SharePlex 11.3 - Installation and Setup Guide

Overview of SharePlex Setup on Cloud

SharePlex supports databases installed as services of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. To view the cloud databases that SharePlex supports, refer to the Supported Cloud Platforms section in the SharePlex Release Notes document for the respective databases.

There are some differences in the way that SharePlex installs in an IaaS cloud environment, a PaaS cloud environment, and a SaaS cloud environment. These differences are only in the installation and configuration of SharePlex. Once installed and configured, SharePlex operates in the cloud the same way that it operates in on-premise installations.

Installation in an IaaS (accessible) environment

If your cloud database service is a true IaaS virtual computing environment, you can install and run a custom application environment, access the operating system, and manage access permissions and storage. In this environment, SharePlex is installed directly on the cloud server just as you would install it locally, without any special setup requirements.

In this environment, the following applies:

• SharePlex can capture from an Oracle source database in an IaaS cloud.

• SharePlex can Post to any supported target database in an IaaS cloud.

• You can proceed to the standard installation instructions in this manual.

  Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database

  Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Open Target Databases

Installation in a PaaS (non-accessible) environment

If your cloud database is installed in a true PaaS environment, you do not have access to the underlying operating system, and you must install SharePlex on a server that is external to the cloud deployment. You then configure SharePlex to interact with the target database through a remote connection.

SharePlex can capture data from supported sources and post it to databases in PaaS environment using remote capture and remote post capabilities.

You can install SharePlex for a PaaS source and target in one of the following ways:

• With remote post, you can use your on-premise production source server to run all of the SharePlex replication components. In this setup, both source and target replication processes (and their queues) are installed on one server. The SharePlex Post process connects through a remote connection to the target cloud database.

  For more information, see Post to PaaS cloud from the source system.

  NOTE: In a high-volume transactional environment, the buildup of data in the post queues and the presence of multiple Post processes may generate unacceptable overhead for a production system. In that case, you should use an intermediary server.

• You can use an on-premise intermediary server to run the Import and Post components (and the post queues). Post connects to the cloud target through a remote connection. This method removes most of the replication overhead from the source server. For more information, see Post to PaaS cloud from an intermediary server.

Installation in a SaaS (non-accessible) environment

If your cloud database is hosted in a true SaaS environment, you do not have access to the underlying operating system, and you must install SharePlex on a server that is external to the cloud deployment. You then configure SharePlex to interact with the source and target databases through a remote connection.

You can install SharePlex for a SaaS target in one of the following ways:

• With remote capture, you can utilize an on-premise or cloud VM intermediary server to install and configure SharePlex for running the Capture and Export processes. Capture establishes a remote connection to the source SaaS database, while Export communicates with Import and Post on the target system.

• With remote Capture and remote Post, you can employ an on-premise or cloud VM intermediary server to install and configure SharePlex. Both Capture and Post processes will run on the same server. Capture establishes a remote connection to the source SaaS database, and Post establishes a remote connection to the target SaaS database.

  Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for PostgreSQL Database as a Service.

Post to PaaS Cloud from the Source Server for Oracle

These instructions help you set up SharePlex to replicate to a target cloud database directly from the source server. All of the SharePlex processes will run on this server. In a high-volume transactional environment, this may generate unacceptable overhead on the production system. In that case, you should use an intermediary server.

See also:

Post to PaaS cloud from an intermediary server

Overview of SharePlex setup on cloud databases

Source Oracle to cloud Oracle

All steps are performed on the source server:

1. Complete the SharePlex pre-installation checklist.

2. Install SharePlex. See Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

3. Run ora_setup to establish connection information for the source Oracle database. See Database Setup for Oracle.

4. Add an entry in the local tnsnames.ora file that points to the target cloud database. This enables you to query the target database from the source server.

5. Run ora_setup to establish connection information for the target cloud database. Run the utility as the master user that was created when the service was created. This user has the required DBA privileges.

   IMPORTANT: When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter N. This directs SharePlex to use TNS to connect to the target cloud database. When prompted to specify the tns_alias, specify the one that you created for the target cloud database. When asked if the current SID will be used as a source, enter N.

6. Specify the following in the routing map of the SharePlex configuration file:

   • The name of the source host to specify the target system.

   • The ORACLE_SID of the target cloud database.

   In the following example, source1 is the source system and orcldb1 is the tns_alias of the target cloud database.

   datasource:o.orcldbprim
   #source tables	target tables	routing map
   splex.demo_src	splex.demo_dest	source1@r.orcldb1

For more information, see Configure SharePlex to replicate data in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Source Oracle to cloud Open Target

All the below steps are performed on the source server:

1. Complete the SharePlex preinstallation checklist.

2. Install SharePlex. See:

   • Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

3. Run the appropriate database setup utility for the source database. See:

   • Database Setup for Oracle.

   IMPORTANT: (Oracle setup only) When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter Y to use bequeath, unless this system is RAC. Reply Y when asked if the database or SID will be used as a source.

4. Install the appropriate ODBC client of the target cloud database.

5. Run the appropriate database setup utility for the target cloud database. See Database Setup Utilities.

6. Specify the following in the routing map of the SharePlex configuration file:

   1. the name of the source server as the target host.

   2. the name of the cloud database as the target database

For more information about how to specify configuration components, see Configure SharePlex to replicate data in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Post to PaaS Cloud from an Intermediary Server for Oracle

These instructions help you set up SharePlex to replicate to a target cloud database from an intermediary server that runs the SharePlex Import and Post components.

See also:

Post to PaaS cloud from the source server.

Overview of SharePlex setup on cloud databases.

Source Oracle to cloud Oracle

1. Complete the SharePlex preinstallation checklist.

2. On the source server, install SharePlex for the source database. See: Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

3. On the source server, run ora_setup to establish connection information for the source database. See Database Setup for Oracle.

   IMPORTANT: When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter Y, unless this system is RAC. When asked if the current SID will be used as a source, enter Y.

4. On the intermediary server, install the Oracle binaries. Do not create an Oracle instance.

5. On the intermediary server, add an entry in the oratab file that points to the local Oracle home, and create a dummy entry for the ORACLE_SID. Make certain to specify N so that the startup scripts do not attempt to start the dummy instance.

   orcldb:/u01/app/oracle/product/12.1.0/dbhome_1:N

6. On the intermediary server, add an entry in the tnsnames.ora file that points to the target cloud database.

7. On the intermediary server, install SharePlex for the target cloud database. When prompted for the ORACLE_SID, specify the tns_alias that you created for the target cloud database. See: Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

8. On the intermediary server, run ora_setup to establish connection information for the target cloud database. Run it as the master user that was created when the cloud service was created. This user has the required DBA privileges to establish connection information for the target database.

   IMPORTANT: When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter N. This directs SharePlex to use TNS to connect to the target cloud database. When prompted to specify the tns_alias, specify the one that you created for the target cloud database. When asked if the current SID will be used as a source, enter N.

9. Specify the following in the routing map of the SharePlex configuration file:

   • the name of the intermediary server as the target host.

   • the ORACLE_SID of the target cloud database.

In the following example, intermediary1 is the intermediary server and orcldb1 is the tns_alias of the target cloud database.

For more information, see Configure SharePlex to replicate data in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Source Oracle to cloud Open Target

1. Complete the SharePlex preinstallation checklist.

2. On the source server, install SharePlex for the source database. See: Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

3. On the source server, run the appropriate database setup utility for the source database. See: Database Setup for Oracle.

   IMPORTANT: (Oracle setup only) When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter Y to use bequeath, unless this system is RAC. Reply Y when asked if the database or SID will be used as a source.

4. On the intermediary server, install the appropriate ODBC client of the target cloud database.

5. On the intermediary server, install SharePlex for the target cloud database. See: Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

6. On the intermediary server, run the appropriate database setup utility for the target cloud database. See Database Setup Utilities.

   IMPORTANT: If the target is Aurora, use the mysql_setup utility. If the target is SQL Server, reply N when asked if this database will be used as a source. (All targets) Specify the full target database name when prompted for the connection string.

7. Specify the following in the routing map of the SharePlex configuration file:

   1. the name of the intermediary server as the target host.

   2. the name of the cloud database as the target database.

In the following example using a MySQL target, intermediary3 is the intermediary system and sptest3 is the target cloud database.

For more information, see Configure SharePlex to replicate data in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Installation and setup for remote capture

SharePlex can capture from an Oracle database that is running on a system other than the system where SharePlex is running.

This support covers Oracle databases running on Linux. This support applies only when SharePlex and the remote capture database are running on the same operating system type (i.e., if SharePlex is on Linux, the remote database must be on Linux).

SharePlex does not support remote capture from Oracle on RAC unless the database is running on ASM.

To set up SharePlex for remote capture:

1. Install an Oracle client on the system where SharePlex is running. No database is required on this system.
2. Set the ORACLE_HOME system variable on the SharePlex system to the Oracle client installation folder.
3. Set the ORACLE_SID to a dummy value, as a placeholder for the non-existent local database.
4. Create a tnsnames.ora file on the SharePlex system and make an entry for the remote source database. Place the file in the path specified in the TNS_ADMIN environment variable.
5. Install SharePlex on the remote system in the normal manner.

6. Run Oracle Setup on the SharePlex system according to the directions in Database setup for Oracle.

   • Reply NO to "Will SharePlex install be using a BEQUEATH connection?"
   • Reply NO to "Are you setting up SharePlex for an RDS database?"
   • Reply YES to "Will the current setup for sid: SID be used as a source (including cases as source for failover or primary-primary setups)?"
7. Complete all other installation and setup tasks according to this document.
8. After setup is complete, start sp_cop and sp_ctrl.
9. Set the SP_OCT_OLOG_USE_OCI parameter to 1 to enable it. When capturing from a remote database, Capture must read the redo logs through OCI calls because it does not have access to the log files on disk.
10. See the SharePlex Administration Guide for help with configuring and starting replication.