After switchover to standby as primary, now how to switch back

Question

Hello DG experts:
I'm running Oracle 11.2 on Linux 5.8.
I am in the process of (trying) to mimic our existing production DG environment for testing purposes.
So far...
I've managed to set up a primary and standby database and ensured all logs apply properly.
My database name is DGTEST (on both primary and standby).
My db_unique_name is DGTEST_DG1 on primary, and DGTEST_DG2 on standby.
I performed a switchover from primary to standby, and opened the standby database as primary.
But, first thing is that when I check the switchover_status from v$database, it says: NOT ALLOWED.
Okay, so now what? Do I need to have another pfile to set specifically for when I am in primary or standby modes?
Here are relevant commands I have checked already:
on new Primary (db_unique_name = DGTEST_DG2)
SQL> select switchover_status from v$database;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
SQL> select sequence#, applied from v$archived_log order by 1;
      SEQUENCE# APPLIED
            291 YES
            292 YES
            293 YES
            398 YES
            399 NO
            400 NO
            401 NO
            402 NO
112 rows selected.
SQL> select destination, status, error from v$archive_dest;
DESTINATION                    STATUS    ERROR
/arch/DGTEST/archivelogs       VALID
/arch/DGTEST_STBY              VALID
                               INACTIVE
                               INACTIVE
                               INACTIVE
31 rows selected.
on new Standby (db_unique_name = DGTEST_DG1)
SQL> select switchover_status from v$database;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO PRIMARY
1 row selected.
SQL> select sequence#, applied from v$archived_log order by 1;
      SEQUENCE# APPLIED
            276 YES
            277 YES
            278 YES
            397 NO
            397 YES
            398 YES
            398 NO
231 rows selected.
SQL>  select destination, status, error from v$archive_dest;
DESTINATION                    STATUS    ERROR
/arch/DGTEST                   VALID
DGTEST_DG2                     VALID
/arch/DGTEST_STBY              DEFERRED
                               INACTIVE
                               INACTIVE
                                 . . .Please keep in mind that I have made this test environment as close as possible (I think) to our production environment.
One of the objectives is to confirm we can switchover and back in our production environment.
So if there is something seriously wrong with this environment and it is the same in our production environment, that would be one of my primary objectives to find out about.
Only significant difference is that we are also using DGBroker in production and I did create configuration yet until I got the switchover working manually first.

Answer 1

Hi,
Follow This Steps:
How to Switchover from Primary to Standby Database?
MY Configuration:
RAC is configured on dcpdb1(node1) and dcpdb2(node2).
DB Name: dcpdb
db_unique_name: dcpdb
Instance Name: dcpdb1 on node1
Instance Name: dcpdb2 on node2
Active Data Guard is configured on drpdb1
DB Name: dcpdb
db_unique_name: drpdb
Instance Name: drpdb
Process:
On the primary server, check the latest archived redo log and force a log switch.
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time;
SQL> ALTER SYSTEM SWITCH LOGFILE;
Check the new archived redo log has arrived at the standby server and been applied.
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time, applied
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
SQL> ALTER SYSTEM SWITCH LOGFILE;
Check the new archived redo log has arrived at the standby server and been applied.
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time, applied
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> shutdown immediate
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> ALTER DATABASE COMMIT TO SWITCHOVER TO PHYSICAL STANDBY WITH SESSION SHUTDOWN;
Database altered.
SQL>
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01507: database not mounted
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>
SQL> startup mount
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7751076184 bytes
Database Buffers 7616856064 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO PRIMARY
SQL>
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
SESSIONS ACTIVE
SQL> alter database commit to switchover to primary with session shutdown;
Database altered.
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01109: database not open
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7717521752 bytes
Database Buffers 7650410496 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> alter database open read only;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database using current logfile disconnect;
Database altered.
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> startup mount
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7751076184 bytes
Database Buffers 7616856064 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL> alter database open read only;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database using current logfile disconnect ;
Database altered.
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
SQL>
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
SQL>
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
SQL>
*############### End of Switchover from Primary to Standby Database ##########*
How to Switchback from New Primary(drpdb) to old Standby(drdb) Database and New Standby(dcpdb to Old Primary(dcpdb)?
Process:
On the New primary server, check the latest archived redo log and force a log switch.
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
SQL>ALTER SYSTEM SWITCH LOGFILE;
Check the new archived redo log has arrived at the standby server and been applied.
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time, applied
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT sequence#, first_time, next_time, applied
FROM v$archived_log
ORDER BY next_time ;
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
NOT ALLOWED
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> ALTER DATABASE COMMIT TO SWITCHOVER TO PHYSICAL STANDBY WITH SESSION SHUTDOWN;
Database altered.
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01507: database not mounted
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup mount
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7717521752 bytes
Database Buffers 7650410496 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
SQL>
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO PRIMARY
SQL>
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> shutdown immediate
Database closed.
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL>
*########### Login dcpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
SESSIONS ACTIVE
OR
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
SWITCHOVER PENDING
SQL> alter database commit to switchover to primary with session shutdown;
Database altered.
SQL>
SQL> shutdown immediate
ORA-01109: database not open
Database dismounted.
ORACLE instance shut down.
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7751076184 bytes
Database Buffers 7616856064 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.
SQL>
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
SQL>
*########### Login dcpdb2 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> startup
ORACLE instance started.
Total System Global Area 1.5400E+10 bytes
Fixed Size 2184872 bytes
Variable Size 7751076184 bytes
Database Buffers 7616856064 bytes
Redo Buffers 29409280 bytes
Database mounted.
Database opened.
SQL> SELECT SWITCHOVER_STATUS FROM V$DATABASE;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TO STANDBY
SQL>
*########### Login drpdb1 as Oracle user #########*
SQL> alter database open read only;
Database altered.
SQL> alter database recover managed standby database using current logfile disconnect;
Database altered.
SQL>
*####### End of Switchback from New Primary(drpdb) to old Standby(drdb) Database and New Standby(dcpdb to Old Primary(dcpdb) #########*
Thanks
Solaiman
Edited by: 876149 on Apr 1, 2013 11:56 AM