Overview of Installing Oracle Database Software and Creating a Database

Basic Installation

When you install Oracle Database during basic and advanced installations, you need answers for the questions listed in this section. OUI provides default values for every choice.

• What database product do you want to install?

  You can install one of the following:

  • Enterprise Edition—This installation type is the full-featured Oracle Database product that provides data management for enterprise-level applications. It is intended for mission-critical, high-security online transaction processing (OLTP) and data warehousing environments.

  • Standard Edition—This installation type is suitable for workgroup or department-level applications, and for small to medium-sized enterprises. It provides core relational database management services and options.

  • Personal Edition (Microsoft Windows operating systems only)—This installation type installs the same software as the Enterprise Edition, but supports only a single-user, development and deployment environment.

  • Custom Install—This installation type enables you to customize the Enterprise Edition. Use Custom Install to add a component to your existing installation that would not usually be installed, or to prevent certain components from being installed.

• Do you want to create a database in addition to installing the Oracle Database software?

  To create the database, OUI automatically starts DBCA at the end of the installation.

  To install a preconfigured database, select one of the following database types, optimized according to usage:

  • General Purpose

  • Transaction Processing

  • Data Warehouse

  To create a custom database in which you configure your own database structure, see "Advanced Installation". Refer to Table 2-1, "DBCA Template Types" for more information about the different types of preconfigured databases.

  
  

  Note: If you need to create a new database, Oracle recommends that you install a preconfigured database, which is faster and easier. You can customize the database after it has been created.

  
  

• What are your database configuration options?

  These options include your global database name and system identifier (SID), whether or not you want the Sample Schemas installed, and the passwords for the administrative accounts. The SID is a unique identifier that is used to distinguish this instance from other Oracle Database instances that you may create later and run concurrently on your system.

  The global database name is the full name of the database that uniquely distinguishes it from any other database. The global database name is in the form database_name.database_domain, for example sales.us.acme.com. The database name portion sales is a simple name you call your database. The database domain portion us.acme.com specifies the database domain in which the database is located. Together, the database name and domain make up the global database name.

  During basic installation, Oracle Database automatically installs the sample schemas.

  You will also be prompted to enter your database schema password for the SYS and SYSTEM accounts, which enable you to manage and administer the database.

Advanced Installation

During advanced installations, you are prompted to make the choices listed in this section, in addition to the basic options. The installation process provides default values for every choice.

The advanced installation choices are described, but the advanced installation steps are not documented in this chapter. For more information, see Oracle Database Installation Guide for your platform.

During an advanced installation, you are asked the following questions:

• Install the sample schemas?

  To complete the exercises in this guide and related course material, you must install the sample schemas. This data is also used in most examples throughout Oracle Database documentation. Oracle recommends that you install the sample schemas.

  This choice is a configuration option only during advanced installation. The default is No for this option with the advanced installation. However, sample schemas are installed by default during basic installation.

• What kind of storage mechanism do you want your database to use?

  A database includes several files that store the user data, database metadata, and information required to recover from failures. As an administrator, you decide what kind of storage subsystem to use for these files. You can select from the following options:

  • File System—This default option creates database files that are managed by the file system of your operating system. You can specify the directory path where database files are to be stored. Oracle Database can create and manage the actual files.

    If you are not certain about which option to use, select File System (the default).

  • Automatic Storage Management—This option enables you to define a pool of storage (called a disk group) in which Oracle Database automatically manages database file placement and naming. For environments with a large number of disks, this option simplifies database administration and maximizes performance. Automatic Storage Management (ASM) stripes the files (spreads out each database file over all disks in the disk group), optimizing disk utilization. ASM also mirrors (stores a separate copy of the file on a different disk in the disk group, in order to protect against loss of data in the event of disk failure) at the file level, as opposed to the disk level, for maximum storage flexibility, performance, and availability. You get the benefits of sophisticated volume managers and disk arrays without the need for expensive hardware.

    Automatic Storage Management uses an ASM instance, which is distinct from the database instance, to configure and manage disk groups. OUI guides you through the creation and starting of an ASM instance and its components. For more information, see Oracle Database Storage Administrator's Guide.

  • Raw Devices—This option enables you to manage your storage devices outside of the operating system file system by providing Oracle Database with unformatted physical disk space called raw devices. This method is primarily used in Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) environments. If you select this option, ensure that the raw devices were created with an operating system command, and that they are not being used for any other purpose or by other Oracle databases.

• What are your database management options?

  You specify whether to manage your database centrally or locally using Oracle Enterprise Manager. Central management enables you to manage multiple targets, such as databases and application servers, using a single interface. Using local management you can manage only a single database instance at a time.

  If you want to use central management, it requires an Oracle Enterprise Management agent to exist on each host, or computer that has Oracle Database software installed on it. These agents are responsible for monitoring all components on that host. If an agent is not found on the local host, then this option is disabled during installation.

  If you are setting up a single database for the first time, it is recommended that you configure local management with Oracle Enterprise Manager, which is the default. You can later install additional databases and configure central management using Enterprise Manager.

At the end of the interview, a summary window displays the options that you chose, the requirements for space based on those options, and the components that will be installed. If you chose to install a database, then this step is performed immediately after the software installation is complete.