 'OK'

You should then see this

Rename the Disk Group to DATA2, change the Redundancy to 'External' and check the box next to '/dev/oracleasm/disks/DATA2'

Click 'Next' - we'll add FRA2 in a minute.

Select 'Use the same password' and enter a suitable one, then click 'Next'

Click 'Next' at the EM screen.

Click 'Next' at the OS group screen.

Change the Oracle Base to /u01/app/grid and click 'Next'

Click 'Next' at the Inventory Directory screen.

Select 'Automatically run scripts' and enter the root password.

Click 'Next'

Fix or ignore any checks and click 'Next'

Click 'Install'

Click 'Yes' at the 'scripts need to be run as root' pop-up.

Close the dialogue when complete.

Export the ORACLE_HOME and PATH

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/grid/product/12.0.0/grid_home
export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH

Run asmca

asmca

A GUI should start - expand 'Disk Groups' then click on it

Click on 'Create'

Enter FRA2 as the name, select 'External' for Redundancy and check the box next to the path

Click 'OK', the disk group will be added

You can now create a database and use ASM for the files.

Set the environment

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0/dbhome_1
export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH

cd $ORACLE_HOME

unzip -oq /tmp/V839960-1.zip

Once extracted, run the software installer

./runInstaller

Uncheck the 'I wish to receive security updates' and click next, then OK at the pop up.

Select 'Set up Software Only' and click 'Next'

Select 'Single Instance' and click 'Next'

Select 'Enterprise Edition' and click 'Next'

Click 'Next' at the Oracle Base screen

Select 'Next' at the Group screen

Fix or ignore the checks, click 'Next' and then 'Install'

Close when complete.

export ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0/dbhome_1

export PATH=$ORACLE_HOME/bin:$PATH

dbca

Check 'Create a database' and click 'Next'

Enter a database name if required.

Note the ASM disks are filled in

Enter a password, and create as a Container if you like. Click Next

Click 'Finish'

Now you have a 12C database running on 12C GI ASM; time to upgrade to V19C ASM and then upgrade the database.

Download the 19c GI software: oracle19c-linux-downloads.html

You need to download and apply this patch for GI and database: 28553832.

You also need the latest Opatch (search in MOS for 'latest Opatch, download it, login as the grid user and set the environment, copy it to $ORACLE_HOME, rename $ORACLE_HOME/OPatch to OPatch_old then extract the Opatch zip file).

Copy the patch file to a new directory and extract it

If all OK, you should see this

Upgrade the GI to V19C.

Create a directory as grid

mkdir -p /u01/app/grid/product/19.3.0/grid_home

Copy the 19c Grid zip file there and extract it

Clear out your environment variables by logging out of the grid user and back in, and check ORACLE_BASE, ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME are not set

echo $ORACLE_HOME
echo $ORACLE_BASE
echo $ORACLE_SID

Run the upgrade

cd /u01/app/grid/product/19.3.0/grid_home

./gridSetup.sh

NOTE: if CRS is running on the host, which it might be at a client site, you can run the upgrade in dry run mode which will simulate the upgrade and let you check for any issues:

./gridSetup.sh -dryRunForUpgrade

Check 'Upgrade Oracle Grid Infrastructure'

Click Next

Skip the Register with OEM screen (click Next)

Click 'Next' at the ORACLE_BASE screen

Check 'Automatically run config scripts' and enter the root password