Problem creating physical Standby database with RMAN

Question

Hi All
I am trying to learn oracle dataguard and as part of the process learning creating standby database.
Platform : Sun-Fire-V250 Sparc, Solaris 10
Database Version - Oracle 11R2
I am creating standby database on same server, so directory structure is different.
Following the instructions on Oracle site I managed to create a functional physical standby database. But I am not able to create standby database using RMAN. These are the steps that I followed-
1.Set up all necessary parameters on primary database as done while creating physical standby database manually, eg setting force logging, creating standby logs etc.
2.Edited parameter file on primary database as done while creating manual pysical standby database creation. Some of the changes done are-
On Primary Database:
*.FAL_CLIENT='orcl11020' #Primary database unique name
*.FAL_SERVER='stdby_11' #Standby database unique name
db_file_name_convert='/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11','/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020'
log_file_name_convert='/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11','/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020','/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11/redo_mem','/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020/redo_mem'
standby_file_management=auto
*.log_archive_config='DG_CONFIG=(orcl11020,stdby_11)'
*.log_archive_dest_1='LOCATION=/<dir>/flash_recovery_area/ORCL11020/archivelog
VALID_FOR=(ALL_LOGFILES,ALL_ROLES) db_unique_name=orcl11020'
*.log_archive_dest_2='SERVICE=stdby_11 LGWR ASYNC VALID_FOR=(ONLINE_LOGFILES,PRIMARY_ROLE) db_unique_name=stdby_11'
*.LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_1='ENABLE'
*.LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_2='ENABLE'
*.LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT='%t_%s_%r.arc'
*.LOG_ARCHIVE_MAX_PROCESSES=30
Copied same pfile for standby database and modified following-
*.control_files='/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11/stdby_11.ctl','/<dir>/fra_stdby/stdby_11/stdby_11.ctl'
*.db_name='orcl1102'
*.db_unique_name='stdby_11'
*.FAL_CLIENT='stdby_11'
*.FAL_SERVER='orcl11020'
db_file_name_convert='/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020','/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11'
log_file_name_convert='/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020','/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11','/<dir>/oradata/orcl11020/redo_mem','/<dir>/oradata/stdby_11/redo_mem'
standby_file_management=auto
*.log_archive_dest_1='LOCATION=/<dir>/fra_stdby/STDBY_11/archivelog
VALID_FOR=(ALL_LOGFILES,ALL_ROLES) db_unique_name=stdby_11'
*.log_archive_dest_2='SERVICE=orcl11020 LGWR ASYNC VALID_FOR=(ONLINE_LOGFILES,PRIMARY_ROLE)
db_unique_name=orcl11020'
3. Add relevant information in tnsnames.ora and listener.ora files and then restart listener.
3. Created password file with same credential as primary database.
4.Up-to-date RMAN backup of primary database available.
5.Create standby controlfile with rman
While primary database s open (I tried with primary database in mount mode as well)-
$>rman catalog rman/paswd@rman target /
RMAN> BACKUP CURRENT CONTROLFILE FOR STANDBY;
6. Open a new terminal and startup standby database in nomount mode using parameter file created -
$>ORACLE_SID=stdby_11
$>export ORACLE_SID
$>sqlplus / as sysdba
SQL>STARTUP NOMOUNT pfile='<location/initfilename.ora'
SQL>quit
$> rman AUXILIARY / target sys/passwd@orcl11020 catalog rman/passwd@rman
RMAN>DUPLICATE TARGET DATABASE FOR STANDBY DORECOVER;
RMAN finishes without error but archive logs are not being tranported. Looking at the log, following caught my eye-
Error 1017 received logging on to the standby
Check that the primary and standby are using a password file
and remote_login_passwordfile is set to SHARED or EXCLUSIVE,
and that the SYS password is same in the password files.
returning error ORA-16191
FAL[client, ARC2]: Error 16191 connecting to orcl11020 for fetching gap sequence
Errors in file /<>dir>/diag/rdbms/stdby_11/stdby_11/trace/stdby_11_arc2_24321.trc:
ORA-16191: Primary log shipping client not logged on standby
Errors in file /<dir>/diag/rdbms/stdby_11/stdby_11/trace/stdby_11_arc2_24321.trc:
ORA-16191: Primary log shipping client not logged on standby
So on both primary and standby I confirmed
SQL> show parameter remote_login_passwordfile
NAME TYPE VALUE
remote_login_passwordfile string EXCLUSIVE
To make double sure that password files are same, I shutdown both databases, delete password files and recreated with same credentials.
Password files are called - orapworcl11020 and orapwstdby_11
Can someone guide me where thisngs are going wrong here please.

Answer 1

Not sure if I understood it clearly.
SELECT * FROM V$ARCHIVE_GAP;
returns no rows so there is no gap.
But could you please explain me the result of the previous query. To catch up again, on standby when I check
SELECT SEQUENCE#,APPLIED FROM V$ARCHIVED_LOG
SEQUENCE# APPLIED
75 NO
74 NO
76 NO
77 NO
I understand that though archive files have been copied across but they are not applied yet.
On primary when I give your query -
SELECT name as STANDBY,SEQUENCE#,applied, completion_time
2 FROM v$archived_log
3 where dest_id=2
4 and sequence# BETWEEN 74 and 80;
I get -
STANDBY SEQUENCE# APPLIED COMPLETIO
stdby_11 74 YES 28-JUN-11
stdby_11 75 YES 28-JUN-11
stdby_11 76 YES 29-JUN-11
stdby_11 77 YES 29-JUN-11
stdby_11 78 YES 29-JUN-11
stdby_11 79 YES 29-JUN-11
stdby_11 80 YES 29-JUN-11
stdby_11 75 NO 07-JUL-11
stdby_11 74 NO 07-JUL-11
stdby_11 76 NO 07-JUL-11
stdby_11 77 NO 07-JUL-11
stdby_11 78 NO 07-JUL-11
I have intentionally given
sequence# BETWEEN 74 and 80
because I know in the current incarnaion of the database, max sequence is 78.
So my understanding is, the rows between 28-29 June are from previous incarnation, correct me if I am wrong
Archive files of the current incarnation, since I successfully created standby database are shipped but yet to be applied - am I right?
Then my final question is, when will these archives be applied to standby database?
I am sorry to ask too many questions but I am just trying to understand how it all works.
Thanks for your help again