Steps to Shutdown/Start RAC Database

1. Shutdown Oracle Home process accessing database.
2. Shutdown RAC Database Instances on all nodes.
3. Shutdown All ASM instances from all nodes.
4. Shutdown Node applications running on nodes.
5. Shut down the Oracle Cluster ware or CRS.

Starting steps are from 5 to 1(means which stopped last should be started 1st).

1. Shutdown Oracle Home process accessing database: There could be oracle and non-oracle application which access database, So first step is to stop all the applications or DBA should inform application owner and he should stop all applications accessing Database. DBA should also stop Oracle application like Enterprise Manager Grid Control and Database Listener which access database for monitoring and database connections.

[oracle@database ~]$ emctl stop dbconsole

Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Database Control Release 11.2.0.2.0

Copyright (c) 1996, 2010 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

https://database.example.com:5500/em/console/aboutApplication

Stopping Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Database Control ...

 ...  Stopped.

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl stop listener -n skumar1

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl status listener -n skumar1

Listener LISTENER is enabled on node(s): skumar1

Listener LISTENER is not running on node(s): skumar1

2. Shutdown RAC Database Instances on all nodes: Suppose DBA has two node RAC database, So he has to stop all instances from all DB nodes. Here, I am taking anexample of two node RAC. First, I am checking on which server database is running and then stopping and verify for the same.

Syntax: srvctl stop database -d {databasename}

[oracle@skumar2 ~]$ srvctl status database -d oradb

Instance oradb1 is running on node skumar1

Instance oradb2 is running on node skumar2

[oracle@skumar2 ~]$ srvctl stop database -d oradb

[oracle@skumar2 ~]$ srvctl status database -d oradb

Instance oradb1 is not running on node skumar1

Instance oradb2 is not running on node skumar2

We just need to execute one command from any one of the server having database and it will stop all database instances on all servers. If you have more than one database configured on Nodes, then Database Administrator has to execute this command for each database.

3. Shutdown All ASM instances from all nodes: Next DBA has to shut down an ASM instance which are used to acess database, enter the following command, where node is the 
name of the node where the ASM instance is running

Syntax: srvctl stop asm -n {node}

[grid@skumar2 oracle]# srvctl stop asm -n skumar1 -f

[grid@skumar2 oracle]# srvctl stop asm -n skumar2 -f

[grid@skumar2 oracle]# srvctl status asm -n skumar1

ASM is not running on skumar1

[grid@skumar2 oracle]# srvctl status asm -n skumar2

ASM is not running on skumar2

Sometimes, Database administrator face some issues in stopping ASM instance, In that case use "-f" option to forcefully shutdown ASM instances.

4.Shutdown Node applications running on nodes: To stop node applicationsrunning on a node, enter the following command, where node is the name of the node where theapplications are running

[grid@skumar2 oracle]#  srvctl stop nodeapps -n skumar1 -f

[grid@skumar2 oracle]# srvctl status nodeapps -n skumar1

VIP skumar1-vip is enabled

VIP skumar1-vip is running on node: skumar1

Network is enabled

Network is running on node: skumar1

GSD is disabled

GSD is not running on node: skumar1

ONS is enabled

ONS daemon is running on node: skumar1

Repeat same command for all nodes one by one. If you face any issue in stopping nodeapplications use "-f" as force option to stop applications.

5. Shut down the Oracle Clusterware or CRS: In this command all CRS related process will be stopped. This is the only command which needs to be executed by "root" user on all database nodes.

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl check cluster -all

**************************************************************

skumar1:

CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

*************************************************************

skumar2:

CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

**************************************************************

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl stop crs

CRS-2791: Starting shutdown of Oracle High Availability Services-managed resources on 'skumar1'

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.crsd' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2790: Starting shutdown of Cluster Ready Services-managed resources on 'skumar1'

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.LISTENER_SCAN2.lsnr' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.LISTENER.lsnr' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.LISTENER_SCAN3.lsnr' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.skumar2.vip' on 'skumar1'

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

CRS-2677: Stop of 'ora.cssd' on 'skumar1' succeeded

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.gipcd' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2677: Stop of 'ora.gipcd' on 'skumar1' succeeded

CRS-2673: Attempting to stop 'ora.gpnpd' on 'skumar1'

CRS-2677: Stop of 'ora.gpnpd' on 'skumar1' succeeded

CRS-2793: Shutdown of Oracle High Availability Services-managed resources on 'skumar1' has completed

CRS-4133: Oracle High Availability Services has been stopped.

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl check cluster -all

CRS-4639: Could not contact Oracle High Availability Services

CRS-4000: Command Check failed, or completed with errors.

DBA can see Now RAC is completely down. Now you can move ahead with your patching, maintenance activity.  Next let's see how to start Oracle RAC cluster database.

Steps to start RAC Database ?

In Starting Real Application Clusters Database, We will also follow a set of sequence. The order will be just opposite to Shutting down the Real Application Clusters Database.

1. Start Oracle Clusterware or CRS.
2. Start Node applications running on nodes.
3. Start All ASM instances from all nodes.
4. Start RAC Database Instances on all nodes.
5. Start Oracle Home process accessing database.

1. Start Oracle Clusterware or CRS: CRS starts automatically when you start or restart Server, but Here DBA has manually shutdown the CRS So, he has to start it manually. This is the only command which needs to be executed by "root" user. Database Administrator should execute this command on all nodes.

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl start crs

CRS-4123: Oracle High Availability Services has been started 

[root@skumar2 bin]# crsctl check cluster -all

**************************************************************

skumar1:

CRS-4535: Cannot communicate with Cluster Ready Services

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

**************************************************************

skumar2:

CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

**************************************************************

Here, DBA can see "CRS-4639: Could not contact Oracle High Availability Services" or "CRS-4535: Cannot communicate with Cluster Ready Services" messages. Wait 5 minutes and then again check with "crsctl check cluster -all" command. This time Database administrator will get "CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online". If still same issue DBA can start ora.crsd process to resolve this issue. Below is the command

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl start res ora.crsd -init

[root@skumar1 bin]# crsctl check cluster -all

**************************************************************

skumar1:

CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

**************************************************************

skumar2:

CRS-4537: Cluster Ready Services is online

CRS-4529: Cluster Synchronization Services is online

CRS-4533: Event Manager is online

**************************************************************

Now, Cluster is up and running. DBA can also use "ps -ef | grep d.bin" to check cluster status.

2. Start Node applications running on nodes: To start node applications running on a node, enter the following command, where node is the name of the node where the applications are running

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl start nodeapps -n skumar1

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl status nodeapps -n skumar1

VIP skumar1-vip is enabled

VIP skumar1-vip is running on node: skumar1

Network is enabled

Network is running on node: skumar1

GSD is disabled

GSD is not running on node: skumar1

ONS is enabled

ONS daemon is running on node: skumar1

DBA has to execute this command for each node to start Real Application Clusters Cluster database. 

3. Start All ASM instances from all nodes: Next DBA has to start all ASM instances which are used to access database, enter the following command, where node is the name of the node where the ASM instance has to start.

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl start asm -n skumar1

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl status asm -n skumar1

ASM is running on skumar1

DBA has to start ASM instance on all database nodes.

4. Start RAC Database Instances on all nodes: Now, We will start database instances on database nodes to access data.

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl start database -d oradb

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl status database -d oradb

Instance oradb1 is running on node skumar1

Instance oradb2 is running on node skumar2

Now database is up and running on both DB nodes.

5. Start Oracle Home process accessing database: let's start listener and OEM to access database and allow users to connect to the database.

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl start listener -n skumar1

[grid@skumar1 bin]$ srvctl status listener -n skumar1

Listener LISTENER is enabled on node(s): skumar1

Listener LISTENER is running on node(s): skumar1

[oracle@database ~]$ emctl start dbconsole

Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Database Control Release 11.2.0.2.0

Copyright (c) 1996, 2010 Oracle Corporation.  All rights reserved.

https://database.example.com:5500/em/console/aboutApplication

Starting Oracle Enterprise Manager 11g Database Control ..........................

. started.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Logs are generated in directory /etc/oracle/oracle/database.example.com_orcl/sysman/log