[Oracle Linux 6.3] Impossible to configure ASMlib

Question

Hi,
[root@ahmed-ol6 sf_Softs]# uname -a
Linux ahmed-ol6 2.6.32-279.19.1.el6.i686 #1 SMP Tue Dec 18 15:04:25 PST 2012 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux
[root@ahmed-ol6 oracle]# cat /etc/oracle-release
Oracle Linux Server release 6.3
[root@ahmed-ol6 sf_Softs]# cat /proc/partitions
major minor  #blocks  name
   8        0   17337344 sda
   8        1     512000 sda1
   8        2   16824320 sda2
   8       16    1048576 sdb
   8       17    1044193 sdb1
   8       32    1048576 sdc
   8       33    1044193 sdc1
   8       48    1048576 sdd
   8       49    1044193 sdd1
   8       64    1048576 sde
   8       65    1044193 sde1
   8       80    2097152 sdf
   8       81    2096451 sdf1
   8       96    2097152 sdg
   8       97    2096451 sdg1
253        0   11612160 dm-0
253        1    5210112 dm-1
[root@ahmed-ol6 oracle]# rpm -qa | grep oracleasm
oracleasmlib-2.0.4-1.el6.i686
oracleasm-support-2.1.5-1.el6.i686
[root@ahmed-ol6 sf_Softs]# oracleasm configure -i
Configuring the Oracle ASM library driver.
This will configure the on-boot properties of the Oracle ASM library
driver.  The following questions will determine whether the driver is
loaded on boot and what permissions it will have.  The current values
will be shown in brackets ('[]').  Hitting <ENTER> without typing an
answer will keep that current value.  Ctrl-C will abort.
Default user to own the driver interface [oracle]:
Default group to own the driver interface [oinstall]:
Start Oracle ASM library driver on boot (y/n) [y]:
Scan for Oracle ASM disks on boot (y/n) [y]:
Writing Oracle ASM library driver configuration: done
[root@ahmed-ol6 sf_Softs]# oracleasm init
Loading module "oracleasm": failed
Unable to load module "oracleasm"
[root@ahmed-ol6 sf_Softs]# service oracleasm restart
Dropping Oracle ASMLib disks:                              [  OK  ]
Shutting down the Oracle ASMLib driver:                    [  OK  ]
Initializing the Oracle ASMLib driver:                     [FAILED]Can someone help me to understand what's going on here?
I have installed the package found on OTN here:
[http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/linux/asmlib/ol6-1709075.html]
I've understood that the OracleASM kernel driver is no longer needed in OL6 because it's included in the kernel.
So what's the problem?
Thanks for helping

Answer 1

Dude wrote:
ASMlib is not mandatory, but makes managing ASM devices easier to manage and provides a more efficient I/O path. Some of it is negotiable, however, I think your negative experience with the product in the past is NO good reason to advice how obsolete or useless ASMlib was. Because, sorry, it isn't. Please do the research.
The reason why oracle ASMlib is included and supported only by the Oracle UEK kernel is not to force people to use Oracle Linux, but due to Red Hat. Oracle was obviously forced to support Oracle kernel modules only for their own kernel, for very good reasons. Red Hat officially said "Yes, we undercut Oracle with hidden Linux patches".
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2011/03/04/red_hat_twarts_oracle_and_novell_with_change_to_source_code_packaging
Edited by: Dude on Jan 23, 2013 5:53 PMSo for those of us that do not use UEK, whether or not to use ASMLib is really not an option. If it is not supported, I would hate to "force" install it and have something go wrong on my production servers. So, whether or not I do the "research", the fact it will not be supported on RHEL6 only enforces my opinion does it not?