Rationale Behind The Group Used On Directories Created By The Exadata BCU Script

Asset ID:	1-72-1479863.1
Update Date:	2012-08-03
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1479863.1 : Rationale Behind The Group Used On Directories Created By The Exadata BCU Script

Applies to:

Exadata Database Machine X2-8 - Version Not Applicable and later
Exadata Database Machine V2 - Version Not Applicable and later
Exadata Database Machine X2-2 Full Rack - Version Not Applicable and later
Exadata Database Machine X2-2 Hardware - Version Not Applicable and later
Exadata Database Machine X2-2 Qtr Rack - Version Not Applicable and later
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

The Exadata BCU script creates NFS shares on a ZFSA and then mounts them to the DBM nodes. The user guide uses the group oinstall, and the script uses this too.
It would seem that a more natural group would be the OSDBA group i.e. if permissions are opened up should it be the members of the group who can install any Oracle software on a host who should be able to access backups - or should it be DBAs for the database who should be able to access backups?

Is it possible to explain the reasoning around using the Oracle software owner group (oinstall) for the group ownership of the directory used to host dastabase backups for a specific database.

Cause

From analysis of Sun Unpublished bug 7183856: default owner and file permission of the /zfssa/db-name directory is not desirable:

Based on the "Oracle Database Installation Guide 11g Release 2 (11.2) for Linux" in chapter 2.14.2 Creating Required Directories

Recovery file directory (fast recovery area):

# mkdir /mount_point/fast_recovery_area

# chown oracle:oinstall /mount_point/fast_recovery_area

# chmod 775 /mount_point/fast_recovery_area

The dba group is not mandatory though highly common in most systems.

Thus oinstall is a better choice.

Solution

Change the permissions as per this advice

# chown oracle:oinstall /mount_point/fast_recovery_area

# chmod 775 /mount_point/fast_recovery_area

or enter the desired values when first running BCU

- The directory permissions should be changed to 775.
- The text messages of the two input prompts will be clarified. So that users will be informed clearly that the input prompt is to change the owner of the backup share directory.

> Enter the user name of the ORACLE_HOME owner:
> Hit Enter key to use the default (oracle)

> Enter the group name of the ORACLE_HOME owner:
> Hit Enter key to use the default (oinstall)

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