Oracle 12.2 Grid Inventory without NodeList

As most of you probably already know, the installation of Grid Infrastructure has changed with Oracle 12.2. The software has to be unpacked in the GRID_HOME and installed from there.

In conjunction with this change the Oracle Inventory or more precise  inventory.xml file (mostly in the directory /u01/app/oraInventory/ContentsXML) has been changed as well.

Up to Version 12.1 the nodes for all installed components (e.g. GI, Database, Client, etc.) have been listed in the NODE_LIST. But since 12.2 this information is no longer available. More information can be found in MOS: 12.2: Oracle inventory does not have references for cluster nodes (Doc ID 2264757.1).

Oracle Inventory until12.1

This is a listing of inventory.xml for version 12.1:

<INVENTORY>
<VERSION_INFO>
   <SAVED_WITH>12.1.0.2.0</SAVED_WITH>
   <MINIMUM_VER>2.1.0.6.0</MINIMUM_VER>
</VERSION_INFO>
<HOME_LIST>
<HOME NAME="OraGI12Home1" LOC="/u01/app/grid/product/12.1.0.2/gridhome" TYPE="O" IDX="1" CRS="true">
   <NODE_LIST>
      <NODE NAME="trzlora101"/>
      <NODE NAME="trzlora102"/>
   </NODE_LIST>
</HOME>
<HOME NAME="OraDB12Home1" LOC="/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2/dbhome_1" TYPE="O" IDX="2">
   <NODE_LIST>
      <NODE NAME="trzlora101"/>
      <NODE NAME="trzlora102"/>
   </NODE_LIST>
</HOME>
</HOME_LIST>
<COMPOSITEHOME_LIST>
</COMPOSITEHOME_LIST>
</INVENTORY>

Every installation has a NODE_LIST with the attached nodes.

Oracle Inventory since 12.2

This is the same file but for version 12.2:

<INVENTORY>
<VERSION_INFO>
   <SAVED_WITH>12.1.0.2.0</SAVED_WITH>
   <MINIMUM_VER>2.1.0.6.0</MINIMUM_VER>
</VERSION_INFO>
<HOME_LIST>
<HOME NAME="OraGI12Home1" LOC="/u01/app/grid/product/12.2.0/gridhome" TYPE="O" IDX="1"/>
<HOME NAME="OraDB12Home1" LOC="/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0.2/dbhome_1" TYPE="O" IDX="2">
   <NODE_LIST>
      <NODE NAME="trrlora102"/>
   </NODE_LIST>
</HOME>
</HOME_LIST>
<COMPOSITEHOME_LIST>
</COMPOSITEHOME_LIST>
</INVENTORY>

The database software in this example has been added with AttachHome so it’s not a newly installed database software. I’m not sure why it lists the second cluster node trrlora102 and not the first one but I assume it’s because that was the last AttachHome command I executed.

I don’t know if this is what the developers wanted to achieve or if you should better run runInstaller.sh UpdateNodeList to add the missing part. I opened an SR today to hopefully get some more details – currently they were asking for the tfa diagcollection (don’t know why).

Hint

Some installations, like the Oracle database software version 11.2.0.4 might fail with this layout. In that case you need to run “UpdateNodeList” to add the missing part to the inventory. After that this installation will work.

Another problem raised up today: I was unable to attach the Oracle Cloud Control Agent 13.2 as it complains about the LOCAL_NODE to be wrong. I’m still working on a solution.

OPatch lsinventory

A similar change does happen with OPatch. Until Version 12.2.0.1.10 there is a summary about the nodes at the end of the command opatch lsinventory
like this:

Patching Level Nodes
-------------- ---------------------
26717470       trzlora101,trzlora102

Since version 12.2.0.1.11 this information is no longer available. More details can be found in this MOS document: Opatch does not shows Local host and remote host details (Doc ID 2332321.1)

Please don’t wonder and worry after you installed the new GI and had a look into the inventory!