2
Pre-Installation

After you have verified that your system meets the requirements described in Chapter 1, "System Requirements", use this chapter to help you prepare your system for installing Oracle8i,

• Alpha OpenVMS System Configuration

• Setup Tasks to Perform as the SYSTEM User

• Setup Tasks to Perform as the oracle User

Alpha OpenVMS System Configuration

Table 2-1 summarizes the requirements for installing Oracle8i on your OpenVMS system. If your system fails to satisfy any listed requirement, perform the tasks listed in next section as necessary to configure your system to meet these requirements.

Table 2-1 Alpha OpenVMS System Configuration Summary

System Factors	Requirement for Oracle8i
Alpha OpenVMS Parameters: Minimum Global Pages/ sections	Verify that the values for MIN_GBLPAGES and MIN_GBLSECTIONS are greater than or equal to the values calculated for these parameters as documented in READMEVMS.DOC.
OpenVMS Groups for Oracle Roles	An OpenVMS group is required for the OSDBA role. This book assumes that the group is named dba. The OSOPER role may belong to the same group as the OSDBA or to a different group.
OpenVMS Accounts	An OpenVMS account that is dedicated solely to installing and upgrading Oracle products. This book assumes the account is called oracle8.
Permissions for File Creation	Set for the oracle8 account.

Setup Tasks to Perform as the SYSTEM User

Log in as the system user and perform the following tasks to set up your environment for Oracle8i:

Create a OpenVMS Account to Own Oracle Software

Note: In addition to these setup tasks, you will need privileges near the start of the installation if the file does not exist.

Create a OpenVMS Account to Own Oracle Software

The oracle8 account is the OpenVMS user account that owns the Oracle8i software after installation. Run Oracle Universal Installer with this user account.

Use the AUTHORIZE utility to create an oracle8 account with the following properties:

Table 2-2 Properties of the oracle8 Account

Login Name	Any name, but this document refers to it as the oracle8 account.
UIC	The group UIC number greater than MAXSYSGROUP.
Home Directory	Choose a home directory consistent with other user home directories. The home directory of the oracle8 account does not have to be the same as the ORA_ROOT directory.

Note: Use the oracle8 account only for installing and maintaining Oracle software. Never use it for purposes unrelated to the Oracle8i Server. Do not use SYSTEM as the oracle8 account.

Sites with multiple ORA_ROOTs on one system may install Oracle software with the same oracle8 account, or separate ones. Each oracle8 account must have the same group UIC.

Setup Tasks to Perform as the oracle User

Log in to the oracle8 account and perform the following tasks as necessary:

Set Permissions for File Creation

Set Logicals

Update the Environment for Current Session

Set Permissions for File Creation

Set default file protections for the oracle8 account to ensure group and other have read and execute permissions, but not write permission, on files installed.

1. Enter the $SHOW PROTECTION command to check the current setting.

2. If the $SHOW PROTECTION command does not show the expected protection, set protection in the login.com of the oracle8 as follows:

   $ SET PROTECTION=(s:RWE, o:RWE, g:RE, w:RE)/default
   

Set Logicals

Before starting the Oracle Universal Installer, set logical names and any of the other variables as appropriate. Table 2-3, "Logical Name Summary", provides a brief summary of the logicals listed in this section. Refer to each logical's entry in this section for instructions on setting the logical correctly.

Note: If an Oracle Server already exists on your system, its settings may have a bearing on the settings that you choose for the new environment.

Table 2-3 Logical Name Summary

Logical Name	Description and Example Setting	Required?
DECW$DISPLAY	The the name, server number, and screen number of the system where the Oracle Universal Installer will display. Refer to the following paragraph for correct command.	If using OUI Yes

DECW$DISPLAY

On the system where you will run Oracle Universal Installer, use the following SET DISPLAY command to set the system name or IP address, X server and screen used by your workstation:

$SET DISPLAY/CREATE/TRANSPORT=TCPIP/NODE=<nodename> 

where nodename is the name or the IP address of the display server. This sets the logical DECW$DISPLAY.

Do not use the hostname or IP address of the system where the software is being installed unless you are performing the installation from that system's X-windows console. Use the machine name or IP of your own workstation if you are installing from a remote system. If you are not sure what the X server and screen should be set to, use 0 (zero) for both. The logical DECW$DISPLAY can be defined in LOGIN.COM.

Update the Environment for Current Session

With a text editor, add the settings for the environment logicals listed in "Set Logicals" to the LOGIN.COM file of the oracle8 account. Once you have finished editing these initialization files, you can quickly update the environment in the current session before beginning installation by using the appropriate DCL command.

$@SYS$LOGIN:LOGIN.COM