1. Download Virtualbox rpm (VirtualBox-3.2-3.2.8_64453_rhel5-1.x86_64.rpm or later, chose the correct kernel architecture and host OS version). This version of virtualbox allows the creation of shared disks, which is a key requirment to create a RAC.
2. When installing RHEL 4 with a mixture of IDE controllers (for CD, iso image) and SATA controllers (for loacl hard disk) following error could be seen. (This is not seen when installing RHEL 5)
Linux installation bootup seem to hang at this error but continues after a long wait but it wasn't possible to restart the virtual server after the Linux OS installation. 3. To fix this problem all the local disks were created using the IDE controller which seem to solve this issue.
4. Once Linux OS is installed in one virtual server, clone it with
VBoxManage clonehd /vm/rac1.vdi /vm/rac2.vdi --rememberWhen creating the second virtual server select "use existing harddisk" option to make use of the cloned disk. Once the clone (second rac node) is started change the hostname,IP and etc to make clone different from the source.
If the vdi file is copied instead of cloning generate a new uid with (tested on VirtualBox 4.1)
VBoxManage internalcommands sethduuid rac2.vdi UUID changed to: ee7c49ae-2871-463b-a75c-a88135b57bde5. Using IDE controllers only 3 local disks could be used at one time in the server (considering fourth IDE slot would be for CD). Create disks with shareable option
VBoxManage createhd --filename /vm/asm1.vdi --size 10240 --format VDI --variant Fixed --type shareable --remember VBoxManage createhd --filename /vm/asm2.vdi --size 10240 --format VDI --variant Fixed --type shareable --rememberand attach them to each virtual server
VBoxManage storageattach rac1 --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 1 --type hdd --medium /vm/asm1.vdi VBoxManage storageattach rac1 --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 1 --device 1 --type hdd --medium /vm/asm2.vdi VBoxManage storageattach rac2 --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 0 --device 1 --type hdd --medium /vm/asm1.vdi VBoxManage storageattach rac2 --storagectl "IDE Controller" --port 1 --device 1 --type hdd --medium /vm/asm2.vdiMay need to assign IDE slots (primary salve/master, secondary slave/master) as appropriately.
6. These disks would appear as /dev/hdb and /dev/hdc (similar names) when listed with fdisk -l from the virtual server. To store the ocr,vote disks and asm spfile craeted partitons in one of them and use the reset of the space to create a ASM disk using oracleasm.
Disk /dev/hdb: 10.7 GB, 10737418240 bytes 16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 20805 cylinders Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hdb1 1 214 107824+ 83 Linux /dev/hdb2 215 273 29736 83 Linux /dev/hdb3 274 293 10080 83 Linux /dev/hdb4 294 20805 10338048 5 Extended /dev/hdb5 294 20805 10338016+ 83 Linux Disk /dev/hdc: 10.7 GB, 10737418240 bytes 16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 20805 cylinders Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hdc1 1 20805 10485688+ 83 LinuxHere hdb1 would be bound to a raw device and will be used as storage location for OCR, hdb2 for vote and hdb3 for asm spfile. Rest of it will be used for ASM (data). hdc1 would be used for another ASM disk (flash).
7. Provided other requriement are satisfied (two network cards) this is all that is required to get started with the RAC installation. (RAC related pre-installation ie. kernel parameters, required rpms and etc are needed, not covered here)
8. Use the following when starting virtual servers remotely and having a GUI interface is not important.
VBoxManage startvm rac1 --type headless VBoxManage startvm rac2 --type headless
