Re: Which do I start first NAMESCTL or LSNRCTL ?

John Butcher wrote:
>
> If using OracleNames, you must run up the TNS listener (via lsnrctl) on
> the network definition database server before starting names as the
> nameserver uses a TNS connection to get the network definition (unless
> using ROSFILE). All other listeners can be started before or after
> nameservers.
>
> I'm in the process of configuring 150 unix servers for sqlnet 2.
> Each has about 2 or 3 databases on it. Using OracleNames means we don't
> have to propagate tnsnames.ora to each server each time we create a new
> database. In that respect it's a lot better.
>
> ...However, I find OracleNames and the Oracle Network Manager bug-ridden
> to the point of considering Homicide. The worst one to date is with
> oracle network manager (3.0) having a limitation of 64 nodes.
> Apparently 3.1 which fixes this is shipped with oracle 7.3 but I'm on
> 7.2

I agree with you on Oracle Network Manager being bug-ridden. We don't have more than 64 nodes, but I have had problems with invalid configuration files being generated. It also doesn't seem to let you order your Names Servers per profile as the documentation states. Every time I change their order, it puts them back in alphabetical order.

> The other bug that you might want to beware of if using OracleNames is
> that the "checkpoint files" don't work. These are supposed to allow you
> to restart a nameserver if the network definition database is down.
> The implications of this is that the server with this database has to be
> up all the time or at least before a nameserver is restarted.

The checkpoint files work, but not as advertised, or at least not how I interpreted them to work. I thought checkpoint files were supposed to AUTOMATICALLY take over if the Names Server was unable to connect to the database. But, they only work if you explicitly tell the Names Server to use them.

I had to first create the directory $ORACLE_HOME/network/names since it didn't exist, and this is where the checkpoint files are supposed to go. Then start the Names Server once to generate the checkpoint files. After that, if the Names configuration database is down, you can put the following line in the NAMES.ORA file, and the Names Server will start up using the checkpoint files instead of trying to connect to the configuration database.

        names.no_region_database = true

> ...and one final warning, avoid Solaris 2.3 with sqlnet 2. It doesn't
> like hostnames.

Solaris doesn't like hostnames, or client machines connecting to Oracle on Solaris have problems? I know there is a problem with Microsoft's TCP/IP and SQL*Net 2.1 taking a LONG time to connect if you use the hostname instead of the IP address.

Regards,
Brian

-- 
Brian M. Biggs                             mailto:bbiggs_at_cincom.com
Cincom Systems, Inc.                       voice: (513) 677-7661
http://www.cincom.com/