6 Understanding the Oracle RAC Installed Configuration

There are many ways in which the Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) database is different from a single-instance Oracle database.

• Understanding the Configured Environment in Oracle RAC
  Oracle Net Configuration Assistant (NETCA) and Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) configure your environment to meet the requirements for database creation and Oracle Enterprise Manager discovery of Oracle RAC databases.
• Understanding Operating System Privileges Groups
  As an administrator, you often perform special operations such as shutting down or starting up a database, or configuring storage.
• Understanding Time Zone Settings on Cluster Nodes
  Oracle RAC requires that all cluster nodes have the same time zone setting.
• Understanding the Server Parameter File for Oracle RAC
  When you create the database, Oracle Database creates an SPFILE in the file location that you specify. This location can be either an Oracle ASM disk group or a cluster file system.
• Multiple Oracle Home Directories on Windows
  Install each Oracle product in its own Oracle home.
• About Pluggable Databases in Oracle RAC
  A pluggable database (PDB) is a portable collection of schemas, schema objects, and nonschema objects that appears to an Oracle Net client as a non-CDB.
• Database Components Created Using Database Configuration Assistant
  Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) create various database components.
• About Managing Undo Tablespaces in Oracle RAC
  Oracle Database stores rollback or undo information in undo tablespaces.
• About Initialization Parameter Files
  Oracle recommends using the server parameter file (SPFILE) for storing Oracle Database initialization parameters.
• Oracle Net Services Configuration for Oracle RAC Databases
  When connecting to an Oracle Database, you can use a connect descriptor or a net service name.
• Performance Features of Oracle Net Services and Oracle RAC
  Oracle RAC databases provide the important benefits of connection load balancing and failover.
• Oracle Net Services Configuration Files and Parameters
  Networking elements for the Oracle Database server and clients are preconfigured for most environments.