Resolution

Overview

ASMLib consists of the following components:

• An open source (GPL) kernel module package: kmod-oracleasm
• An open source (GPL) utilities package: oracleasm-support
• A closed source (proprietary) library package: oracleasmlib

ASM features and functionality are available without ASMLib. The use of ASMLib does not affect database performance.

The ASMLib kernel module package is provided as a convenience to Red Hat customers via the Red Hat Network Customer Portal. Red Hat Global Support Services (specifically our storage support group) will field ASMLib related issues and use commercially reasonable effort to support the ASMLib kernel module, until such an effort requires knowledge of or modifications to Oracle's proprietary dependent component(s).

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 customers who use ASMLib can obtain the other two components (the ASMLib utilities package and the proprietary library package) at the locations (subject to change) described in the steps below.

Installing and Configuring ASMLib:

To obtain, install, and configure ASMLib:

1. Enable the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Server repository on Red Hat Network Customer Portal

2. Download the ASMLib utilities package (oracleasm-support) and ASMLib library package (oracleasmlib) from the following location:
   http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/linux/asmlib/rhel6-1940776.html

3. Install the ASMLib kernel module package as root using the following command:

   # yum install kmod-oracleasm
   

4. Install the ASMLib library package obtained from step 2 as root using the following command, with the downloaded package:

   # yum localinstall oracleasmlib-<version>.x86_64.rpm    # Where <version> is the revision downloaded in the previous step
   

5. Install the ASMLib utilities package obtained from step 2 as root using the following command, with the downloaded package:

   # yum localinstall oracleasm-support-<version>.x86_64.rpm
   

   All three required ASMLib components should now be installed on your system.

6. Configure ASMLib using the following command:

   # oracleasm init
   

• For more detailed steps on configuring ASMLib, refer to the ASMLib documentation:
  https://docs.oracle.com/en/

Support for ASMLib

The ASMLib kernel module package is provided as a convenience to Red Hat customers via the Red Hat Network Customer Portal. Red Hat Global Support Services will respond to ASMLib related issues and use commercially reasonable efforts to support the ASMLib kernel module until such an effort requires knowledge of or modifications to Oracle's proprietary dependent component(s).

Since the ASMLib kernel module package is now updated with each kernel release, please update the relevant kmod-oracleasm package with each kernel update.

Additionally, updates may be provided for the kmod-oracleasm package independent of a kernel update. You may find the latest kmod-oracleasm packages in the base RHEL channel.

Oracle will provide support for the other two required ASMLib components (oracleasm-support and oracleasmlib) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6. Customers can obtain these two ASMLib components at the location (subject to change) described in the steps above.

Alternatives to ASMLib

Please note that Red Hat is continuing to develop fully open source alternatives to ASMLib. Red Hat has provided a reference architecture for Oracle RAC clusters using upstream-accepted technologies such as dm-multipath and udev. This reference architecture is available at: https://access.redhat.com/knowledge/articles/216093.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7

The ASMLib kernel module (kmod-oracleasm) is available with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 customers who use ASMLib can obtain the other two components (the ASMLib utilities package and the proprietary library package) at the locations (subject to change) described in the steps below.

Installing and Configuring ASMLib:

To obtain, install, and configure ASMLib:

1. Enable the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Server repository on Red Hat Network Customer Portal

2. Download the ASMLib utilities package (oracleasm-support) and ASMLib library package (oracleasmlib) from the following location:
   https://www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/linux/asmlib/rhel7-2773795.html
   

3. Install the ASMLib kernel module package as root using the following command:

   # yum install kmod-oracleasm
   

4. Install the ASMLib library package obtained from step 2 as root using the following command, with the downloaded package:

   # yum localinstall oracleasmlib-<version>.x86_64.rpm    # Where <version> is the revision downloaded in the previous step
   

5. Install the ASMLib utilities package obtained from step 2 as root using the following command, with the downloaded package:

   # yum localinstall oracleasm-support-<version>.x86_64.rpm
   

   All three required ASMLib components should now be installed on your system.

6. Configure ASMLib using the following command:

   # oracleasm init
   # oracleasm configure -e -i
   # systemctl start oracleasm
   

   For more detailed steps on configuring ASMLib, refer to the ASMLib documentation:
   https://docs.oracle.com/en/

Support for ASMLib

The ASMLib kernel module (kmod-oracleasm) is available with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Red Hat Global Support Services will respond to ASMLib related issues and use commercially reasonable efforts to support the ASMLib kernel module until such an effort requires knowledge of or modifications to Oracle's proprietary dependent component(s).

Since the ASMLib kernel module package is now updated with each kernel release, please update the relevant kmod-oracleasm package with each kernel update.

Oracle will provide support for the other two required ASMLib components (oracleasm-support and oracleasmlib) on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.
Customers can obtain these two ASMLib components at the location (subject to change) described in the steps above.

When using ASMLib, you should make DIF/DIX( https://access.redhat.com/solutions/41548) to be disabled. Red Hat does not support for using ASMLib with enabled DIF/DIX.

Additional Information:

1. Guide the oracledata official documentation to configure the oracleasm.
   especially for the "Disk Scan Ordering" item. Please see the following reference
   for more detailed configuration instruction:
   http://docs.oracle.com/cd/E11882_01/install.112/e41961/storage.htm#CWLIN301

2. SELinux may prevent oracleasm.service (systemd) from starting during the system boot. Please see section#2.10 Oracle ASM Fails to Initialize with SELinux in Enforcing Mode in the following link for more detailed instructions on how to workaround the issue:
   https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E52668_01/E53499/E53499.pdf

   Hint: The oracleasm script fails if SELinux is in Enforcing mode.

   The suggested workaround is to disable the SELInux policy module for Oracle
   ASM before running oracleasm:

   # semodule -d oracleasm
   # semodule -l | grep oracleasm
       oracleasm
       1.0.0 
      Disabled
   

3. Secureboot

   With UEFI secure boot enabled system, oracleasm kernel module can not be loaded,
   there are two workarounds for this problem:

   • disable secure boot in the BIOS and reboot, and then load the kmod-oracleasm module in.

   • sign oracleasm kernel module after install kmod-oracleasm with the vendor's own secureboot keys.

     Please refer to the Red Hat Enterprise 7 System Administration Guide below for how to sign a third party module for second workaround method above:

     https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-US/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/7/html/System_Administrators_Guide/sect-signing-kernel-modules-for-secure-boot.html

     Important Note:
     When using the 'oracleasm deletedisk' command, please be sure that using this command is the intention and that the correct device is used.
     In RHEL 7, using this command will delete the data in the device without warning, even when the device is active.

Also, for questions in regards to support of kmod-oracleasm within RHEL8, please see Will the kmod-orcleasm packages be shipped with RHEL 8?.