Physical Standby Switchover

A switchover is a role reversal between the primary database

and one of its standby databases. A switchover operation
guarantees no data loss. This is typically done for planned
maintenance of the primary system. During a switchover, the
primary database transitions to a standby role and the
standby database transitions to the primary role. The
transition occurs without having to re-create either
database.
By contrast, a failover is an irreversible transition of a
standby database to the primary role. This is only done in
the event of a catastrophic failure of the primary database.

Before starting a switchover operation:

1.Verify that both the primary and standby init.ora support

role transition. Oracle recommends that you maintain a
single init.ora for both the primary and the standby.
standby.
Each init.ora should have all the parameters that are
needed to support either the standby or primary
primary role.
An example of the primary init.ora follows:
### Primary database primary role parameterr ###
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1='LOCATION=/database/oracle/920DG/pr
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1='LOCATION=/database/oracle/920DG/primar
imar
y/arch' LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_2='SERVICE=920DG_hasunclu2'
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_1=ENABLE
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_2=ENABLE
LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT=%d_%t_%s.arc
### Primary database standby role parameters ###
FAL_SERVER=920DG_hasunclu2
FAL_CLIENT=920DG_hasunclu1
DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=('/standby','/primary')
LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=('/standby','/primary')
STANDBY_AR
STANDBY_ARCHIVE_DEST=/dat
CHIVE_DEST=/database/oracle/920DG/arch
abase/oracle/920DG/arch
STANDBY_FILE_MANAGEMENT=AUTO

An example of a standby init.ora follows:

### Standby database standby role parameters ###
FAL_SERVER=920DG_hasunclu1
 FAL_CLIENT=920DG_hasunclu2
DB_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=("/primary","/standby")
LOG_FILE_NAME_CONVERT=("/primary","/standby")
STANDBY_AR
STANDBY_ARCHIVE_DEST=/dat
CHIVE_DEST=/database/oracle/920DG/standby/ar
abase/oracle/920DG/standby/arch
ch
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1='LOCATION=/database/oracle/920DG/s
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_1='LOCATION=/database/oracle/920DG/standb
tandb
y/arch' LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_1=ENABLE
LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT=%d_%t_%s.arc
STANDBY_FILE_MANAGEMENT=AUTO

### Standby database primary role parameters ###

LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_2='SERVICE=920DG_hasunclu1'
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_2=DEFER

With the initialization parameters on both the primary

and standby databases set as described above, the only
parameter
parameter that needs to change after a role transition
is the LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_2 parameter. Change this
parameter to ENABLED on the database that assumes the
primary role.

2.Verify that there is network connectivity between the

primary and standby locations.

3.Each location in the Data Guard configuration should have

connectivity through Oracle Net to the primary database
and to all associated standby databases.

4.Verify that there are no active users connected to the

databases.

5.Verify that all but one primary instance and one standby
instance in a Real Application Clusters configuration are
shut down.

6.For a Real Application Clusters database, only one primary

instance and one standby instance can perform the
switchover operation. Shut down all other instances before
the switchover operation.

7. For switchover operations involving a

, the primary database instance is open and the
 standby database instance is mounted.

8. The standby database that you plan to transition to the

primary role must be mounted before you begin the
switchover
switch over operation.
operati on. Ideally,
Ideally, the physical standby
database will also be actively recovering archived redo
logs when the database roles are switched. If the physical
standby database is open for read-only access, the
switchover operation still will take place, but will
require additional time.

9.For switchover operations involving a l

, both the primary and standby database instances
are open.

10.Place the standby database that will become the new

primary database in ARCHIVELOG mode.

11.Remove any redo data application delay in effect on the

standby database.

Steps to perform switchover with Physical Standby

databases

Verify that it is possible to perform a switchover

operation. On the primary query
quer y the switchover_status
column of v$database to verify that switchover to
standby is possible.

SWITCHOVER_STATUS TO STANDBY

In order to perform a switchover all sessions to the

database need to be disconnected. In version 901 this was
a manual process. In version 9.2.0 this process has been
automated
automated with the with session shutdown clause that has
been added to the alter database commit to switchover
command. If SWITCHOVER_S
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
TATUS returns SESSIONS ACTIVE
then you should either disconnect all sessions manually
manually
or when performing
performing step 2 you should append the with
session shutdown clause.

For example:
>

Note that the clause also works with the switchover to

primary command.

The column of can have the

following values:
NOT ALLOWED - Either this is a standby database and the
primary database has not been switched first,
first, or this is
a primary database and there are no standby databases.

SESSIONS ACTIVE - Indicates that there are active SQL

sessions attached to the primary or standby database
that need to be disconnected
disconnected before
before the switchover
operation is permitted.

SWITCHOVER PENDING - This is a standby database and the

primary database switchover request has been received
but not processed.

SWITCHOVER LATENT - The switchover was in pending mode, but

did not complete and went back to the primary database.

TO PRIMARY - This is a standby database, with no active

sessions, that is allowed to
to switch over to a pr
primary
imary
database.

TO STANDBY - This is a primary database, with no active

sessions, that is allowed to switch over to a standby
database.

RECOVERY NEEDED - This is a standby database that has not

received the switchover request.

During normal operations it is acceptable to see the

following values for SWITCHOVER_STATUS on the primary to
be SESSIONS ACTIVE or TO STANDBY. During normal operations
on the standby it is acceptable to see the values of NOT
ALLOWED or SESSIONS ACTIVE.

Convert the primary database to the new standby:

Database altered.

. Shutdown the former primary and mount as a standby

database:

ORA-01507
ORA-01507: database
databas e not mounted ORACLE instance shut
down.

startup nomount
ORACLE instance started.

Defer the remote archive destination on the old

primary:
>alter system set log_archive_dest_state_2=defer;

Verify that the physical standby can be converted to

the new primary:
> select switchover_status from v$database;
SWITCHOVER_STATUS
SWITCHOVER PENDING
Note that if the status returns SESSIONS ACTIVE then you
should append the with session shutdown
shutdown clause to
to the
command in step 6.

Convert the physical standby to the new primary:

>
Database altered.
If you are on verion 9.0.1 then you should first cancel
managed recovery prior to issuing the above command. If
you are on 9.2.0 and have started managed recovery with
the "through all switchover" clause then you should also
cancel managed recovery before
before issuing the above
command.

. Shutdown and startup the new primary:

> s
ORA-01507: database not mounted ORACLE instance shut down.
>
ORACLE instance started.
Database mounted.
Database opened.

Enable remote archiving on the new primary to the new

standby:
>alter system set log_archive_dest_state_2=enable;

Start managed recover on the new standby database:

> recover managed standby database disconnect;
Media recovery complete.