SharePlex 8.6.6 - Installation Guide

Overview of SharePlex Setup on Amazon Cloud

SharePlex supports delivery to an Oracle database running on Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) and Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (E2), both services of Amazon Web Services (AWS). There are some differences between these two environments in the way that you install and configure SharePlex. The following explains these differences.

SharePlex with EC2

The Amazon EC2 service gives its customers access to the operating system and control over storage. It is a true virtual computing environment, including the ability to install and run a custom application environment and manage access permissions. Therefore, in the EC2 environment, you can install and configure SharePlex in the normal manner, just as you would do it on a local server.

You can deploy SharePlex on EC2 as a source, a target, or both. No special setup is needed. Just review the preinstallation storage recommendations in Amazon cloud services checklist. Then, follow the directions in this documentation to install and set up SharePlex for your database, treating the EC2 database as if it were a local database.

SharePlex with RDS

For the most part, SharePlex operates with RDS in the same way that it operates in any other database environment. However, because the RDS service does not allow subscribers to access the operating system level of their deployments, SharePlex cannot be installed on the RDS server. This means that SharePlex cannot be configured to capture from the RDS database, but you can use SharePlex to replicate to a database on RDS as a target.

To replicate data to a target on RDS, you install SharePlex on a server that is external to the Amazon cloud deployment. You then configure the connection setup so that SharePlex can interact with the target database through a TNS connection. The rest of the instructions in this chapter guide you through the steps that enable SharePlex to work with a target on RDS.

Setup Steps for SharePlex on Amazon RDS

You can install SharePlex to connect to a database in an RDS cloud in either of these ways:

• Method 1: Source server is the source and target:

  Use the on-premise source server to run both the source and target SharePlex components. In this setup, all of the SharePlex replication processes, including the Post processes, and all of the SharePlex queues exist on the source server. SharePlex connects through TNS to the RDS database. 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 intermediate server.

• Method 2: Intermediate server is the target:

  Use an on-premise intermediate server as the target component. In this setup, only the Capture, Read, and Export processes, with the export queue, run on the source server (the same as they do in non-cloud installations). The Post process and post queues run on the intermediate server and connect through TNS to the RDS database. This method removes most of the replication overhead from the source server.

Method 1: Source server is the source and target

These steps are all performed on the source system.

1. Complete the preinstallation items in the preinstallation checklist. For more information, see SharePlex preinstallation checklist.
2. Install SharePlex. For more information, see Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

3. Run Database Setup (ora_setup) to establish connection information for the source database. Do the following:

   • When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter Y to use bequeath, unless this system is RAC.
   • When asked if the current SID will be used as a source, enter Y.
4. Add an entry in the local tnsnames.ora file for the RDS database. This enables you to query the RDS database from the source server.

5. Run Database Setup again to establish connection information for the RDS database. Do the following:

   • When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter N. This directs SharePlex to use TNS.
   • When prompted to specify the tns_alias, specify the one you created for the RDS database.

To specify the target in the configuration file

Specify the following in the routing map:

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

  Note: This differs from the usual target requirement, which is to specify the target system.

• the ORACLE_SID of the target RDS database.

In the following example, spsrc2 is the source system and orcldb is the RDS database.

For more information, see How to create a configuration file in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Method 2: Intermediate server is the target

These steps are performed on either the source and intermediate server, as indicated in the steps.

1. Complete the preinstallation items in the preinstallation checklist. For more information, see SharePlex preinstallation checklist.
2. On the intermediate server, install the Oracle binaries. Do not create an Oracle instance.

3. On the intermediate server, add an entry in the oratab file that points to the local Oracle home and create a dummy entry for the ORACLE_SID. SharePlex reads this file to locate the Oracle binaries. Make certain to specify N so that the startup scripts do not attempt to start up the dummy instance.

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

4. On the intermediate server, add an entry in the tnsnames.orafile for the RDS database.
5. On the source and intermediate servers, install SharePlex.For more information, see Install SharePlex on Linux/Unix for Oracle Database.

6. On the source, run Database Setup (ora_setup) to establish connection information for the source database. Do the following:

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

7. On the intermediary server, run Database Setup to establish connection information for the RDS database. Do the following:

   • When asked whether this is a bequeath connection, enter N. This directs SharePlex to use TNS to connect to the database.
   • When prompted to specify the tns_alias, specify the one you created for the RDS database.
   • When asked if this will be used as a source, enter N since this is the connection to the target.

To specify the target in the configuration file

Specify the following in the routing map:

• the name of the intermediate host to specify the target system.

  Note: This differs from the usual target requirement, which is to specify the target system.

• the ORACLE_SID of the RDS database.

In the following example, sptest2 is the intermediate system and orcldb is the RDS database.

For more information, see How to create a configuration file in the SharePlex Administration Guide.

Download SharePlex

Contents

Where to get SharePlex installers

Download the SharePlex installation package that matches the database version and operating system you are using.

Additionally, download any SharePlex patches, so that you can install them after you install the base software.

1. Go to the Quest Software Support page: http://support.quest.com/

2. Click Download Software.

3. In the search box, type SharePlex and press Go.

4. Click the arrow in the Download column for the version you need. You can also click the file name for access to more information and to download the file(s).

5. Transfer the file to system where you are installing SharePlex.

6. You are ready to begin the installation process. Be sure to thoroughly read the version specific Release Notes prior to running the installer.