Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 8 Using VirtualBox and Vagrant

Introduction

Setting up a Real Application Clusters (RAC) environment has traditionally required expensive shared storage—typically a SAN or high-end NAS device. This cost barrier prevents many people from gaining hands-on RAC experience.

This article describes a "hands-off" installation of Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 8 using VirtualBox and Vagrant, with no additional shared disk devices required. By using virtualization, you can run multiple Virtual Machines (VMs) on a single server and configure shared virtual disks—eliminating the need for expensive physical shared storage.

Note: This article uses the 64-bit versions of Oracle Linux and Oracle 19c. The entire build is automated through Vagrant scripts, so there is no GUI installation. For an explanation of why GUI installations are no longer covered, refer to the original article's note on this topic.

Important Considerations

Before you begin, be aware of the following:

Consideration	Details
Resource Requirements	The finished system includes the host OS, three guest OSes, two sets of Oracle Grid Infrastructure (Clusterware + ASM), and two database instances—all on a single machine
Memory	Each RAC node VM needs at least 6 GB RAM (10 GB recommended, but still slow)
Not for Small Machines	Don't assume this will run on a small PC or laptop—it won't
Bare Bones Installation	No redundancy in the Grid Infrastructure or ASM installation
Not Production-Ready	This is for learning and experimentation only
DNS Required	Needed to support the SCAN listener
Time Required	The build takes over 3 hours to complete (possibly longer)
Disk Performance	Splitting virtual disks across different physical disks improves performance

Overview of the Build Process

Phase	Activity	Description
1	Required Software	Install VirtualBox, Vagrant, Git; download Oracle software
2	Clone Repository	Clone the Vagrant repository from GitHub
3	Amend File Paths	Configure the shared disk paths in `vagrant.yml`
4	Build the RAC	Start DNS, node2, then node1
5	Turn Off RAC	Cleanly halt the VMs
6	Remove Whole RAC	Destroy all VMs and associated files

Phase 1: Required Software

Download and install the following on your PC:

Software	Purpose
VirtualBox	Virtualization platform
Vagrant	Automation tool for building VMs
Git Client	To clone the vagrant repository

You will also need to download the following Oracle software (requires an Oracle Support account):

Software	File Name
Grid Infrastructure	`LINUX.X64_193000_grid_home.zip`
Database	`LINUX.X64_193000_db_home.zip`
Combo Patch	`p30783556_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip` (OJVM RU + GI RU 19.7)
OPatch	`p6880880_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip`

Note: The 19.7 Release Update (RU) is required because it includes fixes for running Oracle 19c RAC on OL8.2. Without it, you may encounter issues with passwordless SSH and SCP.

Phase 2: Clone Repository

Choose a Base Directory:
- Pick an area on your PC file system to act as the base for the Git repository

Clone the Repository:

git clone https://github.com/oraclebase/vagrant.git

Copy the Oracle Software:
- Copy the downloaded Oracle software under the ..../software/ directory

Verify the Directory Structure:

From the rac/ol8_19 subdirectory, the structure should look like this:

.
+--- config
|   +--- install.env
|   +--- vagrant.yml
+--- dns
|   +--- scripts
|   |   +--- root_setup.sh
|   |   +--- setup.sh
|   +--- Vagrantfile
+--- node1
|   +--- scripts
|   |   +--- oracle_create_database.sh
|   |   +--- oracle_db_software_installation.sh
|   |   +--- oracle_grid_software_config.sh
|   |   +--- oracle_grid_software_installation.sh
|   |   +--- oracle_user_environment_setup.sh
|   |   +--- root_setup.sh
|   |   +--- setup.sh
|   +--- Vagrantfile
+--- node2
|   +--- scripts
|   |   +--- oracle_user_environment_setup.sh
|   |   +--- root_setup.sh
|   |   +--- setup.sh
|   +--- Vagrantfile
+--- README.md
+--- shared_scripts
|   +--- configure_chrony.sh
|   +--- configure_hosts_base.sh
|   +--- configure_hosts_scan.sh
|   +--- configure_shared_disks.sh
|   +--- install_os_packages.sh
|   +--- oracle_software_patch.sh
|   +--- prepare_u01_disk.sh
+--- software
|   +--- LINUX.X64_193000_db_home.zip
|   +--- LINUX.X64_193000_grid_home.zip
|   +--- p6880880_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip
|   +--- p30783556_190000_Linux-x86-64.zip
|   +--- put_software_here.txt

⚠️ Important (Windows Users): When you clone the repository on Windows, ensure the line terminators are preserved. All .sh scripts run inside the Linux VMs and need UNIX-style line terminators. If your Git client converts files to Windows-style line terminators, the scripts will fail when called from Linux.

Phase 3: Amend File Paths

The config directory contains two files that hold all the configuration for the build:

install.env — Environment variables
vagrant.yml — VM and disk configuration

At minimum, you must amend the shared disk paths in vagrant.yml to provide suitable paths on your PC.

Default Paths (Linux/macOS Style)

asm_crs_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol8_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_1.vdi
asm_crs_disk_2: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol8_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_2.vdi
asm_crs_disk_3: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol8_19_rac/asm_crs_disk_3.vdi
asm_crs_disk_size: 2
asm_data_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol8_19_rac/asm_data_disk_1.vdi
asm_data_disk_size: 40
asm_reco_disk_1: /u05/VirtualBox/shared/ol8_19_rac/asm_reco_disk_1.vdi
asm_reco_disk_size: 20

Example Windows Paths

For a Windows PC, you might create a path like C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac and use:

asm_crs_disk_1: C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_1.vdi
asm_crs_disk_2: C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_2.vdi
asm_crs_disk_3: C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac\asm_crs_disk_3.vdi
asm_crs_disk_size: 2
asm_data_disk_1: C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac\asm_data_disk_1.vdi
asm_data_disk_size: 40
asm_reco_disk_1: C:\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac\asm_reco_disk_1.vdi
asm_reco_disk_size: 20

Note: If you don't alter the paths, they will default to C:\u05\VirtualBox\shared\ol8_19_rac.

Phase 4: Build the RAC

The following commands will leave you with a functioning RAC installation.

Step 1: Start the DNS Server

cd dns
vagrant up

Note: The DNS server VM takes about 2 minutes to build.

Step 2: Start the Second Node

cd ../node2
vagrant up

Important: Node 2 must be running before you start node 1. This VM takes about 5 minutes to build.

Step 3: Start the First Node

cd ../node1
vagrant up

Note: Node 1 performs all installation operations. Depending on the host system spec, this could take a long time — about 1.5 hours on one server, but potentially 3.5 hours or more.

Phase 5: Turn Off RAC

To cleanly shut down the RAC environment:

cd node2
vagrant halt

cd ../node1
vagrant halt

cd ../dns
vagrant halt

Phase 6: Remove Whole RAC

To destroy all VMs and associated files (so you can run the process again):

cd node2
vagrant destroy -f

cd ../node1
vagrant destroy -f

cd ../dns
vagrant destroy -f

Description of the Build

All parameters for the build come from two files: vagrant.yml and install.env.

DNS Server Build

The DNS server build is simple and takes about 2 minutes.

VM Characteristics:

Attribute	Value
OS	Oracle Linux 8.2
VM Name	`ol8_19_dns`
CPUs	1
RAM	1 GB
NIC 1	NAT Network
NIC 2	`192.168.56.100` (public network)
Disk 1	Box disk with OS pre-installed

What root_setup.sh Does:

Sources install.env for environment variables
Gets the latest Yum repository file
Adds entries to /etc/hosts for public, private, and virtual IPs of each RAC node, plus SCAN IPs
Installs and enables Dnsmasq — presents the /etc/hosts contents as a DNS server (simpler than BIND)

Important: If you have any problems with the DNS build, do not continue with the RAC nodes until you fix them.

RAC Node 2 Build

Node 2 performs no installation actions — it just prepares the OS. This VM takes about 5 minutes to build.

VM Characteristics:

Attribute	Value
OS	Oracle Linux 8.2
VM Name	`ol8_19_rac2`
CPUs	4
RAM	6144 MB
NIC 1	NAT Network
NIC 2	`192.168.56.102` (public network)
NIC 3	`192.168.1.102` (private network)
Disk 1	Box disk with OS pre-installed
Disk 2	Local disk for `/u01` mount point
Disk 3-5	CRS disks 1-3
Disk 6	DATA disk
Disk 7	RECO disk

What root_setup.sh Does:

Sources install.env
Runs prepare_u01_disk.sh — partitions /dev/sdb, creates a file system, adds to /etc/fstab, and mounts
Runs install_os_packages.sh — configures Yum repos and installs OS packages (including oracle-database-preinstall-19c)
Sets passwords for root and oracle users
Runs configure_hosts_base.sh — adds public, private, and virtual addresses to /etc/hosts
Configures /etc/resolv.conf to point to the DNS server VM
Runs configure_chrony.sh — configures Chrony for NTP
Runs configure_shared_disks.sh — configures UDEV for ASM shared disks
Sets the hostname
Runs oracle_user_environment_setup.sh — creates environment scripts, GRID_HOME and DB_HOME directories, and partially prepares passwordless SSH
Partially prepares passwordless SSH for the root user (completed by node 1)

Important: If you have any problems with the node 2 build, do not continue with node 1 until you fix them.

RAC Node 1 Build

Node 1 performs all software installation and configuration actions. The DNS and node 2 VMs must be running before starting this node. This VM takes about 1.5 hours to build.

VM Characteristics:

Attribute	Value
OS	Oracle Linux 8.2
VM Name	`ol8_19_rac1`
CPUs	2
RAM	7168 MB
NIC 1	NAT Network
NIC 2	`192.168.56.101` (public network)
NIC 3	`192.168.1.101` (private network)
Disk 1	Box disk with OS pre-installed
Disk 2	Local disk for `/u01` mount point
Disk 3-5	CRS disks 1-3
Disk 6	DATA disk
Disk 7	RECO disk

What root_setup.sh Does (in addition to node 2 steps):

Completes passwordless SSH for oracle and root users using sshpass and ssh-copy-id
Installs the cvuqdisk package on both nodes
Runs oracle_grid_software_installation.sh — silent Grid Infrastructure installation
Runs orainstRoot.sh on node 1, then node 2
Runs root.sh on node 1, then node 2
Runs oracle_grid_software_config.sh — silent Grid Infrastructure configuration and cluster status
Runs oracle_db_software_installation.sh — silent database software installation
Runs root.sh on node 1, then node 2
Applies the OJVM Patch on both nodes
Runs oracle_create_database.sh — silent database creation using DBCA

Result: Once vagrant up completes, you have a fully configured and running 2-node RAC.

The Complete Build Flow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. REQUIRED SOFTWARE                                           │
│     VirtualBox, Vagrant, Git client                             │
│     Download Grid, DB, Combo Patch, OPatch                      │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  2. CLONE REPOSITORY                                            │
│     git clone https://github.com/oraclebase/vagrant.git         │
│     Copy Oracle software to the software/ directory             │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  3. AMEND FILE PATHS                                            │
│     Configure shared disk paths in vagrant.yml                  │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  4. BUILD THE RAC                                               │
│     cd dns && vagrant up          (2 minutes)                   │
│     cd ../node2 && vagrant up     (5 minutes)                   │
│     cd ../node1 && vagrant up     (1.5 - 3.5 hours)             │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  5. TURN OFF RAC                                                │
│     vagrant halt (node2, node1, dns)                            │
└──────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                           │
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  6. REMOVE WHOLE RAC                                            │
│     vagrant destroy -f (node2, node1, dns)                      │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Extra Notes

The 19.7 RU Requirement

The 19.7 Release Update (RU) is required because it includes fixes for running Oracle 19c RAC on OL8.2. Without it, you may encounter:

Passwordless SSH Issue: An incompatibility between the way the 19.3 GI installer tests for passwordless SSH and how SCP works on OL8.2
OS Certification Issue: The 19.3 software was released before OL8 was certified

Workaround for Passwordless SSH (If Not Applying the RU)

On each RAC node:

# Before the installation
mv /usr/bin/scp /usr/bin/scp.orig
echo "/usr/bin/scp.orig -T \$*" > /usr/bin/scp
chmod 555 /usr/bin/scp

# After the installation
#mv /usr/bin/scp.orig /usr/bin/scp

Workaround for OS Certification (If Not Applying the RU)

export CV_ASSUME_DISTID=OEL7.6

Note: These workarounds are not necessary if you apply the patches as part of the installations using the -applyRU parameter.

Best Practices

Practice	Description
Ensure Sufficient Resources	Allocate at least 6 GB RAM per RAC node
Use Separate Physical Disks	Split virtual disks across physical disks for better performance
Use DNS for SCAN	Required for SCAN listener functionality
Apply the 19.7 RU	Avoids SSH and SCP issues on OL8.2
Monitor Build Progress	The build takes hours—be patient and monitor logs
Verify Each Phase	Don't continue if DNS or node2 builds fail
Use Version Control	Keep your `vagrant.yml` and `install.env` in version control
Document Customizations	Record any changes to the default configuration

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Scripts fail on Linux	Windows line terminators	Configure Git to preserve UNIX line terminators
DNS build fails	Wrong IP configuration	Verify `vagrant.yml` and `install.env`
Node 2 build fails	Disk path issues	Verify the shared disk paths in `vagrant.yml`
Node 1 build fails	DNS or node 2 not running	Ensure DNS and node 2 are up before node 1
SSH passwordless fails	SCP incompatibility on OL8.2	Apply the 19.7 RU or use the SCP workaround
GI installer fails	OS not certified	Use `CV_ASSUME_DISTID=OEL7.6`
Insufficient memory	Not enough RAM	Allocate at least 6 GB per node
Slow performance	Disk speed limitations	Use SSDs or split disks across physical disks

Summary

Setting up Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 8 using VirtualBox and Vagrant involves the following key phases:

Required Software: Install VirtualBox, Vagrant, Git, and download Oracle software
Clone Repository: Clone the Vagrant repository and copy Oracle software
Amend File Paths: Configure shared disk paths in vagrant.yml
Build the RAC: Start DNS, node2, then node1 (in that order)
Turn Off RAC: Cleanly halt the VMs
Remove Whole RAC: Destroy all VMs and files

Key Points to Remember

Shared storage is faked using VirtualBox shared virtual disks
DNS is required for SCAN listener support (Dnsmasq is used)
Node 2 must run before node 1 — node 2 prepares the OS, node 1 installs
The 19.7 RU is required for OL8.2 compatibility
The build takes over 3 hours — be patient
At least 6 GB RAM per node is required
This is not production-ready — it's for learning and experimentation
Workarounds exist for SSH/SCP and OS certification issues

Why This Matters

This hands-off RAC installation is significant because it:

Removes the Cost Barrier: Eliminates the need for expensive shared storage
Enables Learning: Allows anyone to gain hands-on RAC experience
Automates Setup: Uses Vagrant for a repeatable, hands-off installation
Saves Time: Automates hours of manual installation steps
Builds Confidence: Provides a safe environment to experiment with RAC
Demonstrates Best Practices: Shows how to build RAC using silent installations

By following this guide, you can set up a fully functional 2-node Oracle 19c RAC environment on a single machine, providing an excellent platform for learning, testing, and experimentation.

References

Oracle Database Documentation: Oracle Real Application Clusters Installation Guide
Oracle Database Documentation: Grid Infrastructure Installation Guide
My Oracle Support: Doc ID 2555697.1 (SSH/SCP Workaround)
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/oraclebase/vagrant.git
Related Articles: Vagrant Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) Build, All RAC Articles, Silent Installation and Configuration: All Articles

Oracle Apps/DBA

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7b. Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 8 Using VirtualBox and Vagrant

Oracle Database 19c RAC on Oracle Linux 8 Using VirtualBox and Vagrant

Introduction

Important Considerations

Overview of the Build Process

Phase 1: Required Software

Phase 2: Clone Repository

Phase 3: Amend File Paths

Default Paths (Linux/macOS Style)

Example Windows Paths

Phase 4: Build the RAC

Step 1: Start the DNS Server

Step 2: Start the Second Node

Step 3: Start the First Node

Phase 5: Turn Off RAC

Phase 6: Remove Whole RAC

Description of the Build

DNS Server Build

RAC Node 2 Build

RAC Node 1 Build

The Complete Build Flow

Extra Notes

The 19.7 RU Requirement

Workaround for Passwordless SSH (If Not Applying the RU)

Workaround for OS Certification (If Not Applying the RU)

Best Practices

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Summary

Key Points to Remember

Why This Matters

References

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