Moving ASM Database Files from one Diskgroup to Another

by Jeff Hunter, Sr. Database Administrator

Contents

1. Overview
2. Current Configuration
3. Steps Required to Move ASM Files

Overview

There are times when it becomes necessary to move ASM database files from one diskgroup to another.
As with most tasks that involve file management in ASM, RMAN is the easiest and preferred method as
ASM files cannot be accessed through normal operating system interfaces. In this article, I will detail the
steps required to move ASM files from one diskgroup to another using RMAN.

Current Configuration

The steps used in this article assume the following configuration:

Oracle ASM Configuration
Machine Name: linux3.idevelopment.info
Oracle SID: TESTDB
Database Name: TESTDB
+TESTDB_DATA1
ASM Disk Groups: +TESTDB_DATA2
+FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA
Operating System: Red Hat Linux 3 - (CentOS 3.4)
Oracle Release: Oracle10g Release 2 - (10.2.0.2.0)

This article assumes the database is open and in ARCHIVELOG mode:

SQL> archive log list
Database log mode Archive Mode
Automatic archival Enabled
Archive destination USE_DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST
Oldest online log sequence 15
Next log sequence to archive 17
Current log sequence 18

The following query lists the available ASM diskgroups and the database files they contain:

$ ORACLE_SID=+ASM; export ORACLE_SID

$ sqlplus "/ as sysdba"

SQL> @asm_files

System
File Name Bytes
Space File Type Creation Date Created?
---------------------------------------------------- ----------------
-------------- ------------ -------------------- --------
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/USERS.257.598066465 2,382,897,152
2,384,461,824 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:34:25 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/SYSTEM.258.598066917 608,182,272
610,271,232 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:41:56 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/SYSAUX.259.598067031 419,438,592
421,527,552 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:43:51 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/UNDOTBS1.260.598067119 209,723,392
211,812,352 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:45:18 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/EXAMPLE.261.598067163 157,294,592
159,383,552 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:46:03 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/APEX22.262.598067197 104,865,792
106,954,752 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:46:37 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/FLOW_1.263.598067223 52,502,528
53,477,376 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:47:03 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_1.267.598068145 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:02:25 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_4.268.598068321 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:05:20 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_2.269.598068455 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:07:34 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_3.270.598068475 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:07:55 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/CONTROLFILE/backup.256.598066421 7,061,504
8,388,608 CONTROLFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:33:40 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/TEMPFILE/TEMP.266.598067899 104,865,792
106,954,752 TEMPFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:58:18 Y
----------------
--------------
4,256,548,864
4,298,113,024

+TESTDB_DATA2/TESTDB/DATAFILE/APP_DATA.256.598127837 524,296,192
526,385,152 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 18:37:17 Y
----------------
--------------
524,296,192
526,385,152

+FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA/TESTDB/ARCHIVELOG/2006_08_10/th 41,338,368
41,943,040 ARCHIVELOG 10-AUG-2006 18:39:22 Y
read_1_seq_17.260.598127963
----------------
--------------
41,338,368
41,943,040

----------------
--------------
Grand Total: 4,822,183,424
4,866,441,216

15 rows selected.
Steps Required to Move ASM Files

Now let's take a look at the steps used to move an ASM database file from one diskgroup to another:

1. Identify the ASM data files to move

The first step is to identify the ASM database file that needs to be moved. For the purpose
of this example, I want to move file
+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837

SQL> SELECT file_name FROM dba_data_files;

FILE_NAME
----------------------------------------------------
+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837 <-- (Move this
file to +TESTDB_DATA1)
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/system.258.598066917
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/undotbs1.260.598067119
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/sysaux.259.598067031
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/example.261.598067163
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/users.257.598066465
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/apex22.262.598067197
+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/flow_1.263.598067223

8 rows selected.

2. Identify the ASM diskgroup to which the database file will be moved to

I have a total of three ASM diskgroups defined:

SQL> SELECT name FROM v$asm_diskgroup;

NAME
--------------------
TESTDB_DATA1
TESTDB_DATA2
FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA

For the purpose of this article, I want to move the previously identified ASM database file
from the +TESTDB_DATA2 diskgroup to the +TESTDB_DATA1 diskgroup.

3. Take the ASM data file to be moved OFFLINE

Take the file to be moved OFFLINE:

SQL> ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE

'+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837' OFFLINE;

Database altered.

4. Copy the ASM database file from the source diskgroup to target diskgroup
In this step, we need to make a copy of the ASM database file to be moved. There are two
methods that can be used to perform the copy operation; however, I will only cover the
RMAN method:

o RMAN - (preferred)
o Using the COPY_FILE procedure of the DBMS_FILE_TRANSFER PL/SQL Package

RMAN Method

$ rman target /

connected to target database: TESTDB (DBID=2370649665)

RMAN> COPY DATAFILE

'+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837' TO
'+TESTDB_DATA1';

Starting backup at 10-AUG-06

using target database control file instead of recovery catalog
allocated channel: ORA_DISK_1
channel ORA_DISK_1: sid=130 devtype=DISK
channel ORA_DISK_1: starting datafile copy
input datafile fno=00008
name=+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837
output
filename=+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765
tag=TAG20060810T185244 recid=18 stamp=598128889
channel ORA_DISK_1: datafile copy complete, elapsed time:
00:02:06
Finished backup at 10-AUG-06
After successfully executing the RMAN statement (above), you will now have two copies of the
ASM database file:
SQL> @asm_files

System
File Name Bytes
Space File Type Creation Date Created?
---------------------------------------------------- ----------------
-------------- ------------ -------------------- --------
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/USERS.257.598066465 2,382,897,152
2,384,461,824 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:34:25 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/SYSTEM.258.598066917 608,182,272
610,271,232 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:41:56 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/SYSAUX.259.598067031 419,438,592
421,527,552 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:43:51 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/UNDOTBS1.260.598067119 209,723,392
211,812,352 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:45:18 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/EXAMPLE.261.598067163 157,294,592
159,383,552 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:46:03 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/APEX22.262.598067197 104,865,792
106,954,752 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:46:37 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/FLOW_1.263.598067223 52,502,528
53,477,376 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:47:03 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/DATAFILE/APP_DATA.264.598128765 524,296,192
526,385,152 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 18:52:44 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_1.267.598068145 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:02:25 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_4.268.598068321 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:05:20 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_2.269.598068455 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:07:34 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/ONLINELOG/group_3.270.598068475 52,429,312
58,720,256 ONLINELOG 10-AUG-2006 02:07:55 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/CONTROLFILE/backup.256.598066421 7,061,504
8,388,608 CONTROLFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:33:40 Y
+TESTDB_DATA1/TESTDB/TEMPFILE/TEMP.266.598067899 104,865,792
106,954,752 TEMPFILE 10-AUG-2006 01:58:18 Y
----------------
--------------
4,780,845,056
4,824,498,176

+TESTDB_DATA2/TESTDB/DATAFILE/APP_DATA.256.598127837 524,296,192
526,385,152 DATAFILE 10-AUG-2006 18:37:17 Y
----------------
--------------
524,296,192
526,385,152

+FLASH_RECOVERY_AREA/TESTDB/ARCHIVELOG/2006_08_10/th 41,338,368
41,943,040 ARCHIVELOG 10-AUG-2006 18:39:22 Y
read_1_seq_17.260.598127963
----------------
--------------
41,338,368
41,943,040

----------------
--------------
Grand Total: 5,346,479,616
5,392,826,368
 5. Rename the ASM database file to point to the new location

Now that the file has been copied, we can update the Oracle data dictionary with the
location of the new ASM database file to use:

SQL> ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE

2 '+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837'
3 TO '+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765';

Database altered.
After Oracle successfully renames the ASM database file in the data dictionary, it will remove th
original ASM database file - "+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837

6. Use RMAN to rename the ASM database file copy

7. RMAN> SWITCH DATAFILE
'+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765' TO COPY;
8.
datafile 8 switched to datafile copy
"+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765"

9. Recovery the new ASM database file

10. SQL> RECOVER DATAFILE
'+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765';
11.
Media recovery complete.

12. Bring the new ASM database file ONLINE

13. SQL> ALTER DATABASE DATAFILE
'+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765' ONLINE;
14.
Database altered.

15. Verify the new ASM data file location

16. SQL> SELECT file_name FROM dba_data_files;
17.
18.FILE_NAME
19.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
20.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/app_data.264.598128765
21.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/system.258.598066917
22.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/undotbs1.260.598067119
23.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/sysaux.259.598067031
24.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/example.261.598067163
25.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/users.257.598066465
26.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/apex22.262.598067197
27.+TESTDB_DATA1/testdb/datafile/flow_1.263.598067223
28.
8 rows selected.

29. Delete the old ASM database file from its original location

NOTE: This step was not required for the example I provided in this article. I believe
(however not certain) that is related to the fact I am using Oracle Oracle10g R2. This may
be a step that is required with Oracleg R1; however, I did not have a spare Oracleg R1
install sitting around to test this. I saw this step documented by Oracle; however, I believe
it is not required. If you followed the steps in this article, you will remember that the
original ASM database file gets removed during the ALTER DATABASE RENAME FILE
statement.

Please note that if this step needs to be performed, it will need to be executed from the
actual ASM instance itself:

$ ORACLE_SID=+ASM; export ORACLE_SID

$ sqlplus "/ as sysdba"

SQL> ALTER DISKGROUP TESTDB_DATA2 DROP FILE

'+TESTDB_DATA2/testdb/datafile/app_data.256.598127837';