In this section, we will show you how to import or re-import existing Oracle DDC file into dbvcontrol dashboard. DDC file contains complete configuration for a pair of Primary and Standby Oracle database synchronization.
There are various situations when you can use this process such as when re-installing Dbvisit StandbyMP from the scratch or even manually importing older version DDC file after failed or incomplete upgrade. Oracle DDC file is standalone entity and can be used to quickly add existing standby database to your dbvcontrol dashboard.
There is no need to recreate standby database when importing DDC file (if the standby database is healthy).
DDC file contains all settings needed for Oracle Synchronization. When doing import, you must ensure that all settings stored inside the DDC file are correct (for example primary and standby server roles).
Do not perform import if you’re not sure that all DDC file variables are correct. Instead, create DDC file from scratch
1. Removing DDC file From GUI
You can skip this step if the DDC you’re trying to import is not in your GUI dashboard.
Removal of configuration from dashboard can be done by “Remove Configuration” from the ACTIONS pane:
The DDC file on primary and standby server will be automatically backed up before deletion if dbvagentmanager is reachable. The backup is done by renaming the file it with date extension on primary and standby
You will lose notification and observer configuration when you remove the configuration from the GUI
2. Re-Importing version 12 DDC file
This is usually done when you want to restore older version of DDC file. It is also viable solution when encountering various issues: remove DDC file from dbvcontrol and import it back. The import always happens from primary server only (standby server or DDC file on standby isn’t relevant for import).
Default location of Dbvisit StandbyMP version 12 DDC files is on Linux:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf
On Windows:
C:\Program Files\Dbvisit\standbymp\oracle\conf
It is possible that this directory contains DDC file backups, which are done automatically during various actions (for example removal of DDC file in GUI will automatically create a backup file):
-rw-r--r--. 1 oracle oinstall 26227 Feb 20 11:28 dbv_SLASH.env.202502201130 -rw-r--r--. 1 oracle oinstall 26264 Feb 20 11:30 dbv_SLASH.env.202502201135
Before running import, make sure to have the file you want to import on primary server with expected name. If you want to import any older backup version of DDC file, rename it back to format dbv_<DDC>.env (no further extension after .env) For example:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env
you need to be sure that the version of the DDC file you’re restoring doesn’t have significant differences - for example primary and standby server roles are the same in the DDC file as you would expect. You can easily swap the Primary and Standby server roles by running dbvctl command:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/dbvctl -d SLASH -o update_ddc_file
=============================================================
Dbvisit Standby Database Technology (12.1.0RC) (pid 2823091)
dbvctl started on czlin0231: Mon Feb 24 14:20:01 2025
=============================================================
>>> Dbvisit Database configuration (DDC) file
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env has been updated and variables have
been reversed between primary and standby server
SOURCE=czlin0232 DESTINATION=czlin0231
Note the last line tells you the actual server roles (SOURCE = primary server, DESTINATION = standby server) - this must be in line with what you expect
Once you verify the primary and standby server roles are correct, you’re ready for GUI import. Start with creating new Oracle configuration:
Choose primary server:
If DDC file is correctly recognized, you will see an option to import DDC file:
Successful import is recognized by Primary Database having ONLINE status and standby database having RECOVERING status.
if you’re not successful with the import (or you see server roles incorrectly), try to perform all the steps in “3. Importing pre-version 12 DDC file” which include also precheck and cleanup
3. Importing pre-version 12 DDC file or importing version 12 DDC file with detailed prechecks
We recommend to use this approach when:
you’re importing pre-v12 version DDC file
re-import of v12 DDC failed for any reason (prechecks specified here should help you to resolve the issue)
It is supported to import version 9,10 and 11 in Dbvisit StandbyMP version 12 GUI. The import of older version DDC file into version 12 GUI effectively means upgrading it. This is especially useful when upgrading from older Dbvisit versions by installing version 12 from the scratch.
Default location of DDC file is following in version 11:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env
In versions 9 and 10:
/usr/dbvisit/standby/conf/dbv_SLASH.env
3.1 Pre-checks
In order to successfully import DDC file following conditions must be fulfilled:
The server roles must be correct
The hostnames specified in DDC file must match hostnames configured in primary and standby dbvagentmanager (case sensistive, domain sensitive)
There must be no old files accociated with the DDC file we intend to import inside Dbvisit base on primary and standby
A. Server Roles Check
We assume that DDC file we want to import is for now placed in /tmp directory
We need to find out hostnames used by the DDC file. This can be checked by running following command:
$ cat /tmp/dbv_SLASH.env | egrep -i '^SOURCE = |^DESTINATION = ' SOURCE = czlin0231 DESTINATION = czlin0232
SOURCE=primary server, DESTINATION=standby server
If the server roles are NOT correct, we recommend to abort the import process and create new DDC from the scratch. Roles not being correct indicate mismatch between DDC and your environment and you can potentially introduce many errors or even endanger your production database. Do NOT manually edit SOURCE and DESTINATION in the DDC file to force the match.
If you’re confident that the DDC is correct and you only need to swap the roles (switch SOURCE and DESTINATION parameters) run following procedure command on primary server:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/dbvctl -d SLASH -o update_ddc_file
=============================================================
Dbvisit Standby Database Technology (12.1.0RC) (pid 2823091)
dbvctl started on czlin0231: Mon Feb 24 14:20:01 2025
=============================================================
>>> Dbvisit Database configuration (DDC) file
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env has been updated and variables have
been reversed between primary and standby server
SOURCE=czlin0232 DESTINATION=czlin0231
You will see and output with swapped hosts. This command can be run repeatedly.
Once server roles are correct, proceed further.
B. Dbvagentmanager configuration check
Hostnames in the DDC file must match the installed dbvagenmanager configuration on primary and standby:
$ cat /tmp/dbv_SLASH.env | egrep -i '^SOURCE = |^DESTINATION = ' SOURCE = czlin0231 DESTINATION = czlin0232 #primary host $ cat /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/conf/dbvagentmanager.ini | grep Host HostAddress = czlin0231 #standby host $ cat /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/conf/dbvagentmanager.ini | grep Host HostAddress = czlin0232
The hostnames must be identical - FQDN matters and case matters as well. If you see any differences in letter case or domain, edit the DDC file to get the match. Don’t edit the dbvagentmanager.ini file.
C. Old associated files check
You need to check for old files on primary & standby server
Directory /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf must not contain old DDC file:
$ ls -l /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env ls: cannot access '/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/dbv_SLASH.env': No such file or directory
Directory /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf must not contain old DDC sqlite repository either. The filename or repository is <lowercase db_name>.db:
$ cat /tmp/dbv_SLASH.env | grep DB_NAME # DB_NAME - Database db_name. Please DO NOT edit! DB_NAME = SLASH $ ll /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/slash.db ls: cannot access '/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/slash.db': No such file or directory
Directory /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle must not contain old hosts file. Name of hosts file can be read from DDC file:
$ cat /tmp/dbv_SLASH.env | egrep 'HOSTNAME_CMD =' | grep -v \# HOSTNAME_CMD = dbvhost_slash.sh $ ls -l /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/dbvhost_slash.sh ls: cannot access '/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/dbvhost_slash.sh': No such file or directory
If you’re in SEHA or RAC environment then it’s exactly the opposite: you MUST manually create the hosts file, if it’s not already existing. Create empty file as per HOSTNAME_CMD parameter and include following line:
echo “hostname”
Where hostname string is the value of SOURCE parameter found in your DDC file (typically dedicated Dbvisit VIP address).
3.2 Import DDC file into dashboard
After prechecks are successfully completed, we can import the DDC file into controlcenter. Copy the DDC file into DDC directory:
$ cp /tmp/dbv_SLASH.env /usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf
And use the GUI to import:
Choose primary server:
If DDC file is correctly recognized, you will see an option to import DDC file:
Successful import is recognized by Primary Database having ONLINE status and standby database having RECOVERING status.
3.3 License update
If you imported pre-version 12 DDC file, license will be unusable. This is indicated by a warning, like seen here:
The license needs to be updated as per: <<TBD>>
4 Post-Import Checks
You should be able to directly enable / continue synchronization with automated standby update as described here:
Post Tasks - Automatic Standby Update (ASU)
5. Recreating DDC repository
The DDC is always accompanied by sqlite repository file which has format <db_name>.db, so for example:
/usr/dbvisit/standbymp/oracle/conf/slash.db
this DDC sqlite repository is automatically created an maintained by dbvisit. Single DDC sqlite repository can be shared with more DDC files, if they share same primary database db_name parameter.
DDC sqlite repository is only relevant on primary server, on standbyserver its existence is unimportant.
In some cases it may be needed to manually recreate this file. For example due to corruption when disk gets full. In such case, do following:
prerequisite is that valid DDC file dbv_<DDC>.env) must exist in the standbymp/oracle/conf/directory
A. Delete manually existing sqlite repository file on primary and standby server
rm standbymp/oracle/conf/slash.db
B. Run following command on primary:
cd standbymp/oracle ./dbvctl -o setup
The command will automatically detect DDC file and provide you with possibility to install the repository from the scratch.
Check below example output and note that we selected “2” to create sqlite repository for existing DDC file.