Oracle Exadata Documentation
Posted by Vishal Gupta on Oct 15, 2011
As most of you are aware, Oracle does not publish the Exadata documentation. Apparently this is protect their software from competitors. But in my opinion, Oracle could increase their Exadata sales by making their documentation freely available for everyone to read, just like their other product’s documentation. Wouldn’t it be nice, when someone asks you regarding a feature of Exadata, if you had the ability to direct them to a link of Exadata documentation for that feature and they could be read at their leisure in detail.
I feel if more and more people know about Exadata, they would be able to advocate about Exadata and try to convince their company’s decision makers into buying Exadata machines. So making Exadata documentation publicly available should help oracle rather than their competitors. Also a knowledgable dba would be able to manage Exadata better than un-knowledgable dba.
Many Oracle DBA managing Exadata are not aware that Exadata documentation is available on every cell under /usr/share/doc/oracle/Exadata/doc folder. But if you dont have access to a Exadata cell, then how do you view the Exadata documentation? Well you have few options for that.
Ways to obtain Exadata Documentation
1. Ask your friendly DBA/SystemAdmin who has access to Exadata cell to give your entire (including sub-directories) contents of /usr/share/doc/oracle/Exadata/doc folder. Then using your favourite internet browser open the index.html file to view documentation.
2. Extract the exadata documentation from cell images. You don’t have to install the Exadata Storage server software to obtain its documentation.
- Create an Oracle Web Account at Oracle Technology Network aka OTN . Account creation direct link.
- Wait for account validation email to come, click on link to verify your Oracle single sign on account.
- Go to Oracle eDelivery site, now know as Oracle Software Delivery Cloud at http://eDelivery.oracle.com and login using your Oracle Web account.
- Under Media pack search, select product pack as “Oracle Database” and platform as “Linux x86-64” and hit Go.
- It will list the Oracle Exadata Storage Server (CELL) Software Media pack links, download the storage server software. 11.2.2 media pack contains all 11.2.2.x.x cell and compute images.
- Extract the files.
- For older cell images (upto 11.2.2.3.3), you will find the cellImageMaker_<imageversion>.x86-64.tar.zip.
- Extract the tar file from zipfile. In older cell images (upto 11.2.2.2.2), it will prompt you for a password which can be obtained from Oracle support. This password is common on all cellimage zipfiles. In newer cellimage from 11.2.2.3.2 onwards, zipfile is no longer password protected.
- On any linux/unix machine extract the Exadata documentation from tar file using “tar -pxvf cellImageMaker_<imageversion>.x86-64.tar dl180/boot/cellbits/doclib.zip” command. This extracts the doclib.zip file containing Exadata documentation for that cell image version.
Enjoy learning Oracle Exadata from documentation.
[Update] – Exadata Documentation is now available via Patch 10386736
[Update, 28-Feb-15] Oracle Exadataion documentation is now available online at following link – http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E50790_01/welcome.html
Disclaimer – Please ensure that you or your company has the Exadata software license before obtaining the Exadata documentation, as it is Oracle’s copyright protected material and only meant to exadata license holders. I will not be liable for any license or copyright breaches due to you or your company not having a valid license before obtaining the Exadata documentation.
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Jagjeet Singhs said
Hi Vishal – Thanks for the tips
Could you please also let us know for what purpose Oracle uploaded Cellimage on E delivery site? Can this be used with oracle virtualbox or vmware.
Regards,
Vishal Gupta said
No it’s not possible to use these cell images in a virtual machine, these images look at hardware as a validation to check that are installing them on Exadata. These are to be used by customers to install a particular version of a cell image on their Exadata during rebuilds or hardware replacement after failures.
Though oracle does have a Exadata simulator software which they use internally for educational purposes but unfortunately they don’t give that out to customer.
Vishal
Jagjeet Singh said
Thanks for the update, yes, I do use Exadata Simulator in my lab
Jc nars said
Not entirely true. See Gokhan Atil’s blog.
http://www.gokhanatil.com/2012/01/is-it-possible-to-build-exadata.html
Vishal Gupta said
JC Nars,
Since i wrote this post, i have also installed exadata cell images in 3 separate VMs on my laptop to simulate a quarter rack. But installation process is not the same, its more involved. Like Gokhan Atil mentions in his blog post, i also can not post the detailed step-by-step process for legal reasons.
Installation process is drastically different than exadata hardware, but its possible to install the exadata software in a VM.
jc nars said
many congrats !
i assume you had a compute node vm that connected to the 3 VMs aka cell servers
Amit Patel said
There is no password for the file in e-delivery site. Thanks for the excellent explanation to get the document.
Vishal Gupta said
Amit,
Like I mentioned in point 8 above, password is not required for cell images from 11.2.2.3.2 onwards. If you download any older cell image version, for example for Exadata V2, instead of newer images which come in X2-2 or X2-8, then you will need password to extract contents of zip file, as it’s password protected. I happen to know the password though. 🙂
>> In newer cellimage from 11.2.2.3.2 onwards, zipfile is no longer password protected.
Vishal
ora sols said
a hint about the password?
wink, wink?!
Vishal Gupta said
You can use the later image versions, they dont have the password.
prakashkota said
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Umesh said
It’s very nice explanation Vishal, I have also written an Article about What is Exadata, Exadata components and it’s features for DBA’s at
http://www.dbas-oracle.com/2013/06/What-is-Exadata-Architecture-Components-and-Main-Features-of-Exadata-Storage-Server.html
Simulador de Exadata | oraclefromguatemala said
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Vishal Gupta said
Oracle Exadataion documentation is now available online at following link – http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E50790_01/welcome.html
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sanchit said
Hi Viishal ,
Really a good blog , just wanted one information , I have managed to install Exadata Cell software on my Machine with 3 cell servers , Can I use that machine for training purpose …