Database will be unavailable: Friday, May 4, 2001 9AM-3PM
The main Phobos Oracle database will be moved to a new server on Friday, May 4, 2001. The existing database will be shut down around 9AM and it will reappear on the new server around 3 PM that day (if everything goes well). During that time there will be no data recorded or read to and from database.
All users using database will need to modify an ASCII configuration file on their computers that translates internal Oracle name to IP address ON FRIDAY.
All our systems accessing main Phobos database use internal Oracle name PHDB. The IP address assignment of this name will need to be changed on every single Phobos computer !
The file is called tnsnames.ora and it is usually found in:
UNIX (you must be root to modify this file)
$ORACLE_HOME/network/admin/tnsnames.ora
or Windows
c:\orant\net80\admin\tnsnames.ora
the green part can be different for different Windows installations. You can search for tnsnames.ora on all your disks. Remember to ignore sample file in \Samples\ directory.
Present tnsnames.ora should contain the following translation of Oracle address PHDB:
PHDB =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = phobosdb.chm.bnl.gov)
(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = ORC1)
)
)
The HOST and only HOST address should be changed to point to the new address:
phdb.phobos.bnl.gov
The new lines should read:
PHDB =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS_LIST =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP) (HOST = phdb.phobos.bnl.gov)
(PORT = 1521))
)
(CONNECT_DATA =
(SID = ORC1)
)
)
There is quite a bit of other parameters that may have been defined next to Host, port etc. Do not touch anything, leave it as is and change only HOST name. If it worked before it will work later.
The Oracle will work if you use numerical IP addresses
130.199.177.22 instead of phobosdb.chm.bnl.gov
130.199.64.8 instead of phdb.phobos.bnl.gov
Port number must be 1521, some files may have an additional 1526, ignore it if 1521 is present.
1) Locate tnsnames.ora on your computer. Display it, see if you can recognize the old IP address in the translation of PHDB.
2) Some installations of Oracle client have useful debugging tool, oracle equivalent of PING. Try to see if it is installed on your computer. $ORACLE_HOME/bin must be in your path or specify the full path. Some Windows installations use name TNSPING80.
tnsping phdb should give Oracle response. On RCF Solaris machine this will give:
[rcf]wyslouch>tnsping phdb
TNS Ping Utility for Solaris: Version 8.0.5.0.0 - Production on 30-APR-01 08:41:19
(c) Copyright 1997 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.
Attempting to contact (ADDRESS=(COMMUNITY=TCP.world)(PROTOCOL=TCP)(Host=phobosdb.chm.bnl.gov)(Port=1521))
OK (30 msec)
tnsping is not available on RCF Linux machines.
3) DO NOT CHANGE the configuration FILE BEFORE FRIDAY. There is an active test database at the new address operating now. It looks very similar to the main database and some jobs may work fine but the database is about 3 weeks out of date and it will be overwritten. All data written to it before Friday will be lost.
On Friday afternoon and after having received an e-mail announcement from me
1) Modify tnsnames.ora file.
2) Try tnsping from your machine. You should see new IP address
[rcf]wyslouch>tnsping phdb
TNS Ping Utility for Solaris: Version 8.0.5.0.0 - Production on 4-MAY-01
16:00:00
(c) Copyright 1997 Oracle Corporation. All rights reserved.
Attempting to contact (ADDRESS=(COMMUNITY=TCP.world)(PROTOCOL=TCP)(Host=phdb.phobos.bnl.gov)(Port=1521))
OK (30 msec)
3) Try to run phat and execute your favorite analysis program to see if it can access the database. If there is a problem phat will be hanging with no error message. Send me an e-mail if this is the case.
There is no way going back. To assure database consistency we must have just one database. We cannot have a period of time with some jobs accessing old database and some jobs writing to new database.