Oracle RAC 12.2 on VMware Workstation — Post 4: Oracle Database Installation and DBCA

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Series: Oracle RAC 12.2 — Complete Installation on VMware Workstation

📌 About this series: This guide covers Oracle RAC 12c, which is out of support. The goal is to document learning and revisit concepts — not to recommend this version for production. Read the full context in the series overview →

📋 This series — Oracle RAC 12.2 on VMware Workstation:

⚙️ Prerequisite: Post 3 completed — Grid Infrastructure installed and cluster with two active nodes (crsctl stat res -t clean).

In Post 3 we installed Grid Infrastructure and the cluster is up with two active nodes. Now we’ll install the Oracle Database software and create the RAC database using DBCA.

💡 In practice: DBCA in Advanced mode has many screens with choices that permanently affect database behavior — character set and block size cannot be changed later. This post documents every decision with the technical reasoning behind it.

Install Oracle Database Software 12.2

Prepare the Installer

cd /u01/stage
unzip -q /u01/stage/linuxx64_12201_database.zip

cd /u01/stage
unzip -q /u01/stage/linuxx64_12201_database.zip

After unzipping, the /u01/stage/database/ directory is created with the installer.

orclrac2 doesn’t need to unzip — the OUI copies the binaries automatically over SSH.

Run the Database OUI

ssh -X oracle@192.168.15.170

su - oracle
db_env
cd /u01/stage/database
./runInstaller

ssh -X oracle@192.168.15.170

su - oracle
db_env
cd /u01/stage/database
./runInstaller

Screen sequence:

Step 1 — Configure Security Updates

• Uncheck update notifications — click Next and confirm

Step 2 — Installation Option

• Install database software only

Step 3 — Grid Installation Options

• Oracle Real Application Clusters database installation

Step 4 — Nodes Selection

• Check: orclrac1 and orclrac2

Step 5 — Database Edition

• Enterprise Edition

Step 6 — Installation Location

Step 7 — Operating System Groups

Step 8 — Prerequisite Checks

• Resolve any errors before proceeding

Step 9 — Summary → Install

Run root.sh

Can be run on both nodes simultaneously:

/u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0/dbhome_1/root.sh

/u01/app/oracle/product/12.2.0/dbhome_1/root.sh

Create the RAC Database (DBCA)

ssh -X oracle@192.168.15.170

su - oracle
db_env
dbca

ssh -X oracle@192.168.15.170

su - oracle
db_env
dbca

Instalation

Step 1 — Database Operation

• Create a database

Step 2 — Creation Mode

• Advanced Configuration

Step 3 — Deployment Type

Admin Managed: the DBA controls which nodes run the database. Policy Managed is for large environments where Clusterware decides automatically.

Custom Database: fully manual configuration — more educational. General Purpose comes pre-configured. Data Warehouse is optimized for analytical workloads.

Step 4 — Nodes Selection

• Check: orclrac1 and orclrac2

Step 5 — Database Identification

The SID Prefix automatically generates ORCL1 on orclrac1 and ORCL2 on orclrac2. Container Database is the 12c multitenant architecture — we leave it unchecked for a traditional non-CDB database.

Step 6 — Storage Option

OMF automatically manages file naming and location — datafiles, redo logs, and control files.

Step 7 — Fast Recovery Option

Archive Log Mode is required for backup and recovery.

Step 8 — Database Options

Install only what the application actually uses. Unused components increase the attack surface, consume space, and add complexity to patching and upgrade processes.

Step 9 — Configuration Options

Memory tab:

Do not use Automatic Memory Management (AMM) in RAC — AMM uses HugePages inefficiently in environments with multiple instances.

Sizing tab:

Block size cannot be changed after database creation.

Character sets tab:

AL32UTF8 is mandatory for new databases — it supports all languages. Cannot be changed after database creation without rebuilding or migrating the database.

Connection mode tab:

• Dedicated Server Mode

Dedicated is the recommended standard for RAC. Shared Server only makes sense with thousands of short-lived connections without a connection pool.

Sample schemas tab:

• Add sample schemas: unchecked

Step 10 — Management Options

In production, monitoring is done through Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control — not through the EM Express embedded in the database.

Step 11 — User Credentials

• Use the same administrative password for all accounts
• Password: Welcome1

In production, always use separate, complex passwords for SYS, SYSTEM, and DBSNMP.

Step 12 — Creation Option

Step 13 — Prerequisite Checks

Review errors — see the Known Errors section.

Step 14 — Summary → Finish

Step 15 — Progress Page

• Wait for creation to complete

Step 16 — Finish → Close

Known Errors

resolv.conf overwritten after reboot

Symptom: The resolv.conf Integrity check fails in the Database OUI after a reboot.

Cause: NetworkManager overwrites /etc/resolv.conf on boot.

Fix:

lsattr /etc/resolv.conf

chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

lsattr /etc/resolv.conf

chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

Or via NetworkManager:

echo "dns=none" >> /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
systemctl restart NetworkManager

cat > /etc/resolv.conf << 'EOF'
search oracle.local
nameserver 192.168.15.170
EOF

echo "dns=none" >> /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
systemctl restart NetworkManager

cat > /etc/resolv.conf << 'EOF'
search oracle.local
nameserver 192.168.15.170
EOF

Next Up

In Post 5 we’ll configure RAC-specific parameters in the SPFILE, enable archive log mode, and validate the full environment.