C Installing and Configuring Oracle Database Using Response Files

This appendix describes how to use response files to perform silent or response file installations, configure network connections, and configure or start an Oracle database. It covers the following topics:

How Response Files Work
Preparing a Response File
Running Oracle Universal Installer Using the Response File
Running Net Configuration Assistant Using a Response File
Running Oracle Database Configuration Assistant Using a Response File
Postinstallation Configuration Using a Response File

C.1 How Response Files Work

You can automate the installation and configuration of Oracle software, either fully or partially, by specifying a response file when you start Oracle Universal Installer. Oracle Universal Installer uses the values in the response file to provide answers to some or all of the Oracle Universal Installer prompts. It includes information about the following topics:

Reasons for Using Silent Mode or Response File Mode
General Procedure for Using Response Files

Typically, Oracle Universal Installer runs in interactive mode, which means that it prompts you to provide information in graphical user interface (GUI) screens. When you use response files to provide this information, you run Oracle Universal Installer at a command prompt using either of the following modes:

Silent mode: Oracle Universal Installer does not display any screens. Instead it displays progress information in the command window where you started it. To use silent mode, you run setup.exe with the -silent parameter and include a response file, which contains responses to the Oracle Universal Installer prompts.
Response File mode: During a response file mode installation, Oracle Universal Installer displays all the screens, screens for which you specify information in the response file and also screens for which you did not specify the required information in the response file. The advantage is that you can validate the values in the screens for which you have already provided the information in the response file and continue with the installation. To use silent or response file mode, run setup.exe without the -silent parameter, but include the response file or any other parameters that apply.

You define the settings for a silent or response file installation by entering values for the variables listed in the response file. For instance, to specify the Oracle home name, you would supply the appropriate value for the ORACLE_HOME variable, as in the following example:

ORACLE_HOME="C:\app\product"

Another way of specifying the response file's variable settings is to pass them as command-line arguments when you run Oracle Universal Installer. For example:

DRIVE_LETTER:\setup.exe_location> setup -silent "ORACLE_HOME=C:\app\product" ...

This method is particularly useful if you do not want to embed sensitive information, such as passwords, in the response file. For example:

DRIVE_LETTER:\setup.exe_location> setup -silent "s_dlgRBOPassword=binks342" ...

Ensure that you enclose the variable and its setting in quotes.

C.1.1 Reasons for Using Silent Mode or Response File Mode

Table C-1describes several reasons why you might want to run Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode or response file mode.

Table C-1 Reasons for Using Silent Mode or Response File Mode

Mode	Uses
Silent	Use silent mode to: Complete an unattended installation Complete several similar installations on multiple systems without user interaction Oracle Universal Installer displays progress information in the window that you used to start it, but it does not display the Oracle Universal Installer screens.
Response File	Use response file mode to complete similar Oracle software installations on multiple systems, providing default answers to some, but not all, of Oracle Universal Installer prompts. In response file mode, all the installer screens are displayed, but defaults for the fields in these screens are provided by the response file. You have to provide information for the fields in screens where you have not provided values in the response file.

Mode

Uses

Silent

Use silent mode to:

Complete an unattended installation
Complete several similar installations on multiple systems without user interaction

Oracle Universal Installer displays progress information in the window that you used to start it, but it does not display the Oracle Universal Installer screens.

Response File

Use response file mode to complete similar Oracle software installations on multiple systems, providing default answers to some, but not all, of Oracle Universal Installer prompts.

In response file mode, all the installer screens are displayed, but defaults for the fields in these screens are provided by the response file. You have to provide information for the fields in screens where you have not provided values in the response file.

C.1.2 General Procedure for Using Response Files

You follow these general steps to install Oracle Database using response files:

If you plan to use Automatic Storage Management and configure new disks, then you must perform the following steps:
1. Create partitions for DAS or SAN disks.
2. Manually configure the disks using the asmtoolg or asmtool utility.
See Also:
- "Step 3: Creating DAS or SAN Disk Partitions for an Automatic Storage Management Instance"
- "Step 4: Manually Configuring Disks for Automatic Storage Management"
Customize or create a response file for the installation settings that you need.

You can create the response file by using one of the following methods:
- Modify one of the sample response files that is provided with the installation.
- Run Oracle Universal Installer at a command prompt using record mode.
"Preparing a Response File" explains how to customize or create the response file.
Run Oracle Universal Installer from a command prompt, specifying the response file, using either silent or response file mode.

Note:
Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7 require Administrator privileges at the command prompt.

"Running Oracle Universal Installer Using the Response File" explains how to run Oracle Universal Installer with a response file.

C.2 Preparing a Response File

This section describes the methods that you can use to prepare a response file for use during silent-mode or response file-mode installations:

Editing a Response File Template
Recording a Response File

C.2.1 Editing a Response File Template

Oracle provides response file templates for the database and for each configuration tool. These files are located in the database\response directory on the Oracle Database installation media.

Table C-2 lists the available sample response files:

Table C-2 Response Files

Response File Name	This File Silently Runs The...
`db_install.rsp`	Oracle Database
`dbca.rsp`	Oracle Database Configuration Assistant
`netca.rsp`	Oracle Net Configuration Assistant

Caution:

When you modify a response file template and save a file for use, the response file may contain plain text passwords. Ownership of the response file should be given to the Oracle software installation owner only. Oracle strongly recommends that database administrators or other administrators delete or secure response files when they are not in use.

To copy and modify a response file:

Copy the appropriate response files from the database\response directory on the Oracle Database media to your hard drive.
Modify the response files with a text file editor.

Remember that you can specify sensitive information, such as passwords, at the command line rather than within the response file. "How Response Files Work" explains this method.

See Also:
Oracle Universal Installer and OPatch User's Guide for Windows and UNIX for detailed information about creating response files. In an installed Oracle Database, select Start, then Programs, then Oracle - HOME_NAME, then Oracle Installation Products, then Universal Installer Concepts Guide. It appears in HTML format.
Run the response file by following the instructions in the "Running Oracle Universal Installer Using the Response File" section.

C.2.2 Recording a Response File

You can use the installer in interactive mode to record a response file, which you can edit and then use to complete silent mode or response file mode installations. This method is useful for custom software-only installations.

Starting with Oracle Database 11g Release 2 (11.2), you can save all the installation steps into a response file during installation by clicking Save Response File on the Summary page. You can use the generated response file for a silent installation later.

When you record the response file, you can either complete the installation, or you can exit from the installer on the Summary page, before it starts to copy the software to the system.

Note:

Oracle Universal Installer does not record passwords in the response file.

To record a response file:

Ensure that the computer on which you are creating the response file has met the requirements described in Chapter 2.
At the command prompt, use the cd command to change to the directory that contains the Oracle Universal Installer setup.exe executable.

Note:
Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7 require Administrator privileges at the command prompt.

On the installation DVD, setup.exe is located in the database directory. Alternatively, navigate to the directory where you downloaded or copied the installation files.
Run setup.exe.
After Oracle Universal Installer starts, enter the installation settings, to record in the response file.
When the installer displays the Summary screen, perform the following:
1. Click Save Response File and specify a file name and location for the response file. Then, click Save to save the values to the file.
2. Click Finish to continue with the installation.
  
  Click Cancel if you do not want to continue with the installation. The installation stops, but the recorded response file is retained.
Before you use the saved response file on another system, edit the file and make any required changes.

Use the instructions in the file as a guide when editing it.

C.3 Running Oracle Universal Installer Using the Response File

At this stage, you are ready to run Oracle Universal Installer at the command line, specifying the response file you created, to perform the installation. On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7, you must open the command prompt with Administrator privileges. The Oracle Universal Installer executable, setup.exe, provides several options. For help information about the full set of these options, run setup.exe with the -help option, for example:

DRIVE_LETTER:\setup.exe_location> setup -help

A new command window appears, with the "Preparing to launch..." message. In a moment, the help information appears in that window.

To run Oracle Universal Installer and specify a response file:

Place the response file on the computer where you want to install Oracle Database.
At a command prompt, run Oracle Universal Installer with the appropriate response file. On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7, you must open the command prompt with Administrator privileges.For example:
```
DRIVE_LETTER:\setup.exe_location> setup [-silent] "variable=setting" [-noconfig] [-nowait] -responseFile filename 
```
where:
- filename: Identifies the full path of the response file.
- -silent: Runs Oracle Universal Installer in silent mode and suppresses the Welcome window.
- "variable=setting" refers to a variable within the response file that you may prefer to run at the command line rather than set in the response file. Enclose the variable and its setting in quotes.
- -noconfig: Suppresses running the configuration assistants during installation, performing a software-only installation instead.
- -nowait: Closes the console window when the silent installation completes.
If you use record mode during a response file mode installation, then the installer records the variable values that were specified in the original source response file into the new response file.

C.4 Running Net Configuration Assistant Using a Response File

When you run Net Configuration Assistant with a response file, you run it in silent mode. This lets you configure and start an Oracle Net listener on the system, configure naming methods, and configure Oracle Net service names. To run NetCA in silent mode, use the netca.rsp response file.

On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7, you must open the command prompt with Administrator privileges.

To create a Net Configuration Assistant response file:

Copy the netca.rsp response file template from the response file directory to a directory on your system.

The netca.rsp is located in the database\response directory on the Oracle Database installation media.
Open the response file in a text editor.
Edit the file, following the instructions in the file.

Net Configuration Assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the netca.rsp response file.

To run Net Configuration Assistant using the response file you just created, run Net Configuration Assistant in silent mode as follows, replacing local_dir with the directory where you placed your version of the netca.rsp response file:

C:\ORACLE_HOME\bin> netca /silent /responsefile local_dir\netca.rsp

For example:

C:\ORACLE_HOME\bin> netca /silent /responsefile
C:\oracle_response_files\mynetca.rsp

C.5 Running Oracle Database Configuration Assistant Using a Response File

You can run Oracle Database Configuration Assistant in silent or response file mode to configure and start an Oracle database on your system. To run Oracle Database Configuration Assistant in silent or response file mode, use the dbca.rsp response file.

On Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, and Windows 7, you must open the command prompt with Administrator privileges.

To create a Oracle Database Configuration Assistant response file:

Copy the dbca.rsp response file template from the response file directory to a directory on your system.

The dbca.rsp response file is located in the database\response directory on the Oracle Database installation media.
Open the dbca.rsp response file in a text editor.
Edit the dbca.rsp file, following the instructions in the file.

Oracle Database Configuration Assistant fails if you do not correctly configure the dbca.rsp response file.

To run Oracle Database Configuration Assistant using the response file you just created, run Oracle Database Configuration Assistant in silent or response file mode using the following syntax:

C:\ORACLE_HOME\bin> dbca {-progressOnly | -silent} -responseFile local_dir/dbca.rsp

where:

-silent runs Oracle Database Configuration Assistant in silent mode
-progressOnly runs Oracle Database Configuration Assistant in response file mode
local_dir is the full path of the directory where you copied the dbca.rsp response file template.

For example:

C:\> ORACLE_HOME\bin> dbca -progressOnly -responseFile
C:\oracle_response_files\mydbca.rsp

As an alternative to creating a database using a response file, you can run dbca at the command line by specifying all the required information as command line options. Database Configuration Assistant writes progress messages to stdout. For information about the list of options supported, enter the following command:

C:\ORACLE_HOME\bin\dbca -help

C.6 Postinstallation Configuration Using a Response File

Use the following sections to create and run a response file configuration after installing Oracle software.

C.6.1 About the Postinstallation Configuration File

When you run a silent or response file installation, you provide information about your servers in a response file that you otherwise provide manually during a graphical user interface installation. However, the response file does not contain passwords for user accounts that configuration assistants require after software installation is complete. The configuration assistants are started with a script called configToolAllCommands. You can run this script in response file mode by using a password response file. The script uses the passwords to run the configuration tools in succession to complete configuration.

If you keep the password file to use for clone installations, then Oracle strongly recommends that you store it in a secure location. In addition, if you must stop an installation to fix an error, you can run the configuration assistants using configToolAllCommands and a password response file.

The configToolAllCommands password response file consists of the following syntax options:

internal_component_name is the name of the component that the configuration assistant configures
variable_name is the name of the configuration file variable
value is the desired value to use for configuration.

The command syntax is as follows:

internal_component_name|variable_name=value

For example:

oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMPASSWORD=welcome

Oracle strongly recommends that you maintain security with a password response file:

Permissions on the response file should be set to 600.
The owner of the response file should be the installation owner user, with the group set to the central inventory (oraInventory) group.

C.6.2 Running Postinstallation Configuration Using a Response File

To run configuration assistants with the configToolAllCommands script:

Create a response file using the syntax filename.properties. For example:
```
C:\> touch cfgrsp.properties
```
Open the file with a text editor, and cut and paste the password template, modifying as needed.
Example C-1 Password response file for Oracle grid infrastructure for a standalone server

Oracle grid infrastructure requires passwords for Automatic Storage Management Configuration Assistant (ASMCA), and for Intelligent Platform Management Interface Configuration Assistant (IPMICA) if you have a BMC card and you want to enable this feature. Provide the following response file,
```
oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.asm|S_ASMMONITORPASSWORD=password
```
Example C-2 Password response file for Oracle Database

Oracle Database configuration requires the SYS, SYSTEM, SYSMAN, and DBSNMP passwords for use with Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA). The S_ASMSNMPPASSWORD response is necessary only if the database is using Oracle ASM for storage. Also, if you selected to configure Oracle Enterprise Manager, then you must provide the password for the Oracle software installation owner for the S_HOSTUSERPASSWORD response.
```
oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSTEMPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.server|S_SYSMANPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.server|S_DBSNMPPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.server|S_HOSTUSERPASSWORD=password
oracle.assistants.server|S_ASMSNMPPASSWORD=password
```
If you do not want to enable Oracle Enterprise Manager or Oracle ASM, then leave those password fields blank

Change permissions to secure the file. For example:

C:\> ls -al cfgrsp
-rw------- 1 oracle oinstall 0 Apr 30 17:30 cfgrsp

Change directory to ORACLE_HOME\cfgtoollogs

Run the configuration script using the following syntax:

configToolAllCommands RESPONSE_FILE=\path\name.properties

for example:
```
C:\> configToolAllCommands RESPONSE_FILE=C:\oracle\cfgrsp.properties
```