A Installing and Configuring Oracle Database Using Response Files

A.1.1 Reasons for Using Silent Mode or Noninteractive Mode

The following table describes several reasons why you might want to run Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode or suppressed mode.

A.1.2 Creating a Database Using Automatic Storage Management as the Storage Option for Database Files

Before you create a database that uses Automatic Storage Management, you must run the root.sh script. For this reason, you cannot create a database using Automatic Storage Management as the storage option for database files during a silent-mode installation. Instead, you can complete a software-only installation using silent-mode, and then run the Oracle Net Configuration Assistant (NetCA) and Database Configuration Assistant configuration assistants in silent mode after you have completed the software-only installation and you have run the root.sh script.

A.1.3 General Procedure for Using Response Files

The following are the general steps to install and configure Oracle products using Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode:

1. Create the oraInst.loc file.

2. Prepare a response file.

3. Run Oracle Universal Installer in silent or suppressed mode.

4. If you completed a software-only installation, then run NetCA and Database Configuration Assistant in silent or noninteractive mode if required.

These steps are described in the following sections.

A.3.1 Editing a Response File Template

This method is most useful for the Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition installation types.

Oracle provides response file templates for each product and installation type, and for each configuration tool. These files are located in the database/response directory on the installation media.

Table A-1 lists the response files provided with Oracle Database.

To copy and modify a response file:

1. Copy the response file from the response file directory to a directory on your system:

   $ cp /directory_path/response/response_file.rsp local_directory
   
   

   In this example, directory_path is the path to the database directory on the installation media. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, then you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

2. Open the response file in a text editor:

   $ vi /local_dir/response_file.rsp
   
   

   In addition to editing settings specific to the Oracle Database installation, check that the FROM_LOCATION path is correct and points to the products.xml file in the stage directory in the installation media. You may want to set this variable to point to an absolute path, for example:

   FROM_LOCATION="/directory_path/stage/products.xml"
   
   

   Remember that you can specify sensitive information, such as passwords, at the command line rather than within the response file. "How Response Files Work" explains this method.

   See Also:

   Oracle Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide for detailed information on creating response files

3. Follow the instructions in the file to edit it.

   Note:

   Oracle Universal Installer or configuration assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file. Refer to the "Silent-Mode Response File Error Handling" section for more information about troubleshooting a failed silent-mode installation.

4. Change the permissions on the file to 700:

   $ chmod 700 /local_dir/response_file.rsp
   

   Caution:

   A fully specified response file for an Oracle Database installation contains the passwords for database administrative accounts and for a user that is a member of the OSDBA group (required for automated backups). Ensure that only the Oracle software owner user can view or modify response files or consider deleting them after the installation succeeds.

A.3.2 Recording a Response File

You can use Oracle Universal Installer in interactive mode to record a response file, which you can edit and then use to complete silent-mode or suppressed-mode installations. This method is useful for custom or software-only installations.

When you record the response file, you can either complete the installation, or you can exit from Oracle Universal Installer on the Summary page, before it starts to copy the software to the system.

If you use record mode during a noninteractive mode installation, then Oracle Universal Installer records the variable values that were specified in the original source response file into the new response file.

To record a response file:

1. Complete the preinstallation tasks listed in Chapter 2.

   When you run Oracle Universal Installer to record a response file, it checks the system to verify that it meets the requirements to install the software. For this reason, Oracle recommends that you complete all of the required preinstallation tasks and record the response file while completing an installation.

2. If you have not installed Oracle software on this system previously, create the oraInst.loc file, as described in the previous section.

3. Ensure that the Oracle software owner user (typically oracle) has permissions to create or write to the Oracle home path that you will specify when you run Oracle Universal Installer.

4. To record a response file, enter a command similar to the following to start Oracle Universal Installer:

   Note:

   Do not specify a relative path to the response file. If you specify a relative path, Oracle Universal Installer fails.

   $ /directory_path/runInstaller -record -destinationFile response_filename
   
   

   In this command:

   • directory_path is the path of the database directory on the DVD or the path of the Disk1 directory on the hard drive

   • The -record parameter specifies that you want to record the responses that you enter in a response file

   • response_filename is the full path and file name of the response file that you want to record

5. On each Oracle Universal Installer screen, specify the required information.

6. When Oracle Universal Installer displays the Summary screen, perform one of the following actions:

   • Click Install to create the response file, then continue with the installation.

   • Click Cancel and then Yes to create the response file but exit from Oracle Universal Installer without installing the software.

   The response file is saved in the location that you specified using the -destinationFile option.

7. If you do not complete the installation, then delete the Oracle home directory that Oracle Universal Installer created using the path you specified on the Specify File Locations screen.

8. Before using the recorded response file on another system, edit the file and make any required changes.

   Use the instructions in the file as a guide when editing it.

A.6.1 Using Database Configuration Assistant in Noninteractive Mode

In noninteractive mode, Database Configuration Assistant uses values that you specify, in the response file or as command line options, to create a database. As it configures and starts the database, it displays a window that contains status messages and a progress bar. The window that it displays is the same window that is displayed when you choose to create a preconfigured database during an Enterprise Edition or Standard Edition installation.

To run Database Configuration Assistant in noninteractive mode, you must use a graphical display.

A.6.2 Using Database Configuration Assistant in Silent Mode

In silent mode, Database Configuration Assistant uses values that you specify, in the response file or as command line options, to create a database. Database Configuration Assistant does not display any screens or information while it creates the database.

A.6.3 Running Database Configuration Assistant in Noninteractive or Silent Mode

To run Database Configuration Assistant in noninteractive or silent mode:

$ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbca -help

1. Copy the dbca.rsp response file template from the response file directory to a directory on your system:

   $ cp /directory_path/response/dbca.rsp local_directory
   
   

   In this example, directory_path is the path of the database directory on the DVD. If you have copied the software to a hard drive, you can edit the file in the response directory if you prefer.

2. Open the response file in a text editor:

   $ vi /local_dir/dbca.rsp
   
   

3. Edit the file, following the instructions in the file.

   Note:

   Database Configuration Assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the response file.

4. Log in as the Oracle software owner user, and set the ORACLE_HOME environment variable to specify the correct Oracle home directory.

5. Enter a command similar to the following to run Database Configuration Assistant in noninteractive or silent mode with a response file:

   $ $ORACLE_HOME/bin/dbca {-progressOnly | -silent} [-cloneTemplate] \
    [-datafileDestination /datafilepath] -responseFile /local_dir/dbca.rsp
   
   

   In this example:

   • The -silent option indicates that you want to run Database Configuration Assistant in silent mode.

   • The -progressOnly option indicates that you want to run Database Configuration Assistant in noninteractive mode.

   • The -cloneTemplate option is required if you want to create one of the following preconfigured databases:

     • General Purpose

     • Transaction Processing

     • Data Warehouse

   • -datafileDestination specifies the parent directory where you want to create the database files. If you do not specify this option, the parent directory for database files is the $ORACLE_BASE/oradata directory if the ORACLE_BASE environment variable is set, or the $ORACLE_HOME/oradata directory if ORACLE_BASE is not set.

   • local_dir is the full path of the directory where you copied the dbca.rsp response file template.