Create an Oracle repository database

After you install DPA, you must create the repository database, which holds the performance data that DPA collects. Use this procedure to create an Oracle repository database.

To create a different type of repository database, see Create a SQL Server repository database, Create a MySQL repository database, or Create an Azure SQL repository database.

If one or more monitored database instances is created with multi-byte support, the repository database should also be created with multi-byte support.

Oracle multitenant databases

You can create the DPA repository database on an Oracle pluggable database (PDB), but not a container database (CDB). If you create the repository on a PDB, the PDB can be moved:

• If the PDB is moved to another CDB on the same server, the connection string does not change. No action is required.

• If the PDB is moved to a CDB on a different server, the connection string changes. You must update the connection string in the repo.properties file in the following location: 

  DPA-Install-Dir\iwc\tomcat\ignite_config\iwc\repo.properties

Before you start

Before you run the Repository Creation wizard, complete the following tasks:

• Make sure the repository database server meets the system requirements.

• Install a supported version of Oracle on the database server.

• If you run the wizard from a different computer (not the server where DPA was installed), make sure the required firewall port is open. By default, ports 8123 and 8124 must be open.

• The DPA server connects to the repository through a TCP/IP connection. Make sure that connection is not blocked by a firewall.

• Have the credentials of a privileged user. The privileged user is used to create the DPA repository user. DPA does not use or store the privileged user's credentials after the repository has been created.

  Choose one of the following as the privileged user:

  • Choose a user with the DBA role (but not SYS).

  • Choose a user with the following permissions:

    Permission	Description	Grant level
    CREATE_SESSION	Required to create a connection to the database.	User or role level
    SELECT_ANY_DICTIONARY	Required to access views in the SYS schema for performance tuning.	User or role level
    CREATE_TABLE	Required to create repository tables.	User or role level
    CREATE_SEQUENCE	Required to create sequences in repository tables.	User or role level
    UNLIMITED_TABLESPACE	Required to create repository tables. This privilege is not needed if the repository user has privileges to use the tablespace provided in a request.	User level

Run the wizard

1. To open DPA, enter one of the following URLs in a web browser:

   • https:yourServer:8124
   • http:yourServer:8123

   The Repository wizard opens automatically if the repository database has not been created.

2. Click Create New DPA Repository.

3. As the database type, select Oracle, and click Next.

4. On the Enter Repository Connection Information pane:

   1. Select the option for connecting to the Oracle database, and enter the associated connection values:

      Direct Connect	Enter the Service Name or System Identifier (SID), host name or IP address, and port. The default port is 1521. Do not use a critical production database.
      TNS Connect Descriptor	Enter the Connect Descriptor value, which contains everything after NAME= in the tnsnames.ora file. The beginning (DESCRIPTION= is necessary. For example: (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = demo.myserver.com)(PORT = 1521)))(CONNECT_DATA =(SERVICE_NAME = demo)))
      LDAP or TNS Name	Enter the LDAP or TNS name. To use this option, Oracle Name Resolution must be configured. For instructions, see Connect to Oracle using name resolution. After you configure Oracle Name Resolution, you can use the LDAP/TNS Name when registering additional monitored database instances.

   2. Enter the credentials of the privileged user that DPA will use to create the DPA repository user.

   3. Click Next.

      If your repository database server does not meet the minimum requirements, the Repository Database Server Warnings page is displayed.

5. If the Repository Database Server Warnings page is displayed, it shows a report of the current Oracle parameters with values below the recommended minimum. SolarWinds recommends correcting these parameters before continuing. You can continue without fixing these parameters, but parameter values below the recommend minimums may affect the performance of the repository.

   Minimum Oracle Parameters
   db_block_buffers (or db_cache_size) This is a critical parameter.	> 100 MB per monitored database
   shared_pool_size	> 50 MB
   sort_area_size	> 4 MB
   log_buffer	> 1 MB
   session_cached_cursors	> 10
   Redo Log Size (select min(bytes) from v$log)	> 10 MB

   When you are ready to continue, click Next.

6. On the Enter Repository Login page:

   1. Next to Create New User, click Yes if you want DPA to create the repository administrator account. Or click No if you want to specify an existing account.

      To ensure that the account has the required permissions, recommends creating a new account.

   2. Enter the user name and password.

   3. Click Next.

7. On the Specify Tablespaces for the Repository page, specify what tablespaces will store repository data:

   1. Select a tablespace where DPA will store performance data.
   2. Select a temporary tablespace for the DPA repository user.
   3. Click Next.

8. On the Contact Information page, enter the name and email address to receive database performance reports from DPA. Then click Next.

9. On the Summary page, review the information and click Create Repository.

   DPA creates a new Oracle schema and populates it with tables, indexes, and initial data.

   After the repository has been created, click Register Database Instance to start registering instances, or close the wizard and register instances later.