1z0-902 Oracle Exadata Database Machine X9M Implementation Essentials Questions and Answers

According to 1, Exadata X9M-2 Database Servers are based on Intel Xeon Platinum 8368Y processors with 32 cores and 768 GB of DRAM memory per server. This memory can be expanded up to 1.5 TB per server by adding 24 x 32 GB DIMMs. The DRAM memory is used for buffer cache, PGA, and other database purposes1. Exadata X9M-2 Database Servers also have 25.6 TB of Persistent Memory Acceleration (PMEM) per server, which is used for log writes and columnar data caching1. PMEM is a new type of memory that combines the speed of DRAM with the persistence of flash2. Exadata X9M-2 Database Servers are designed to run Oracle Database workloads with high performance, scalability, and reliability2

According to Oracle’s documentation1, the Cell Control Command-Line Interface (CellCLI) utility is the command-line administration tool for Oracle Exadata System Software. It can be used to perform various tasks on Exadata Storage Servers, such as creating and managing objects, monitoring performance, and configuring alerts.

To run CELLCLI commands on multiple cells simultaneously, you can use the Distributed Command-Line Interface (dcli) utility2. The dcli utility allows you to execute commands or scripts on a group of cells or hosts in parallel. You can use the dcli utility to copy files from one cell or host to multiple cells or hosts using the -f option3. You can also use the dcli utility to execute commands or scripts on multiple cells or hosts using the -l option to specify a user name and the -g option to specify a file containing a list of cells or hosts3.

Therefore, to achieve your requirement of running a script with several CELLCLI commands on each cell in your Exadata full rack simultaneously, you must:

Copy and execute the script on all storage servers using the dcli command.

It collects configuration information automatically (B). OCM gathers detailed configuration information about a variety of designated Oracle products and components across an enterprise on a regular basis2.

It collects configuration information on demand ©. OCM can also collect configuration information manually when requested by the user or by Oracle Support2.

Collected configuration information can be uploaded automatically to Oracle (E). OCM can upload the collected configuration information to My Oracle Support automatically for analysis and support purposes3.

The given command uses a for loop with ipmitool to issue ping commands sequentially to a range of IP addresses in the management network:

for j in {01..23}; do ipmitool sunoem cli "set /SP/network/test ping=192.168.1.1$j"; done

This script verifies the connectivity of the ILOM management network before the Exadata installation. Each server’s Service Processor (SP) is tested for reachability, confirming that the management network setup is operational across the full rack .

B and E are true statements for the Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA). OECA facilitates PDU power selection initially and after equipment addition, and it allows for the elastic configuration of the hardware. It does not reconfigure the size of disk groups or recreate grid disks, nor does it allow for a single XT storage server in the configuration. The "Add Equipment" input option does allow for the allocation of RU slots for customer equipment.

References for this information can be found in the Oracle Exadata Database Machine X9M Implementation Essentials Official Text Book and Resources.

Search results: [1] Oracle Exadata Database Machine X8-2 [1][2]: Configuration Assistant Guide … The Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA) is a web-based tool that can … [2] The Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA) is a web-based tool that can be used to … Add Equipment: This input option allows you to allocate RU slots for … [3] Oracle Exadata Database Machine X7-2 and X7-2L Installation Guide … The Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA) is a web-based tool that can … [4] The Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA) is a web-based tool that can be used to … Power Selection [1][2]: This input option allows you to select PDU power initially … [5] Oracle Exadata Database Machine X7-2 and X7-2L Installation Guide … The Oracle Exadata Configuration Assistant (OECA) is a web-based tool that can …

A. ZFS Storage Appliance (ZFSSA) can't connect directly to the Exadata 100Gb RoCE network switches. ZFSSA uses Fibre Channel protocol to connect to the Exadata storage cells. C. When backing up multi-rack systems, sharing Exadata X9M switches is not recommended. Each rack should have its own switches to minimize the risk of data loss due to switch failure.

Review the safety guidelines.

Unpack Oracle Exadata Rack.

Let the Exadata acclimatize for 24 hours.

Place Exadata in its allocated space.

Stabilize the Exadata Rack.

Power on Exadata PDU A.

Power on Exadata PDU B.

This order ensures that the necessary safety precautions are taken before installing the Exadata Database Machine, and that the machine is allowed to acclimate to its new environment before being powered on.

The Exadata X9M-2 Extended (XT) Storage Server does not include any Persistent Memory (PMEM) DIMMs. The XT server configuration primarily serves as a cost-effective archival storage option and lacks the performance features available in the HC (High Capacity) and EF (Extreme Flash) storage servers. This configuration does not include Persistent Memory, which is leveraged in other models for accelerating OLTP workloads and providing extremely low-latency data access​​.

The dbmcli -e "LIST IBPORT DETAIL" command is not valid on Exadata X9M. According to the Oracle Exadata Database Machine X9M Implementation Essentials Official Text Book [1][2], this command is only valid on Exadata X3 and X4 models. The other three commands are valid on Exadata X9M.

https://forums.oracle.com/ords/apexds/map/tech/apps-infra/discussion/4342715/monitoring-roce-performance

For adding a new RAC (Real Application Clusters) VM cluster to an existing Oracle Exadata X9M-2 deployment, you can utilize the Oracle Exadata Deployment Assistant (OEDA). OEDA is available in two interfaces:

OEDA Web-based Configuration Tool: This web-based interface facilitates the configuration of Exadata environments, supporting both physical and virtual deployments. The graphical interface helps in defining VM clusters, including RAC clusters, and ensures the configuration aligns with Oracle best practices​.

OEDA Command Line Interface (CLI): For more advanced or automated tasks, the command-line interface (oedacli) allows for precise control over the deployment process. It supports various configuration actions such as adding or removing clusters, resizing ASM disk groups, and managing VM clusters​.

These tools are specifically designed for Exadata configurations and provide a streamlined approach for deploying and managing RAC clusters in both physical and virtualized environments.

The minimum Exadata System Software version required to support Oracle Exadata X9M is 21.2.0.0.0. This version introduced various enhancements and capabilities tailored for the X9M series, including optimizations for the RoCE network fabric and support for new hardware components .

https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/21/ladbi/db-on-exadata.html

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmso/new-features-exadata-system-software-release-23.html

The CELLCLI CALIBRATE command can be used to check the health of all flash cards in the storage server, and it should be run after logging in as the celladmin user. The hardware monitoring using the storage server ILOM should also be used to check for errors and other potential issues with the flash cards. The CELLCLI list LUN DETAIL command should not be used to identify a damaged or failing flash card, since it will not provide any information about the health of the flash card.

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmmn/index.html

Oracle Exadata X9M-2 supports virtualization through Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), enabling multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on each database server. Specifically:

Each X9M-2 database server can support up to 12 virtual guests. This number provides ample flexibility for running various applications or Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) instances across virtualized environments .

While Exadata X9M-8 supports even more extensive virtualization, this question focuses on the X9M-2 model. The specified limitation of 12 guests per database server considers both system resource allocation and performance optimization .

According to the Oracle Exadata Database Machine X9M-2 Data Sheet1, each PDU has two power input cables that can be connected to separate power sources for redundancy. However, if only one power source is available per PDU, then a single cable can be used to provide sufficient power for normal operation.

https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/engineered-systems/exadata/exadata-x9m-2-ds.pdf

Oracle Exadata Deployment Assistant (OEDA) offers multiple benefits for configuring and deploying Exadata systems:

Configuration Gathering and Rack File Creation: OEDA simplifies the setup of Exadata environments by collecting system-specific configuration details. It uses this information to generate the Exadata Rack configuration file, which outlines the optimal setup for the particular environment, streamlining the deployment process and ensuring compatibility with Oracle best practices​ .

Lifecycle Management CLI for Exadata Systems: OEDA includes a command-line interface (CLI) that facilitates various lifecycle management tasks, specifically designed for Exadata systems. This CLI helps in automating deployment steps, adjusting configurations, and updating system parameters, tailored specifically for Exadata’s hardware and software environment .

After running the commands above, the filesystem mounted on /u01 is on the logical volume /dev/mapper/VGExaDb-LVDbOral. So, to add 20G of space to the filesystem mounted on /u01, the command that needs to be run is:

lvextend -L +20G --verbose /dev/mapper/VGExaDb-LVDbOral

This command will extend the logical volume /dev/mapper/VGExaDb-LVDbOral by 20 GB of space. It is important to note that the option --verbose is used to display the progress of the operation.

According to the Oracle Auto Service Request (ASR) documentation1, ASR raises service requests for qualified Oracle products that are detected with specific faults. The qualified Exadata products include2:

Database servers

Storage servers

InfiniBand switches

Cisco switches (X8M and later systems)

Power distribution units (PDUs)

https://docs.oracle.com/en/engineered-systems/exadata-database-machine/dbmmn/maintaining-exadata-storage-servers.html#GUID-AE16A1DA-53C6-4E80-94E5-963AA65373AB

The two commands that must be executed to safely power off the storage server in an Exadata X9M Database Machine are E and F.

Command E, CellCLI alter GRIDDISK all inactive, will deactivate all of the GRIDDISKS on the affected storage server. This will ensure that no data is lost during the power-off process.

Command F, shutdown -h now, will shut down the storage server. This will ensure that the storage server is completely powered off and no data is lost.

For more information on how to properly power off an Exadata Storage Server, refer to the Oracle Exadata Database Machine X9M Implementation Essentials official text book and resources [1][2].

https://support.oracle.com/knowledge/Oracle%20Database%20Products/1188080_1.html

https://www.oracle.com/a/ocom/docs/engineered-systems/exadata/exadata-x9m-2-ds.pdf

https://chriscraftoracle.wordpress.com/2022/11/09/what-makes-exadata-faster/

Oracle KVM Guest: This is a virtual machine that runs on top of Oracle Linux KVM hypervisor. It can be used to run Oracle Database or other applications on Exadata Database Machine2. Therefore, it runs on the Database Servers.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Agent (OMA): This is a software agent that communicates with Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control and provides monitoring and management capabilities for Exadata Database Machine2. Therefore, it runs on both Database Servers and Storage Servers.

ASM instance: This is an instance of Oracle Automatic Storage Management (ASM), which is a volume manager and a file system for Oracle Database files. It manages disk groups that span across multiple Storage Servers2. Therefore, it runs on the Database Servers.

RDBMS instance: This is an instance of Oracle Database that processes SQL statements and executes transactions. It uses ASM disk groups to store data files, control files, redo log files, etc2. Therefore, it runs on the Database Servers.

Automatic Diagnostic Repository Command Interpreter (ADRCI): This is a command-line tool that enables you to view diagnostic data stored in the Automatic Diagnostic Repository (ADR). ADR is a file-based repository for database diagnostic data such as trace files, alert logs, etc2. Therefore, ADRCI runs on both Database Servers and Storage Servers, depending on where the ADR is located.

CELLCLI: This is a command-line interface that enables you to configure and manage Exadata Storage Server Software. It allows you to perform tasks such as creating disk groups, monitoring cell health, applying patches, etc2. Therefore, it runs on the Storage Servers.

Cell Server(CELLSRV): This is a process that runs on each Storage Server and handles I/O requests from the Database Servers. It implements Exadata Smart Scan , which offloads data-intensive SQL operations from the Database Servers to the Storage Servers2. Therefore, it runs on the Storage Servers.

diskmon: This is a process that monitors the status of disks and flash devices on each Storage Server. It reports disk failures and performs automatic disk reclamation2. Therefore, it runs on the Storage Servers.

Restart Server (RS): This is a process that manages automatic restarts of critical processes such as CELLSRV , MS , or OMA in case of failures. It also handles graceful shutdowns and startups of all processes on each server2. Therefore, it runs on both Database Servers and Storage Servers.

Management Server (MS): This is a process that provides management services for each server such as collecting metrics , logging events , executing commands from CELLCLI , etc2. Therefore, it runs on both Database Servers and Storage Servers

To determine the amount of Smart Scan activity on an Exadata Database Machine, you can access two specific commands:

CELLCLI Command: Using the list activerequest command within CELLCLI on all storage cells will show the number of Smart Scans being processed. CELLCLI is an interface specific to Exadata Storage Servers for management and monitoring, and it provides real-time visibility into ongoing Smart Scan operations .

EXACLI Command: Similarly, the list ACTIVEREQUEST command using EXACLI on all storage cells also lists the Smart Scans executed across the storage servers. EXACLI is a remote command-line utility that can be run from a database server to manage storage cells, offering convenient access to similar Smart Scan information .