Shareplex 8 6 5 Administrator Guide en

Dell SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.
5)
Administrator Guide
Revision 1
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SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5)

Updated - September 2016
SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 2

Contents
About this Guide 18

Other SharePlex documentation 18
Conventions used in this guide 19
About Dell Software 20

Contacting Dell Software 20
Technical support resources 20
Overview of SharePlex 21
About source and target data 21
About sp_cop 22
About sp_ctrl 22
About the SharePlex architecture 22
SharePlex Directories 23
SharePlex Tables 24
SharePlex queues 25
SharePlex processes 26
How SharePlex replicates data 27
Understand the concept of synchronization 28
Characteristics of synchronized tables 28
Hidden out-of-sync conditions 29
Strategies for information availability 30
Reporting instances 30
Broadcast and cascade 30
Data warehousing 30
High availability and disaster recovery 30
Test before you deploy 31
Run SharePlex 33
Run SharePlex on Unix and Linux 33
Startup sequence on Unix and Linux 34
Start SharePlex on Unix and Linux 34
Identify SharePlex processes on Unix and Linux 35
Stop SharePlex on Unix and Linux 35
Shutdown Considerations on Unix and Linux 36
Run SharePlex on Windows 36
Startup Sequence on Windows 36

Start and stop SharePlex on Windows 37
Set SharePlex startup status on Windows 37
Set SharePlex process priority on Windows 37
Identify SharePlex processes on Windows 38
Shutdown Considerations on Windows 39
Run multiple instances of SharePlex 40

Run multiple instances of SharePlex from separate installations 40
Run multiple instances of SharePlex from one installation 41
How to run multiple sp_cop instances on Unix and Linux 41
How to run multiple sp_cop instances on Windows 44
Execute commands in sp_ctrl 45

How to run sp_ctrl 45
Start sp_ctrl 45
Exit sp_ctrl 46
Define a default port for sp_ctrl 46
Define a default host for sp_ctrl 46
Set a default editor for sp_ctrl 46
Change the editor on Unix or Linux 47
Change the editor onWindows 47
Prepare an Oracle environment for replication 48

Set up Oracle redo logging to support SharePlex 48
Set the appropriate logging level 48
Ensure that the correct key is logged 49
Configure the archive logs 49
Set up Oracle database objects for replication 51
Ensure row uniqueness 51
The role of keys 51
Tables without a key or unique index 51
Keys with nulls 52
Changes to key values 52
Indexes 53
Bitmap indexes 53
Prevent triggers from firing on the target 54
Configure integrity constraints 54
Foreign key constraints 55
ONDELETECASCADE constraints 55
Check constraints 55
Prevent access to target objects 55

Configure sequences 56
Set up an Oracle database to support SharePlex 57
Adjust OPEN_CURSORS to support Post cursors 57
Adjust the PROCESSES parameter to support connections 57
Adjust the log buffer size to improve posting 58
Adjust the SharePlex transaction table based on user volume 58
Control conversion of character sets 58
Replication between an Oracle source and Oracle targets 58
Replication between an Oracle source and non-Oracle targets 59
Set up SharePlex to support Oracle data 60
LOBs, LONGs, VARRAYs, and XML 60
Tune SharePlex based on Oracle data volume 61
Set system process priority 62
Enable Oracle direct path loads 62
Use compression 62
Enable capture on Exadata machines 63
Configure support of Data Pump exports 63
Set up TDE Support 63
Required privilege to capture TDE-protected data 63
Configure SharePlex to capture TDE-protected data 63
Create configuration files 65

Ensure compatible source-target mapping 65
How to create a configuration file 66
Create a configuration file 66
Structure of a configuration file 67
Additional configuration options 69
Database specifications in a configuration file 69
Target specifications in a configuration file 70
Routing specifications in a configuration file 71
Replicate to one target 71
Replicate to multiple targets 71
Replicate between objects on the same system 72
Routing Limitations 72
Configuration examples by datasource and target 72
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a regular Oracle instance 73
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to an Open Target database 73
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a file in XML or SQL format 73
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a JMS queue or topic 74
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a Kafka topic 74

Replicate from and to an Oracle pluggable database (PDB) in a container database (CDB)* 74
Replicate to maintain a change history target 75
Use a script to build a configuration file 75
Replicate to, or from, a PDB 75
Capture from a PDB 75
Replicate to a PDB 76
Examples 76
Use Wildcards to specify multiple objects 77
How to control wildcard support 77
Requirements and limitations of wildcard support 77
Supported wildcard syntax 77
Specify wildcarded names in the configuration file 78
Validate a wildcard specification 79
Examples 79
Define a unique key 80
Syntax for key definition 81
Example 81
Filter DML Operations 81
Configure a DML filter 81
Examples 81
View current DML filters 82
Restrictions 82
Map source and target columns 82
Guidelines for using column mapping 82
Configure column mapping 83
Configuration example 83
Build a configuration file using a script 83
Supported databases 84
Use config.sql 84
Use build_config.sql 85
Configure replication to Open Target targets 87

Configure replication to a Microsoft SQL Server target 88
Overview 88
Configure SharePlex on the source 88
Enable supplemental logging 88
Set SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter 88
Configure replication 88
Configure SharePlex on the target 89
Configure replication to anEDB Postgres Advanced Server target 90

Overview 90
Configure replication to an SAP ASE target 92
Overview 92
Install the ODBC driver 93
Set up ODBC 93
Set connection information with the connection command 94
Configure replication to aHANAtarget 97
Overview 97
Configure replication to a Teradatatarget 99
Overview 99
Configure replication to Teradata 99
Configure replication to other Open Target databases 102
Overview 102
Install the ODBC driver 103
Set up ODBC 103

Set connection information with the connection command 104
Map datatypes 106
Configure Replication to a JMS target 107
Overview 107
Configure SharePlex on an Active MQ target 108
Configure SharePlex on an IBM MQ target 109
View and change JMS settings 111
Set recovery options 112
Control memory settings 113
Configure debugging 113
About the XML 114
Schema record template 114
Operation record template 115
Configure Replication to a Kafka target 119
Overview 119
Guidelines for posting to Kafka 119
View and change Kafka settings 121
Set recovery options 121
About the XML 122
Configure Replication to a SQL or XML file target 128
Overview 128
View and change target settings 129
Command examples 130
About the SQL 131
About the XML 131

File storage and aging 136
Configure a replication strategy 138

Configure replication to share or distribute data 138
Supported targets 138
Capabilities 139
Requirements 139
Conventions used in the syntax 139
Replicate within the local system 140
Replicate to a remote target system 140
Replicate to multiple target systems 141
Confgure replication to maintain a central data store 142
Capabilities 142
Requirements 142
Deployment options 143
Deploy with one instance of SharePlex on the target system 143
Deploy with multiple instances of SharePlex on the target system 144
Configuration 145
Recommended target configuration 146
Configure replication to maintain multiple peer databases 146
Capabilities 147
Requirements 147
Overview 147
Deployment 149
Evaluate the data 150
Develop conflict resolution routines 155
How to write a routine using the SharePlex generic interface 155
How to use use the SharePlex prepared routines 160
List the routines in conflict_resolution.SID 161
Where to find the conflict resolution file 161
How to make entries in the conflict resolution file 162
Configure replication through an intermediary system 163
Capabilities 164
Requirements 164

Deployment options 165
Cascade with posting on intermediate system 165
Cascade with pass-through on intermediary system 167
Configure replication to maintain high availability 167
Capabilities 168
Requirements 168
Configuration 169
Make the system ready for failover 169
Perform recovery procedures 170
Configure partitioned replication 171

Configure horizontally partitioned replication 171
Guidelines for using horizontally partitioned replication 171
How it works 172
Define partitions and schemes 174
How to create a column condition 177
Specify partition schemes in the configuration file 180
Configure vertically partitioned replication 181
Guidelines for using vertically partitioned replication 182
Configure vertically partitioned replication 182
Configure named queues 186

Configure named export queues 186
Benefits of named export queues 187
Considerations when using named export queues 188
Configure a named export queue 188
How to identify named export queues 189
Configure named post queues 189
Benefits of named post queues 190
Considerations when using named post queues 191
Configure a named post queue 191
How to identify a named post queue 192
Configure replication to maintain a change history target 193

Overview of the change-history target 193
Capabilities 193
Operations supported 194

Operations not supported 194
How SharePlex maintains change history 194
Configure change history 195
Create a change-history configuration file 195
Additional change history configuration options 196
Customize column names 196
Add the before image to each change row 196
Include all columns of an operation in the history 196
Disable change history of an operation type 196
Set rules and filters 197
Include COMMITs 197
Set up DDL Replication 198

DDL that SharePlex supports 198
Control DDL replication 198
Default DDL support 199
Expanded Auto-Add support 199
DDL support for objects outside the replication configuration 200
Filter DDL Replication 200
Best practices for ALTERTABLE DDL 203
Tables with VARRAY or ABSTRACT types 203
Tables with system-specific metadata 203
Tables that are renamed 204
Tables with system-generated interval partitions/subpartitions 204
ALTERTABLE...MOVE 204
DDL logging and error handling 205
Set up error handling 206

Continue to post when there is a DML error 206
Continue posting on Oracle and SharePlex errors 206
Continue posting on ODBC errors 207
Continue to Post when there is a DDL error 208
Increase the number of retries on error 209
Stop Post when data is out-of-sync 209
Transform data 210

Overview of transformation 210
Supported replication strategies 210
Supported operations 211
Considerations when using transformation 211

Deploy transformation 212
Create transformation routines 212
Complete the transformation file 217
Configure SharePlex security features 219

Secure connections to SharePlex 219
Requirements 219
Secure data with SSH 220
Requirements 220
Encrypt data across the network 222
Encryption guidelines 222
Enable encryption on the source system 222
Set the key size on the source system 223
Create an encryption key on the source system 223
Set the key on the source and target 223
Example 223
View and reset encryption 224
Assign SharePlex users to security groups 224
Overview of SharePlex security groups 224
Description of the SharePlex security groups 224
Create and populate SharePlex groups on Unix and Linux 225
Create and populate SharePlex groups on Windows 226
Activate replication in an Oracle production environment 227

What is activation? 227
Activation commands 228
Activate a configuration file 228
View activation status 229
View configuration statistics 229
Deactivate a configuration file 229
Requirements for activating a configuration 229
Required authorization level 229
Required setup 230
Test the configuration before activation 231
Frequently Asked Questions about activation 231
How to activate multiple configuration files 232
Activate replication with an Oracle hot backup on an active database 233
Preliminary considerations 233
Procedures 234
Activation with hot backup: all strategies except cascading 234
Activation with hot backup:cascading replication 236

Activate replication with an Oracle hot backup on a quiet database 238
Procedure 239
Activate replication with Oracle transportable tablespaces 241
Procedure 242
Activate replication with cold copy/transfer methods 243
Procedure 244
Monitor SharePlex 246

View and terminate SharePlex processes 246
View and terminate processes on Unix and Linux 246
View and terminate SharePlex processes on Windows 247
View SharePlex processes on Windows 247
Terminate SharePlex processes on Windows 248
View events and errors 248
Monitor with sp_ctrl commands 250
Run monitor scripts on Unix 252
Requirements for using the monitoring scripts 252
Monitor capture with sp_logmon 253
Prepare to run sp_logmon 253
Run sp_logmon 254
Monitor events with sp_eventmon 254
Prepare to run sp_eventmon 255
Run sp_eventmon 255
Monitor processes with sp_ps 257
Prepare to run sp_ps 257
Run sp_ps 258
Monitor queues with sp_qstatmon 258
Prepare to run sp_qstatmon 258
Run sp_qstatmon 259
Run a monitor script on Windows 260
Monitor replication with SNMP 262
Enable SNMP 262
Configure the SNMP agent 262
Custom MIB parameters 263
Configure the SNMP traps 263
Prevent and solve replication problems 264

Find the solution in the SharePlex Knowledge Base 264

Solve Oracle setup problems 265
Solve configuration file problems 265
A configuration was accidentally deleted 265
Solve configuration file errors 266
Solve activation problems 267
SharePlex cannot locate the configuration file 267
Some objects failed to activate 267
Activation failed completely 268
Activation takes too long 268
The reconcile command is slow to complete 269
Common activation errors 269
Solve replication problems 270
Replication is too slow 270
Post is too slow 271
Capture stopped 274
Post stopped 275
Other problems and solutions 276
Common replication errors 277
Solve DDL replication problems 282
DDL is not replicating 282
Replicated DDL is not completely displayed in the Event Log 283
Solving queue problems 283
SharePlex is running out of disk space 283
There is a failure to write and open queue error 284
The queues are corrupted 285
The post queue seems too large 285
Solve Synchronization Problems 285
How SharePlex reports out-of-sync conditions 285
Detect false out-of-sync conditions 286
Common out-of-sync conditions and solutions 287
Correct the problem first 291
Resynchronize data 291
Solve compare command errors 291
Kill compare processes 292
Solve other replication problems 293
SharePlex does not run on a Windows system 293
A Cant unlink file error occurs on Windows systems 294
Common connection errors 294
Common command errors 295

How to resynchronize source and target tables 296
How to restore the archive logs 301
How to release semaphores after process failure 301
How to resolve disk space shortage 303
How to conserve disk space on the target 304
How to restore disk space 304
How to find the ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME 305
Repair out-of-sync Data 307

Overview of Compare and Repair 307
Overview of the server and client processes 307
How locks are managed 308
Before you use Compare and Repair 308
How to use the repair and compare commands 309
When to run a repair 310
How to run the compare and repair commands 310
Procedures to Maintain Oracle High Availability 311

Recover replication if the primary system fails 311
Requirements 311
Procedure 1: Move replication to the secondary system 312
Procedure 2: Move replication to the restored primary system 312
Recover replication if the secondary Oracle instance fails 316
Requirements 316
Procedure 316
Move replication during planned failover and failback 318
Requirements 319
Procedure 319
Make changes to an active replication environment 322

Change an active configuration file 322
Add or change table specifications in an active configuration 323
Procedure 323
Add Oracle sequences to an active replication configuration 324
Enable auto-add of sequences 324
Add sequences if auto-add is not enabled 324

Add a sequence if the sequence does not populate a column 324
Add a sequence if the sequence populates a column 325
Remove objects from replication 326
Procedure 326
Make DDL changes in an active replication configuration 327
Requirements 327
Procedure 327
Make Oracle changes that affect replication 328
Move the location of ORACLE_HOME 328
Change the target ORACLE_SID 328
Change the SharePlex database account 329
Procedure 329
Change the name or IP address of a replication host 330
Description 330
Guidelines for using provision 331
Run provision 331
Undo changes made by provision 332
Known issues 332
Set the SharePlex port number 332
Set the SharePlex port on Unix and Linux systems 333
Set the SharePlex port on Windows systems 334
Apply an Oracle application patch or upgrade 336

Before you patch or upgrade an application 336
Which procedure to use? 336
The effect of patches and upgrades on partitioned replication 337
Naming conventions used 338
Apply patch/upgrade to source then copy it to target 338
When to use this procedure 338
Overview of the procedure 339
Apply the patch/upgrade 339
Apply patch/upgrade to source and target 340

Overview of the procedure 341
Apply patch to source and replicate it to the target 342
Back up Oracle data on the source or target 343

Perform a partial backup of the source system 343
Perform a full backup on the source system 344
Tune the Capture process 345

Disable LOB Mapping 345
Tune Capture on Exadata 345
Tune checkpointing 346
Tune the Post process 347

Use Oracle INDEX hints 347
Tune SQL Caching 348
Enable or disable SQL Cache 348
Oracle 349
OpenTarget 349
Tune SQL Cache for best performance 349
Adjust open cursors 350
Skip large maintenance transactions 350
Make small transactions faster 351
Increase the level of concurrency 351
Reduce the number of commits 352
Split a large transaction into a smaller one 352
Appendix A: Peer-To-Peer Diagram 353
Appendix B: SharePlex variables 354

About this Guide
This manual provides instructions for:
l Operating SharePlex
l Planning your replication strategy
l Preparing the environment for replication
l Configuring replication
l Starting replication
l Monitoring, tuning, and troubleshooting replication
l Failover/failback in a high-availability environment
l Performing administrative operations on replication systems
Other SharePlex documentation

For the complete SharePlex documentation set, go to:
http://documents.software.dell.com/SharePlex
l See the SharePlex Reference Guide for reference information that you will need from time to time. It
includes detailed information about:
l sp_ctrl commands that administer, monitor and control replication
l SharePlex tuning parameters
l SharePlex utilities
l SharePlex error messages
l See the SharePlex Preinstallation Checklist for tasks that must be finished before installing or
running SharePlex.
l See the SharePlex Installation Guide for instructions for installing SharePlex and performing
initial setup.
l See the SharePlex Upgrade Guide for instructions for upgrading a current installation of SharePlex to
this version.
l See the SharePlex Release Notes for information about new features, enhancements, bug fixes and
known issues in this release.

Conventions used in this guide
Conventions used in this manual

The following typographic conventions are used in this guide.
l Bold represents required components of a command or option that must be typed as shown.
l Italics represent variables defined, named or entered by the user.
l Bold Italics represents required user defined variables in example command strings.
l {Braces} enclose available required arguments.
l [Brackets] represent optional command components and may also be used in example command strings
to emphasize required user defined variables in long strings.
Example:
reconcile queue {queuename} for {datasource-datadest} [onhost]
l A vertical bar, or pipe character ( | ) within brackets or braces indicates that you can use only one of
the enclosed components.
Example:
abort service {service | all}
Names of commands, programs, directories and files are expressed in Arial Bold;
other names are expressed in capital letters using the default font.
Examples:
The sp_ctrl program is located in the bin directory.
Open the oramsglst file.
Find the value for ORACLE_HOME.
Click Apply.
System displays, such as prompts and command output, are expressed in Courier New.
Examples:
sp_ctrl(sysA)>
User is a viewer (level=3)
Windows menu items, dialog boxes, and options within dialog boxes are expressed in Arial Bold.
Example:
From the File menu, select Print.
System names are expressed generically or fictitiously. When necessary, the source system
(or primary system) is referred to as SysA. Target systems (or secondary systems)
are referred to as SysB, SysC, SysD, and so forth.

About Dell Software
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trust and value. For more information, visit www.software.dell.com.
Contacting Dell Software

Technical Support: Online Support
Product Questions and Sales: (800) 306-9329
Contact Us : http://software.dell.com/company/contact-us.aspx
Technical support resources

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contract and to customers who have trial versions. To access the Support Portal, go to
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The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. In addition, the portal provides direct access to product support engineers through an
online Service Request system.
The site enables you to:
l Create, update, and manage Service Requests (cases)

l View Knowledge Base articles
l Obtain product notifications
l Download software. For trial software, go to Trial Downloads.
l View how-to videos
l Engage in community discussions
l Chat with a support engineer

1
Overview of SharePlex
SharePlex provides high-speed, log-based replication that supports a variety of topology configurations in
heterogeneous database environments. This chapter provides an overview of how SharePlex replication works.
It explains concepts surrounding SharePlex replication and provides an overview of SharePlex capabilities.
For more information about the platforms and databases that SharePlex supports, see the SharePlex
Release Notes.
Contents
About source and target data
About sp_cop
About sp_ctrl
About the SharePlex architecture
SharePlex Directories
SharePlex Tables
SharePlex queues
SharePlex processes
How SharePlex replicates data
Understand the concept of synchronization
Characteristics of synchronized tables
Hidden out-of-sync conditions
Strategies for information availability
Test before you deploy
About source and target data

SharePlex replication uses the concepts of source and target.
l The source data is the primary data that is to be replicated. This data resides on the source system.
l The target data is a full or subset copy of the primary data.This data resides on the target system. The
object of replication is to keep the source and target data synchronized, or in-sync. This means that the
state of the source data is reflected accurately by the target data, adjusting for any transformation that
is performed and for any time lag in the replication stream.

As changes are made to source data, SharePlex continuously replicates them to the target system. The target
data can take the form of any of the SharePlex-supported target types: tables in a database, messages in a JMS
queue or Kafka topic, or XML or SQL records in a file that can be consumed by other software programs.
You can replicate data from one source to many targets in a direct or cascading configuration, and you can
replicate from many sources to one target.
About sp_cop
The sp_cop program coordinates the SharePlex replication processes: (Capture, Read, Export, Import, Post)
and the SharePlex queues, and it initiates all of the other background processes that perform specific tasks. It
also maintains communication with other systems in the replication network. In general, most SharePlex users
have little interaction with sp_cop other than to start and stop it. Once started, sp_cop runs in the
background.
l Only a SharePlex Administrator (member of the SharePlex admin group) can start or stop sp_cop.
l sp_cop must be started on all source and target systems involved in replication.
l Start sp_cop as soon as (or before) users access the data on the source system, so that all SharePlex
processes are ready to start processing transactions. That way, Capture can keep pace with the changes
that are made to the source data.
l If Capture loses pace with the rate at which source transactions are generated, the redo logs could
wrap before Capture is finished reading them. Log wrap is when the online Oracle redo logs reach their
maximum size and number and Oracle starts writing new logs over the existing ones. If SharePlex has
not captured all of the changes before the logs wrap, it reads the archive logs, but by then there could
be unacceptable latency between source and target data. In that case, it might be more practical to
resynchronize the data.
For more information about the replication processes, see About the SharePlex architecture.
About sp_ctrl
Use sp_ctrl to issue the commands that start, stop, configure, direct and monitor SharePlex activities. The sp_
ctrl program interacts internally with the sp_cnc (command and control) process, which is the child process of
sp_cop that executes the commands. Users do not interact with sp_cnc itself.
About the SharePlex architecture

This topic explains the basic components of SharePlex replication.
NOTE: This topic explains the default configuration of SharePlex. You can customize the SharePlex
configuration to add additional queues and processes for the purpose of isolating data streams or improving
performance.

SharePlex Directories
SharePlex uses two main directories:
The product directory: This is the SharePlex installation directory, where the SharePlex programs and
libraries are stored.
The variable-data directory: This is the SharePlex working directory, where the queue files, log files and other
components that comprise the current replication environment are stored.
NOTE: These directories are often referred to as productdir and vardir, respectively.
Do not remove, rename or edit any files or directories installed by SharePlex. Some directories contain hidden
files that are essential for replication. Some files appear empty but must exist under their original names
because they are referenced by one or more SharePlex processes. Some items in the directories are for use
only under the supervision of Dell Technical Support.
Utilities meant for general use in a production environment are documented in the published SharePlex
documentation. If you do not find documentation for a program in a SharePlex directory, do not attempt to run
it. Contact Dell Technical Support first.
The directory structure and files within the two main SharePlex directories differs slightly between the UNIX
and Windows platforms. Files and directories can vary from version to version of SharePlex, but the basic
structure appears as follows.
SharePlex product directory
Sub- Contents
directory
bin SharePlex executable files

data Default parameter settings
install (Unix and Linux only) Scripts related to installation, licensing and upgrades
lib SharePlex shared libraries
util SharePlex utilities
.app- (Unix and Linux only) Hidden internal directory that contains raw executables. Do not use the
modules contents of this directory to launch processes.
.meta-inf (Unix and Linux only) Hidden internal directory that contains meta information used during the
installation process.
SharePlex variable-data directory
Sub- Contents
directory
config Configuration files for this installation of SharePlex.

data Status Database, configuration activation information, user-defined parameter settings, and other
user-defined files that direct replication activities.
db Configuration internal database for each activation of a configuration file.
dump Core files (if a process fails)

Sub- Contents
directory
log SharePlex log files

rim Queue files (working data files)
save Information about active and inactive configurations.
state Information about the current state of SharePlex when a configuration is active, such as the
object and sequence caches.
temp Used by the copy and append features and other SharePlex sync-related processes.
SharePlex Tables
Much of the replication process is controlled and tracked through a series of internal tables that are installed
into the source or target database during the installation of SharePlex. They are essential for SharePlex to
operate, so do not alter them in any way.
Table* Description
DEMO_SRC Used as the source table for the SharePlex demonstrations.

DEMO_DEST Used as the target table for the SharePlex demonstrations.
SHAREPLEX_ACTID Used by Capture to checkpoint its state.
SHAREPLEX_ACT_ Not currently used.
MARKER
SHAREPLEX_ANALYZE Used by the analyze command.
SHAREPLEX_ Used by users to stop and resume replication for an object.
CHANGE_OBJECT
SHAREPLEX_ Used for the flush, abort and purge commands.
COMMAND
SHAREPLEX_CONFIG Used by the activation and Capture processes to mark the start of a new activation.
SHAREPLEX_DATA Used by the SharePlex wallet.
SHAREPLEX_ Used by the compare and repair commands and the Post process to synchronize their
DATAEQUATOR operations.
SHAREPLEX_ Used as a temporary table by the compare and repair commands.
DATAEQUATOR_
INSERT_TEMP

DATAEQUATOR_
UPDATE_TEMP
DATAEQUATOR_
DELETE_TEMP
SHAREPLEX_DDL_ Used to refine control of DDL that is enabled for replication by the SP_OCT_
CONTROL REPLICATE_ALL_DDL parameter.

Table* Description
SHAREPLEX_JOBS Used by the sp_cnc process and the compare, repair, and copy commands to store
information about a job.
SHAREPLEX_JOB_ Used by the sp_cnc process and the compare, repair, and copy commands to store
STATS information about a job.
SHAREPLEX_JOBS_ Used by the disable jobs and enable jobs commands.
CONFIG
SHAREPLEX_LOB_ Used by the Capture process when processing VARRAYs stored as LOB.
CACHE
SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP Used by the Capture process to map LOBIDs and rows when a table with LOB columns
does not have PK/UK logging enabled.
SHAREPLEX_LOGLIST Used by the Capture process to track inactive RAC instances.
SHAREPLEX_MARKER Used by the Read process when PK/UK logging is not enabled.
SHAREPLEX_OBJMAP Used by the activation and Capture processes to define the objects in replication.
SHAREPLEX_ Used by users to define horizontal partitioning for a table in the replication
PARTITION configuration.
SHAREPLEX_ Used by the Capture process to map Oracle partition IDs to tables in replication.
PARTITION_CACHE
SHAREPLEX_ROUTES Used by the activation and Read processes to provide the target table name and
routing for every table in replication.
SHAREPLEX_SYNC_ Used by the copy command and the Read and Post processes to sync their operations.
MARKER
SHAREPLEX_TRANS Used by the Post process to store checkpoints and to mark transactions that were
applied in a master-to-master configuration.
SHAREPLEX_ Used by the activation and Capture processes to provide wildcard specifications by
WILDCARD which Capture determines whether a newly created table should be replicated.
* Additionally, SharePlex creates the SHAREPLEX_JOBID sequence for use by the sp_cnc process and the
compare, repair, and copy commands to provide a unique job ID.
SharePlex queues
Queues store the replicated data as it is transported from the source system to the target system. Queues are
part of a checkpoint recovery system that facilitates safe, asynchronous transport of data. Data travels through
the queues in the sequence in which it was generated.
Data is not read-released (deleted) from one queue until it is written to the next one. Data accumulates in the
queues on the source and target systems if the network, system, or database slows down or fails, or when a
replication process stops. When the problem or outage is resolved, SharePlex resumes processing from the
point where it stopped.
SharePlex replication uses the following queues:
l Capture Queue: The capture queue resides on the source system and stores captured data for further
processing by SharePlex. There is one capture queue for each data source that is being replicated. A

capture queue is identified by the datasource, for example o.oraA.
l Export Queue: The export queue resides on the source system. It holds data that has been processed by
SharePlex and is ready for transport to the target system. By default, there is one export queue on a
source system regardless of the number of active configurations or target systems. A default export
queue is identified by the name of the source system on which it resides, for example, SysA. You can
instruct SharePlex to create additional named export queues for more complex replication strategies.
See Configure named export queues.
l Post Queue: The post queue resides on the target system. It holds data that is ready for writing to the
target. On each target system, there is one post queue for the replication stream between a
datasource and its target. For example, if OraA and OraB are both replicating to OraC, there are two
post queues. A default post queue is identified by the name of the source system plus the datasource
and the target, for example SysA (o.oraA-o.oraB). You can instruct SharePlex to create additional
named post queues for more complex replication strategies. See Configure named post queues.
NOTE: All SharePlex queue files are created and maintained in the rim sub-directory of the SharePlex
variable-data directory.
SharePlex processes
SharePlex replicates data through a series of replication processes that are started by the main SharePlex
process, sp_cop.
l The Capture process: The Capture process reads the transaction logs or archive logs on the source
system for changes to objects that are configured for replication by SharePlex. The Capture process
writes the data to the capture queue, where it accumulates until the Read process is ready for it.
There is a separate Capture process for each datasource being replicated, each functioning
concurrently and independently. The Capture process is named sp_ocap (Oracle Capture).
l The Read process: The Read process operates on the source system to read data from the capture
queue and add routing information to the data. After processing the data, the Read process sends it to
the Export queue. The Read process is named sp_ordr (Oracle Reader).
l The Export process: The Export process operates on the source system to read data from the export
queue and send it across the network to the target system. By default, a source system has one Export
process for each of its target systems. For example, if there are two target systems, there are two
Export processes. Each Export process controls transmission of all data that is being replicated from a
source system to a target system. The Export process is the first part of the Export/Import transport
pair, which moves data between systems over a TCP/IP network. The Export process is named sp_xport.
l The Import process: The Import process is the second half of the Export/Import transport pair. It
operates on the target system to receive data and build a post queue. There is one Import process for
each Export process. For example, if there are two source systems (each with an Export process)
replicating data to a target system, there are two Import processes on the target. The Import process is
named sp_mport.
NOTE: It is possible to replicate data between Oracle instances on the same system. In this case
the Export and Import processes are not created. The Read process places data directly into a
post queue on that system.
l The Post process: The Post process operates on the target system to read the post queue and apply
the replicated operations to the target. There is a Post process for each post queue on a target system.
Multiple Post processes can operate simultaneously on a system. The Post process is sp_opst_mt when
configured to post to an Oracle database and sp_xpst when configured to post to an Open Target target.

All communication and movement of data by SharePlex is handled by an internal messaging and transport
system, using an asynchronous stream protocol with TCP/IP connections that is very efficient for large data
transfers. This method ensures optimal performance, reliability and restart capabilities, while conserving
communication bandwidth. SharePlex can replicate over any TCP/IP network, including WAN environments.
SharePlex processes recover from network failures. When the network is unavailable, data is queued on the
source system. SharePlex detects when the network is available again and resumes transmission.
How SharePlex replicates data

SharePlex reads the blocks of the redo logs and replicates transactional changes that are made to objects that
are specified in a configuration file. In the configuration file, you specify which data to replicate and the target
to which it is applied. When a configuration is activated. SharePlex replicates only the changes made to the
source data, providing a fast and reliable replication solution. For more information about configuration files,
see Create configuration files
From the information that it has about an operation, SharePlex creates one or more messages that are sent
from the Capture process to the Read process, and from the Read process to all of the other replication
processes in the replication stream. A message can reflect a SQL operation or an internal SharePlex operation,
but most of the time it is an INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, COMMIT, TRUNCATE or a supported DDL operation.
Large operations like those on LONG or LOB columns can require more than one message because a message has
a size limitation. Other operations, such as array inserts of small records, have the inverse effect: There could
be one record for numerous operations. For example, an array insert of 70,000 rows might be accommodated
with only 700 messages, depending on the data.
In general, unless you are replicating numerous changes to LONGs and BLOBs, you can assume that the number
of messages shown in the status output for a process or queue approximately corresponds to the same number
of SQL operations.

The Post process reads messages from the post queue and applies the replicated data changes to the target. In
the case of a database target, Post constructs SQL statement to apply the data. In the case of non-database
targets, Post outputs data records in the format required by the target, for example a JMS queue.
The following explains the default ways that SharePlex builds SQL statements on the target system.
l If the change is an INSERT, SharePlex uses all of the columns in the row to build an INSERT statement.
l If the change is a DELETE, SharePlex uses only the key to build a WHERE clause to locate the correct
row. If a table lacks a key, SharePlex simulates one by using the values of all of the columns, except
LONG and LOB columns. You can specify columns to use as a key when you create the configuration file.
l If the change is an UPDATE, SharePlex uses the key plus the values of the changed columns to build a
WHERE clause to locate the correct row. Before applying changes to the database, the Post process
compares a pre-image of the values of the source columns to the existing values of the target columns.
The pre-image (also known as the before image) is the value of each changed column before the
UPDATE. If the pre-image and the existing target values match, confirming a synchronized state, Post
applies the changes. If not, then Post logs the operation to an error file and SharePlex returns an out-
of-sync error.
l If the change is an UPDATE or DELETE statement that affects multiple rows on the source machine,
SharePlex issues multiple statements on the target to complete the task. For example, an UPDATE
tableA set name = Lisa where rownum < 101 statement actually sends 100 UPDATE statements to
the target, even though only one statement was issued on the source.
Understand the concept of synchronization

The concept of synchronization applies mainly to table-to-table replication, where Post performs integrity
checks to make certain that only one row in the target matches the row change that is being replicated. It
does not apply to file, JMS, Kafka, and change-history targets, which contain a record of every operation
replicated by Post, some of which may be identical over time. The Post process does not perform integrity
checks on those targets.
Characteristics of synchronized tables

The basic characteristics of synchronized source and target tables are as follows (unless the transformation
feature is used).
l If a row exists in the source database, it exists in the target.

l Corresponding columns in source and target tables have the same structure and datatypes.
l Data values in corresponding rows are identical, including the values of the key.
Ensuring data integrity is the responsibility of the Post process. Post applies a WHERE clause to compare the key
values and the before values of the SQL operations that it processes. Post uses the following logic to validate
synchronization between source and target tables:
l Post applies a replicated INSERT but a row with the same key already exists in the target. Post applies
the following logic:
o If all of the current values in the target row are the same as the INSERT values, Post considers
the rows to be in-sync and discards the operation.

o If any of the values are different from those of the INSERT, Post considers this an out-of-
sync condition.
NOTE: You can configure Post so that it does not consider non-key values when posting an INSERT.
See the SP_OPO_SUPPRESSED_OOS parameter in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
l Post applies a replicated UPDATE but either cannot find a row in the target with the same key value as
the one in the UPDATE or Post finds the correct row but the row values do not match the before values
in the UPDATE. Post applies the following logic:
o If the current values in the target row match the after values of the UPDATE, Post considers the
rows to be in-sync and discards the operation.
o If the values in the target row do not match the before or after values of the UPDATE, Post
considers this an out-of-sync condition.
NOTE: You can configure Post so that it returns an out-of-sync message if the current values in
the target row match the after values of the UPDATE. See the SP_OPO_SUPPRESSED_OOS
parameter in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
l A DELETEis performed on the source data, but Post cannot locate the target row by using the key. When
Post constructs its DELETE statement, it includes only the key value in its WHERE clause.
Hidden out-of-sync conditions

Post only verifies the integrity of the rows that are being changed by its current SQL operation. It does not
verify whether other rows in that table, or other tables, are out of synchronization in the target database.
Hidden out-of-sync conditions may not show up until much later, when a change is eventually made by
SharePlex to that data or a discrepancy is detected in the course of using that data.
Example of a detectable out-of-sync condition
Someone logs into the target and updates the COLOR column in the target table from blue to red in
Row1. Then, an application user on the source system makes the same change to the source table, and
SharePlex replicates it to the target. In the WHEREclause used by Post, the pre-image for the target
table is blue, but the current value in the target row is red. Post generates an out-of-sync error
alerting you to the out-of-sync condition.
Example of a hidden out-of-sync condition
Someone logs into the target and updates the COLOR column in the target table from blue to red in
Row2, but the change is not made to the source table and is not replicated. The two tables are now out-
of-sync, but there is no error message as in the previous example, because there is no Post involvement.
No matter how many subsequent updates are made to other columns in the row (SIZE, WEIGHT), the
hidden out-of-sync condition for the COLOR column persists (and users on the target have inaccurate
information) until someone updates the COLOR column in the source table. When that change is
replicated, Post compares the pre-images, and only then is there an error message.
The majority of time, the cause of out-of-sync data is not anything done wrong by replication, but rather DML
applied on the target, an incomplete backup restore, or some other hidden out-of-sync condition that can go
undetected a long time until an operation applied by Post finally affects that data and an error is returned.
Solving out-of-sync conditions can be time-consuming and disruptive to user activity. Once replication is
started, it is recommended that you:
l Prevent write access to the target tables, so that DML and DDL cannot be applied to them.

l Use the compare command to compare source and target data regularly to verify synchronization and
detect hidden out-of-sync conditions. For more information about the compare command, see the
SharePlex Reference Guide.
Strategies for information availability

Because SharePlex replicates over LAN and WAN connections, you can put a replica database to work as a
reliable, continuously updated alternate database that can be used in many different ways. The following
strategies enable you to get the right data to the people who need it, when they need it.
Reporting instances
Targets maintained by SharePlex are ideal for offloading report and query processing because they are
accessible while being kept up-to-date, and they can be optimized with keys and indexes designed for optimal
query performance. You can run reports all day long, without complaints about performance from your OLTP
users. Even during busy reporting times such as the end of the month or quarter, application response time will
be unaffected by heavy reporting. And, your organizations decision-makers will appreciate the accuracy of the
data reflected in the reports.
Broadcast and cascade

When many remote users access or use data stored in a primary database, you can move their processing to one
or more secondary databases that are kept current through SharePlex replication. That way, you can keep the
primary database and system optimized for transactions. SharePlex also can cascade ndata through an
intermediary system to remote systems, providing access for remote users who have no direct network
connection to the primary database.
Data warehousing
SharePlex can replicate from numerous source systems to one target system. It is ideal for consolidating data in
a data warehouse or a data mart so that information is available enterprise-wide for queries and reports. A high
degree of granularity in the data that you replicate and the option to transform replicated data to conform to a
different target structure are unique SharePlex features that enable you to populate your data warehouse
with the specific, timely information that users need to make good decisions.
High availability and disaster recovery

SharePlex can be used to maintain duplicate databases over local or wide-area networks. Production can move
to the alternate sites in an emergency or in a planned manner when routine maintenance is performed on the
primary server. SharePlex replication enables the secondary database to be used for queries and reporting.

Figure 1: SharePlex replication strategies at a glance
Test before you deploy

Before you implement SharePlex on production systems, Dell recommends performing tests in a mirror of the
production environment to ensure that you configured SharePlex properly to support your requirements.
Testing can uncover issues such as configuration errors and unexpected environmental issues, for example
network or resource issues that affect replication performance or availability.
Additionally, it is assumed that your organization has in place an infrastructure that supports the use of
enterprise applications such as SharePlex. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

l Availability and use of the database and SharePlex documentation
l Training programs for users
l Rollout and upgrade plans that ensure minimal interruption to business. When SharePlex is
implemented as part of an applications infrastructure, it is strongly recommended to test new
application functionality in conjunction with SharePlex in a non-production environment.
l Database or system maintenance procedures that consider SharePlex dependencies, such as the proper
shutdown of SharePlex processes and the preservation of unprocessed redo to accommodate system or
database maintenance.
l Sufficient security that prevent unauthorized persons from accessing SharePlex data records or making
configuration changes.
The SharePlex Professional Services team can help you prepare for, install, and deploy SharePlex in your
environment.

2
Run SharePlex
This chapter contains instructions for running SharePlex on UNIX, Linux, and Windows
Contents
Run SharePlex on Unix and Linux
Startup sequence on Unix and Linux
Start SharePlex on Unix and Linux
Identify SharePlex processes on Unix and Linux
Stop SharePlex on Unix and Linux
Shutdown Considerations on Unix and Linux
Run SharePlex on Windows
Startup Sequence on Windows
Start and stop SharePlex on Windows
Set SharePlex startup status on Windows
Set SharePlex process priority on Windows
Identify SharePlex processes on Windows
Shutdown Considerations on Windows
Run SharePlex on Unix and Linux

On Unix and Linux systems, you start SharePlex by running the sp_cop program. After you activate a
configuration, sp_cop spawns the necessary child replication processes on the same system. Each instance of
sp_cop that you start is a parent to its own set of child replication processes. The sp_cop process must be
started on each system that is part of the replication configuration.
You can start sp_cop in one of two ways:
l From the operating system command line.

l At system startup as part of the startup file.
IMPORTANT: Run SharePlex from either the korn (ksh) or C shell (csh) shell.
l Do not use the Bourne shell (sh), because the way it handles background processes is not compatible
with SharePlex. If you must use the Bourne shell, switch shells to ksh or csh to run SharePlex, then exit
the shell and return to the Bourne shell.

l If using an Exceed X window emulator, switch from the default shell of POSIX to the ksh shell, then run
sp_cop from the ksh shell only.
Startup sequence on Unix and Linux

When you start systems that are involved in replication, start the components in this order:
1. Start the system.

2. Start the source and target databases.
3. Start SharePlex.
4. Start sp_ctrl.
5. Verify that the SharePlex processes are started by issuing the lstatus command in sp_ctrl.
sp_ctrl> lstatus
6. Allow users on the system.
Start SharePlex on Unix and Linux

To start SharePlex, you must log onto the system as a SharePlex Administrator. Your user name must be
assigned to the SharePlex admin group in the /etc/group file. For more information about user groups, see
Assign SharePlex users to security groups.
Table 1: SharePlex startup syntax
Method Startup syntax
From root, with full path $ /productdir/bin/sp_cop [-uidentifier] [-s] &
CDto the product directory $ cd /productdir/bin

$ ./sp_cop [-u] [-s] &
From a startup script #!/bin/ksh

cd productdir\bin
nohup sp_cop [-u] [-s] &
Table 2: Description of SharePlex startup syntax
Argument Description
& Causes SharePlex to run in the background.

nohup Directs the startup of SharePlex to continue in the background after the current
user logs out.
-s Starts sp_cop without starting the SharePlex replication processes (Capture,
Read, Export, Import, Post). Without -s, the replication processes start
automatically if there is an active configuration.
To start the replication processes after you start sp_cop with the -s option, use
the startup command. The startup command starts all processes at once.

Processes cannot be started individually after starting sp_cop with -s. Use the
stop command if you must stop individual processes. See the SharePlex
Reference Guide for more information about these commands.
-uidentifier Starts sp_cop with a unique identifier. Use this option when there are multiple
instances of sp_cop running on a system, which is required for some SharePlex
configurations. See Run multiple instances of SharePlex.
Some suggestions for identifier are:
l the SharePlex port number (such as -u2100)

l the identifier of the database for which replication is running (such as -
uora12c)
l any descriptive identifier (such as -utest)
Identify SharePlex processes on Unix and Linux

Every session of sp_cop has a process ID number. The ID is returned after startup and then the command
prompt reappears. If a configuration was activated during a former session of sp_cop, replication begins
immediately. Without an active configuration, sp_cop runs passively in the background.
On Unix and Linux systems, you can use the ps -ef | grep sp_ command to view the SharePlex processes that
are running.
l The sp_cop process is the root process.

l The following child processes are spawned by sp_cop on a source system:
o Command and Control process (sp_cnc)
o Capture (sp_ocap)
o Read (sp_ordr)
o Export (sp_xport)
l The following child processes are spawned by sp_cop on a target system:
1. Command and Control process (sp_cnc)
2. Import (sp_mport)
3. Post (sp_opst_mt if the database is Oracle or sp_xpst if the database is Open Target)
Each child process has the same -u identifier as its parent sp_cop process. This makes it easier to identify
related processes when multiple session of sp_cop are running.
Stop SharePlex on Unix and Linux

To stop SharePlex, issue the shutdown command in sp_ctrl. This is a graceful shutdown that saves the state of
each process, performs a checkpoint to disk, read/releases buffered data, and removes child processes. Data in
the queues remains safely in place, ready for processing when sp_cop starts again. The shutdown process can
take some time if SharePlex is processing large operations.

You can use the force option with the shutdown command to forcefully shut down replication if necessary. It
terminates sp_cop immediately, bypassing normal shutdown procedures. See the SharePlex Reference Guide
for more information about this command.
Shutdown Considerations on Unix and Linux

You can safely shut down SharePlex for a short time while there is still transactional activity. The next time you
start SharePlex, replication resumes at the correct place in the redo logs or the archive logs, if needed.
However, the best practice is to leave SharePlex running while there is transactional activity. Otherwise,
SharePlex may need to process a large volume of redo backlog when you start it again, and there will be
latency between the source and target data.
If the redo logs wrap and the archive logs cannot be accessed, resynchronization of the source and target
data may be the only option. Take this possibility into account whenever you stop SharePlex while redo is still
being generated.
NOTE: If you want to shut down both SharePlex and the database, shut down SharePlex first. Otherwise,
SharePlex will interpret that the database is failing and generate a warning message.
As an alternative to stopping SharePlex, you can use the stop command in sp_ctrl to stop individual
SharePlex replication processes as needed. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about
this command.
Run SharePlex on Windows

On Windows, SharePlex runs as a service named SharePlex port#, where port# is the port number that is used
by a particular instance of SharePlex. The service can be installed during the installation of SharePlex or at a
later time by running the SharePlex SpUtils progam. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information
about SpUtils.
NOTE: When directed in the documentation or other instructions to start or stop sp_cop on the Windows
platform, it means to start or stop the SharePlex service.
Startup Sequence on Windows

When you start systems that are involved in replication, start the components in this order:
1. Start the system.

2. Start the source and target databases.
3. Start the NuTCRACKER service in the Windows Administrative Tools control panel. This starts the MKS
Toolkit operating environment, which must be running in order to run SharePlex. See the SharePlex
Installation Guide for more information about the MKS Toolkit.
4. Start the SharePlex port# service. See Start and stop SharePlex on Windows
5. Start sp_ctrl from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
6. Verify that the SharePlex processes are started by issuing the lstatus command in sp_ctrl.
sp_ctrl> lstatus

Start and stop SharePlex on Windows
On Windows, the only way to start or stop SharePlex is by starting or stopping the SharePlex service. To control
the service, you can use the SpUtils utility or the Windows Administrative Tools control panel.
NOTE: Starting the SharePlex service automatically starts the SharePlex replication processes (Capture,
Read, Export, Import and Post). If you do not want those processes to start when the service starts, they
must be stopped with the stop command in sp_ctrl before you shut down the SharePlex service. They
will remain stopped until you issue the start command for each process that you want to start.
To control the SharePlex service with SpUtils

You can use SpUtils to install, start, stop, and check the status of the SharePlex service.
1. Log onto Windows as a SharePlex Administrator. Your user name must be assigned to the SharePlex
admin group. For more information, see Assign SharePlex users to security groups.
2. View the Windows services to make certain the NuTCRACKERservice is running. Start it, if needed.
3. Run the SpUtils utility from the desktop shortcut or the Programs menu.
4. Click the SharePlex Services tab of the utility.
5. Select the port number of the SharePlex instance that you want to control.
6. Do one of the following:
l Click Install to install the service. If Install is not shown, the service exists.
l Click Start to start the service. When Current State shows that the service is running, you can
close the utility. If Start is not shown, the service is either running already or not installed.
l Click Stop to stop the service. If Stop is not shown, the service is either stopped already or
not installed.
NOTE:You can also use the shutdown command in sp_ctrl to stop the SharePlex service.
To control the SharePlex service from Windows

The SharePlex service appears as an entry named SharePlex port# in the Services console of the
Administrative Tools control panel. Right-click the service name to start or stop the service.
Set SharePlex startup status on Windows

You can change the timing of SharePlex startup. By default, it is Automatic, meaning the service starts when
the system starts. You may need to contact a System Administrator to perform this task.
1. Open the Services console of the Administrative Tools control panel.

2. Right-click the SharePlex service name, then click Properties.
3. From the Startup type list, select the desired startup option. For assistance, click the Help link
in the dialog.
Set SharePlex process priority on Windows

IMPORTANT! Do not use the standard Windows Task Manager to set process priority for SharePlex.

On Windows systems, the NuTCRACKER operating environment controls the SharePlex processes. The SpUtils
utility has an option that enables you to run the Windows Task Manager with the required elevated
privileges to set the process priority. This procedure must be performed by a SharePlex Administrator.
Consult with the System Administrator to select an appropriate value based on the requirements of all
software running on the system.
To set SharePlex priority

1. Run SpUtils.
2. Select the TaskMgr tab.
3. Right click the SharePlex instance that you want to prioritize.
4. Select Set Priority, then select the desired priority level.
Identify SharePlex processes on Windows

In the Windows Task Manager, SharePlex appears as Sp_Copsrv.exe, representing the SharePlex sp_cop
process. The operating system controls the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe service. The parent Sp_Copsrv.exe process
spawns child Sp_Copsrv.exe processes one for each replication process (Capture, Read, Export, Import, Post,
sp_ctrl, and so forth.).
For a standard uni-directional configuration replicating through default queues to one target system, there are
following processes on a Windows system:
On the source system:
l One parent Sp_Copsrv.exe process.

l One Sp_Ocap (Capture) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Ordr (Read) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Xport (Export) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l If there are any additional SharePlex processes running, such as sp_ctrl, there is an additional Sp_
Copsrv.exe process for each one.
On the target system:

l One Sp_Mport (Import) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Opst_Mt (Oracle Post) or Sp_Xpst (Open Target Post) process plus one child Sp_
Copsrv.exe process.
If there are no active replication configurations, the SharePlex processes do not start when you start the
service, and just the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe will be running.
To identify the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe process in the Windows Task Manager, look for the one that is using the
largest amount of memory. The child Sp_Copsrv.exe processes consume less memory than the parent process.
To identify which replication process is associated with a child Sp_Copsrv.exe process, look in the SharePlex
Event Log for the message stating when the replication process started. This entry provides the PID for that
process and the PID of the associated Sp_copsvr.exe process.

Shutdown Considerations on Windows
You can safely shut down SharePlex for a short time while there is still transactional activity. The next time you
start SharePlex, replication resumes at the correct place in the redo logs or the archive logs, if needed.
However, the best practice is to leave SharePlex running while there is transactional activity. Otherwise,
SharePlex may need to process a large volume of redo backlog when you start it again, and there will be
latency between the source and target data.
If the redo logs wrap and the archive logs cannot be accessed, resynchronization of the source and target
data may be the only option. Take this possibility into account whenever you stop SharePlex while redo is still
being generated.
NOTE: If you want to shut down both SharePlex and the database, shut down SharePlex first. Otherwise,
SharePlex will interpret that the database is failing and generate a warning message.
As an alternative to stopping SharePlex, you can use the stop command in sp_ctrl to stop individual
SharePlex replication processes as needed. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about
this command.

3
Run multiple instances of SharePlex
This chapter shows you how to configure and run multiple instances of SharePlex on one machine. For example,
when replication is configured from multiple source systems to a central target system, you can run multiple
instances of sp_cop to isolate the replication streams.
Contents
Run multiple instances of SharePlex from separate installations
Run multiple instances of SharePlex from one installation
Run multiple instances of SharePlex from

separate installations
IMPORTANT! This topic assumes that there is no active configuration. It assumes you are configuring multiple
instances of sp_cop as part of an initial setup of the replication environment.
This method provides a one-to-one relationship between the binaries and the variable-data directory. This
procedure creates autonomous SharePlex instances, with nothing in common between them. You start, control
and maintain each SharePlex instance separately, and there are no special setup requirements.
This method has the following benefits:
l Processes are easily isolated. You do not have to set environment variables to point to the correct port
and variable-data directory.
l You can upgrade or perform other maintenance one product directory at a time, or choose not to
perform those tasks.
l You can run the same or different versions of SharePlex on the same system.
The disadvantages are:
l You must install and upgrade each installation separately.

l More disk space is required to store the product files.
l In startup and shutdown scripts, and other places where you must map environment variables to
SharePlex components, you must map them for each installation.
To set up multiple instances of SharePlex in this configuration:
l Install each one separately. There should be one product directory and one variable-data directory per
installation.

l Install each one on a different TCP/IP port number.
l IMPORTANT! Make certain to create a different database account for each installation.
To install SharePlex, see the SharePlex Installation Guide.
Run multiple instances of SharePlex from

one installation
IMPORTANT! This topic assumes that there is no active configuration. It assumes you are configuring multiple
instances of sp_cop as part of an initial setup of the replication environment.
This method provides a one-to-many relationship between a set of binaries and two or more variable-data
directories. In this configuration, you create multiple variable-data directories and link each one to a unique
port number, each running a separate instance of sp_cop. This method has the following benefits:
l You install and upgrade only one installation of SharePlex. Maintenance procedures are performed for
only one installation.
l You conserve disk space, because you only store one set of SharePlex binaries and installed files.
l The customization of the SharePlex monitoring scripts (see Run monitor scripts on Unix) only need to be
done once, in one place.
l Startup and shutdown scripts only need to be created and run for one set of binaries.
The disadvantages are:
l Processes must be directed to each instance. You must set environment variables for each instance,
start sp_cop with the correct identifier for each instance, and set a port connection in sp_ctrl to ensure
that commands are directed to the correct instance.
l Upgrades apply to all instances of SharePlex.
l All sp_cop instances are the same version of SharePlex.
How to run multiple sp_cop instances on Unix and Linux

To run multiple instances SharePlex on the same Unix or Linux machine, you run multiple instances of the sp_
cop program, each running on a different port number. You link each sp_cop to a different variable-data
directory. Each variable-data directory is identified by the port number of its sp_cop. Connection information to
the source or target data store is linked to each sp_cop instance.
1. Assign port numbers

Assign each instance of sp_cop a unique port number.
l For each sp_cop instance, obtain one port number that will be used by that instance for both TCP and
UDP communication.
l For each sp_cop instance, use the same port number for the remote instances of sp_cop that will
process the same replication data stream as the instance you are configuring.
The sp_cop process listens on each system on TCP and UDP ports for communications from SharePlex processes
on other systems in the network, such as a command or exchange between the Export and Import processes. If

the ports are different, sp_cop on one system cannot connect to the sp_cop on another system to send or
receive messages.
2. Create variable-data directories

For each instance of sp_cop, create a variable-data directory, and assign each to one of the port numbers you
obtained. The variable-data directory contains the environment that is unique to a SharePlex instance.
1. Install SharePlex according to the instructions in the SharePlex Installation Guide. At the end of the
installation, you should have one product directory, one variable-data directory associated with a port
number, and one database account. This is your base instance of SharePlex.
2. Log in as a root user.
3. Shut down sp_cop if it is running.
4. Copy the original variable-data directory (with its sub-directories) to a new variable-data directory for
each instance of sp_cop that you want to run. Include the port number in each name, as shown in the
following examples.
cp -p -r /splex/vardir/splex2100 /splex/vardir/splex2101
cp -p -r /splex/vardir/splex2100 /splex/vardir/splex2102
3. Define the port numbers in the SharePlex environment

For each variable-data directory that you created, perform this procedure to set the port number that you
reserved for this instance of SharePlex.
1. Export the SP_SYS_VARDIR variable to point to one of the new variable-data directories, for example
splex2101 in the preceding example.
ksh shell:
export SP_SYS_VARDIR=/full_path_of_variable-data_directory
csh shell:
setenv SP_SYS_VARDIR /full_path_of_variable-data_directory
2. Export the SP_COP_TPORT and SP_COP_UPORT variables to point to the port number of the variable-
data directory that you exported.
ksh shell:
export SP_COP_TPORT=port
export SP_COP_UPORT=port
csh shell:
setenv SP_COP_TPORT port
setenv SP_COP_UPORT port
3. Start sp_cop with the -u option, where port is the port number assigned to the exported variable-data
directory. (Leave no spaces between -u and the port number.)
$ /productdir/bin/sp_cop -uport&
4. Issue the following command to set the port number for the exported variable-data directory.
set param SP_COP_TPORT port

set param SP_COP_UPORT port
5. Shut down sp_cop.
6. In the rim sub-directory of the exported variable-data directory, delete the shstinfo.ipc and
shmaddr.loc files. (These files may not exist if sp_cop has never been started for this variable-data
directory.)
7. Repeat this procedure from step 1 for each additional variable-data directory.
4. Establish connections to the source or target data store

For each sp_cop instance, establish the connections that SharePlex will use to access the source or target data
of this SharePlex instance.
1. Export the SP_SYS_VARDIR variable to point to one of the new variable-data directories, for example
splex2101 in the example.
ksh shell:
csh shell:
2. Run the appropriate database setup utility for the database. See the Utilities section of the SharePlex
Reference Guide for more information.
3. Repeat these steps for each variable-data directory.
5. Start sp_cop instances

You can now run separate instances of sp_cop and sp_ctrl as needed.
1. Export the SP_SYS_VARDIR environment variable to point to the variable-data directory of the first sp_
cop instance.
ksh shell:
csh shell:
2. Start sp_cop with the -u option, where port is the port assigned to the sp_cop instance.
/splex/proddir/bin/sp_cop -u port &
3. In sp_ctrl, use the port command to set the session to the port number of the sp_cop instance you want
the commands to affect.
./sp_ctrl
port number
4. Repeat these steps for each instance of sp_cop that you want to run.
NOTE: If you receive an error message similar to the following, find out if someone else started a session of sp_
cop using the same port number and variable-data directory. If permissible, kill the processes associated with
that session, then start sp_cop again.
Error cleaning up previous shared memory segment ###.
Cannot delete because there are users attached.

Check if SharePlex processes are running and kill them if necessary.
How to run multiple sp_cop instances on Windows

To run multiple instances of SharePlex on the same Windows machine, you install and run a SharePlex service
for each instance, each with a different port number and variable-data directory.
1. Install the instances

1. Install SharePlex on the source and target systems according to the directions in the SharePlex
Installation Guide. This creates your initial instance of SharePlex.
2. Repeat the installation procedure for each SharePlex instance that you want to create, with the
following differences:
l Use the same product directory for each instance.
l Select or create a different variable-data directory for each instance.
l Select a different port number for each instance. The installation program locates available
ports, which you can override if necessary.
l When prompted for a license key, use the same license key for all instances. Make certain to
select the correct port each time.
l When you run database setup, use the correct port number for the instance, and use a different
name for each database account.
2. Start the SharePlex instances

All instances are controlled from the SpUtils utility.
1. Log onto Windows as a SharePlex Administrator (member of the spadmin group).

2. Run the SpUtils utility.
3. Select the SharePlex Services tab.
4. Select the port number for the instance of SharePlex that you want to start.
5. Under SharePlex Service Status, click Start. This starts the service for that instance.
6. When the Current State text box shows that the service has started, you can start another instance
of SharePlex.
7. Run Sp_Ctrl for the instance.
8. In Sp_Ctrl, use the port command to set the session to the port number of the sp_cop instance you
want the commands to affect.
sp_ctrl > port number

4
Execute commands in sp_ctrl
This chapter contains instructions for using the sp_ctrl command interface to execute commands that
configure, control, and monitor SharePlex. The sp_ctrl program resides in the bin sub-directory of the
SharePlex product directory.
NOTE: See the SharePlexReference Guide for more information about the commands shown in this topic.
Contents
How to run sp_ctrl
Define a default port for sp_ctrl
Define a default host for sp_ctrl
Set a default editor for sp_ctrl
How to run sp_ctrl

You can run sp_ctrl on any machine where SharePlex is installed. The sp_cop program must be running in
order to run sp_ctrl; otherwise it displays an error message similar to this:
Your tcp port is not set properly or sp_cop is not running.
Start sp_ctrl
There are two ways to run sp_ctrl:
l from the command shell of the operating system to issue one command, for example:
$ /productdir/bin/sp_ctrl command [on host]
l by running the sp_ctrl command interface to issue one or more commands, for example:
$ /productdir/bin/sp_ctrl
sp_ctrl>command [on host]
where:
l productdir is the SharePlex product (installation) directory.

l command is the SharePlex command.

l onhost represents one of the command options that allow you to issue a command on the local
machine to control SharePlex on a remote machine (if supported by the command), as shown in the
following example.
$ /productdir/bin/sp_ctrl status on host:port

On Windows systems, you can run sp_ctrl from the Sp_Ctrl desktop shortcut or Windows Programs menu.
The sp_ctrl command line allows a total of 256 characters, including spaces.
Exit sp_ctrl
To exit the sp_ctrl command-line interface, issue the exit or quit command.
On Windows systems, you can simply close the sp_ctrl command prompt window.
The exit or quit command only closes the sp_ctrl session. It does not stop the SharePlex replication processes.
Define a default port for sp_ctrl

If there is only one instance of SharePlex on a system, sp_ctrl detects the port number. However, if you
configured more than one SharePlex instance on a system (where each one runs on a different port
number) you must use the port command to set the session of sp_ctrl to the instance for which you want
to issue commands.
sp_ctrl > port number
For more information about running multiple instances of SharePlex, see Run multiple instances of SharePlex.
For more information about the port command, see the SharePlexReference Guide.
Define a default host for sp_ctrl

To define a default machine for all interactive sp_ctrl sessions, use the host command. This command enables
you to enter a series of commands without using the onhost option for each one.
sp_ctr >hosthostname
The command changes the sp_ctrl prompt to include the host name:
sp_ctrl (sysA) >
The host setting applies only to the sp_ctrl session in which it is set.
Set a default editor for sp_ctrl

You can set the default editor that sp_ctrl runs when you issue a command that requires input to an ASCII text
file, such as a configuration file. By default, sp_ctrl runs vi on Unix and Linux and WordPad on Windows.
The default text editors are tested and proven to work with SharePlex. If you change the default editor, the
new editor must be a native ASCII text editor. Do not use a word processing program or other non-ASCII program,
even if you can save a file to ASCII from that program.

Change the editor on Unix or Linux
Set the EDITOR variable in either of these ways:
l Before you start sp_ctrl. This sets the editor only for that session of sp_ctrl.
l In the shell startup script on the local machine. This sets the editor permanently, until changed in the
startup script. You can override this setting on a per-session basis.
Syntax - ksh shell

export EDITOR=name_of_editor
Syntax - csh shell

setenv EDITOR name_of_editor
Change the editor onWindows

To change the text editor for sp_ctrl on a Windows system, you must add the EDITORvariable in the
Windows Registry.
IMPORTANT! Incorrect Registry settings can adversely affect the operation of SharePlex. Consult a System
Administrator if you need help with this procedure.
1. Shut down the SharePlex service.

2. Open the Run dialog. The location varies with the Windows version.
3. In the Run dialog, type regedit to run the Registry Editor.
4. Expand the SharePlex node:
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Quest Software\SharePlex
5. Right click the port number of the SharePlex instance to which you want to add a variable, then select
New, then String Value.
6. Under the Name column, right click the new variable, then select Rename.
7. Type the correct name.
8. Double click the new variable.
9. Under Value Data, enter the string for the new variable and then click OK.
10. Exit the Registry.

5
Prepare an Oracle environment for
replication
This chapter contains instructions for preparing an Oracle source or target database environment for
replication. The tasks outlined in this chapter must be performed before you perform initial synchronization to
start replication in your environment. Perform all tasks that apply to your data and to your replication
objectives.
Contents
Set up Oracle redo logging to support SharePlex
Set up Oracle database objects for replication
Set up an Oracle database to support SharePlex
Set up SharePlex to support Oracle data
Set up TDE Support
Set up Oracle redo logging to support

SharePlex
SharePlex captures from the online and archived Oracle redo logs. SharePlex supports redo logs and datafiles
that are stored on raw devices, on filesystem devices, and ASM instances.
Set the appropriate logging level

Minimal supplemental logging must be set before you activate the SharePlex replication configuration.
In addition, SharePlex recommends that both primary key and unique key supplemental logging be set, or that
a supplemental log group on unique columns be defined for every table in replication. When the key column
values for a row update are in the redo log, SharePlex does not have to fetch them from the database. On a
busy system, this greatly improves the performance of the Read process. Some SharePlex features require
primary key and unique key logging to be enabled.
ALTERTABLEDDL commands that change the rowid of a table can affect subsequent DML operations if the
primary or unique keys of the tables in replication are not being logged. When the keys are not logged,
SharePlex fetches their values based on the rowid. Any operation that changes the rowid, such as
ALTERTABLE...MOVE, can cause the wrong key values to be used for subsequent DML operations.
See Set up Oracle database objects for replication for more information about defining key values.

Ensure that the correct key is logged
When primary and unique key supplemental logging is enabled and a table does not have a primary key, Oracle
has to decide what type of unique key to log. If the table has multiple unique keys, Oracle determines the best
key to use and logs those column values for every UPDATE. If a table does not have any type of key, Oracle logs
all columns that are not a LONG or a LOB.
SharePlex must also identify a key to use to replicate data. Like Oracle, SharePlex chooses a key in this order:
l primary key if there is one

l the best (or only) unique key if there is one
l all the columns
If a table being replicated by SharePlex does not have a primary key, but does have multiple unique keys, it is
possible that the key columns that Oracle logs are not those that SharePlex requires.
See Set up Oracle database objects for replication for more information about defining key values.
Configure the archive logs

If the Capture process stops (or is stopped by a SharePlex user) while replication is active, Capture records its
location in the redo log and continues from that point when started again. If the redo logs wrap before Capture
starts again, Capture reads through the archive logs to locate the records it missed.
Ideally, the redo logs should be configured so that SharePlex can avoid reading the archive logs. In most cases,
reading the online logs is faster than reading the archives. Ensure that the online redo logs are large and
numerous enough to minimize processing from the archive logs. At minimum, there should be enough redo log
capacity to hold several hours worth of data without wrapping.
NOTE: On Exadata systems, you might get faster Capture speed by multiplexing the logs to a different system.
See Tune Capture on Exadata
To test an appropriate online log configuration

In pre-production testing, you can determine if Capture is reading the archive logs by doing the following:
1. Determine the log that SharePlex is processing by querying the SHAREPLEX_ACTID table.
SQL> select seqno from splex.shareplex_actid
2. Determine the log that Oracle is writing to by querying Oracle's V$LOG table.
SQL> select sequence# from v$log where status='CURRENT'
3. Subtract the seqno value from the sequence# value. This reveals how many logs Capture lags
behind Oracle.
4. Subtract the number of online redo logs from that value. If the number is negative, SharePlex is
processing archive logs. For example, if you have 10 redo logs and SharePlex is 11 logs behind, it is
processing archive logs. You can then use this result to adjust the online logging configuration.
If there is a long delay between when Capture stops and then starts again, Capture can lose pace with Oracle
activity and there will be latency between the source and target data. Capture usually needs to read the
archives in this case because the required log is no longer online. To avoid Capture issues, configure archive
logging to support faster and uninterrupted replication as follows:

Requirement Description
Enable Archive logging must be enabled on the source system. Otherwise, if the online logs wrap
archive before Capture is finished processing them, a resynchronization of the source and target data
logging on will be necessary.
the source
system
Time Do not compress the archive logs until SharePlex is finished processing them. Otherwise,
compression SharePlex returns a "log wrap detected" message and will stop because it cannot process the
properly data. To determine the current log for SharePlex, issue the show capture command with the
detail option in sp_ctrl on the source system. You can compress any logs that were
generated before the current one.
Specify a If you are storing the archive logs in a location other than the Oracle default, set the SP_OCT_
non-default ARCH_LOC parameter to the full path name of the directory where the archive logs are
archive located. If the redo logs wrap, SharePlex searches for the archive logs in Oracles archive log
location list. If SharePlex does not find the archive log there, it searches the directory or directories
specified by the SP_OCT_ARCH_LOC parameter. To have Capture go directly to the SP_OCT_
ARCH_LOC location and skip the read of the Oracle log list, set the SP_OCT_CK_LOC_FIRST to
1.
Configure If using SP_OCT_ARCH_LOC and you are using an automated method to move the logs to that
Capture to location, you can configure Capture to wait a certain amount of time for the move to be
wait for log- completed. This prevents Capture from stopping because a log it needs is not yet available.
management Capture waits, checks for the logs, stops if they are not yet available, and continues checking
processes and stopping until the logs are available. To configure Capture to wait, set the SP_OCT_
LOGWRAP_RESTART parameter to the number of seconds that you want Capture to wait.
Monitor these processes regularly to prevent replication latency.
Disable You can disable archive logging on the target systems to eliminate unnecessary Oracle
archive activity on that system, except for high availability or peer-to-peer strategies.
logging on
the target
Do not place If the database uses ASM, the Oracle redo logs (online and archive) cannot be located under
logs at the the ASM root directory. SharePlex will not be able to read them at that location.
root ASM
location
Read from Normally, SharePlex provides the least latency when reading from the online redo logs. On
the archive Exadata, however, SharePlex can process higher volumes of data when reading from a
logs on multiplexed archive location outside of the Exadata ASM file system. For more information,
Exadata
see Tune Capture on Exadata.
IMPORTANT: If Capture falls behind the pace at which Oracle generates redo volume, the following may apply:
l It might be more practical to resynchronize the data instead of waiting for SharePlex to restore parity
by capturing from the archive logs.
l It is possible to run out of disk space on the source system while Capture processes and queues the
operations that it missed.
l There is the potential for SharePlex to lose information needed for Post to construct SQL statements,
especially if the needed archive logs no longer are available. Always monitor disk space and latency
while SharePlex is running.

Set up Oracle database objects for
replication
This topic provides information about how to configure certain characteristics of Oracle database objects that
you will be replicating with SharePlex.
Ensure row uniqueness

SharePlex must have a way to ensure that the row it is changing on the target is the correct one that matches
the source row. This is accomplished by ensuring a one-to-one relationship through the use of keys and indexes.
The role of keys

SharePlex works fastest when there is a primary key or a unique key on all source and target tables being
replicated, especially large tables and tables containing LONG columns. When choosing a key to use, SharePlex
uses the best available key column in the following order of priority.
l Primary key
l Unique key with the fewest columns, where at least one of the columns is NOT NULL
l Unique key with the fewest columns.
For best performance, it is recommended that you enable primary and unique key supplemental logging.
If a table does not have a primary or unique key, or if Oracle logs the wrong unique key for SharePlex, you can
specify columns for SharePlex to use as a key when you create the configuration file. This is known as a key
definition and is specified in the configuration file. For more information, see Define a unique key
An alternative to a key definition is to create or use a unique index based on one or more columns that
establish uniqueness.
Tables without a key or unique index

If SharePlex cannot detect a key or unique index on a table, it constructs a key using all of the columns except
LONGs and LOBs. This key is maintained internally and is not created on the table itself.
This is not a desirable option, because the resultant WHERE clause causes Oracle to perform a full table scan on
the target table to find the row, and that significantly slows replication. Additionally, row uniqueness cannot
be enforced.
For example, if there is a possibility that non-LONG columns in different rows could contain identical values,
but the LONG columns could have different values, the table can be out of synchronization without being
detected by you or SharePlex. The following example illustrates the problem. The rows in the table are
identical except for the LONG columns, and there is no primary or unique key.
COLUMN A COLUMN B COLUMN C (LONG)
10 20 100
10 20 200
10 20 300

Suppose a user on the source system changes Column A to 15 in the first row. When constructing the SQL
statement to apply the change to the target table, SharePlex constructs a key using Columns A and B (UPDATE
tablename SET Column A to 15 WHERE Column A = 10 and Column B = 20) to locate the row to change. There are
three rows that meet this criteria, so SharePlex could post the change to the wrong row.
Keys with nulls

If a key permits NULLs, SharePlex cannot ensure the uniqueness of a row for UPDATEs and DELETES, so there is a
possibility it could change the wrong row on the target system. To control how SharePlex addresses keys that
permit NULLs, set the SP_SYS_IN_SYNC parameter. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information.
Changes to key values

SharePlex handles changes to the value of a key column without any special settings. However, if sequences
are used for keys and if there is a possibility that those values will be updated, create the sequences so that
the updates cannot result in a duplication of keys on the target system. Otherwise, if a new value is used to
apply an operation, and that value already exists as a key in another row in the target table, SharePlex will
return unique-key constraint violations and out-of-sync errors. This type of error can happen when you update
values using an x +n formula, where n is an incremental increase. It is possible for one of the x +n values to
equal an existing value.
The following is an example, where the values in the key column are increased by 1:
Key_Col
1
4
5
7
SQL> update table X set a=a+1; commit
The new values become the following, and they are replicated to the target system:
Key_Col
2
5
6
8
SharePlex performs the update in the order that the operations enter the redo log:
update x set a=2 where a=1; (Succeeds)
update x set a=5 where a=4; (Fails because a value of 5 already exists.)
The pre-image value that Post uses for the target sequence is the same as the increased value replicated from
the source. Oracle rejects the operation as a unique constraint violation. Another example would be a
transaction that updates A to B and then updates B to C.

IMPORTANT! If you plan to use peer-to-peer replication, see additional requirements for keys in Configure
replication to maintain multiple peer databases.
Indexes
The correct use of indexes is important in a replication environment. An index maintains the integrity of the
target data.
l When replicating a source table that has a unique index, the target table also should have a
unique index.
l All large tables should have a unique index on the target system. If there is no unique index, Oracle
scans the entire table in order to locate the rows to be changed by Post.
l Some applications do not use primary key constraints, and therefore a unique index is not created by
default. Often, however, there will be an index that was created, but not named, as a unique index
(not using CREATE UNIQUE INDEX command), although it was created on one or more columns populated
with unique values, such as a persons name and employee identification number. If no unique index
exists for a table, it is recommended that you create one or specify a user-defined key when you create
the configuration file. See Define a unique key.
l Once you have identified or created a unique index, you can ensure that Oracle uses it by employing
the hints feature of SharePlex. See Use Oracle INDEX hints.
l If tables have foreign keys, make sure the appropriate columns are indexed so that modifications to the
foreign keys do not cause full table scans.
l Keep your indexes up-to-date, or it can slow the Post process. Rebuild the ones that are fragmented.
If there are too many indexes on a target table, Oracle must update them all as rows are added and deleted.
This slows the entire system, including replication. Consider limiting the number of indexes to the ones that
have the most utility.
For applications that perform mostly one type of DML, consider the following:
l INSERTs: Use just a few indexes, to limit their maintenance.

l UPDATEs: Use an index on a column that does not change after an INSERT statement.
l DELETEs: Remove as many indexes as you can.
If you run large batch jobs that do millions of SQL operations, remove unnecessary indexes before the batch
job, then rebuild them at the end. This makes SharePlex run faster, and you will have more organized
indexes afterward.
Bitmap indexes
For performance purposes, avoid the use of bitmap indexes while the Post process is applying the data. These
indexes can adversely affect the performance of the Post process.
If you must use bitmap indexes on target tables, weigh their benefit for queries against the their impact on the
transactions applied by Post:
l When Oracle adds, updates or deletes a bitmap entry, it effectively locks all the rows associated with
the bitmap segment.

l A bitmap segment can contain references to hundreds of rows. As a result, changes made by different
Post sessions (there is a Post session for every session on the source system) can block each other if their
work updates bitmap entries in the same bitmap segment.
l To proceed, Post must detect and resolve the blocking, which delays posting significantly if the number
of locks is high.
l In general, frequent inserts by multiple concurrent sessions into a table with bitmap indexes will incur
lock conflicts, but random update and delete activity on such a table will not. SharePlex follows the
Oracle recommendation to have a bitmap index on a more static table.
NOTE: Replicating bitmap indexes is not recommended. Every time you change a table with a bitmap
index, the index is rebuilt. This associated cost (Oracle time and resources) to rebuild is added to your
SQL UPDATE statement.
Prevent triggers from firing on the target

DML changes resulting from a trigger firing on the source system enter the redo log and, therefore, are
replicated and posted to the target database by SharePlex. Consequently, if the same trigger fires on the
target system and initiates the same DML changes (which already were made through replication) there will be
out-of-sync errors.
For example, if an INSERT to TableA on the source system triggers an INSERT into TableB, SharePlex replicates
both INSERTs to the target system. The Post process applies the first INSERT to TableA on the target system,
triggering an INSERT into TableB. Thus, when Post attempts to post the replicated INSERT to TableB, there will
be a unique-key violation. The row already exists because the trigger fired for TableA.
Triggers can be handled as follows, depending on your replication strategy:
Replication strategy How to handle triggers on the target
High availability 1. Enable triggers for users other than SharePlex, either
in preparation for failover or because transactions are
and
performed on multiple source systems.
Peer-to-peer
2. Disable triggers for the SharePlex user by running the
sp_add_trigger.sql script. This script puts a WHEN
clause into each triggers procedural statement that
tells it to ignore operations posted by the SharePlex
user.
Reporting, data sharing, other basic one- Either disable triggers entirely on the target system or run the
way replication sp_add_trigger.sql script to ignore operations posted by the
SharePlex user.
For important information about how to use the trigger scripts, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Configure integrity constraints

Integrity constraints have a effect on replication. Follow these guidelines to ensure that they are handled.

Foreign key constraints
Foreign key constraints must be disabled on the target tables. SharePlex replicates the results of the
source foreign key constraints. Tables with foreign keys to one another must all be included in the
replication configuration for accurate replication of the source foreign key results. All tables with referential
constraints must exist in the target database. If you leave one or more out, the referential integrity could
become corrupted.
NOTE: If constraints are DEFERRED on the target tables, the Post transaction can fail on the constraint
validation. To work around this problem, enable the SP_OPO_DISABLE_OBJNUM parameter to allow the
transaction to succeed. The underlying target table still remains out-of-sync until it is resynchronized.
ONDELETECASCADE constraints
SharePlex allows ONDELETECASCADE constraints to remain enabled on the target tables, but this feature must
be enabled. Post detects the ONDELETECASCADEdependencies and suppresses the posting of any replicated
cascaded deletes to the child tables.
If you do not enable this support through SharePlex you must disable these constraints manually on the target.
Otherwise SharePlex replicates both the primary delete and the cascaded deletes, which results in conflicts
and errors when the deletes cascade on the target.
To enable ONDELETECASCADE support

l Enable the logging of primary keys, unique index columns, and foreign key columns on the source.
l Set the following SharePlex parameters:
l SP_OPO_DEPENDENCY_CHECK parameter to 2
l SP_OCT_REDUCED_KEY parameter to 0
l SP_OPO_REDUCED_KEY parameter to 0, 1 or 2 (NOTE:In peer-to-peer replication, this parameter
must be set to 0.)
Check constraints
Disable check constraints on the target system. They add unnecessary overhead. These checks are
redundant in a well maintained, synchronized replication environment because they are satisfied on the
source system. For high-availability purposes, you can build a script that re-enables the constraints as part
of the failover procedure.
Prevent access to target objects

In all scenarios except peer-to-peer replication, the SharePlex database user must be the only user allowed to
perform DML or DDL on the target objects. If DML or DDL changes are made to target objects by other
individuals, jobs or applications, the target data may no longer reflect the state of the data on the source
system. For more information, see Understand the concept of synchronization.

Configure sequences
SharePlex replicates changes to Oracle sequences that are made in an ALTER SEQUENCE and DROP SEQUENCE
commands and during DML transactions. It may not be necessary to replicate sequences in certain replication
strategies.
l High availability: Yes

The way that SharePlex replicates sequences allows users to begin using the failover database
immediately without worrying about incrementing the sequences or reusing one.
l Reporting, data sharing, other basic one-way replication: No
If sequences are unnecessary on the target system, do not replicate them. It can slow down replication.
Even if a sequence is used to generate keys in a source table, the sequence values are part of the key
columns when the replicated rows are inserted on the target system. The sequence itself does not
have to be replicated.
l Peer-to-peer: No
SharePlex does not support peer-to-peer replication of identical sequences. See Configure replication
to maintain multiple peer databases for important instructions concerning sequences in peer-to-peer
replication.
To configure sequences for replication

l Use caching and set the cache to increments of at least 20. When sequences are cached, SharePlex can
replicate the values as a group. When sequences are not cached, SharePlex must go to disk every time
a value is obtained from the sequence, which slows replication of more critical data.
l Specify sequences in the configuration by owner and name, as you would a table. See Create
configuration files.
l To ensure the uniqueness of sequences on the target system, the start value of the target sequence
must be larger than the start value of the source sequence. Use the following formula to determine the
target START_WITH value:
source_current_value+ (source_INCREMENT_BY_value x source_CACHE_value) =target_START_
WITH_value
IMPORTANT! (source_INCREMENT_BY_value x source_CACHE_value) should not exceed 2 GB, or
replication of sequences will fail.
SharePlex uses the ALTER SEQUENCE command to update sequences in a target database as follows:
l Change the increment value to:

source_INCREMENT_BY_valuexsource_CACHE_value
l Set to NOCACHE.
l UPDATE the sequence(s).
l ALTER the sequence(s) again by setting the following values:
Increment_value=source_INCREMENT_BY_value
Cache_value=source_CACHE_value
SharePlex treats ALTER SEQUENCE operations like a simple SELECT (UPDATE) to a sequence because the redo
log records make no distinctions between the two operations.

Set up an Oracle database to support
SharePlex
Certain Oracle database settings have an affect on replication and must be set appropriately.
Adjust OPEN_CURSORS to support Post cursors

SharePlex requires the value of the Oracle OPEN_CURSORS parameter to be set correctly on the target
database. To view the OPEN_CURSORS value, query the database using the following SQL statement:
select value from V$PARAMETER where name = 'open_cursors';
The Post process reserves 10 cursors for routine calls that are closed once they finish, plus a minimum of 50
cursors per transaction when the SQL Cache feature is enabled (this is the default). See Tune SQL Caching for
more information.
If you intend to disable SQL caching, then estimate the peak number of concurrent updating transactions
(sessions) that your applications generate, and follow this formula:
10 + (peak number of concurrent transactions x 2) = minimum open cursors needed
The OPEN_CURSORS value can be modified or added if absent. Consult the Oracle documentation prior to
making changes to Oracle parameters.
Adjust the PROCESSES parameter to support

connections
The PROCESSES parameter in the init.ora file must be set to accommodate connections created by SharePlex
and the database users. Its value depends on whether a database is a source database, a target database, or
one that serves as both a source and target database.
Database is a source only

If a database serves only as a source, the following formula takes into account logins made by the Read process.
(peak number of source database sessions) + (background Oracle processes) + (value of SP_ORD_LDA_ARRAY_
SIZE parameter +3) = setting for PROCESSES
Database is a target only

The Post process creates as many connections on the target system as there are sessions on the source system
in order to maintain transaction consistency. The PROCESSES parameter on the target system must be set high
enough to accommodate all of those connections, plus:
l The background Oracle processes those connections generate

l The peak number of users expected to access the target database for queries
Use the following formula as a guide:

(peak number of source database sessions) + (peak number of target database sessions) + (background Oracle
processes) = setting for PROCESSES

Database is a source and target
If a database serves as both a source and a target, the following formula takes into account
connections made by:
l The Read process

l The Post process
l Background Oracle processes
l User connections
(peak number of source database sessions) + (peak number of target database sessions) + (background Oracle
processes) + (value of SP_ORD_LDA_ARRAY_SIZE parameter +3) = setting for PROCESSES
Adjust the log buffer size to improve posting

The number of database writers has an impact on replication, especially when there are numerous concurrent
transactions. Whenever a transaction is committed, its buffered data is flushed to disk. If most transactions are
small, but the buffer is large, this can cause slow posting. When a large transaction is committed while
another, more normal-sized transaction is committed, the second COMMIT must wait while the entire buffer is
flushed to disk.
Reducing the size of the buffer that is flushed to disk can speed the Post process. Try decreasing the size of the
log buffer to 1024 KB, or even 512 KB if possible.
Adjust the SharePlex transaction table based on

user volume
SharePlex updates the SHAREPLEX_TRANS table to maintain read consistency for the target database. You
might need to adjust the initrans setting of this table to improve replication performance and reduce
contention on that table:
l If the production database has between 500 and 1,000 concurrent users, rebuild the SHAREPLEX_TRANS
table to have an initrans of 30.
l If the production database has more than 1,000 concurrent users, rebuild the SHAREPLEX_TRANS table
to have an initrans value of 40.
Control conversion of character sets

This topic explains how SharePlex handles character set conversion between an Oracle source and target, and
between an Oracle source and a non-Oracle target.
Replication between an Oracle source and Oracle targets

For SharePlex to replicate all characters within the Oracle character sets that you are using, one of the
following must be true:

l The character sets are identical on the source and target
l The character set of the source database is a subset of the character set of the target database (all
characters contained on the source exist in the character set of the target)
The following character sets are tested and supported for SharePlex:
US7ASCII
UTF8
WE8ISO8859P1
AL16UTF16
AL32UTF8
KO16KSC5601
By default, SharePlex allows an Oracle target database to perform character conversion. Post notifies Oracle of
the character encoding of the source data and Oracle performs any required conversion.
Depending on the character sets involved, the Oracle conversion might lead to data loss. For example:
Example 1: The Japanese character for 'rice' in the JA16SJIS character set has no corresponding symbol in the
US7ASCII character set. If you attempt to replicate this symbol into a US7ASCII database, Oracle converts it to a
'?' character.
Example 2: According to Oracle, the WE8ISO8859P1 character set is a superset of the US7ASCII character set, so
it is logical to assume that any character in US7ASCII is posted unconverted into a WE8ISO8859P1 target
database. This is true for characters in the range 0x00 to 0x7F. However, Oracle strips off the top bit of
characters in the range 0x80 to 0xFF. This "conversion" may result in data loss while replicating to a character
set that is a superset of the source.
NOTE: Oracle does not convert characters if the character sets are identical. Thus, posting
WE8ISO8859P1 data to a database with a character set of WE8ISO8859P1 bypasses the Oracle
conversion process.
To apply data without conversion

Set the SP_OPO_NLS_CONVERSION parameter to 1 to apply the data without conversion. For more information,
see the SharePlex SharePlex Reference Guide.
NOTE: SharePlex will always convert NVARCHAR and NCLOB data if the NLS_NCHAR_CHARACTERSET of
the source database is not the same as that of the target database.
Replication between an Oracle source and non-Oracle

targets
When replicating to an Open Target target (non-Oracle target), SharePlex supports replication from any Oracle
Unicode character set and the US7ASCII character set. If the source data is Unicode or US7ASCII, no conversion
on the target is required. If the source data is any character set other than Oracle Unicode or US7ASCII, you can
use an Oracle client to perform the conversion.
To perform conversion with an Oracle client on Linux

1. Install an Oracle Administrator client on the target system. The client must be the Administrator
installation type. The Instant Client and Runtime installation types are not supported.

2. Set ORACLE_HOME to the client installation. Set ORACLE_SID to an alias or a non-existing SID. SharePlex
does not use them and a database does not have to be running.
3. Download the Oracle-based SharePlex installer, rather than the Open Target installer, to install
SharePlex on the target system. The Oracle-based installer includes functionality that directs Post to
use the conversion functions from the Oracle client library to convert the data before posting to the
target database.
4. Follow the instructions for SharePlex for Oracle (not the ones for installing on Open Target).
5. Make certain the SP_OPX_NLS_CONVERSION parameter is set to the default of 1.
To perform conversion with an Oracle client on Windows

1. Install an Oracle Administrator client on the target system. The client must be the Administrator
installation type. The Instant Client and Runtime installation types are not supported.
2. In the SharePlex Registry key \HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\QuestSoftware\SharePlex\port_number, set ORACLE_HOME to the
Oracle client installation location, and set ORACLE_SID to an alias or a non-existing SID. No Oracle
database is required. SharePlex only needs to use the client libraries.
3. SharePlex using the Windows installer.
4. Make certain the SP_OPX_NLS_CONVERSION parameter is set to the default of 1.
To apply Unicode and US7ASCII data without conversion

If the source data is Unicode or US7ASCII, no conversion or Oracle client is needed. Set the SP_OPX_NLS_
CONVERSION parameter to 0 to disable conversion, and then restart Post if it is running.

This topic contains setup guidelines that apply to specific Oracle datatypes. These guidelines should be
addressed before you start replication for the first time.
LOBs, LONGs, VARRAYs, and XML

l Tables that contain a LOB or LONG should have a primary key or unique key defined on them. If a table
does not have a key, SharePlex builds its own key from all of the columns except LONGs or LOBs. If a LOB
or LONG is the only difference between two rows that otherwise satisfy the Post WHERE clause, then
Post may update the wrong row.
l Dedicate one or more named export queues to tables that contain LOBs. This automatically creates
separate Export processes and named post queues with their own Post processes. By separating the
processing of LOB datatypes from that of other data, you can improve the overall speed of replication.
See Configure named export queues.
l To ensure that SharePlex has enough shared memory when replicating LOBs, increase the SP_QUE_
POST_SHMSIZE parameter to an initial setting of 60 MB. If SharePlex generates shared memory segment
errors such as "Error: sp_cop process sp_mport/sp_opst_mt killed due to SIGSEGV,"
increase the setting. NOTE: A larger shared memory segment can result in a large amount of swap
space being used on the system, so make sure enough disk space is available.

Manage SharePlex LOB storage
The SharePlex Setup utility installs some tables into a tablespace of your choosing. All but the SHAREPLEX_
LOBMAP table use the default storage settings of the tablespace.
The SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP table contains entries for LOBs stored out-of-row. It is created with a 1 MB
INITIAL extent, 1 MB NEXT extent, and PCTINCREASE of 10. The MAXEXTENTS is 120, allowing the table to
grow to 120 MB.
The default storage usually is sufficient for SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP, permitting more than 4 million LOB entries. If
the Oracle tables to be replicated have numerous LOB columns that are inserted or updated frequently,
consider increasing the size the SharePlex tablespace accordingly. Take into account that this table shares the
tablespace with other SharePlex tables.
If the database uses the cost-based optimizer (CBO) and the tables that SharePlex processes include numerous
LOBs, incorporate the SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP table into the analysis schedule.
NOTE: A new installation of SharePlex does not change storage parameters from a previous installation.
Tune SharePlex based on Oracle data volume

For best performance when transaction volume is either very high or very low, certain parameter changes are
recommended before replication starts.
To determine the correct values, refer to the following table under the column that corresponds to the daily
archive log volume of your database.
NOTE: For environments generating between 5 GB and 15 GB of archive log volume daily, the default settings
for SharePlex parameters are sufficient, and no action is needed.
To change the parameters, use the set param command in sp_ctrl. Contact Dell Technical Support if you
need assistance. For more information about SharePlex parameters and commands, see the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
Recommended settings per archive volume
Parameter Less than Between 5GB Greater than Where to set the parameter
5GB/day and 15GB/day 15GB/day
SP_OCT_CHECKPOINT_ 500 Default 5000 source system

FREQ
SP_ORD_CDA_LIMIT 5 Default 20 source system
SP_ORD_DELAY_ 50 Default 500 source system
RECORDS
SP_ORD_LDA_ARRAY_ 5 Default 10 source system
SIZE
SP_ORD_RMSG_LIMIT 20 Default 2000 source system
SP_IMP_WCMT_ 100 Default 2500 target system
MSGCNT
SP_COP_IDLETIME 120 Default 600 source and target systems

Set system process priority
If Oracle or other processes are assigned resource priority, SharePlex can be left with a default setting and
little resource allocation. Oracle increases its CPU utilization during peak processing. If SharePlex loses pace
with Oracle, you can try increasing its process priority.
To set process priority on Unix

Use the nice command. Consult with the System Administrator to select an appropriate value based on the
requirements of all software running on the system. A root user can modify the niceness value of any process.
The SharePlex Administrator user can adjust the niceness value of SharePlex.
To set process priority on Windows

1. Run SpUtils.
2. Select the TaskMgr tab.
3. Right click the SharePlex instance that you want to prioritize.
4. Select Set Priority, then select the desired priority level.
Enable Oracle direct path loads

By default SharePlex replicates changes made to tables through a SQL*Loader direct-path load
(DIRECT=TRUE keyword parameter). There can be only one load per table (PARALLEL=FALSE), although there
can be simultaneous loads on different tables. The database must be in archive mode, and table logging
must be enabled.
If you expect the direct-path load to be sustained for a long time on the source system, it might be more
efficient to load the data to the target database directly, instead of relying on replication. A large direct-path
load can cause Capture to lose pace with changes that enter the redo logs from user application activity.
After the load, you should disable check constraints. You can leave ONDELETECASCADE constraints enabled.
The SP_OCT_REPLICATE_DLOAD parameter controls whether or not direct-path loads are replicated. To disable
replication of direct-path loads, change this parameter to 0. For more information, see the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
Use compression
You can enable compression to reduce the amount of data that SharePlex sends across the network. SharePlex
uses LZIP lossless compression. Enabling compression on the source SharePlex instance automatically enables
compression to all targets of the source SharePlex instance.
By default compression is disabled. You can enable compression by itself or in conjunction with encryption.
To enable compression
Set the SP_XPT_ENABLE_COMPRESSION parameter to 1.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_XPT_ENABLE_COMPRESSION 1
To activate the parameter after you set it, stop and start Export.

Enable capture on Exadata machines
To capture data from an Exadata system, the SP_OCT_USE_OCI parameter must be set to 1. For more
information, see the parameter documentation in the SharePlex ReferenceGuide.
If you need to adjust capture performance after replication starts, see Tune Capture on Exadata.
Configure support of Data Pump exports

When replicating Oracle Data Pump export operations, set the SP_OCT_ALLOW_DP_DDL parameter to 1, and
then restart Capture.
This parameter can be enabled if SharePlex fails to replicate DDL operations that occur when running an Oracle
Data Pump export/import. Occasionally, SharePlex identifies DDL in a Data Pump load as recursive DDL that
should be ignored. This parameter directs SharePlex to capture that DDL.
A setting of 1 enables this parameter. After the load is finished, set this parameter back to 0 and then
restart Capture.
Set up TDE Support

SharePlex uses the TDE Master Encryption Key to decrypt TDE-protected data that must be replicated.
SharePlex uses the Oracle wallet password to access the TDE Master Encryption Key.
If the wallet opens successfully, Capture connects to the decryption module and processes the data. If the
wallet does not open, Capture remains in the initialization state until either the wallet is opened or the
process is stopped. The initialization state that is displayed in the show capture command is "Capture state:
Waiting for open wallet."
NOTE: The SharePlex copy/append command does not support TDE. For full information on the Oracle features
that SharePlex supports, see the SharePlex Release Notes.
Required privilege to capture TDE-protected data

To decrypt TDE-protected data from the redo log, the SharePlex Administrator must open Oracle Wallet using
the wallet password. By default, only the Oracle Wallet owner-user has read and write permissions for this file.
You can either start as the owner of the wallet, or you can grant read permission to the file to the dba group,
because the SharePlex Administrator user is a member of that group.
Configure SharePlex to capture TDE-protected data

To configure SharePlex to support TDE-protected data, two setup tools must be run:
l (If this was not done during installation) Run Oracle Setup. When prompted to enable TDE replication,
type "y" and then enter the fully qualified path to the TDE wallet file, including the wallet file name,
when prompted. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about this utility.
l Run the sp_wallet utility to provide the Oracle Wallet password to SharePlex. This utility can be run in
manual or auto-open mode.

To run sp_wallet and manually supply the password
1. On the source system, start SharePlex from the SharePlex product directory. You are prompted to
run sp_wallet.
*** To enable TDE replication, run sp_wallet and provide the wallet password ***
2. Run sp_wallet.
./sp_wallet [-r port_number]
IMPORTANT! On Windows, if you installed SharePlex on any port other than the default of 2100,
use the -r option to specify the port number. For example, in the following command the port
number is 9400:
./sp_wallet -r 9400
wallet password: walletpw
Wallet loaded into SharePlex
To run sp_wallet in auto-open mode

If you are using an auto-open wallet, you can configure SharePlex to open the TDE wallet automatically. This
eliminates the need to run sp_wallet manually at SharePlex startup. The syntax is:
./sp_wallet --auto-open [-r port_number]
IMPORTANT! Using the auto-open wallet feature has additional security considerations. See the Oracle
documentation for more information. In addition, do not back up the SharePlex variable-data directory together
with the Oracle wallet and the Oracle data files.
To cancel auto-open mode

./sp_wallet --no-auto-open [-r port_number]
To change the TDE master encryption key

If you need to change the TDE Master Encryption Key while a SharePlex configuration is active, take the
following steps to ensure that SharePlex continues to replicate the TDE-protected data after the changes.
1. Quiesce the source database.

2. Make sure that Capture finishes processing the remaining data in the redo log.
3. Shut down SharePlex.
4. Change the TDE Master Encryption Key.
5. Restart SharePlex.
6. Run the sp_wallet utility to provide SharePlex with the new TDE Master Encryption Key.
./sp_wallet [-r port_number]

6
Create configuration files
This chapter contains the information that you need to know in order to create a configuration file.
SharePlex takes direction from the configuration file to determine which tables to replicate and where to
send the replicated data. This file also provides any special processing instructions, such as column mapping
and data filtering.
Contents
Ensure compatible source-target mapping
How to create a configuration file
Database specifications in a configuration file
Target specifications in a configuration file
Routing specifications in a configuration file
Configuration examples by datasource and target
Use a script to build a configuration file
Replicate to, or from, a PDB
Use Wildcards to specify multiple objects
Define a unique key
Filter DML Operations
Map source and target columns
Build a configuration file using a script
Ensure compatible source-target mapping

The following guidelines help you ensure that the source and target objects that you want to map in a
replication configuration are compatible.
l For most replication strategies, the name and/or owner of a source object can be different from that of
its target object. SharePlex replicates to the correct object because you specify it by owner and name
within the configuration file. For high-availability configurations, the owner and name of a source table
should be the same as the owner and name of the target table.
l Corresponding source and target columns must contain compatible datatypes (same type, size,
precision).
l Corresponding source and target rows must contain the same values unless transformation is being
used. See Transform data for more information. See Ensure compatible source-target mapping

l The names of the target columns must be identical to the names of the source columns, unless you use
column mapping in the configuration file. See Create configuration files for more information about
column mapping.
l A target table can have more columns than the source table. If the source and related target
column names are identical, SharePlex will ignore the extra columns in the target table. If the
source and target column names are not identical, SharePlex maps a one-to-one relationship in the
order that the columns are defined in each table (for example, map the first column in the source to
the first column in the target, map the second column to the second column, and so forth). If this is
not the mapping you want, you must use column mapping. See Create configuration files for more
information. To avoid Oracle errors if the extra (non-mapped) columns are NOT NULL, define default
values for those columns.
l A target table cannot have fewer columns than the number of columns in the source table, unless you
use vertically partitioned replication to replicate a subset of the source columns that matches, or has
fewer columns than, the target. See Configure vertically partitioned replication.
How to create a configuration file

To configure SharePlex to replicate data, you create a configuration file. This is an ASCII text file in which
you specify:
l The data that you want SharePlex to replicate, including any filtering or partitioning of rows or columns
l The target name and type
l The system (and database if applicable) to which the data must be delivered.
Only a SharePlex Administrator or operator has the authority to create a configuration file.
When your configuration file is completed and the SharePlex environment is set up to support your replication
objectives, you activate the configuration with the activate config command to begin replication.
Additional information:
l See Activate replication in an Oracle production environment for more information about the timing and
process for activating a configuration file.
l See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about the activate config command.
Create a configuration file

You can create a configuration file by hand or, if your data structure supports it, you can automate the creation
of a configuration file. For more information, see Build a configuration file using a script.
Create the configuration file on the system from which data is to be replicated, typically the source system,
but strategies such as active-active replication require configuration files on more than one system.
To create a configuration file

1. Run sp_ctrl from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
2. In sp_ctrl, issue the create config command.
sp_ctrl> create config config_name

This command opens a file in the default text editor that is set for the operating system. NOTE: You can
change the default editor that sp_ctrl uses. See Set a default editor for sp_ctrl.
3. Complete the configuration file as shown in Structure of a configuration file.
IMPORTANT! All configurations must reside in the config sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data
directory. Configuration files outside this directory cannot be activated. SharePlex places configurations
in this directory by default when you create them through the sp_ctrl interface with the create config
command. If you create the configuration directly through a text editor, make certain to save it to the
config sub-directory.
Structure of a configuration file

A basic configuration file looks like the following:
# comment: basic SharePlex configuration file
Datasource:o.SID
#source specification target specification routing map
source_owner.object1 target_owner.object1 routing_map
The basic components of a configuration file are as follows. See Additional configuration options for additional
configuration options.
Component Description Syntax examples
# Comments Lines that describe the file or provide other # This is a comment.
information about the contents to viewers, but
are not used by SharePlex. Precede each
comment line with a pound (#) sign. Comments
may be entered anywhere in the configuration
file.
Datasource Syntax that specifies the source database. This Datasource:o.SID
specification component must always be the first non-
commented line of a configuration file. It has the
following syntax elements, all on the same line
with no spaces:
l The keyword Datasource followed by a

colon (:). The word "Datasource" is not
case-sensitive.
l The database specification. See Database
specifications in a configuration file.
Source The fully qualified name of a supported Oracle src_owner.table

specification source object, in the form of owner.object, or a
src_owner.sequence
wildcard substitution that specifies multiple
source objects. The owner can be a schema or a

Component Description Syntax examples
database, depending on how the database stores

objects logically.
See Use Wildcards to specify multiple objects for
more information about using wildcards.
Target specification The target to which the replicated data is tgt_owner.table

applied. Targets supported by SharePlex are:
tgt_owner.sequence
l A table in a relational database, or a !file[:tgt_owner.table]
wildcard substitution for multiple tables.
!jms[:tgt_owner.table]
l An Oracle sequence (or wildcard
specification). !kafka[:tgt_owner.table]
l A file that contains XML or SQL records. !cdc:tgt_owner.table
l A JMS queue or topic.

l A Kafka topic.
l A change-history table that maintains a
record of all changes made to a source
table (also known as change data capture)
See Target specifications in a configuration file.
Routing map One or more routes that send the data to the [email protected]
system that contains the target object specified
[email protected]
with the target specification. A route consists of
the following: [email protected]_alias
l The name of the machine that contains [email protected]_name

the target to which data is replicated. host
l (Database targets only) The @ symbol [email protected]
followed by the database specification.
See Database specifications in a Compound routing map:
configuration file. [email protected][email protected][...]
NOTES:
l The database specification is
absent if the target is JMS, Kafka,
or a file.
l There can be no spaces between
any characters in the routing map.
l You can replicate between
objects in the same database or
different databases on the same
system.
l For additional information, see
Routing specifications in a
configuration file.

Additional configuration options
The following are additional configuration options that can be added to the configuration file:
See Filter DML Operations to prevent INSERTs, UPDATEs, or DELETEs from being replicated.
See Map source and target columns
See Define a unique key
See Configure partitioned replication to divide, parallelize, and filter data to meet specific requirements.
See Configure named queues to divide and parallelize data for increased control and throughput.
Database specifications in a configuration

file
A database specification is required in the following components of the configuration file:
l the datasource (source data) specification

l routing map (target data) specification
Database Database type* Database Identifiers
Oracle source or target o. Depending on the Oracle database configuration, use

one of the following. This is the string that SharePlex
will use to connect to the database.
l The Oracle SIDof a regular (non-CDB) Oracle

database, as in o.ora12.
l The tns_alias of a pluggable database (PDB) in
an Oracle container database (CDB), as in
o.pdb1.
l The global tns_alias of an Oracle RAC cluster,
as in o.rac1. SharePlex connects to an Oracle
RAC instance through this tns_alias, which is
mapped locally on each node to the Oracle SID
of the local Oracle instance. For more
information about creating this alias, see
Configure SharePlex in a Cluster in the
SharePlex Installation Guide.
Open Target target r. Use to specify the name of an Open Target (non-
Oracle) target database, as in r.mydb. IMPORTANT!
Use the actual name, not the ODBC datasource name
(DNS). If the name is case-sensitive, specify it that
way.
See Configure replication to Open Target targets for
more information about configuring SharePlex to
replicate to a specific Open Target target.

Database Database type* Database Identifiers
Oracle change-history c. Use in a routing map to specify the Oracle SID, tns_
target alias, or global RAC tns_alias of an Oracle change
history database, as in o.ORA12CH. In this
configuration, SharePlex applies all source
transactions as INSERTs to the target tables, to
maintain a history of every operation performed. For
more information, see Configure replication to
maintain a change history target.
* NOTE: The dot is required.
Target specifications in a configuration file

The following table shows how to specify a target table or non-table target in a configuration file.
Target Target Specification Description
Database table tgt_owner.table The fully qualified name of a database table.
Database sequence tgt_owner.sequence The fully qualified name of an Oracle sequence.
File !file[:tgt_owner.table] The !file designator directs Post to write change

operations to a file in SQL or SML format. The file
name is applied internally by SharePlex.
Optionally, you can specify the fully qualified name of
a target table if the data will be consumed by a
process that ultimately applies it to a database table.
See Configure Replication to a SQL or XML file target.
JMS !jms[:tgt_owner.table] The !jms designator directs Post to write change

operations to a JMS queue or topic in XML format. The
queue or topic name can be defined by using the
target command.
See Configure Replication to a JMS target.
Kafka !kafka[:tgt_owner.table] The !Kafka designator directs Post to write change

operations to a Kafka topic in XML format. The topic
name can be defined by using the target command.
See Configure Replication to a Kafka target.
Change history table !cdc:tgt_owner.table The !cdc designator directs Post to insert every data
change to the table as a new row, rather than overlay

Target Target Specification Description
the old data with new data. Specify the fully qualified
name of the change history table.
See Configure replication to maintain a change history
target.
Routing specifications in a configuration

file
The following instructions show you how to build a routing map. A routing map sends replicated data to the
correct target on the correct target system.
Replicate to one target

A simple routing map sends replicated data from one source object to one target object.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table2 host2[@database_specification]
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table3 host3[@database_specification]
Replicate to multiple targets

A compound routing map sends replicated data from one source object to multiple target objects. It enables
you to specify the source and target objects once for all routes, rather than type a separate configuration entry
for each route. Only one target specification can be used in a compound routing map, so all of the target
objects must be identical as follows:
l All one type:All the same database object type or all a JMS queue or all a JMS topic or all a Kafka topic,
or all a file (but no combination of these).
l All with the same fully qualified name, including any table specifications in a JMS, Kafka, or file target
specification.
l All having identical column or key mappings, if used (see Define a unique key and Map source and
target columns).
NOTES:
l Certain routing limitations apply when using vertically partitioned replication. See Configure
vertically partitioned replication.
l If any target has a different qualified name from the other targets of the same source object, you
must use a simple routing map for that target.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table host1[@database_specification]+host2[@database_specification][...]

Replicate between objects on the same system
You can replicate between objects that are in the same database or in different databases on the same system.
You can replicate between objects that have the same name, so long as their owners are different.
When SharePlex replicates between objects on the same system, it does not create Import and Export
processes. You can force SharePlex to create Import and Export processes by using the following routing map. If
you do not need the Import or Export processes, omit the host* portion of the routing map.
Configuration with replication to objects in the same database
Datasource:o.

database1
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table host*host[@database1_specification]
Configuration with replication to objects in a different database on the same system
Datasource:o.

database1
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table host*host[@database2_specification]
Routing Limitations
l By default, SharePlex supports replication to a maximum of 19 direct target systems. That is the
maximum number of processes that can read the export queue. To replicate to more than 19 targets,
use named export queues. With each additional queue that you add, you can replicate to 19 additional
targets. See Configure named export queues.
l Each instance of sp_cop on a system permits a maximum of 1024 different routes. This limitation
includes each route that uses a different named post queue (see Configure named post queues.) If
your replication strategy requires more than 1024 routes, consider using one or more intermediary
systems to divide the routes among multiple sp_cop instances. See Configure replication to share or
distribute data).
l By default, each sp_cop instance allows a total of 25 queues on a system. There will always be one
capture queue on a source system and one post queue on a target. Therefore, you can have as many as
24 named export queues on a source system and 24 named post queues on a target system. If a system
serves as both a source and target, you will have both a capture queue and a post queue. That allows
you to create up to 23 named queues of either type (or a mix of both). If system memory permits, you
can change the number of allowed queues by setting the SP_QUE_MAX_QUEUES parameter. See the
SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about this parameter.
Configuration examples by datasource

and target
These are examples of basic configuration files according to each possible datasource type and target type.

Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a regular
Oracle instance
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table [email protected]
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to target table SCOTT.EMP2 in
Oracle instance oraB on target system sysprod.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP SCOTT.EMP2 [email protected]
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to an Open

Target database
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table [email protected]_name
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to target table Scott2.Emp2 in
Open Target database mydb on target system sys2. The target table is case-sensitive.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP "Scott2"."Emp2" [email protected]
NOTE: The support of OpenTarget databases is currently in beta testing, with the exception of the ones listed
in the SharePlex Release Notes. Questions or support requests for these features should be emailed to
[email protected]. For more information about the SharePlex beta program, see the
SharePlex Release Notes.
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a file in

XML or SQL format
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !file host
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to a file on target
system sysprod.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP !file sysprod

Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a JMS
queue or topic
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !jms host
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to a JMS queue on target
system sysprod.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP !jms sysprod
Replicate from a regular Oracle instance to a

Kafka topic
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !kafka host
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to a Kafka topic on target
system sysprod.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP !kafka sysprod
Replicate from and to an Oracle pluggable database

(PDB) in a container database (CDB)*
Datasource:o.PDBalias
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table [email protected]
Example
This example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from an Oracle PDB that uses the tns_alias of aliasA to target table
SCOTT.EMP in an Oracle PDB that uses the tns_alias of aliasB on target system sysprod.
Datasource:o.aliasA
SSCOTT.EMP SCOTT.EMP [email protected]

* You can also replicate data from an Oracle PDB to any other supported target. See Replicate to, or from, a PDB
for more information.
Replicate to maintain a change history target

Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !cdc:tgt_owner.table [email protected]
Example
The following example replicates table SCOTT.EMP from Oracle instance oraA to change-history target table
SCOTT.EMP2 in Oracle instance oraB on target system sysprod.
Datasource:o.oraA
SCOTT.EMP !cdc:SCOTT.EMP2 [email protected]
See Configure replication to maintain a change history target for more information.
Use a script to build a configuration file

SharePlex provides the following scripts that can be used to automate the building of your configuration file
if the source and target object names are identical. These scripts support Oracle Database source and
targets only.
Option Description To get more

information
config.sql Builds a configuration file that includes all tables and sequences that are See Build a
in the database. Source and target object names must be identical. configuration file
using a script
build_ Builds a configuration file that includes all tables in a schema. Source and See Build a
config.sql target object names must be identical. configuration file
using a script
Replicate to, or from, a PDB

SharePlex supports replication to and from a Pluggable Database (PDB) in an Oracle multitenant container
database (CDB). This support is available on Unix and Linux platforms only.
Capture from a PDB

SharePlex can replicate data from one PDB to:
l another PDB in the same CDB

l a PDB in a different CDB

l a regular (non-PDB) target
To capture from a PDB

l In the configuration file, specify the tns_alias of a PDB as the datasource. For example, if the tns_alias is
pdb1, the datasource specification is:
Datasource: o.pdb1
l You can replicate from as many pluggable databases (PDBs) in the same CDB as desired: Create a
separate configuration file for each PDB. Because each PDB is a different datasource, all configurations
can be active at the same time.
l If replicating from more than one PDB on a system, use named export queues to separate the data
streams from each one. This allows you to issue SharePlex commands that affect configurations, such as
purge config or abort config, for one configuration without affecting the other configurations. See
Configure named export queues.
Replicate to a PDB
SharePlex can replicate data from a regular source database to a PDB in a target Oracle CDB. In one
configuration file, you can replicate to any number of target PDBs in the same CDB or a different CDB.
To replicate to a PDB
Specify the tns_alias of the target PDB in the routing map, as shown in the following example where pdb2 is
the target:
[email protected]
Examples
Example 1: This example shows two configuration files, one replicating from pdb1 and the other replicating
from pdb2, both replicating data to pdb3.
Datasource: o.pdb1
hr.emp hr2.emp2 [email protected]
Datasource: o.pdb2
sales.cust sales2.cust2 [email protected]
Example 2: This example shows one configuration file replicating from pdb1 to pdb2 and pdb3, both targets
being on different systems.
Datasource: o.pdb1
hr.sal hr2.sal2 [email protected]
hr.sal hr3.sal3 [email protected]

Use Wildcards to specify multiple objects
You can use the percent (%) and underscore (_) wildcard symbols to specify multiple objects of a schema in one
entry of the configuration file. SharePlex replicates any objects that satisfy the wildcard, except those that
you explicitly exclude.
How to control wildcard support

By default, SharePlex automatically replicates DML changes made to any supported object that exists at the
time of configuration activation, if its name satisfies a wildcard. By default, SharePlex also replicates the DDL
and DML for tables and indexes that are created after the configuration is activated, if their names satisfy a
wildcard. You can add sequences and materialized views to that support.
The following parameters control the replication of objects created after activation:
l SP_OCT_AUTOADD_ENABLE: Controls automatic replication of tables and indexes created after

activation. It is enabled by default with a value of 1. Set it to 0 to disable replication of newly created
tables and indexes.
l SP_OCT_AUTOADD_MV: Controls automatic replication of materialized views created after activation.
The default is 0 (not active). Set it to 1 to include new materialized views.
l SP_OCT_AUTOADD_SEQ: Controls automatic replication of sequences created after activation. The
default is 0 (not active). Set it to 1 to include new sequences.
IMPORTANT! See Control DDL replication for more information about setting these parameters.
You can disable the automatic replication of DML changes made to sequences that satisfy a wildcard by setting
the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_SEQUENCES parameter to 0.
You can exclude objects from a wildcard specification by using the NOT option in the wildcard specification.
Requirements and limitations of wildcard support

l The schemas that contain wildcarded object names must exist on the source and target before the
configuration file is activated, although the objects themselves do not have to exist at that time, so long
as the correct parameters are set to replicate the DDL and DML when they are created.
l Wildcards are not allowed anywhere in a configuration entry that includes the following:
o Vertically partitioned replication (see Configure vertically partitioned replication)
o Horizontally partitioned replication (see Configure horizontally partitioned replication)
o Key definition (see Define a unique key)
o Column mapping (see Map source and target columns)
The tables that use these features must be specified in the configuration file separately.
Supported wildcard syntax

SharePlex supports the following SQL wildcards

l Percent (%) wildcard to specify a string. (See the Validate a wildcard specification.)
l Underscore (_) wildcard to specify a single-character.
l For table names that contain a percent sign or an underscore character (for example emp_salary),
SharePlex recognizes the backslash (\) as an escape character to denote the character as a literal,
not a wildcard.
Specify wildcarded names in the configuration file

Use this template for help when specifying a wildcarded name in the configuration file.
Configuration with wildcarded object names
Datasource:o.SID
expand src_owner.wildcard_name [not (list)] tgt_owner.wildcard_name routing_map
Description of syntax elements
Component Description
expand Indicates that the specification contains wildcard characters that

must be expanded. When SharePlex detects the expand
keyword, it queries Oracle for all objects that match the criteria
in the wildcard specification. Without this required keyword, the
wildcard characters are assumed to be part of an explicit object
name, and no wildcard expansion is performed.
NOTE:Leave a space between expand and the start of the source
object specification.
src_owner.wildcard_name l src_owner is the owner of the source objects. Owner

names cannot be wildcarded. If wildcards are used in the
owner name, SharePlex assumes that they are part of the
owner (schema) name.
l wildcard_name is the wildcarded name of the source
objects.
The name of the objects on the source must be the same as the
name of the objects on the target, but the objects may belong to
different owners (or reside in different schemas).
not (list) An exclusion list that defines objects to omit from the wildcard
expansion. Use this option to exclude objects that you do not want
to be replicated. NOTE: This not keyword does not have the same
meaning as the SQLwildcard NOT operator.
l The not keyword and parentheses are required elements.

l list is a comma-separated list of tables in the same
schema, either wildcarded or explicit. Example: not
(spo%, gen%, product).

Leave a space before and after the not keyword. A space is

allowed after each comma in the list.
NOTE: If an object that satisfies a wildcard is listed
elsewhere in the configuration file, that entry overrides
the processing or routing specified in the wildcarded
entry. In this case, a not clause is not needed. See the
Examples.
tgt_owner.wildcard_name l tgt_owner is the owner of the target objects.

l wildcard_name is the wildcarded name of the target
objects.
The target specification must be in the form of owner.%. Partially

expanded target wildcarded names are not supported, such as
owner.tab%.
routing_map Any valid routing map. See Routing specifications in a configuration

file .
Validate a wildcard specification

To confirm that a wildcard specification will produce the specific list of tables that you want to replicate, issue
the verify config command in sp_ctrl before you activate the configuration. This command produces a list of
the objects that SharePlex will capture and replicate, as well as any problems that occurred. For more
information about this command, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Examples
Examples of valid wildcard specifications
Example 1: The following wildcard specification directs SharePlex to activate all tables owned by scott,
where the table name is like prod% except if the table name is like %temp%. All tables that match this
description are replicated to tables of the same names on the target in the hal schema. Note that SharePlex
automatically upshifts the names, so that it actually activates all tables where the table name is like 'PROD%'
but not like '%TEMP%'.
Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.prod% not (%temp%) hal.% [email protected]
Example 2: The following example shows how you can specify special handling for one of the tables in a
wildcarded specification, in this case the photo table. All tables but photo are routed through the default post
queue. The separate entry for the photo table overrides the wildcarded entry and processes the photo table
through a named post queue. For more information, see Configure named post queues.
Datasource:o.sidA
cust.% cust.% [email protected]
cust.photo cust.photo hostB:[email protected]
The following are additional examples of valid wildcard specifications

Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.%test% scott.% [email protected]
Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.%t__t% fred.% [email protected]
Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.% not (spo%, gen%, prodct) scott.% [email protected]
Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.prod% not (%temp%) hal.% [email protected]
Examples of invalid wildcard specifications

The following example contains a wildcarded schema, which is not permitted.
Datasource:o.sidA
expand rob%.%test% scott.% [email protected]
The following example contains a partially wildcarded target object name, which is not permitted.
Datasource:o.sidA
expand scott.%test% scott.%obj% [email protected]
Define a unique key

If a table was not created with a primary or unique key, you can specify columns to use as a key when you
specify the object in the configuration file. SharePlex uses the specified columns as a unique key in its WHERE
clause to locate target rows for posting.
NOTES:
l Without a primary or unique key, SharePlex uses all of the columns of a table (or all of the columns in a
column partition) as a key, which slows replication performance.
l When a key definition is specified for a table that has a PRIMARY or UNIQUE key, the key definition
overrides the defined key. This can be useful if you do not want any of the existing keys to be used by
SharePlex.
The columns that you specify as a key must meet the following criteria:
l They cannot be LONG or LOB columns.

l They must be able to uniquely identify a row. Otherwise, replication could return out-of-sync errors or
post to incorrect target rows.
l They must be part of the column partition if the table is configured for vertically partitioned
replication. When using the exclude column notation in vertical partitioning, the excluded columns
cannot be used in the key definition. For more information about partitioned replication, see Configure
partitioned replication.
l Include the columns in a supplemental log group. Otherwise, SharePlex must query the database for
their values.
l Create an index on the target table and add the index to the SharePlex hints file, located in the
variable-data directory, which directs the Post process to use the index.

Syntax for key definition
To create a key definition, type a space after the source object and use the following syntax, including the
parentheses.
src_owner.table !key (column_list)
where:
l !key is a required keyword.

l column_list is a list of columns to include in the key. Separate column names with commas. A space
after the comma is optional.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !key (col_name, col2_name, ...) tgt_owner.table [email protected]
Example
Datasource:o.ora1
scott.tab !key(name,ID) scott.tab2 sysB@oraB
Filter DML Operations

You can configure SharePlex to filter any type of DML operation so that the operation is not replicated to the
target table. DML filtering is compatible with most other SharePlex configuration syntax. See the Restrictions.
Configure a DML filter

To configure a DML filter, add the following syntax to the source table specification. Leave a space between the
table specification and the filter specification. You can specify multiple operation types to filter. Any additional
syntax for other features, such as a column list or key definition, must follow the DMLfilter specification.
!dml(DML_type[,DML_type][,...])
Where DML_type is one of the following:
DML_type input Operation type
i INSERT
d DELETE
u UPDATE
Examples
Example 1
The following example filters DELETE operations from being replicated to the target table.

scott.emp !dml(d) scott.emp [email protected]
Example 2
The following example filters DELETEs and INSERTs so that only UPDATEs are replicated to the target table. This
example also shows how a DML filter is compatible with a column mapping specification.
scott.stock !dml(d,i) (ID, name, store) scott.stock (SKU, product, location) [email protected]
View current DML filters

Use the verify config command to view the DML that is being filtered for each table in the configuration file.
This command can be used for an active or inactive configuration file.
sp_ctrl> verify config myconfig
7: "SCOTT"."EMP" "SCOTT"."EMP" [email protected]
Filter out >>>>> DELETES
Unique Key : (EMPLOYEE_ID)
Restrictions
l The copy and compare commands do not support tables that include DML filtering in their
specifications.
l If there are multiple specifications of a source table in the configuration file, the DML filter specification
must be identical for all of them. Multiple specifications of the same source table occur if you are
routing to multiple targets without using a compound routing map (see Routing specifications in a
configuration file), or if you are combining full-table replication with horizontally partitioned replication
(see Configure horizontally partitioned replication).
Map source and target columns

When source and target column names are different, you can specify an explicit column mapping in the
configuration file, to ensure that Post applies row data to the correct target columns.
Guidelines for using column mapping

l To use column mapping, you must map every column in a source table to a column in the target table,
even if only some source and target names are different. When some columns are mapped but not
others, the entry is considered to be a column partition for vertically partitioned replication, and data
changes for non-listed columns are not replicated.
l You can use horizontally partitioned replication and column mapping for the same source table, but you
cannot combine column mapping with vertically partitioned replication.
l A target table can have more columns than the source table, but there must at least be a target
column for every source column.
l ALTER TABLE to add a column to a table that is configured with column mapping is not supported.

Configure column mapping
The following syntax creates a column map. For more information about the configuration file, see Create
configuration files.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table (src_col,src_col,...) tgt_owner.table (tgt_col,tgt_col,...) routing_map
Configuration component Description
src_owner.table and tgt_ The specifications for the source and target tables, respectively.
owner.table
(src_col,src_col,...) A list of the source columns.

Follow these rules to specify a column list:
l A column list must be enclosed within parentheses.

l Separate each column name with a comma. A space after the
comma is optional.
l The maximum length of a column list is 174820 bytes (the
maximum line length allowed in a configuration file).
(tgt_col,tgt_col,...) A list of the target columns.
l List the target columns in the same logical order as their

corresponding source columns. This is required regardless of the
actual order of the target columns in the table, so that
SharePlex builds the correct map in the object cache. For
example, a change to the second column in the source list is
replicated to the second column in the target list.
l The syntax rules for the source list also apply to the target list.
routing_map The routing map. You can use a simple routing map, such as sysb@oraB,
or a compound routing map, such as sysb@oraB+sysc@oraC.
Configuration example
Datasourceo.oraA
sales.prod (ID,name,vendor,length,width) mfg.prod
(UPC,product,supplier,length,depth) [email protected]
Build a configuration file using a script

SharePlex provides the following scripts to automate the building of a configuration file.
l config.sql: configure all tables and optionally all sequences in the database.
l build_config.sql: configure multiple or all tables in a schema

Supported databases
Oracle
Use config.sql
The config.sql script enables you to build a configuration that lists all of the tables, and optionally all of the
sequences, in all of the schemas of a database. This script saves time when establishing a high-availability
replication strategy or other scenario where you want the entire database to be replicated to an identical
secondary database.
Conditions for using config.sql

l Source and target table names must be the same.
l The script does not configure objects in the SYS, SYSTEM, and SharePlex schemas. These schemas
cannot be replicated since they are system and/or instance-specific.
l The script does not support partitioned replication. You can use the copy config command to copy the
configuration file that the script builds, then use the edit config command to add entries for tables
that use partitioned replication. Activate the new configuration file, not the original one.
l You can use the edit config command to make any other changes as needed after the
configuration is built.
To run config.sql
1. Change directories to the config sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory. The config.sql
script puts configurations in the current working directory, and SharePlex configurations must reside in
the config sub-directory.
cd /vardir/config
2. Log onto SQL*Plus as SYSTEM.
3. Run config.sql using the full path from the util sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
@ /proddir/util/config.sql
Refer to the following table when following the prompts.
Prompt What to enter
Target The name of the target machine, for example SystemB.

machine
Source The ORACLE_SID of the source (primary) Oracle instance, for example oraA. Do not include the
database o. keyword. The ORACLE_SID is case-sensitive.
SID
Target The ORACLE_SID of the target (destination) Oracle instance, for example oraB. Do not include
database the o. keyword. The ORACLE_SID is case-sensitive.
SID
Replicate Enter y to replicate sequences or n not to replicate sequences.
sequences
Shareplex The name of the SharePlex user in the source database. This entry prevents the SharePlex

oracle schema from being replicated, which would cause replication problems. If a valid name is not
username provided, the script fails.
NOTE: The name assigned by SharePlex to the configuration is config.file. If you run the script again to create
another configuration file, it overwrites the first file. To preserve the original file, rename it before you create
the second one.
Next steps:
l If any tables or owners are case-sensitive, open the configuration file with the edit config command in
sp_ctrl, then use the text editor to enclose case-sensitive table and owner names within double-quote
marks, for example scott.emp. The script does not add the quote marks required by Oracle to
enforce case-sensitivity.
sp_ctrl> edit config filename
l To ensure that the configuration is in the correct location, issue the list config command. If the name of
the configuration is not shown, it was created in the wrong directory. Find the file and move it to the
config sub-directory of the variable-data directory.
sp_ctrl> list config
Use build_config.sql
The build_config.sql script enables you to build a configuration that contains multiple (or all) tables in a
schema. It is an interactive script that prompts for each component of the configuration step by step. Instead of
entering the information for each object and the routing individually, you can use a wildcard to select certain
tables at once, or you can select all of the tables in the schema.
Conditions for using build_config.sql

l Source and target table names must be the same.
l The script does not support sequences. Before you activate the configuration that the script builds, you
can use the edit config command in sp_ctrl to add entries for sequences.
l The script does not support partitioned replication. You can use the copy config command to copy the
configuration that the script builds, then use the edit config command to add entries for the tables
that use partitioned replication. Activate the new configuration, not the original.
l The script does not configure objects in the SYS, SYSTEM, and SharePlex schemas. These schemas
cannot be replicated since they are system and/or instance-specific.
l You can run build_config.sql for different schemas, then combine those configurations into one
configuration by using a text editor. Make certain to eliminate all but one Datasource:o.SID line, which
is the first non-commented line of the file. Do not move the file out of the config sub-directory.
l You can use the edit config command to make any other changes as needed after the
configuration is built.

To run build_config.sql
1. Change directories to the config sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory. The build_
config.sql script puts configurations in the current working directory, and SharePlex configurations
must reside in the config sub-directory.
cd /vardir/config
2. Log onto SQL*Plus as SYSTEM.
3. Run build_config.sql using the full path from the util sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
@ /proddir/util/build_config.sql
Refer to the following table when following the prompts.
Target machine The name of the target machine, for example SystemB.
Source database SID The ORACLE_SID of the source (primary) Oracle instance, for example oraA. Do not
include the o. keyword. The ORACLE_SID is case-sensitive.
Target database SID The ORACLE_SID of the target (destination) Oracle instance, for example oraB. Do not
include the o. keyword. The ORACLE_SID is case-sensitive.
Owner of the source The owner of the source tables.

database tables
Owner of the target The owner of the target tables.
database tables
Table name to Do one of the following:
include (blank for all)
l Press Enter to accept the default, which selects all tables that belong to the
source owner.
l Enter a wildcard (%) character and a string to select certain tables, for
example %e_salary%.
l Enter an individual table name.
Name of the output A name for the configuration. The script gives the file a .lst suffix, for example Scott_
file to create config.lst.
Next steps:
l If any tables or owners are case-sensitive, open the configuration with the edit config command in sp_
ctrl, then use the text editor to enclose case-sensitive table and owner names within double-quote
marks, for example scott.emp. The script does not add the quote marks required by Oracle to
enforce case-sensitivity.
l To ensure that the configuration is in the correct location, issue the list config command. If the name of
the configuration is not shown, it was created in the wrong directory. Find the file and move it to the
config sub-directory of the variable-data directory.
sp_ctrl> list config

7
Configure replication to Open Target
targets
This chapter contains instructions for configuring SharePlex to replicate data from Oracle Database to Open
Target (non-Oracle) targets. Post must be configured to process data to the intended target in the correct
manner and format. This chapter guides you through the Post configuration process for each supported target.
Contents
Configure replication to a Microsoft SQL Server target
Configure replication to anEDB Postgres Advanced Server target
Configure replication to an SAP ASE target
Configure replication to aHANAtarget
Configure replication to a Teradatatarget
Configure replication to other Open Target databases
Configure Replication to a JMS target
Configure Replication to a Kafka target
Configure Replication to a SQL or XML file target

Configure replication to a Microsoft SQL
Server target
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to a Microsoft SQL Server target database through an Open Database
Connectivity (ODBC) interface. These instructions guide you through the configuration processes that are
required to support this target.
NOTE: For the datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to a SQL Server
target, see the SharePlex Release Notes.
Configure SharePlex on the source

Configure SharePlex and the database on the source system as follows.
Enable supplemental logging

To replicate to an Open Target target, enable PK/UK supplemental logging in the Oracle source database.
SharePlex must have the Oracle key information to build an appropriate key on the target.
Set SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter

To replicate to an Open Target database target, set the SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter to a value of 1.
This parameter directs SharePlex to use the columns set by Oracle's supplemental logging as the key columns
when a row is updated or deleted. When both supplemental logging and this parameter are set, it ensures that
SharePlex can always build a key and that the SharePlex key will match the Oracle key.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about this parameter.
Configure replication
On the source, create a SharePlex configuration file that specifies capture and routing information. The
components that are required in a configuration file vary, depending on your replication strategy. However,
the most important part of the configuration file as it relates to replication to an Open Target target is the
portion of the routing map after the @ symbol.
NOTE: See Create configuration files for additional information about creating a configuration file.
To configure replication to an Open Target target, use the following syntax in the configuration file:
Datasource:o.SID
where:

l SID is the Oracle SID of the source Oracle database.
l src_owner.table is the owner and name of the source table.
l tgt_owner.table is the owner and name of the target table.*
l host is the name of the target system.
l r. identifies the target as non-Oracle.
l database_name is the name of the target database. IMPORTANT! database_name must be
the actual name of the database, not a data source name (DSN).
* IMPORTANT!If target owner or table name is defined in the database as anything other than UPPERCASE, be
certain to:
l Type the name in the correct case.

l Enclose the name in quotation marks, for example "MySchema"."MyTable".
Source configuration example

The following configuration file replicates table HR.EMP from Oracle instance ora112 to target table
Region1.Emp in database mydb on target system sysprod. The target table is case-sensitive.
Datasource:o.ora112
HR.EMP "Region1"."Emp" [email protected]
Configure SharePlex on the target

Configure the target database and SharePlex as follows.
NOTE:The first two steps might have been performed already if the procedures in the SharePlex
Preinstallation Checklist were followed before SharePlex was installed.
1. Install the Microsoft SQL Server ODBC Driver. It must be that driver, not the Microsoft SQL Server
Native Client, or SharePlex will return an error when you run mssql_setup to configure Post to connect
to the database. To tell the difference between the two drivers:
l The Microsoft SQL Server ODBC Driver has versions such as 06.02.9200.
l The Microsoft SQL Server Native Client has versions such as 11.00.3513.
2. Create a Data Source Name (DSN) for the SQLServer database on the target Windows system. The DSN
can use either Windows NT authentication or SQL Server authentication. If you configure the DSN to
use NT authentication and are using SQL Server 2012 or later, grant the NTAuthority\SYSTEM user the
sysadmin fixed server role. ( For earlier versions of SQL Server, sysadmin is granted to the NT
Authority\SYSTEM user by default.)
3. Test the DSN and make certain the ODBC connection works before proceeding to the next step.
4. If you did not do so when you installed SharePlex, run the mssql_setup utility, which performs the
following target setup:
l Establish a SharePlex database account with privileges to post to the target SQL Server database
l Establish a target connection configuration
l Install tables and indexes for use by SharePlex and owned by the SharePlex account
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about this utility.

Configure replication to anEDB Postgres
Advanced Server target
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to an EDB Postgres Advanced Server target database through an
Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface. These instructions guide you through the configuration processes
that are required to support this target.
NOTE: For the datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to EDB Postgres
Advanced Server, see the SharePlex Release Notes.



Datasource:o.SID
where:

certain to:


Datasource:o.ora112

1. If you have not done so already, install the appropriate ODBC driver for the target database. See the
EDB Postgres Advanced Server StackBuilder documentation for instructions on how to get the most
current Connector for your environment.
2. If you did not do so when you installed SharePlex, run the ppas_setup utility, which establishes a
SharePlex database account and connection information. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information about this utility.

Configure replication to an SAP ASE target
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to an SAP ASE target database through an Open Database
NOTE: For the platforms, datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to a
Sybase target, see the SharePlex Release Notes.



Datasource:o.SID
where:

certain to:


Datasource:o.ora112

Configure SharePlex and the database on the target system as follows.
Install the ODBC driver

Make certain to download the correct ODBC driver for your database.
Set up ODBC
1. Install and test the ODBC driver that is appropriate for your target database. SharePlex provides the
OTS utility for testing the ability of SharePlex to connect to and post through ODBC. For more
information, see the OTS documentation in the utilities section of the SharePlex Reference Guide.
2. On the target system, configure ODBC connection information for use by Post to connect to the target
database. You have the following options for configuring this connection information:
l On Windows, create a user or system DSN (Data Source Name) by using Data Sources (ODBC) in
the Administrative Tools section of the Windows control panel. See the Windows
documentation or your system administrator. If using a DSN, you must set the Post user name
and password for the target database with the connection comand. See Configure replication
to an SAP ASE target.
l On Unix and Linux, you can do either of the following:
l Configure a user or system DSN on the target system according to the instructions
provided with the database. Test the DSN by using it to connect to the target database. If

the connection is successful, copy the ODBC configuration files to the odbc subdirectory
of the SharePlex variable-data directory. Set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment
variable to the location of the database ODBC driver.
or...
l Set the ODBC connection information in the Post configuration. See Set connection
information with the connection command.
Set connection information with the connection command

Use the connection command to:
l Set the Post user name and password if you created a DSN.
l Set all of theODBC connection information if a DSN does not exist.
1. Create a user account for SharePlex in the target database. This account must be granted the privileges
to connect, query the metadata structures of the database, create and update tables in the SharePlex
database or schema, and perform full DML and supported DDL operations. Make certain that this user
can connect successfully to the database through ODBC outside SharePlex.
2. Run sp_ctrl.
3. Execute the connection command with the set option, once for each keyword.
connection r.database_name set keyword=value
Option1: Input when a DSN exists
Keyword Value to enter
user The database user assigned to SharePlex
password The password for the SharePlex user
dsn The DSN of the database.

IMPORTANT! user, password, and dsn are the only required
keywords if a DSN exists.
Option 2: Input when a DSN does not exist (Unix and Linux)
port The database port number.
server The name or IP address of the database server.
driver The full path to the ODBC driver on the database server.

Option 3: Connect string when a DSN does not exist (Unix and Linux)
connect_string A user-defined connection string. When using your own

connection string, make certain it includes all of the required
elements to make a successful ODBC connection, but omit the
user name and password. Use the connection command with
the user and password options to supply user information.
Connection command examples
DSN exists
connection r.mydb set user=myuser
connection r.mydb set password=mypassword
connection r.mydb set dsn=mydsn
DSN does not exist

connection r.mydb set port=1234
connection r.mydb set server=server1
connection r.mydb set driver=/database/ODBC/lib/databasedriver.so
DSN does not exist, use connection string

connection r.mydb set connect_
string=driver=/database/ODBC/lib/databasedriver.so;server=server1;port=1234;uid=myuser;pwd=m
ypassword
Remove a connection value

Use connection with the reset option to remove SharePlex connection settings.
To remove a specific connection value

connection r.database_name reset keyword
To remove all connection values

connection r.database_name reset

Examples
connection r.mydb reset port
connection r.mydb reset
View connection values

Use connection with the show option to view SharePlex connection settings.
To view connection values for a database

connection r.database_name show
To view connection settings for all local databases

connection show all

Configure replication to aHANAtarget
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to a HANA target database through an Open Database Connectivity
(ODBC) interface. These instructions guide you through the configuration processes that are required to
support this target.
NOTE: For the datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to a HANA
target, see the SharePlex Release Notes.



Datasource:o.SID
where:

certain to:


Datasource:o.ora112

1. If you have not done so already, install the appropriate ODBC driver for the target HANA database.
2. If you did not do so when you installed SharePlex, run the hana_setup utility, which establishes a
SharePlex database account and connection information. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information about this utility.

Configure replication to a Teradatatarget
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to a Teradata target database through an Open Database
NOTE: For supported Teradata versions and drivers and the datatypes and operations that are supported when
using SharePlex to replicate to a Teradata target, see the SharePlex Release Notes.



Configure replication to Teradata

components that are required in a configuration file may vary, depending on your replication strategy. The
following template shows the basic required components to replicate to a Teradata target.
Datasource:o.SID
oracle_schema.src_table teradata_db.targ_table [email protected]_db
where:
l ora_SID is the source Oracle instance

l oracle_schema is the Oracle schema (owner) of src_table
l src_table is an Oracle source table or wildcard specification

l teradata_db is a Teradata database that contains targ_table
l targ_table is a Teradata target table or wildcard specification
l target_host is the target system that hosts Teradata
l SharePlex_db is the Teradata database that contains the SharePlex objects installed by Teradata Setup
(td_setup). This database can also contain target tables, or it can be dedicated to the SharePlex
objects. In either case, this database is the only database that can be specified in the routing map with
the "r." designation. You specify target tables in this and other databases as teradata_db.targ_table. See
Replicate to multiple Teradata databases.
certain to:

Replicate to multiple Teradata databases

When you run the Teradata Setup (td_setup) utility during installation of SharePlex, the utility create
the following:
l a database user by which SharePlex Post will operate (which also owns a database)
l a database into which SharePlex can install its internal objects (which can be the database owned by
the SharePlex Post user or a different one)
If you want to replicate to target tables in databases other than those two databases, you must issue the
following grant to the SharePlex user for each of the other databases. The command in BTEQ is:
grant all on database to SharePlex_user;
See the following configuration example for additional explanation.

Datasource:o.ora1
fin.* fin.* [email protected]
hr.emp hr.emp [email protected]
sales.cust sales.cust [email protected]
mfg.orders mfg.orders [email protected]
In this example, the person who ran Teradata Setup (td_setup) specified the following:
l "hr" as the SharePlex user in Teradata

l "fin" as the database that contains the SharePlex objects
Thus, the "hr" user has the required privileges to connect to both the "hr" and "fin" databases, but for
SharePlex to replicate to the tables in "sales" and "mfg" you must issue the following grants:
GRANTALLONsales TO hr;
GRANTALLON mfg TO hr;

1. If you have not done so already, install the appropriate ODBC driver for the target Teradata database.
See the SharePlex Release Notes for supported database and driver versions.
2. Create a Data Source Name (DSN) for SharePlex to use to connect to Teradata.
3. If you did not do so when you installed SharePlex, run the td_setup utility, which performs the
following target setup:
l Establish a SharePlex database user and login credentials.
l Establish an internal connection string based on the DSN and user credentials.
l Install tables and indexes for use by SharePlex into a specified database.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about this utility.

Configure replication to other Open
Target databases
Overview
SharePlex can connect to a database that supports Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). For the platforms,
datatypes and operations that are supported by SharePlex, see the SharePlex Release Notes.



Datasource:o.SID

where:

certain to:


Datasource:o.ora112

Configure SharePlex and the database on the target system as follows.
Install the ODBC driver

Make certain to download the correct ODBC driver for your database.
Set up ODBC
1. Install and test the ODBC driver that is appropriate for your target database. SharePlex provides the
OTS utility for testing the ability of SharePlex to connect to and post through ODBC. For more
information, see the OTS documentation in the utilities section of the SharePlex Reference Guide.
2. On the target system, configure ODBC connection information for use by Post to connect to the target
database. You have the following options for configuring this connection information:
l On Windows, create a user or system DSN (Data Source Name) by using Data Sources (ODBC) in
the Administrative Tools section of the Windows control panel. See the Windows documentation
or your system administrator. If using a DSN, you must set the Post user name and password for
the target database with the connection comand. See Configure replication to other Open
Target databases.
l On Unix and Linux, you can do either of the following:

l Configure a user or system DSN on the target system according to the instructions
provided with the database. Test the DSN by using it to connect to the target database. If
the connection is successful, copy the ODBC configuration files to the odbc subdirectory
of the SharePlex variable-data directory. Set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment
variable to the location of the database ODBC driver.
or...
l Set the ODBC connection information in the Post configuration. See Set connection
information with the connection command.
Set connection information with the connection command

Use the connection command to:
l Set the Post user name and password if you created a DSN.
l Set all of theODBC connection information if a DSN does not exist.
1. Create a user account for SharePlex in the target database. This account must be granted the privileges
to connect, query the metadata structures of the database, create and update tables in the SharePlex
database or schema, and perform full DML and supported DDL operations. Make certain that this user
can connect successfully to the database through ODBC outside SharePlex.
2. Run sp_ctrl.
3. Execute the connection command with the set option, once for each keyword.
connection r.database_name set keyword=value
Option1: Input when a DSN exists
dsn The DSN of the database.

IMPORTANT! user, password, and dsn are the only required
keywords if a DSN exists.
Option 2: Input when a DSN does not exist (Unix and Linux)
port The database port number.
server The name or IP address of the database server.
driver The full path to the ODBC driver on the database server.

Option 3: Connect string when a DSN does not exist (Unix and Linux)
connect_string A user-defined connection string. When using your own

connection string, make certain it includes all of the required
elements to make a successful ODBC connection, but omit the
user name and password. Use the connection command with
the user and password options to supply user information.
Connection command examples
DSN exists
connection r.mydb set dsn=mydsn
DSN does not exist

connection r.mydb set port=1234
connection r.mydb set server=server1
connection r.mydb set driver=/database/ODBC/lib/databasedriver.so
DSN does not exist, use connection string

connection r.mydb set connect_
string=driver=/database/ODBC/lib/databasedriver.so;server=server1;port=1234;uid=myuser;pwd=m
ypassword
Remove a connection value

Use connection with the reset option to remove SharePlex connection settings.
To remove a specific connection value

connection r.database_name reset keyword
To remove all connection values

connection r.database_name reset

Examples
connection r.mydb reset port
connection r.mydb reset
View connection values

Use connection with the show option to view SharePlex connection settings.
To view connection values for a database

connection r.database_name show
To view connection settings for all local databases

connection show all
Map datatypes
To support the accurate posting of replicated Oracle ALTERTABLEcommands to the correct datatypes in an
Open Target target, you need to map Oracle datatypes to the datatypes of the target database. Use the target
command with the set datatype option to perform this mapping.
NOTE: For DML operations, SharePlex queries the target database to determine the appropriate
datatype mapping for replicated data.
To map datatypes
target r.database [queue queuename ] set datatype src_datatype=tgt_datatype
Where: src_datatype is the Oracle datatype and tgt_datatype is the target datatype to which you are
mapping the Oracle datatype.
See the SharePlex Release Notes for mapping options.
For more information about the target command, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.

Configure Replication to a JMS target
Overview
The SharePlex Post process can connect and write to a JMS (Java Messaging Service) queue or topic. The data is
written as XMLrecords that include the data definitions, the operation type, and the changed column values.
This data is written as a sequential series of operations as they occurred on the source, which can then be
posted in sequential order to a target database or consumed by an external process or program.
NOTE: For the platforms, datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to
JMS, see the SharePlex Release Notes.

When replicating data to JMS, configure the source database and SharePlex on the source system as follows.

On the source system, enable PK/UK supplemental logging in the Oracle source database. SharePlex must
have the Oracle key information to build an appropriate key on the target.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY, UNIQUE) COLUMNS;

On the source system, set the SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter to a value of 1. This parameter directs
SharePlex to use the columns set by Oracle's supplemental logging as the key columns when a row is updated
or deleted. When both supplemental logging and this parameter are set, it ensures that SharePlex can always
build a key and that the SharePlex key will match the Oracle key.
structure that is required in a configuration file varies, depending on your replication strategy, but this shows
you the required syntax for routing data through a JMS queue or topic.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !jms[:tgt_owner.table] host
where:


l !jms is a required keyword indicating SharePlex is posting to JMS.
l :tgt_owner.table is optional and specifies the owner and name of the target table. Use if either
component is different from that of the source table. Allow no spaces between !jms and :tgt_
owner.table. Type case-sensitive names in the correct case and enclose them within double quotes, as
in "MySchema"."MyTable"
NOTE:For more information about how to create a configuration file, see Create configuration files.

Datasource:o.ora112
MY_SCHEMA.MY_TABLE !jms:"MySchema2"."MyTable2" sysprod

These instructions establish the Java provider on the target and configure the SharePlex Post process to
connect to a JMS structure.
Configure SharePlex on an Active MQ target
Configure SharePlex on an IBM MQ target
Configure SharePlex on an Active MQ target

These instructions configure the SharePlex Post process to post to an Active MQ queue or topic.
The following directory naming conventions are used in the examples in this procedure:
Name Directory
activemq The Active MQ client installation directory

SharePlex The SharePlex installation directory
amq The working directory for Active MQ within the SharePlex directory.
To configure post to the ActiveMQ target

1. Install and configure the latest version of Java Runtime Engine (JRE) on the SharePlex target server.
2. Create the activemq directory under SharePlex/lib/providers.
shareplex/lib/providers/amq
3. Download and expand the ActiveMQ files to the activemq directory under SharePlex/lib/providers.
4. Configure the JAVA_HOME and JRE_HOME variables to point to the activemq directory.
5. Add the new JAVA_HOME to the PATH variable.
6. Set all values of producerFlowControl="true" to "false". Additional content about this parameter is
available at: http://activemq.apache.org/producer-flow-control.html.
7. Copy the following provider JAR files and HS dependencies to the directory that you created.

shareplex/lib/providers/amq/activemq-all.jar
shareplex/lib/providers/amq/slf4j.jar
8. Start sp_cop. (Do not activate the configuration yet.)

9. Run sp_ctrl.
10. Issue the target command to configure Post to post to the JMS queue or topic. The following are
example commands.
See View and change JMS settings for command explanations and options.
If posting to a JMS queue:

sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms factory_
class=org.apache.activemq.jndi.ActiveMQInitialContextFactory
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms provider_url=tcp://w2k3-64bit:61616
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms lib_location=shareplex/lib/providers/amq
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms queuename=SHAREPLEX.Q1
If posting to a JMS topic:

sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms factory_
class=org.apache.activemq.jndi.ActiveMQInitialContextFactory
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms provider_url=tcp://w2k3-64bit:61616
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms lib_location=shareplex/lib/providers/amq
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms destination=topic
Configure SharePlex on an IBM MQ target

These instructions configure the SharePlex Post process to post to an IBMMQ queue or topic.
The following directory naming conventions are used in the examples in this procedure:
Name Directory
MQClient The IBM MQ client installation directory

SharePlex The SharePlex installation directory
ibmmq The working directory for IBM MQ within the SharePlex directory.
To configure post to the IBM MQ target

1. Install and configure the latest version of Java Runtime Engine (JRE) on either the database server or an
intermediate server where the SharePlex Post process will be running.
2. Set the JAVA_HOME and JRE_HOME environment variables to the appropriate directories.
3. Add the JAVA_HOME and JRE_HOME paths to the PATH variable as part of the SharePlex operating
system user profile.

4. Install the IBMMQ client into the MQClient directory on either the database server or an intermediate
server where the SharePlex Post process will be running.
5. Copy the .bindings file that is generated by the IBM MQ Explorer utility from the middle-tier server to
the MQClient/lib directory on the SharePlex target server.
NOTE: The Post process uses this file to obtain information about the IBM MQ middle-tier server.
6. If using IBMMQ 8.x, create a soft link to the JRE that ships with the MQ 8.x distribution. (The JRE 1.6.
that ships with SharePlex is compatible with MQ 7.x but not 8.x.)
a. $ cd SharePlex/.app-modules/openbridge
b. $ mv jre jre.old
c. $ ln s /MQClient/java/jre64/jre jre
7. Create an ibmmq directory within the SharePlex/lib/providers directory.
8. Copy the .bindings file and all of the .jar files from the MQClient/java/lib directory to the
SharePlex/lib/providers/ibmmq directory.
$ cp MQClient/java/lib/.bindings SharePlex/lib/providers/ibmmq
$ cp MQClient/java/lib/*.jar SharePlex/lib/providers/ibmmq
9. Create a soft link to the MQClient/lib directory from the ibmmq directory that you created.
$ cd SharePlex/lib/providers/ibmmq
$ ln sMQClient/libibmmq
11. Run sp_ctrl.
12. Issue the target command to configure Post to post to the JMS queue or topic. The following are
example commands.
See View and change JMS settings for command explanations and additional options.
If posting to a JMS queue:

sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms factory_name=SharePlexQcf
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms lib_location=ibmmq
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms provider_url=file:/MQClient/app/mqm83client/lib
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms user=myusername
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms password=mypassword
If posting to a JMS topic:

sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms factory_name=SharePlexQcf
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms lib_location=ibmmq
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms provider_url=file:/MQClient/app/mqm83client/lib
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms queuename=SHAREPLEX.T1
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms destination=topic
sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms user=myusername

sp_ctrl> target x.jms set jms password=mypassword
View and change JMS settings

To view current property settings for output to JMS, use the following command:
target x.jms show
To change a property setting, use the following command.
target x.jms [queue queuename] set jms property=value
where:
l queue queuename is the name of a Post queue. Use this option if there are multiple Post processes.
l property and value are shown in the following table.
Table 3: JMS target properties
Property Input Value Default
factory_class=factory_class Required Fully qualified class name of the factory class. None
Sets the JNDI environmental property
java.naming.factory.initial to specify the class name of
the initial context factory for the provider.
provider_url=url Required RMI URL with no object name component. This None
sets the JNDI environmental property
java.naming.provider.url to specify the location of the
registry that is being used as the initial context.
lib_location=path Required Path to the directory where you installed the None
JAR files.
destination={queue | topic} Messaging domain. Valid values are queue (port-to-port) queue
or topic (publisher-subscriber model).
factory_name=factory_name Name of a JNDI connection factory lookup. You can None

specify multiple names with a comma-separated list, for
example: (jndi.name1, jndi.name2).
user=user Name of the user that is attaching to JMS. If None

authentication is not required, omit this and the
password option.
password=password Password of the JMS user. None
queuename=JMS_queuename Name of the JMS queue or topic. OpenTarget
persistent={yes | no} yes logs messages to disk storage as part of send yes
operations.
no prevents logging.
session_transacted ={yes|no} no directs Post to issue a JMS commit for every no

replicated message, making each one immediately visible

and consumable. This is the default.

yes directs Post to operate in a transactional manner. In
this mode, Post issues a JMS commit (to make messages
visible and consumable) at intervals based on the
following:
l Issue a commit before the data is read-released

from the Post queue, as controlled by the value
set for the SP_OPX_READRELEASE_INTERVAL
parameter.
l Issue a commit every JMS write, as controlled by
the value set for the SP_OPX_CHECKPOINT_FREQ
parameter, until the SP_OPX_READRELEASE_
INTERVAL is reached.
properties Use this option if the JMS provider that you are using None
cannot consume messages that contain the default set of
properties supplied by SharePlex. It enables you to
remove or add properties. Supply the properties as a
comma-delimited list.
l To add a property, specify it as name=value.

l To remove a SharePlex property, prefix the name
with a dash. For example this string removes two
SharePlex properties: -JMSXDeliveryCount,-
JMSXGroupSeq.
client_id Use this option if the JMS provider that you are using None
cannot consume messages that contain the default
SharePlex client ID. Set this value to the client ID that
your provider accepts.
commit_frequency Use this option when Post is configured to post to a JMS 1500
server in transactional style (issue a JMS commit at
intervals, rather than after every message as directed by
the session_transacted property of the target
command). This parameter specifies the interval
between JMS commits. It works in conjunction with the
SP_OPX_READRELEASE_INTERVAL parameter. Valid values
are 1 to any positive integer.
Set recovery options

If the JMS process aborts suddenly, or if the machine that it is running on aborts, row changes may be written
twice to the JMS target. The consumer must manage this by detecting and discarding duplicates.
Every record of every row-change operation in a transaction has the same transaction ID and is also marked with
a sequence ID. These attributes are id and msgIdx, respectively, under the txn element in the XML output
(see About the XML).

The transaction ID is the SCN at the time the transaction was committed and the sequence ID is the index of the
row change in the transaction. These two values are guaranteed to be the same if they are re-written to the
JMS queue in a recovery situation.
If desired, you can configure the target to include additional metadata with every row-change record by using
the following command:
target target [queue queuename] set metadata property[, property]
Table 4: Optional JMS metadata properties
Property Description
time The time the operation was applied on the source.

userid The ID of the database user that performed the operation.
trans The ID of the transaction that included the operation.
size The number of operations in the transaction.
Example
target x.jms set metadata time, userid, trans, size
To reset the metadata

target x.jms [queue queuename] reset metadata
To view the metadata

target x.jms [queue queuename] show metadata
Control memory settings

If you configured Post to process large amounts of transactions to JMS through multiple named Post queues, you
may need to allocate more memory to the Post JMS bridge. The default settings are 256MB and 512MB.
To increase the JMS bridge memory

Open the openbridge.ini file and set the following parameters in the format shown:
-Xms=512m
-Xmx=1024m
-XX:PermSize=512m
-XX:MaxPermSize=1024m
Configure debugging
You can configure Post to log whether each write to a queue or topic succeeded or failed. This is controlled
with the debugging setting.
To enable debugging
Open the openbridge.ini file and set the -OB_debugToLog parameter to true.

-OB_debugToLog=true
About the XML

The XML format is separated into operation and schema "types" for easier consumption. They are actually the
same when viewed from an XSD perspective and are not distinct types. The template XML represents all
possible attributes and elements. The individual XML represents the bare minimum output for each
supported operation.
After startup, the first time that Post writes a change record for any given table, it first writes a schema record
for that table. Each schema record contains the table name and details of interest for each columns. A schema
record is written only once for each table during a Post run, unless there is a change to that schema, and then
a new schema record is written. If Post stops and starts, schema records are written again, once for each table
as Post receives a change record for it.
Schema record template

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<?opentarget version="1.0" ?>
<opentarget>
<txn
id="xs:integer"
oracleTxnId="xs:string"
commitTime="xs:dateTimeStamp" />
<tbl
name="xs:string"
utcOffset="xs:integer"
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>
<col
name="xs:string"
xmlType="xs:string"
key="xs:boolean"
nullable="xs:boolean"
length="xs:integer"
/>
</schema>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Table 5: Explanation of schema template (* = optional)
Element Attribute Description
txn Transaction metadata
id ID of current transaction
oracleTxnId Oracle transaction ID

commitTime Transaction commit timestamp

*
tbl Table metadata
name Fully qualified name of the table
utcOffset UTC offset in the log
cmd Operation metadata (In the case of a schema, there are no operations.)
ops Type of record generated for this table. For a schema, the value is schema.
schema Column metadata

col Metadata for a column (One of these elements appears for every record in the
table.)
name Name of the column
xmlType XML data type
key Key flag (true, false)
nullable Nullable flag
length Length of the column
Operation record template

<opentarget>
<txn
id="xs:integer"
msgIdx="xs:integer"
msgTot="xs:integer"
commitTime="xs:dateTimeStamp"
userId="xs:string" />
<tbl
name="xs:string"
<cmd ops="xs:string">
<row id="xs:string">
<col name="xs:string"></col>
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

Table 6: Explanation of operation template (* = optional)
txn Transaction metadata for the operation

msgIdx Index of current record in the transaction
msgTot* Total number of messages in transaction
oracleTxnId Oracle transaction ID, taken from the System Change Number (SCN)
*
*
userId * User ID that performed the operation
tble Table metadata
name Fully qualified table name
cmd Operation metadata
ops Operation type (insert, update, delete, truncate)

row Metadata of the row that changed in the operation
id Oracle ROWID
col Change data for a column (One of these elements appears for every changed
column in the operation.)
name Column name with the after value for that column
lkup Before image for use in update and delete operations
col Before image of column (One of these elements appears for every changed column
in the operation.)
name Column name with the before value or the key value (depending on the operation)
for that column
NOTE:The id and msgIdx attributes together uniquely identify an operation.
Supported datatypes
See the SharePlex Release Notes for a chart that shows how Oracle datatypes are converted to XML.
Sample XML records
Source table
This is the table for which the sample operations are generated.
SQL> desc products
Name Null? Type

PRODUCT_ID NOT NULL NUMBER
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(600)
PRICE NUMBER
Source DML operations

insert into products values (230117, Hamsberry vintage tee, cherry, 4099);
commit;
update products set price=3599 where product_id=230117 and price=4099;
commit;
delete products where product_id=230117;
commit;
truncate table products;
Schema record
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<?opentarget version="1.1"?>
<opentarget>
<txn id="2218316945" commitTime="2014-10-10T13:18:43" userId="85"
oracleTxnId="3.10.1339425" />
<tbl name="MFG.PRODUCTS" utcOffset="-5:00">
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>
<col name="PRODUCT_ID" xmlType="decimal" key="true" nullable="false" length="22" />
<col name="DESCRIPTION" xmlType="string" key="false" nullable="true" length="600" />
<col name="PRICE" xmlType="decimal" key="false" nullable="true" length="22" />
</schema>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Insert record
<opentarget>
<txn id="2218316945" msgIdx="1" msgTot="1" commitTime="2014-10-10T13:18:43"
userId="85" oracleTxnId="3.10.1339425" />
<tbl name="MFG.PRODUCTS">
<cmd ops="ins">
<row id="AAAmDbAAEAAApRrAAA">
<col name="PRODUCT_ID">230117</col>
<col name="DESCRIPTION">Hamsberry vintage tee, cherry</col>
<col name="PRICE">4099</col>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

Update record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="upd">
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Delete record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="del">
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Truncate record
<opentarget>
oracleTxnId="11.4.939801" />
<cmd ops="trunc" />
</tbl>
</opentarget>

Configure Replication to a Kafka target
Overview
The SharePlex Post process can connect and write to a Kafka broker. The data is written as XMLrecords that
include the data definitions, the operation type, and the changed column values. This data is written as a
sequential series of operations as they occurred on the source, which can then be posted in sequential order to
a target database or consumed by an external process or program.
Guidelines for posting to Kafka

l A SharePlex Post process acts as a Kafka producer. A SharePlex Post process writes to a single topic
with the default partition of 0 in a single broker. To support multiple topics or multiple brokers,
configure multiple Post processes using named Post queues. For more information, see Configure
named post queues.
l The SharePlex Post process does not create topics. You must create the topic through Kafka.
l For performance reasons, Post batches messages together before sending them to the Kafka broker.
Tuning parameters are available to control the batch size. These can be used to balance performance
with latency.
NOTE: For the platforms, datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to
Kafka, see the SharePlex Release Notes.

When replicating data to Kafka, configure the source database and SharePlex on the source system as follows.

On the source system, enable PK/UK supplemental logging in the Oracle source database. SharePlex must
have the Oracle key information to build an appropriate key on the target.
SQL> ALTER DATABASE ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (PRIMARY KEY, UNIQUE) COLUMNS;

On the source system, set the SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter to a value of 1. This parameter directs
SharePlex to use the columns set by Oracle's supplemental logging as the key columns when a row is updated
or deleted. When both supplemental logging and this parameter are set, it ensures that SharePlex can always
build a key and that the SharePlex key will match the Oracle key.

you the required syntax for routing data to Kafka.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !kafka[:tgt_owner.table] host
where:

l !kafka is a required keyword indicating SharePlex is posting to Kafka.
l :tgt_owner.table is optional and specifies the owner and name of the target table. Use if either
component is different from that of the source table. Allow no spaces between !kafka and :tgt_
owner.table. Type case-sensitive names in the correct case and enclose them within double quotes, as
in "MySchema"."MyTable"
NOTE:For more information about how to create a configuration file, see Create configuration files.

Datasource:o.ora112
MY_SCHEMA.MY_TABLE !kafka:"MySchema2"."MyTable2" sysprod

These instructions configure the SharePlex Post process to connect to Kafka. You must have a running
Kafka broker.
To configure post to Kafka

1. Create a Kafka topic.
3. Run sp_ctrl.
4. Issue the target command to configure posting to a Kafka broker and topic. The following are
example commands.
sp_ctrl> target x.kafka set kafka broker=localhost:9092
sp_ctrl> target x.kafka set kafka topic=shareplex
See View and change Kafka settings for command explanations and options.

View and change Kafka settings
To view current property settings for output to Kafka, use the following command:
target x.kafka show
To change a property setting, use the following command.
target x.kafka [queue queuename] set kafka property=value
where:
l queue queuename is the name of a Post queue. Use this option if there are multiple Post processes.
l property and value are shown in the following table.
Table 7: Kafka target properties
broker Required. The host and port number of the Kafka localhost:9092
broker.
topic Required. The name of the target Kafka topic. shareplex
threshold_size Optional. The approximate network packet size*, in 10000KB
kilobytes, that Post sends to the Kafka broker.
NOTES:
l Maximum packet size is 128000 KB.

l Packet size is approximate.
client_id Optional. A user-defined string that Post will send in None

each request to help trace calls.
* To avoid latency, if Post detects no more incoming messages, it sends the packet to Kafka immediately
without waiting for the threshold to be satisfied.
Set recovery options

If the Kafka process aborts suddenly, or if the machine that it is running on aborts, row changes may be written
twice to the Kafka topic. The consumer must manage this by detecting and discarding duplicates.
Every record of every row-change operation in a transaction has the same transaction ID and is also marked with
a sequence ID. These attributes are id and msgIdx, respectively, under the txn element in the XML output
(see About the XML).
The transaction ID is the SCN at the time the transaction was committed, and the sequence ID is the index of
the row change in the transaction. These two values are guaranteed to be the same if they are re-written to
the Kafka topic in a recovery situation.
If desired, you can configure Post to include additional metadata with every row-change record by using the
following command:
target x.kafka [queue queuename] set metadata property[, property]

Table 8: Optional metadata properties
Property Description
time The time the operation was applied on the source.

userid The ID of the database user that performed the operation.
trans The ID of the transaction that included the operation.
size The number of operations in the transaction.
Example
target x.kafka set metadata time, userid, trans, size
To reset the metadata

target x.kafka [queue queuename] reset metadata
To view the metadata

target x.kafka [queue queuename] show metadata
About the XML


<opentarget>
<txn
id="xs:integer"
<tbl
name="xs:string"
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>
<col
name="xs:string"

xmlType="xs:string"
key="xs:boolean"
length="xs:integer"
/>
</schema>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

*

*
tbl Table metadata

table.)

<opentarget>
<txn
id="xs:integer"

msgIdx="xs:integer"
msgTot="xs:integer"
<tbl
name="xs:string"
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

*
*
tble Table metadata

id Oracle ROWID
in the operation.)

for that column
Supported datatypes
Sample XML records
Source table
SQL> desc products
Name Null? Type
PRICE NUMBER

commit;
commit;
commit;
Schema record
<opentarget>
oracleTxnId="3.10.1339425" />
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>
</schema>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

Insert record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="ins">
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Update record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="upd">
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Delete record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="del">
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>

</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Truncate record
<opentarget>
oracleTxnId="11.4.939801" />
<cmd ops="trunc" />
</tbl>
</opentarget>

Configure Replication to a SQL or XML
file target
Overview
SharePlex can post replicated Oracle data to a file formatted as SQL or XML. This data is written as a sequential
series of operations as they occurred on the source, which can then be posted in sequential order to a target
database or consumed by an external process or program.
This chapter guides you through the configuration process to support replication to this target.
NOTE: For the platforms, datatypes and operations that are supported when using SharePlex to replicate to a
SQL or XML file, see the SharePlex Release Notes.

you the required syntax for routing data to a SQL or XML file.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !file[:tgt_owner.table] host
where:

l !file is a required keyword that directs Post to write to a file.
l tgt_owner.table is optional and specifies the owner and name of the target table. Use if either
component is different from that of the source table.
NOTE:For complete instructions for creating a configuration file, see Create configuration files.
Source configuration example:

The following example replicates the parts table in schema PROD from Oracle instance ora112 to a file on
target system sysprod.
Datasource:o.ora112
PROD.parts !file sysprod

To output data in XML format
By default, SharePlex formats data that it writes to a file in XML format, and you do not need to run target
setup unless you want to change properties of the output file (see View and change target settings.)
To output data in SQL format

1. Start sp_cop.
2. Start sp_ctrl.
3. Issue the following required target commands to output the records in SQL. NOTE:Use all lower-case
characters.
target x.file [queue queuename] set format record=sql
target x.file [queuequeuename] set sql legacy=yes
where: queue queuename constrains the action of the command to the SharePlex Post process that is
associated with the specified queue.
These properties are described in View and change target settings, with other optional properties that
you can set.
View and change target settings

To view current property settings for output to a file, use the following command:
target x.file show
To change a setting, use the following target command.
target x.file [queue queuename] set [category] property=value
where: category, property, and value are shown in the following table.
NOTE: For XML output, you can change the file and data properties only.
Table 11: File target properties
Category Property Input value Default
file location Path name under the SharePlex variable-data opx

=pathname directory where you want the file to be created
file max_ Maximum size of the file, measured by the number of 50,000
records=number records
file max_ Maximum size of the file, measured in megabytes 50

size=megabytes
file max_ Maximum number of seconds to wait before switching 300

time=seconds files
file record_ Maximum size of a record, in number of characters 132

Category Property Input value Default
length=number
data date=format Date format yyyy-MM-

ddTHH:mm:ss
data decimal Decimal character . (period)

=character
data enotation Exponential notation 14

=notation
data record={SQL | Format of the output records, either SQL or XML xml
XML}
data timestamp Timestamp format yyyy-MM-

=format ddTHH:mm:ss.ffffffffff
sql add_rownum= yes to include or no to exclude row numbers add_rownum={yes |

{yes | no} no}
sql begin_ yes to include or no to exclude begin transaction begin_transaction=

transaction={yes records {yes | no}
| no}
sql comment Character that marks a comment comment=character

=character
sql concatenate Character that concatenates strings concatenate

=character =character
sql end_ yes to include or no to exclude end transaction end_transaction={yes

transaction={yes records | no}
| no}
sql legacy={yes | no} Required in SharePlex 8.6. Use legacy SQL date and legacy={yes | no}
timestamp formatting of:
MMDDYYYYHH24MISS and
MMDDYYYYHH24MISS.FFFFFF(yes/no)
sql name_ Character that delimits SID, table, owner, column name_
delimiter names delimiter=character
=character
sql record_ Character that terminates the SQL record_

terminator terminator=character
=character
Command examples
This sets the record format to SQL for a post process with a named queue of myqueue1.
target x.file queue myqueue1 set format record=sql
This sets the maximum file size to contain no more than 320 records.
target x.file queue myqueue1 set file max_size = 320

About the SQL
Every transaction in a SQL-formatted file is headed by a comment that includes the transaction sequence
within the SQL file and a unique transaction ID. A comment line at the end of the SQL file has the number of
lines in the file. For example, the following is a SQL file with one transaction. In this example the transaction id
is 2-113319. The file has nine lines.
/installed/vardir> cat opx/0000000010_20140305140820_legacy.sql
-- 0000000001 2-113319 03052014140813 03052014140813
DELETE FROM "ROBIN"."TEST_TYPES" WHERE ORA_NUMBER = '22345' AND ROWNUM = 1;
INSERT INTO "ROBIN"."TEST_TYPES" (ORA_NUMBER, ORA_DATE, ORA_RAW, ORA_ROWID,
ORA_FLOAT, ORA_CHAR, ORA_VARCHAR2, ORA_TIMESTAMP, ORA_TIMESTAMP_TZ,
ORA_TIMESTAMP_LTZ) VALUES('22345', '08132066000000', '0123456789ABCDEF'
, 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA', '12350', 'Character ', 'Variable data'
, '10201998021300.22000', '06172002080000.00000', '06172002160000.00000');
COMMIT;
-- EOF 0000000009
About the XML


<opentarget>
<txn
id="xs:integer"
<tbl
name="xs:string"
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>

<col
name="xs:string"
xmlType="xs:string"
key="xs:boolean"
length="xs:integer"
/>
</schema>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

*

*
tbl Table metadata

table.)

<opentarget>

<txn
id="xs:integer"
msgIdx="xs:integer"
msgTot="xs:integer"
<tbl
name="xs:string"
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>

*
*
tble Table metadata

id Oracle ROWID

in the operation.)
for that column
Supported datatypes
Sample XML records
Source table
SQL> desc products
Name Null? Type
PRICE NUMBER

commit;
commit;
commit;
Schema record
<opentarget>
oracleTxnId="3.10.1339425" />
<cmd ops="schema">
<schema>
</schema>
</cmd>

</tbl>
</opentarget>
Insert record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="ins">
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Update record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="upd">
<lkup>
</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Delete record
<opentarget>
<cmd ops="del">
<lkup>

</lkup>
</row>
</cmd>
</tbl>
</opentarget>
Truncate record
<opentarget>
oracleTxnId="11.4.939801" />
<cmd ops="trunc" />
</tbl>
</opentarget>
File storage and aging

Post writes to a series of files. The active working file is prepended with the label of current_ and is stored in
the opx/current subdirectory of the variable-data directory.
Output Format Name of Current File
SQL current_legacy.sql
XML current_prodsys.XML
IMPORTANT: Do not open or edit the current_ file.

Post uses the max_records, max_size and max_time parameters to determine the point at which to start a
new active file. When this switch occurs, Post moves the processed data to a sequenced file in the opx
subdirectory of the variable-data directory. The file names include the name of the post queue, the time and
date, and an incrementing ID.
SQL files:
/installed/vardir> ls -1 opx
0000000000_20140305130858_legacy.sql
0000000001_20140305131130_legacy.sql
0000000002_20140305131212_legacy.sql
0000000003_20140305133835_legacy.sql
0000000004_20140305134028_legacy.sql
XML files:
/installed/vardir> ls -1 opx
0000000000_20140305130858_prodsys.XML
0000000001_20140305131130_prodsys.XML

0000000002_20140305131212_prodsys.XML
0000000003_20140305133835_prodsys.XML
0000000004_20140305134028_prodsys.XML
To force a file switch

The current file cannot be viewed or consumed without stopping Post. To access the data in the current file,
you can use the target command with the switch option to move the data to a sequenced file, from which it can
then be consumed or viewed. After issuing this command, the switch occurs after Post processes a new record.
target x.file [queue queuename] switch

8
Configure a replication strategy
This chapter contains instructions for configuring SharePlex to support different replication objectives.
Production implementations can vary widely from basic configurations with one source and target, to multiple
instances of SharePlex with named queues,multiple targets, partitioned data, and more.
It is difficult to foresee and document every possible way that an organization may want to deploy SharePlex.
The goal of this documentation is to present instructions for setting up the basic deployment types in a way
that is clear enough for you to be able to combine them and expand upon them to suit your needs. Additional
deployment assistance is available through our Professional Services organization.
Contents
Configure replication to share or distribute data
Confgure replication to maintain a central data store
Configure replication to maintain multiple peer databases
Configure replication through an intermediary system
Configure replication to maintain high availability
Configure replication to share or

distribute data
These instructions show you how to set up SharePlex for the purpose of sharing or distributing data from
one source system to one or more target systems. This strategy supports business requirements such as
the following:
l reporting to support real-time decision making

l data sharing to support research and transparency requirements
l data integration throughout an enterprise
l customer service inquiries and other query-intensive applications
l data auditing and archiving
Supported targets
Oracle and Open Target

Capabilities
This replication strategy supports the following:
l Replication to one or more target systems

l Replication between schemas or databases on the same system
l Identical or different source and target names
l Use of vertically partitioned replication
l Use of horizontally partitioned replication
l Use of named export and post queues
Requirements
l Prepare the system, install SharePlex, and configure database accounts according to the instructions in
the SharePlex Installation Guide.
l Prepare the environment for replication. See Prepare an Oracle environment for replication.
l No DML or DDL should be performed on the target tables except by SharePlex. Tables on the target
system that are outside the replication configuration can have DML and DDL operations without affecting
replication.
l If sequences are unnecessary on the target system, do not replicate them. It can slow down replication.
IMPORTANT! These instructions assume you have a full understanding of SharePlex configuration files. They
use abbreviated representations of important syntax elements. See Create configuration files for more
information.
Conventions used in the syntax

In the configuration syntax in this topic, the placeholders represent the following:
l source_specification[n] is the fully qualified name of a source object (owner.object) or a wildcarded

specification.
l target_specification[n] is the fully qualified name of a target object or a wildcarded specification.
l host is the name of a system where SharePlex runs. Different systems are identified by appending a
letter to the names, like hostB.
l db is a database specification. The database specification consists of either o. or r. prepended to the
Oracle SID, tns_names alias, or database name, as appropriate for the connection type. A database
identifier is not required if the target is JMS, Kafka, or a file.
IMPORTANT!
l See Create configuration files for more information about the components of a configuration file.

Replicate within the local system
Replication on the same system supports the following configurations:
l Within one Oracle instance, replicate to different tables within the same schema or to the same table
in different schemas.
l Replicate to from an Oracle instance to any SharePlex-supported target on the same system.
On the Windows platform, SharePlex does not support replication between Oracle databases that reside on the
same system, but you can replicate to Open Target targets on the same system.
Configuration options
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostA[@db]
source_specification2 target_specification2 hostA[@db]
Example
This example shows how you can replicate data to the same Oracle instance, to a different Oracle instance
(Unix and Linuxonly), and to different target types, all on the same local system.
Datasource:o.oraA
hr.emp hr.emp2 [email protected]
hr.sal hr.sal2 [email protected]
fin.* fin.* [email protected]
act.* !file hostA
Configuration when using SharePlex Manager

Replication from and to the same machine omits an Export process. However, SharePlex Manager expects an
export queue to exist. If using this configuration with SharePlex Manager, you must explicitly configure an
export queue as follows. The hostA* component in the routing map creates the export queue and an Export
process, which sends the data to an Import process, then the post queue.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostA*hostA[@db]
source_specification2 target_specification2 hostA*hostA[@db]
Replicate to a remote target system

Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostB[@db]

Example
The last line in this example shows how you can replicate data to different target types on the same remote
target system.
Datasource:o.oraA
fin.* !file hostB
Replicate to multiple target systems

This topology is known as broadcast replication. It provides the flexibility to distribute different data to
different target systems, or all of the data to all of the target systems, or any combination as needed. It
assumes the source system can make a direct connection to all of the target systems. All routing is handled
through one configuration file.
See also Configure replication through an intermediary system.
If the target specification is identical on all targets

If the target specification of a source object is identical on all target systems, you can use a compound routing
map, rather than type a separate entry for each route. See Create configuration files for more information
about target specifications.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostB[@db]+hostC[@db][+...]
source_specification2 target_specification2 hostC[@db]+hostD[@db][+...]
If the target specification is not identical on all targets

l When the target specification of a source object is different on some or all target systems, you must use
a separate configuration entry to specify each one that is different.
l You can use a compound routing map for routes where the target specifications are identical.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification2 hostC[@db]
Example
NOTE: This example does not cover all possible source-target combinations. The last entry in this example
shows the use of horizontally partitioned replication to distribute different data from the sales.accounts table
to different regional databases. See Configure horizontally partitioned replication.
Datasource:o.oraA
hr.emp hr."Emp_3" [email protected]
hr.emp !jms hostX

cust.% cust.% [email protected][email protected]
sales.accounts sales.accounts !regions
Confgure replication to maintain a

central data store
These instructions show you how to set up SharePlex for the purpose of consolidated replication: replicating
from multiple source systems to one central target system. This strategy supports business requirements such
as the following:
l Real-time reporting and data analysis

l The accumulation of big data into a central data store/mart or warehouse
Supported targets
Oracle and Open Target
Capabilities

Requirements
replication.
l Each source system must replicate a different set of data to the central target. If any source systems
replicate the same data to the central target system, it is considered to be active-active replication,
and conflict resolution routines must be used to determine which source "wins" when the same row is
updated from two different sources at the same time. To establish active-active replication, see
Configure replication to maintain multiple peer databases.

Deployment options
You have two options for deploying SharePlex to replicate from many source systems to one target system.
l Deploy with one instance of SharePlex on the target system

l Deploy with multiple instances of SharePlex on the target system
In either deployment, if any source system cannot make a direct connection to the target system, you can use
cascading replication for that route to enable SharePlex to cascade the data an intermediary system that
allows connection to the target. See Configure replication through an intermediary system.
NOTE: The SharePlex compare and repair commands cannot be used in a cascading configuration.
Deploy with one instance of SharePlex on the

target system
You can use one instance of SharePlex to process all incoming data on the target. For each source system,
SharePlex creates an Import process on the central target system when replication starts. That, in turn,
creates post queues and Post processes for each source-target replication stream, all controlled by one sp_cop
process. You can control each source-target stream separately, but the post queues all share the same
SharePlex variable-data directory on the target system.
A deployment with a single variable-data directory has the following potential risks:
l An event that interrupts processing to and from the disk that contains the variable-data directory will
affect all replication streams.
l Any cleanup utilities that you use will affect all of the replication streams, because the cleanup is
performed across the entire variable-data directory.
l A purge config command that is issued on one source system also deletes the data that is replicated
from the other source systems, because the purge affects the entire variable-data directory. The use of
named post queues eliminates this risk, but adds complexity to the naming, monitoring and
management of the SharePlex objects in the deployment.
To use this deployment

l Install SharePlex in the normal manner, with one port number and one variable-data directory on each
system (sources and target).

l Make certain that when you install SharePlex, you create a database account for SharePlex for each
installation.
l IMPORTANT! Use the same port number for SharePlex on all systems.
Deploy with multiple instances of SharePlex on the

target system
You can deploy multiple instances of SharePlex on the target, one for each source system. A SharePlex
instance is composed of the following elements:
l A unique sp_cop process

l A unique variable-data directory
l A unique port number on which sp_cop runs
l A unique database account that the processes of that instance use to interact with the database.
By running multiple, distinct instances of SharePlex, you can isolate each source-target replication stream from
the others. It enables you to:
l Avoid contention problems that can occur if multiple processes must compete for access to the same
queues in a single variable-data directory.
l Purge one configuration, or clean up and resynchronize one replication stream, while allowing the
others to continue processing data.
l Place the variable-data directories on separate disks so that problems with one disk do not affect the
variable-data directories on the other disks.
To use this deployment

Install on the target system first, if possible. This enables you to establish a port number for each variable-data
directory, which you can then refer to when you set up SharePlex on the corresponding source system.
Steps on the target system

Select either of the options presented in Run multiple instances of SharePlex to establish independent
instances of SharePlex on the target. If you already installed SharePlex on the target and an original variable-

data directory, database account, and port number exist, you can dedicate that instance to one of the source
systems, and then create additional instances on the target per those instructions.
Steps on the source systems

Install one instance of SharePlex on each source system, as directed in the SharePlex Installation Guide. Match
the port numbers of those instances to the port numbers of their associated target variable-data directories. If
you already installed SharePlex on the source systems, you can change the port numbers as needed. See Set
the SharePlex port number.
Configuration
Create a configuration file on each source system that replicates the objects from that system to the central
target. For more information about creating a configuration file, see Create configuration files.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification target_specification central_host[@db]
where:
l SID is the Oracle SID of the source Oracle database. This specification can also be a tns_alias if capturing
from a RAC cluster or a PDB.
l source_specification is the fully qualified name of a source object (owner.object) or a wildcarded
specification.
l target_specification is the fully qualified name of a target object (owner.object) or a wildcarded
specification.
l central_host is the target system.
identifier is not required if the target is JMS, Kafka or a file.
Example
This example is an Oracle example, but the target can be any supported SharePlex target. The example shows
data from datasource oraA on hostA and datasource oraB on hostB replicating to oraC on system hostC.
Data from hostA

Datasource:o.oraA
hr.* hr.* [email protected]
fin.* fin* [email protected]
Data from hostB

Datasource:o.oraA
cust.* hr.* [email protected]
mfg.* mfg.* [email protected]

Recommended target configuration
Each source system in a consolidated configuration sends a discrete data stream that flows to its own Post
process on the target. You can assign a unique identifier of your choosing to each source system, and then
configure the Post process to include that identifier in each insert or update that it posts on the target.
By identifying rows in this manner, your environment is prepared to support the SharePlex compare and repair
commands (which require a source ID) as well as any other work that may require the selection or identification
of rows by their source. The compare and repair processes will use the source ID value to select only the rows
that are valid for that source.
To configure each Post to write a source ID

1. Create or alter the target table to include a column named SHAREPLEX_SOURCE_ID. This is the column
that will contain the source ID value.
NOTE: You can change this name by running the target command with the set metadata option, before
continuing further. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information.
2. Choose a unique ID for each of the source systems. Any single alphanumeric string is permitted.
3. On the target, run sp_ctrl for each Post process.
4. For each Post process, issue the target command with the set source option. This command sets the
source ID that will be posted by that Post process. The following example shows the command for three
Post processes:
sp_ctrl> target sys4 queue Q1 set source east
sp_ctrl> target sys4 queue Q2 set source central
sp_ctrl> target sys4 queue Q3 set source west
Configure replication to maintain multiple

peer databases
These instructions show you how to set up SharePlex for the purpose of maintaining multiple databases where
applications on each system can make changes to the same data, while SharePlex keeps all of the data
synchronized through replication. This is known as peer-to-peer, or active-active, replication. In this strategy,
the databases are usually mirror images of each other, with all objects existing in their entirety on all systems.
Although similar in benefit to a high-availability strategy, the difference between the two is that peer-to-peer
allows concurrent changes to the same data, while high availability permits changes to the secondary database
only in the event that the primary database goes offline.
This strategy supports the following business requirements:
l Maintain the availability of mission-critical data by operating multiple instances in different locations.
l Distribute heavy online transaction processing application (OLTP) loads among multiple points of access.
l Limit direct access to an important database, while still enabling users outside a firewall to make
updates to their own copies of the data.
An example of peer-to-peer replication is an e-commerce company with three identical databases. When users
access the application from a web browser, the web server connects to any of those databases sequentially in a
round-robin configuration. If one of the databases is unavailable, the server connects to a different available

database server. Thus the configuration serves not only as a failover resource, but also as a means of
distributing the load evenly among all the peers. Should the company need to produce business reports, user
access to one of the databases can be stopped temporarily, and that database can be used to run the reports.
NOTE: Data changes made in peer-to-peer replication are prevented from looping back from one
machine to another because Capture ignores transactions performed on the local system by the
Post process.
Peer-to-peer replication is not appropriate for all replication environments. It requires a major commitment to
database design that might not be practical when packaged applications are in use. It also requires the
development of conflict resolution routines to prioritize which transaction SharePlex posts to any given
database if there are multiple changes to the same data at or near the same time.
Supported targets
Oracle
Capabilities
This replication strategy does not support the following:
l Replication of LOBs. If tables with LOBs are included in replication the LOBs will be bypassed by conflict
resolution, causing the potential for data to be out of synchronization.
l Column mapping and partitioned replication is not appropriate in a peer-to-peer configuration.
Requirements
l Every table involved in peer-to-peer replication must have a primary key or a unique key with no
nullable columns. Each key must uniquely identify the same owner.table.row among all of the
databases that will be involved in replication. See additional requirements in this topic.
l Enable supplemental logging for primary keys, unique keys, and foreign keys on all databases in the
peer-to-peer configuration.
l Enable archive logging on all systems.
l You must understand the concepts of synchronization as outlined in Understand the concept of
synchronization.
Overview
In peer-to-peer replication, DML changes are allowed on copies of the same tables in different databases,
usually on different systems, while SharePlex keeps them all current through replication. If a record is
changed in more than one database at (or near) the same time, conflicts can occur, and conflict-resolution logic
must be applied to resolve the discrepancy.

What is a conflict?
A conflict is defined as an out-of-sync condition source and target tables are not identical. You can predict
that out-of-sync (conflict) situations will occur when a DML statement constructed by SharePlex fails to
execute on a row in the target table because of the following reasons:
l Post applies a replicated INSERT but a row with the same key already exists in the target. Post applies
the following logic:
o If all of the current values in the target row are the same as the INSERT values, Post considers
the rows to be in-sync and discards the operation.
o If any of the values are different from those of the INSERT, Post considers this an out-of-
sync condition.
NOTE: You can configure Post so that it does not consider non-key values when posting an INSERT.
See the SP_OPO_SUPPRESSED_OOS parameter in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
l Post applies a replicated UPDATE but either cannot find a row in the target with the same key value as
the one in the UPDATE or Post finds the correct row but the row values do not match the before values
in the UPDATE. Post applies the following logic:
o If the current values in the target row match the after values of the UPDATE, Post considers the
rows to be in-sync and discards the operation.
o If the values in the target row do not match the before or after values of the UPDATE, Post
considers this an out-of-sync condition.
NOTE: You can configure Post so that it returns an out-of-sync message if the current values in
the target row match the after values of the UPDATE. See the SP_OPO_SUPPRESSED_OOS
parameter in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
l A DELETEis performed on the source data, but Post cannot locate the target row by using the key. When
Post constructs its DELETE statement, it includes only the key value in its WHERE clause.
What causes a conflict in peer-to-peer replication?

To understand how SharePlex determines a conflict, refer to the following examples of normal and conflict
situations. In the examples, three systems (SysA, SysB and SysC) are used.
The following tables are used in the example:
Scott.employee_source
jane.employee_backup
The column names and definitions are identical:
EmpNo number(4) not null,

SocSec number(11) not null,
EmpName char(30),
Job char(10),
Salary number(7,2),
Dept number(2)
The values for both tables in a synchronized state are:

EmpNo (key) SocSec EmpName Job Salary Dept
1 111-22-3333 Mary Smith Manager 50000 1

2 111-33-4444 John Doe Data Entry 20000 2
3 000-11-2222 Mike Jones Assistant 30000 3
4 000-44-7777 Dave Brown Manager 45000 3
Example of peer-to-peer replication without a conflict

1. At 9:00 in the morning, UserA on SysA changes the value of the Dept column to 2, where EmpNo is 1.
SharePlex replicates that change to SysB and SysC, and both databases remain synchronized.
2. At 9:30 that same morning, UserB on SysB changes the value of Dept to 3, where EmpNo is 1. SharePlex
replicates that change to SysA and SysC, and the databases are still synchronized.
Now the row looks like this:
EmpNo (key) SocSec EmpName Job Salary Dept
1 111-22-3333 Mary Smith Manager 50000 3
Example of peer-to-peer replication with an UPDATE conflict

1. At 11:00 in the morning, UserA on SysA updates the value of Dept to 1, where EmpNo is 1. At 11:02 that
morning, the network fails. Captured changes rest in the export queues on all systems.
2. At 11:05 that morning, before the network is restored, UserB on SysB updates the value of Dept
to 2, where EmpNo is 1. The network is restored at 11:10 that morning. Replication data
transmission resumes.
3. When SharePlex attempts to post the change from UserA to the database on SysB, it expects the value
in the Dept column to be 3 (the pre-image), but the value is 2 because of the change made by UserB.
Because the pre-images do not match, SharePlex generates an out-of-sync error.
4. When SharePlex attempts to post the change from UserB to SysA, it expects the value of the
column to be 3, but the value is 1 because of the change made by UserA. SharePlex generates an
out-of-sync error.
5. When SharePlex attempts to post the changes made by UserA and User B to the database on SysC,
both of those statements fail because the pre-images do not match. SharePlex generates an out-
of-sync error.
NOTE: See Appendix A: Peer-To-Peer Diagram in the appendixes for a visual representation of this scenario.
Deployment
To deploy peer-to-peer replication, perform the following tasks:
1. Evaluate the data for suitability to a peer-to-peer environment. Make any recommended alterations.
2. Configure replication so that data from each system replicates to all other systems in the peer-to-peer
environment.
3. Develop conflict resolution routines that direct the action of the Post process when there is a conflict
because Post cannot locate a row, or when a row that needs to be changed already was changed.

4. List the routines in conflict_resolution.SID. SharePlex refers to this file to determine the correct
procedure to use when a conflict occurs.
Evaluate the data

To successfully deploy SharePlex in a peer-to-peer configuration, you must be able to:
l isolate keys
l prevent changes to keys
l control sequence generation
l control trigger usage
l eliminate cascading deletes
l designate a trusted host
l define priorities
These requirements must be considered during the architectural phase of the project, because they demand
cooperation with the application. Consequently, many packaged applications are not suitable for a peer-to-
peer deployment because they were not created within those guidelines.
Following are more detailed explanations of each of the requirements.
Keys
The only acceptable key in peer-to-peer replication is a primary key. If a table has no primary key but has a
unique, not-NULL key, you can convert that key to a primary key. LONG columns cannot be part of the key.
If you cannot assign a primary key, and you know all rows are unique, you can create a unique index
on all tables.
The primary key must be unique among all of the databases in the peer-to-peer replication network, meaning:
l it must use the same column(s) in each corresponding table in all databases.
l key columns for corresponding rows must have the same values.
The primary key must be created to contain enough information about a row so there can be no question about
the uniqueness of that row, and so that there will be a conflict if a replicated operation would violate
uniqueness. Additionally, the primary key value cannot be changed.
Using only a sequence as the primary key probably will not suffice for peer-to-peer replication. For example,
suppose the sample table uses sequences to generate values for key column EmpNo. Suppose UserA gets the
next sequence value on SysA and inserts a row for Jane Wilson. UserB gets the next sequence value on SysB
and also inserts a row for Jane Wilson. Even if the sequence numbers are different on each system, so there
are no unique key violations on the replicated INSERTs, data integrity is compromised because there are now
two entries for Jane Wilson in the databases, each with a different key. Subsequent UPDATEs will fail. The
solution is to include other unique columns in the key, so that there is enough information to ensure
uniqueness and ensure a conflict that can then be resolved through resolution logic.
Sequences
SharePlex does not support peer-to-peer replication of sequences. If the application uses sequences to
generate all or part of a key, there must be no chance for the same range of values to be generated on any
other system in the peer-to-peer configuration. You can use a sequence server or you can maintain sequences

separately on each server and make sure you partition a unique range to each one. Dell recommends using n+1
sequence generation (where n = the number of systems in replication). Depending on the type of application,
you can add a location identifier such as the system name to the sequence value in the primary key to enforce
uniqueness.
Triggers
DML changes resulting from triggers firing on a source system enter the redo log and are replicated to the
target system by SharePlex. If the same triggers fire on the target system, they return out-of-sync errors.
To handle triggers in a peer-to-peer configuration, you can do either of the following:
l Disable the triggers.

l Keep them enabled, but alter them to ignore the SharePlex user on all instances in the peer-to-peer
configuration. SharePlex provides the sp_add_trigger.sql script for this purpose. This script puts a
WHEN clause into the procedural statement of the trigger that tells it to ignore the Post process. For
more information about triggers and this script, see Set up Oracle database objects for replication.
ONDELETECASCADEconstraints
ONDELETECASCADEconstraints can remain enabled on all instances in the peer-to-peer replication
configuration, but you must set the following parameters to direct Post to ignore those constraints:
l SP_OPO_DEPENDENCY_CHECK parameter to 2
l SP_OCT_REDUCED_KEY parameter to 0
l SP_OPO_REDUCED_KEY parameter to 0 (although in other replication scenarios this parameter can be set
to different levels, it must be set to 0 in a peer-to-peer configuration)
Balance values maintained by using UPDATEs

Applications that use UPDATE statements to record changes in quantity, such as inventory or account balances,
pose a challenge for peer-to-peer replication. The following example of an online bookseller explains the
reason why.
The booksellers Inventory table contains the following columns.
Book_ID (primary key)
Quantity
Suppose the following sequence of events takes place:
1. A customer buys a book through the database on one server. The quantity on hand reduces from 100
books to 99. SharePlex replicates that UPDATE statement to the other server. (UPDATE inventory SET
quantity = 99 WHERE book_ID = 51295).
2. Before the original UPDATE arrives, another customer buys two copies of the same book on another
server (UPDATE inventory SET quantity = 98 WHERE book_ID = 51295), and the quantity on that server
reduces from 100 books to 98.
3. When the Post process attempts to post the first transaction, it determines that the pre-image (100
books) on the first system does not match the expected value on the second system (it is now 98 as a
result of the second transaction). Post returns an out-of-sync error.
A conflict resolution procedure could be written, but how would the correct value be determined? The correct
value in both databases after the two transactions should be 97 books, but no matter which of the two UPDATE
statements is accepted, the result is incorrect.

For this reason, peer-to-peer replication is not recommended for applications maintaining account or inventory
balances using UPDATEs. If you can use a debit/credit method of maintaining balances, you can use INSERT
statements (INSERT into inventory values n,...) instead of UPDATE statements. INSERT statements do not
require a before-and-after comparison with a WHERE clause, as do UPDATE statements.
If your application must use UPDATE statements, you can write a conflict resolution procedure to determine
the absolute (or net) change resulting from different UPDATE statements on different systems. For example, in
the case of the preceding online bookseller example, when the first customers purchase is replicated to the
second system, the following conflict resolution procedure fires:
if existing_row.quantity <> old.quantity then old.quantity - new.quantity = quantity_change;
update existing_row set quantity = existing_row.quantity - quantity_change;
The conflict resolution logic tells SharePlex that, if the quantity value of the existing row in the target
database (98) does not equal the old value (pre-image of 100), then subtract the new value (the replicated
value of 99) from the pre-image to get the net change (1). Then, issue an UPDATE statement that sets the
Quantity column to 98-1, which equals 97.
When the second users change is replicated to the first system, the same conflict resolution procedure fires.
In this case, the net change (pre-image of 100 minus the new value of 98) is 2. The UPDATE statement on this
system also results in a value of 97, which is 99 (the existing row value after the first customers purchase)
minus the net change of 2. The result of this procedures logic is that the Quantity columns on each system are
updated to 97 books, the net effect of selling three books.
The following example illustrates this concept using an account balance within a financial record:
account_number (primary key)
balance
1. Suppose a row (an account) in the example table has a balance of $1500 on SysA. CustomerA makes a
deposit of $500 on that system. The application uses an UPDATE statement to change the balance to
$2000. The change is replicated to SysB as an UPDATE statement (such as UPDATE...SET balance=$2000
WHERE account_number=51295).
2. Before the change arrives, CustomerAs spouse makes a withdrawal of $250 on SysB, and the application
updates the database on that system to $1250. When CustomerAs transaction arrives from SysA and Post
attempts to post it to SysB, there is a conflict, since the pre-image from the source system is $1500, but
the pre-image on the target is $1250 because of the spouses transaction not a match.
You can write a conflict resolution routine to accommodate this kind of transaction by calculating the absolute
(or net) change in the account, then using that value to resolve the conflict. For example:
if existing_row.balance <> old.balance then old.balance - new.balance = balance_change; update
existing_row set balance = existing_row.balance - balance_change;
The result of this procedure would be to update the account balance to $1750, the net effect of depositing
$500 and withdrawing $250. On SysB, the routine directs SharePlex to subtract the new (replicated) balance of
2000 from the old balance of 1500 for a net change of -500. The UPDATE statement sets the balance value to
1250 - (-500) = 1750, the correct value.
On SysA, the replicated value of 1250 is subtracted from the old balance of 1500 to get the net change of 250.
The UPDATE statement subtracts that value from the existing balance of 2000 to get the correct value of 1750.
Priority
When the environment is established to avoid or resolve conflict when SharePlex searches for the correct row
to change, the only remaining conflict potential is on fact data which change to accept when the values for
the same column in the same row differ on two or more systems. For this, your application must be able to

accept the addition of timestamp and source columns, with source being the name of the local system for the
table.
The following explains how those columns play a vital role when using a conflict resolution routine to
establish priority.
Trusted source
You must assign a particular database or server to be the prevailing, or trusted, source for two reasons:
l The conflict resolution routine has the potential to get quite large and complex the more systems you
have. There are bound to be failures that require resynchronization at some point. One of the systems
in the configuration must be considered the true source from which all other systems will be
resynchronized if necessary.
l You can write your conflict resolution routines so that operations from the trusted source system take
priority over conflicting operations from other systems. For example, changes on the server at corporate
headquarters could take priority over the same changes made by a branch office.
Timestamp
It is recommended that you include a timestamp column in the tables and assign priority in the conflict
resolution routine to the earliest or latest timestamp. However, the timestamp must not be part of a key, or it
will cause conflicts. SharePlex cannot locate rows if a key value changes and the key value will change if one
of the columns is a timestamp.
For timestamp priority to work, you must make sure all of the servers involved agree on the date and time.
Tables on servers in different time zones can use Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The default date format for SharePlex conflict resolution is MMDDYYYY HH24MISS. Tables with default dates
must use that format, or conflict resolution will return errors. Before creating a table with a default date, use
the following command to change the date format in SQL*Plus.
ALTER SESSION SET nls_date_format = 'MMDDYYYYHH24MISS'
The configuration files on the systems in a peer-to-peer configuration are identical with the exception of the
datasource specification and the routing.

In the configuration syntax in this topic, the placeholders represent the following items in the environment.
This documentation assumes three systems, but there can be more.
l hostA is the first system.

l hostB is the second system.
l hostC is the third system.
l ownerA.object is the fully qualified name of an object on hostA or a wildcarded specification.
l ownerB.object is the fully qualified name of an object on hostB or a wildcarded specification.
l ownerC.object is the fully qualified name of an object on hostC or a wildcarded specification.
l oraA is the Oracle instance on hostA.

l oraB is the Oracle instance on hostB.
l oraC is the Oracle instance on hostC.
IMPORTANT!
Configuration on hostA
Datasource:o.oraA
ownerA.object ownerB.object [email protected]
ownerA.object ownerC.object [email protected]
ownerA.object ownerC.object [email protected]
Note:If all owner names and table names are the same on all systems, you can use a compound routing map for
each of these configuration files. For example, the compound routing for replication from hostA is as follows:
Datasource:o.oraA
owner.object owner.object [email protected][email protected]
Configuration on hostB
Datasource:o.oraB
ownerB.object ownerA.object [email protected]
ownerB.object ownerC.object [email protected]
ownerB.object ownerC.object [email protected]
Configuration on hostC
Datasource:o.oraC
ownerC.object ownerA.object [email protected]
ownerC.object ownerA.object [email protected]
ownerC.object ownerB.object [email protected]
ownerC.object ownerB.object [email protected]
Example
Datasource:o.oraA
hr.emp hr.emp [email protected]
hr.sal hr.sal [email protected]

Develop conflict resolution routines
To create conflict resolution routines, you write PL/SQL procedures that direct the action of SharePlex when a
conflict occurs. Business rules vary widely from company to company, so it is impossible to create a standard set
of conflict resolution rules and syntax that apply in every situation. You will probably need to write your own
routines. It is good practice to write more than one procedure, such as making site or system priority the
primary routine and timestamp a secondary routine. SharePlex invokes one routine after another until one
succeeds or there are no more procedures available.
SharePlex provides the following tools that can be used as a basis for your routines:
l A generic PL/SQL interface that you can use to write basic routines based on DML operation types. See
How to write a routine using the SharePlex generic interface.
l Packaged routines that perform basic conflict resolution based on a key or column value, which can be
used as a backup measure in case the custom routines fail. See How to use use the SharePlex
prepared routines.
IMPORTANT!
l This documentation provides guidelines, examples and templates to assist you, but do not use them as
your own routines.
l Test your conflict resolution routines before you put them into production to make sure they work as
intended, and to make sure that one routine does not counteract another one.
l By default, SharePlex does not stop for out-of-sync conditions. If failed attempts at conflict resolution
are not resolved, the databases can become more and more out of synchronization. Check the Event Log
frequently to monitor for out-of-sync warnings by using the show log command in sp_ctrl. See the
SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about show log and other SharePlex commands.
l Updates are occasionally made to the conflict resolution logic, so refer to the Release Notes and
documentation for your version of SharePlex for any additional information that augments or supersedes
these instructions.
How to write a routine using the SharePlex generic interface

SharePlex provides a generic conflict resolution PL/SQL package that can be used to pass information to and
from the procedural routines that you write. Before you get started, understand the following guidelines:
l The same PL/SQL package is used for both generic conflict resolution and transformation (its name is sp_
cr). Use either generic conflict resolution or transformation for a table, but not both. Transformed
tables cannot be compared by SharePlex and conflict resolution cannot succeed. If both are used,
SharePlex only calls the transformation routine. If appropriate, you can use generic conflict resolution
and transformation for different tables in the same configuration. For more information about
transformation, see Transform data.
l Conflict resolution cannot be used for DDL changes.
l Any table to be accessed through PL/SQL for conflict resolution requires implicitly granted privileges
from the owner of the object to SharePlex.
l Conflict resolution does not support changes to LONG or LOB columns.
NOTE: If you ran the SharePlex conflict resolution demonstration in the SharePlex Installation Guide, you can
view a sample generic conflict resolution routine by viewing the od_employee_gen routine that was installed
in the database used for the demonstration.

Procedure interface
Follow this template to create your procedure.
(table_info in outsplex.sp_cr.row_typ, col_values insplex.sp_cr.col_def_tabtyp)
where:
l splex is the SharePlex schema.

l sp_cr is the name of the package that contains the PL/SQL record and table structures.
l row_typ is the name of the PL/SQL record that passes in/out variables (see Package definition).
l col_def_type is the name of the PL/SQL table that stores column information (see col_def_type table).
Package definition
SharePlex defines PL/SQL record and table structures in a public package named sp_cr in the SharePlex
database schema. The package uses the following parameters.
"CREATE or REPLACE PACKAGE %s.sp_cr AS
"TYPE row_typ IS RECORD
"(src_host VARCHAR2(32),
"src_ora_sid VARCHAR2(32),
"src_ora_time VARCHAR2(20),
"source_rowid VARCHAR2(20),
"target_rowid VARCHAR2(20),
"statement_type VARCHAR2(6),
"source_table VARCHAR2(78),
"target_table VARCHAR2(78), \n\t"
"oracle_err NUMBER,
"status NUMBER,
"action NUMBER,
"reporting NUMBER
");
IN variables
For each row operation that causes a conflict, SharePlex passes this metadata information to your procedure.
Variable Description
src_host The name of the source system (where the operation occurred). It is
case-sensitive and is passed using the same case as on the source
system, for example SysA . If there are named post queues in use on the
target system, this variable consists of the name of the post queue, for
example postq1.
src_ora_sid The ORACLE_SID of the source database. It is case-sensitive and is passed
in the same case as in the oratab file, Windows Registry or V$PARAMETER
table.
src_ora_time The timestamp of the change record in the source redo log.
source_rowid The row ID of the source row. It is passed as a literal within single
quotes, for example 123456.

target_rowid The row ID of the corresponding row in the target database. SharePlex
obtains the row ID by querying the target database. It is passed as a
literal within single quotes, for example 123456. If the row cannot be
found using the PRIMARY key, the value is NULL.
statement_type A letter, either I, U or D, indicating whether the operation is an INSERT,
UPDATE or DELETE statement.
source_table The owner and name of the source table, expressed as owner.table.
This value is case-sensitive and matches the way the table is named in
the database. It is passed within double quotes, for example
"scott"."emp."
target_table The owner and name of the target table, expressed as owner.table. This
value is case-sensitive and matches the way the table is named in the
database. It is passed within double quotes, for example "scott"."emp."
oracle_err This is different, depending on whether the procedure is being used for
conflict resolution or transformation.
Transformation: SharePlex passes a value of 0 for this variable. This
variable is only used for conflict resolution.
Conflict resolution: The Oracle error number that caused the conflict.
OUT variables
These variables direct the action of SharePlex based on whether the procedure succeeded or failed).
status Defines whether or not the procedure succeeded. You must specify a
value for this parameter.
l A value of 0 implies successful execution. It acts differently,

depending on whether the procedure is used for conflict
resolution or transformation.
Transformation: Post does not write any SQL. SharePlex does not
write any error messages to the Event Log when transformation
succeeds. It continues its processing by reading the next
replicated operation in the post queue.
l Conflict resolution: A value of 0 directs SharePlex to proceed
with the SQL statement. SharePlex does not write any log
entries to the Event Log when conflict resolution succeeds.
l A value of 1 implies that the procedure was unsuccessful. In this
case, the action SharePlex takes depends on what you specified
as the action variable.
l (Transformation only) A value of 7 implies unsuccessful
execution and instructs the Post process to stop.
action Defines the action that you want SharePlex to take. This is different,
depending on whether the procedure is used for transformation or
conflict resolution.

Transformation: You must specify a value of 0 for this parameter, which

directs SharePlex NOT to post the SQL statement. Your transformation
routine is responsible for posting the results of the transformation
either to the target table or another table. The outcome of this action
depends on what you specify for the reporting variable
Conflict resolution: Specifies the action to take as a result of an
unsuccessful conflict resolution procedure. You must specify a value for
this parameter.
l A value of 0 directs SharePlex NOT to post the SQL statement.

The outcome of this action depends on what you specify for the
reporting variable.
l The value of 1 is reserved for internal SharePlex use. Do not use
it.
l A value of 2 directs SharePlex to try the next conflict resolution
procedure that you listed in the conflict resolution file, if one
exists.
reporting Determines how SharePlex reports unsuccessful procedural results. You

must specify a value for this parameter.
l A value of 0 directs SharePlex NOT to report an error or write

the failed SQL statement to the SID_errlog.sql log.
l Values 1 and 2 are reserved for internal SharePlex use. Do not
use them.
l A value of 3 directs SharePlex to write the failed SQL statement
to the SID_errlog.sql log and report an error to the Event Log.
col_def_type table
SharePlex creates a col_def_tabtyp PL/SQL table for each replicated operation. This table stores column
information. It is different depending on whether the procedure is used for transformation or conflict
resolution.
l Transformation: For each row operation, SharePlex writes column information to col_def_type.
l Conflict resolution: For each row operation that causes a conflict, SharePlex writes column information
to col_def_tabtyp.
All fields are passed by SharePlex to your routine, although not all will have values if SharePlex cannot
locate the row.
Following is the datatype that is used to populate the col_def_tabtyp table.
type col_def_typ is record
(column_name user_tab_columns.column_name%type
,datatype user_tab_columns.datatype%type
,is_key boolean
,is_changed boolean
,old_value varchar2(32764)
,new_value varchar2(32764)

,current_value varchar2(32764)
);
type col_def_tabtyp is table of col_def_typ
Description of col_def_tabtyp
Column Description
column_name Tells your procedure the name of the column that was replicated from
the source table, for example emp_last_name. This value is not case-
sensitive.
datatype Tells your procedure the datatype of the data in the replicated column,
for example VARCHAR2. This value is always in capital letters.
is_key Tells your procedure whether or not the column is a key column. If it is
a key column, SharePlex passes a value of TRUE. If the column is not
part of a key, SharePlex passes a value of FALSE.
is_changed Tells your procedure whether or not the column value has changed. If it
is changed, SharePlex passes a value of TRUE. If the column is not
changed, SharePlex passes a value of FALSE.
l For INSERTs, is_changed is TRUE for non-NULL values, because

none of the columns existed in the database. If a NULL value is
inserted, is_changed is FALSE.
l For UPDATEs, is_changed is TRUE for non-key columns. For key
columns, is_changed normally is FALSE, but SharePlex will pass
a value for a changed key column.
Conflict resolution only: If a key value also was changed on the
target system, SharePlex will not be able to locate the correct
row, and conflict resolution could fail.
l For DELETEs, is_changed is always FALSE, because SharePlex
replicates only the key values for a DELETE statement.
old_value Tells your procedure the old value of the replicated column, before it
was changed on the source system. This column is NULL for INSERTs,
because the row did not exist in the target database before the INSERT.
Conflict resolution only: This is the pre-image against which SharePlex
compared the source and target columns as part of its synchronization
check for UPDATEs and DELETEs. If the old value passed by SharePlex
does not match the current_value value obtained from the target row,
then there is a conflict.
new_value Tells your procedure the new value of the replicated column, as
changed on the source system.
current_value Tells your procedure the current value of the column in the target
table. If SharePlex cannot locate the target row, the value is NULL .
Example entries in col_def_tabtyp table per operation type

The following tables illustrate the possible outcomes of each type of operation.

INSERT operation
column_name is_changed old_value new_value current_value1 is_key
C1 TRUE NULL bind NULL FALSE

C2 TRUE NULL bind NULL TRUE
C3 FALSE NULL NULL NULL TRUE | FALSE
1 When an INSERT fails, it is because a row with the same PRIMARY key already exists in the target database.
SharePlex does not return the current value for INSERTs.
UPDATE operation
column_name is_changed old_value new_value current_value1, 2 is_key
C1 TRUE bind bind NULL | target_value FALSE

C2 FALSE bind NULL NULL | target_value TRUE
C3 TRUE bind bind NULL | target_value TRUE
1 (Conflictresolution) When an UPDATE fails, it is because SharePlex cannot find the row by using the PRIMARY
key and the pre-image. If the row cannot be found, SharePlex searches for the row by using only the PRIMARY
key. If SharePlex finds the row, it returns the current value for the key column as well as the changed
columns. If SharePlex cannot find the row by using just the PRIMARY key, then SharePlex returns a NULL.
2 (Transformation) For an UPDATE, SharePlex cannot locate a row using the PRIMARY key and the pre-images,
because the pre-images are different due to transformation. As an alternative, it searches for the row using
just the PRIMARY key. If it finds it, SharePlex returns the current value for the key column as well as the
changed columns. If it cannot locate the row using just the PRIMARY key, then current_value is NULL
DELETE operation
C1 FALSE bind NULL NULL TRUE
1 When a DELETE fails, it is because SharePlex could not find the row by using the PRIMARY key. Therefore,
SharePlex returns a NULL.
How to use use the SharePlex prepared routines

SharePlex provides the following optional prepared routines for use in conjunction with custom routines. These
options can be used with basic and generic conflict resolution formats. There are no limitations on column
types with the following prepared procedures.
!UpdateUsingKeyOnly prepared routine
!MostRecentRecord(column_name) prepared routine
!UpdateUsingKeyOnly prepared routine

SharePlex provides this prepared conflict resolution routine for UPDATE operations. It provides conflict
resolution that relies solely on the key value of the changed row.

Normally, when SharePlex builds a SQL statement to post data, the WHERE clause uses both the key and the
pre-image of the columns that changed to ensure synchronization. The !UpdateUsingKeyOnly routine directs
SharePlex to post the data even though the pre-image values do not match, assuming the keys match.
If appropriate, this routine can be used as the sole routine for UPDATEs, but with the understanding that it
does not include logic that assigns priority, such as system or time priority, in case of multiple concurrent
UPDATEs. To avoid out-of-sync errors, Dell recommends using !UpdateUsingKeyOnly in conjunction with other,
more specific routines, relying on !UpdateUsingKeyOnly as a final option if the custom routines fail.
IMPORTANT: !UpdateUsingKeyOnly must be the last entry in the list of routines, thus assigning it last priority.
In the following example, when there is a conflict for owner.table1 during an UPDATE, SharePlex calls the two
custom routines first (in order of priority) and then calls the !UpdateUsingKeyOnly routine.
owner.table1 u owner.procedure_up_A
owner.table1 u owner.procedure_up_B
owner.table1 u !UpdateUsingKeyOnly
The !UpdateUsingKeyOnly name is case sensitive. It must be typed exactly as shown in these instructions, with
no spaces between words. Do not list an owner name with this routine in the configuration file. See List the
routines in conflict_resolution.SID.
For INSERT and DELETE operations, custom logic must be used.
!MostRecentRecord(column_name) prepared routine

SharePlex provides this prepared conflict resolution routine for UPDATE and DELETE operations. It provides
conflict resolution based on the value of column_name.
Normally, when SharePlex builds a SQL statement to post data, the WHERE clause uses both the key and the
pre-image of the columns that changed to ensure synchronization. The !MostRecentRecord routine directs
SharePlex to post data even though the pre-image value doesn't match. It will make the change to the current
row based on the comparison of the column_name specified. If the value of the column_name sent over is
greater than the target column_name value, it will apply the changes. This routine can be used in a time
based replication to resolve conflicts.
The following is an example of this routine specified in the conflict resolution file. See List the routines in
conflict_resolution.SID.
owner.table1 u owner.procedure_up_A
owner.table1 u !UpdateUsingKeyOnly
owner.table1 u !MostRecentRecord(C2)
C2 is the column_name which is a TIMESTAMP datatype
List the routines in conflict_resolution.SID

After you create the conflict resolution procedure(s), construct the conflict resolution file. This file tells
SharePlex which procedures to use for which objects and operation types, and in which order.
Where to find the conflict resolution file

A blank conflict_resolution.SID file, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance, was included in the
data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory when SharePlex was installed. Use the file on the
target system.

If this file does not exist, you can create one in ASCII format in an ASCII text editor. It must be named conflict_
resolution.SID, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance. Note: the SID is case-sensitive.
IMPORTANT! There can be only one conflict_resolution.SID file per active configuration.
How to make entries in the conflict resolution file

Use the following template to link a procedure to one or more objects and operation types.
where:
l owner.object is the owner and name of a target object, or a wildcarded entry. (See Syntax rules)
l i| u | d is the type of operation that creates the conflict that is resolved with the specified procedure.
You can specify any or all operation types, for example id or iud. Upper or lower case are both valid.
l owner.procedure is the owner and name of the conflict resolution procedure that will handle the
specified object and operation type.
Syntax rules
l There must be at least one space between the object specification, the operation type specification,
and the procedure specification.
l You can use the LIKE operator and a SQL wildcard (%) to specify multiple objects by using a search
string. (See the Example.)
l You can use an underscore (_) to denote a single-character wildcard. For table names that contain an
underscore character (for example emp_sal), SharePlex recognizes the backslash (\) as an escape
character to denote the underscore as a literal and not a wildcard, for example: like:scott.%\_corp\_
emp. If you are not using the LIKE operator, the backslash escape character is not required if an object
name contains an underscore.
l The order in which you list the procedures in the conflict resolution file determines their priority of use
(in descending order). If you list a table-specific procedure, SharePlex uses it before procedures that
are specified with a wildcarded object name.
l You a comment line anywhere in the file. Start a comment line with the pound symbol (#).
Example conflict resolution file

scott.sal IUD scott.sal_cr
like:scott.%\_corp\_emp IUD scott.emp_cr1
like:scott.%\_corp\_emp IUD scott.emp_cr2
like:scott% IUD scott.emp_cr3
scott.cust U scott.sal_cr
How it works:
l The scott.sal_cr routine is used for the scott.sal table before the scott.emp_cr1 procedure is used for
that table.
l The scott.emp_cr1 procedure is used before the scott.emp_cr2 procedure for all tables meeting the
search criteria, and so forth.
l For scott.cust, a procedure is called for UPDATEs before the other routines are used for all operations.

How to specify SharePlex prepared routines in the conflict resolution file
To use the SharePlex prepared routines for all tables in the replication configuration, use the !DEFAULT
parameter instead of specifying an owner and object name.
A custom routine takes priority over a SharePlex prepared routine. A prepared routine is used only if the
custom routine fails. This is true regardless of the order in which the !DEFAULT-associated routine appears
in the file.
The !DEFAULT parameter is case-sensitive. It must be typed in all capital letters.
In the following example, the !UpdateUsingKeyOnly procedure is used for UPDATEs and DELETEs for all tables,
including james.table1, although the user-defined procedures listed for james.table1 take precedence.
!DEFAULT U !UpdateUsingKeyOnly
!DEFAULT D !UpdateUsingKeyOnly
james.table1 U james.procedure_upd
james.table1 I james.procedure_ins
james.table1 D james.procedure_del
How to change the conflict resolution file while replication is active

You can change the conflict resolution file any time during replication to add and remove tables and
procedures. After you change the conflict resolution file, stop and re-start the Post process.
Configure replication through an

intermediary system
These instructions show you how to set up cascading replication, also known as multi-tiered replication.This
stragegy replicates data from a source system to an intermediary system, and then from the intermediary
system to one or more remote target systems.
Cascading replication can be used to support various replication objectives as a workaround in such conditions
as the following:
l Your replication strategy exceeds the 1024 routes that are allowed directly from a given source system:
You can send data to the intermediary system and then broadcast to the additional targets from there.
l The source has no direct connection to the ultimate target, because of firewall restrictions or other
factors. You can cascade to a system that does allow remote connection from the source system.
To use a cascading strategy, the source machine must be able to resolve the final target machine name(s),
although the ability to make a direct connection is not required.
Supported targets
Oracle (intermediary system)
Oracle and Open Target (final target)

Capabilities
l Replication to one or more target systems

Requirements
IMPORTANT! Create the same SharePlex user on all systems if you will be using SharePlex to post to a
database on the intermediary system.
l Disable triggers that perform DMLon the target objects.
replication.
IMPORTANT! These instructions assume you have a full understanding of SharePlex configuration files. They
use abbreviated representations of important syntax elements. See Create configuration files for more
information.

l source_specification[n] is the fully qualified name of a source object (owner.object) or a wildcarded

specification.
l target_specification[n] is the fully qualified name of a target object or a wildcarded specification.
l host is the name of a system where SharePlex runs. Different systems are identified by appending a
letter to the names, like hostB.
identifier is not required if the target is JMS, Kafka, or a file.
IMPORTANT!

Deployment options
To cascade data, you have the following options:
l If there is an Oracle database on the intermediary system, you can configure SharePlex to post to that
database and then capture the data again to replicate it to one or more remote targets.
l If there is not a database on the intermediary system, you can configure SharePlex to import, queue,
and then export the data to one or more remote targets. There is no Capture process on the system.
This is known as a pass-through configuration. It passes the data directly from the source system to the
target(s).
Cascade with posting on intermediate system

To use this configuration:
l Oracle is the only supported database type for this purpose.

l SharePlex database accounts must exist on all systems and must be the same name on all systems. This
account is usually created when SharePlex is installed. See the SharePlexInstallation Guide for more
information.
l Triggers must be disabled in the intermediary database, as well as on the target system.
l DDL replication is not supported from an intermediary system to the target systems. It is supported only
from the source system to the intermediary system. To disable the replication of DDL on the
intermediary system, disable the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_DDL and SP_OCT_REPLICATE_ALL_DDL parameters.
l You create two configuration files:one on the source system, and one on the intermediary system.
l Enable archive logging on the source and intermediary systems in case the redo logs wrap before
Capture is finished with them.

Configuration options on source system
This configuration replicates from the source system to the database on the intermediary system.
NOTE: In this template, hostB is the intermediary system.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 [email protected]
source_specification2 target_specification2 [email protected]
Example on source system

Datasource:o.oraA
NOTE: In this same configuration, you could route data from other source objects directly to other
targets, without cascading through the intermediary system. Just specify the appropriate routing on a
separate line.
Configuration options on intermediary system

This configuration captures the data from the database on the intermediary system, then replicates it to the
target system(s). The tables that were the target tables in the source configuration are the source tables in
this configuration. The target can be any supported SharePlex target.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostC[@db][+...]
source_specification2 target_specification2 hostD[@db][+...]
Example on intermediary system

Datasource:o.oraB
hr.sal hr.sal2 [email protected][email protected]
cust.% cust.% !cust_partitions
NOTE: The last entry in this example shows the use of horizontally partitioned replication to distribute
different data from the sales.accounts table to different regional databases. See Configure horizontally
partitioned replication.
Required parameter setting on intermediary system

Set the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_POSTER parameter to 1. This instructs the Capture process on the intermediary
system to capture the changes posted by SharePlex and replicate them to the target system. (The default is 0,
meaning that Capture ignores Post activity on the same system.)
In sp_ctrl, issue the following command. The change takes effect the next time Capture starts.
set param SP_OCT_REPLICATE_POSTER 1

Cascade with pass-through on intermediary system
To use this configuration:
l An Oracle instance must be installed on the intermediary system, and an ORACLE_SID must exist in the
oratab file (Unix and Linux systems) or the Windows Registry. The database can be empty.
l DDL replication is not supported.
l You create one configuration file, which is on the source system.
Configuration options on source system

NOTE:In this template, hostB is the intermediary system.
Datasource:o.SID
source_specification1 target_specification1 hostB*hostC[@db]
source_specification2 target_specification2 hostB*hostD[@db][+hostB*hostE[@db][+...]
source_specification3 target_specification3 hostB*hostX[@db]+hostY[@db]
l The hostB*host syntax configures the pass-through behavior.

l If using a compound routing map where all data passes through the intermediary system first, make
certain to use the hostB* component in each target route.
l You can also use a compound routing map where data from a source object is replicated directly to one
target, and also through the intermediary system to another target, as in the third line of this
configuration file.
Example
Datasource:o.oraA
hr.emp hr.emp2 hostB*[email protected]
hr.emp hr."Emp_3" hostB*[email protected]
cust.% cust.% hostB*[email protected][email protected]
Configure replication to maintain high

availability
These instructions show you how to set up SharePlex for the purpose of high availability: replicating to a
secondary database that is a mirror of the source database. This strategy uses bi-directional replication with
two SharePlex configurations that are the reverse of each other. The configuration on the secondary (standby)
machine remains in an activated state with the Export process on that system stopped in readiness for failover
if the primary machine fails.
This strategy supports business requirements such as the following:
l Disaster recovery
l Continuous operation of business applications throughout maintenance cycles or mechanical failures
In this strategy, SharePlex operates as follows:

l Under normal conditions, SharePlex replicates changes from the primary database to the
secondary database.
l When the primary system or database is offline and users are transferred to the secondary
system, SharePlex captures their changes and queues the data on that system until the primary
system is restored.
l When the primary system is restored, SharePlex updates it with those changes and then resumes
capture and replication from the primary database.
Supported targets
Oracle
Capabilities
This replication strategy supports the use of named export and post queues.
NOTE: Column mapping and partitioned replication is not appropriate in a high availability configuration. Source
and target objects can have different names but this makes the management of a high-availability structure
more complicated.
Requirements
l All objects must exist in their entirety on both systems.
l The target objects must have the same structure and qualified names as their source objects.
l Enable archive logging on all systems.
l Create a script that denies INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE operations to all users except SharePlex.
For failover purposes, the following are required:
l Make the applications used on the primary system available on the secondary system.
l Copy non-replicated database objects and critical files outside the instance to the secondary system.
l Create a script that grants INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE privileges to all users, which can be run during a
failover procedure.
l Create a script that enables constraints on the secondary system to be used during a failover
procedure.
l Develop a failover procedure for relocating users to the secondary system.
NOTE: If you use an Oracle hot backup to create the secondary instance, keep the script. It can be modified to
re-create the primary instance.

l hostA is the primary system.

l hostB is the secondary system.
l ownerA.object is the fully qualified name of an object on hostA or a wildcarded specification.
l ownerB.object is the fully qualified name of an object on hostB or a wildcarded specification.
l oraA is the Oracle instance on hostA.
l oraB is the Oracle instance on hostB.
IMPORTANT!
Configuration
A high availability configuration uses two configurations that are the reverse of each other. To replicate all
objects in the database, you can use the config.sql script to simplify the configuration process. See Build a
configuration file using a script
Configuration on the source system (primary system)
Datasource:o.oraA
Configuration on the target system (secondary system)
Datasource:o.oraB
Make the system ready for failover

1. On the secondary system (the one that will initially be the passive system) run sp_ctrl and then issue
the following command to stop the Export process on the secondary system so that nothing accidentally
happening on the secondary system (such as a scheduled job changing data) gets replicated back to the
primary system. This is the required state of SharePlex on that system until there is a need for a role
switch between systems.
2. Perform initial synchronization and startup. See Activate replication in an Oracle production
environment. You will activate the source configuration during this procedure.
3. Making sure the Export process is stopped on the secondary system, activate the configuration on that
system. The configuration on the secondary machine remains in an activated state, but the stopped
Export process and lack of user activity ensure that the system remains static in readiness for failover.

4. Monitor the SharePlex instance that is linked to the secondary Oracle instance to make sure no non-
SharePlex DDL or DML changes were performed. You can do this as follows: View the status of the export
queue on the secondary system using the qstatus command in sp_ctrl. The queue should be empty,
because the Capture process on a system ignores the Post process on that system. If there are any
messages in the export queue, it means those transactions originated on the secondary system or the
SP_OCT_REPLICATE_POSTER parameter was mistakenly enabled. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for
more information about SharePlex commands and parameters.
5. Maintain backups of replication files.
Perform recovery procedures

If a system fails in your high-availability environment, see Procedures to Maintain Oracle High AvailabilityThese
procedures help you to move replication to a secondary system and then move it back to the primary system
when it is restored.

9
Configure partitioned replication
This chapter contains instructions for using the advanced SharePlex configuration options of horizontally
partitioned and vertically partitioned replication. These options provide an additional level of flexibility to
divide, parallelize, and filter data to meet specific requirements. Before proceeding, make certain you
understand the concepts and processes in Create configuration files.
Contents
Configure horizontally partitioned replication
Configure vertically partitioned replication
Configure horizontally partitioned

replication
Use horizontally partitioned replication to divide the rows of a table into separate processing streams. You can
use horizontally partitioned replication to:
l Replicate a subset of rows to the target, while retaining the rest of the rows in the source.
l Replicate different subsets of rows to different targets.
l Divide the replication of a source table into parallel Post processes for faster posting to the
target table.
Guidelines for using horizontally partitioned

replication
The following are guidelines to follow if you are considering a configuration that combines horizontally
partitioned replication with vertically partitioned or full-table replication.
l You can combine horizontally partitioned and vertically partitioned replication for maximum control
over which information is distributed, and to where.
For example:
A company has a headquarters and regional divisions. The headquarters maintains the corporate
database, and each region maintains a regional database. The headquarters uses vertically
partitioned replication to share some of the column data of a table to those locations, while

retaining other sensitive data at headquarters. Row changes made to the shared columns are
further partitioned horizontally, for replication to the appropriate regional database.
l Horizontally partitioned replication can be used in conjunction with full-table replication for the same
table, for example to route groups of rows to different reporting systems and all rows to a failover
system. However, SharePlex does not support that combination if vertically partitioned replication is
also used for the same table.
How it works
To implement horizontally partitioned replication, you do the following:
1. Define partitions
2. Define partition schemes
3. Specify partition schemes in the configuration file
Define partitions
A partition is a subset of the rows in a table that you want to replicate. To create a partition, you specify a
column condition or a hash value, depending on your objectives. The following explains these concepts.
Column condition: A column condition is based on a standard WHEREclause. Use one or more column
conditions for the following purposes:
o Use a column condition to replicate only a subset of the rows of a table. For example, you can replicate
only those rows where the value of the YEAR column is greater than 2000.
o Use multiple column conditions to partition the rows of a table so that each set of rows replicates to a
different target. For example: replicate changes where the value of the REGIONcolumn is EAST to one
location and rows where REGIONis WEST to a different location.
o Use multiple column conditions to divide the rows of a table into parallel processing streams (parallel
Export-Import-Post streams) for faster posting to the target table. For example, you can improve the
flow of replication to a heavily updated target table. This use of column conditions for this purpose is
appropriate only if the table contains a column that enables you to split the processing evenly among

parallel Post processes.
Hash value: A hash partition (known as hash horizontal partitioning) directs SharePlex to create row partitions
by using a hash algorithm based on the rowid. You can use a hash value to divide the rows of a table into
parallel Post processing streams if it is not practical to use a column condition for this purpose. The advantage
of using a hash partition rather than a column condition is that the rows are divided evenly and automatically,
without the need for you to reference table columns in WHERE clauses.
IMPORTANT: The following restrictions apply:
l When hash partitioning is in use, the table cannot be compared or repaired with the compare and
repair commands.
l Hash horizontal partitioning cannot be enabled on an index-organized table (IOT) or tables that contain
LOBs or LONGs.
l Hash horizontal partitioning cannot be combined with horizontal partitioning that uses a
column condition.
l Hash horizontal partitioning is not supported for tables with operations that may cause rows to migrate.
Examples of operations that cause rows to migrate are:
o Export or import of the table
o ALTER TABLE with the MOVE option
o ALTER TABLE with the SHRINK SPACE option
o FLASHBACK TABLE
o Split a partition or combine two partitions
o Update a value so that it moves to a new partition
o Online table reoraganization
o Redefine a table by using dbms_redefinition
o DML applied to a regular, non-partitioned table that can cause row shift: UPDATE that changes
row size so that the data does not fit into the current block, DELETE of a row and then re-insert.
NOTE: On a Windows system, the use of numerous queues may require the number of semaphores to be
increased. If Post returns the error message "shs_SEMERR: an error occurred with the semaphore,"
see Post stopped in the Solve replication problems topic.

Define partition schemes
A partition scheme is a logical container for related row partitions and is the element that is used in the
configuration file to direct SharePlex to use horizontal partitioning. For example, a simple partition scheme
named CORPORATE.SALES could have four column conditions, each replicating the appropriate data subsets of
the CORPORATE.SALEStable to different regional sales offices. You must also specify a partition scheme if using
the hash horizontal partitioning option, even though SharePlex creates the partitions.
Specify partition schemes in the configuration file

To direct SharePlex to use a specific partition scheme for a source table, you specify the partition scheme as
the routing map in the configuration file. SharePlex obeys the specifications of the partition scheme to process
the row subsets.
Define partitions and schemes

These instructions help you to define your partitions and link them to partition schemes. You define and link
partitions by using the SHAREPLEX_PARTITIONtable.
NOTE: This table was installed in the SharePlex schema on the source system during the installation
of SharePlex.
Use one SHAREPLEX_PARTITION table for all configurations that replicate data from the same Oracle instance.
Enclose case-sensitive names in double quote marks, for example "Scott"."emp".
To define a partition based on a column condition

For each group of row subsets that you want to define as a partition, use a standard INSERT statement to enter
the information described in "SHAREPLEX_PARTITION columns and input into the SHAREPLEX_PARTITIONtable.
To define a partition based on a hash

Use a standard INSERT statement to enter the information described in "SHAREPLEX_PARTITION columns and
input" into one row of the SHAREPLEX_PARTITIONtable. One row captures the information that SharePlex
needs to build the partitions automatically with a hash algorithm.
To route a partition to multiple targets

If a row partition must be sent to multiple target tables and the owner or table names are not all identical, do
the following:
l Issue and commit a separate INSERT statement for each target table that has a different owner or name
from the other target tables.
l Each INSERT must be identical, except to specify the appropriate name values in the TARGET_
TABLE_OWNER and TARGET_TABLE_NAME columns, in relation to the target system specified in the
ROUTE column.
l When you create an entry for this partition scheme in the configuration file, specify any target table.
SharePlex will detect the other target names when the configuration is activated.
l Set the SP_ORD_FIRST_FIND parameter to 0 so that SharePlex checks all of the column conditions in the
partition scheme. By default SharePlex assumes that any given row change will satisfy only one column
condition in the partition scheme. For more information, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.

Table 14: SHAREPLEX_PARTITION columns and input
Column Datatype Input
PARTITION_SCHEME VARCHAR2(30) The name of the partition scheme for which

you are creating a row partition.
You can:
l Define only one partition scheme per

table in the replication configuration.
l Use any or all of your partition
schemes in a configuration file. Only
those that are listed in an active
configuration file are active.
DESCRIPTION VARCHAR2(61) A description of the partition. You can enter

a NULL value, but if you are creating
numerous partitions, it helps to identify or
describe each one, for example to give each
partition a name.
TARGET_TABLE_OWNER VARCHAR2(30) The owner of the target table. This can be
one of the following:
l A NULL value if there is only one

target owner name across all routes.
l If you are sending the partition to
multiple target tables with different
owner names, specify one of the
owner names. See To route a
partition to multiple targets.
TARGET_TABLE_NAME VARCHAR2(30) The name of the target table. This can be

one of the following:
l A NULL value if there is only one

target table name across all routes.
l If you are sending the partition to
multiple target tables with different
names, specify one of the target
names. See To route a partition to
multiple targets.
ROUTE VARCHAR2(1024) The routing map for this partition. This can
be one of the following, depending on
whether you are using a column condition or
a hash to create the partitions.
If creating a partition with a column
condition:
l Specify a standard SharePlex routing

map, for example: [email protected]. A
route with a named export or post

queue is supported. See Configure

named export queues and Configure
named post queues for more
information about named queues.
Compound routing maps are also
supported. See Create configuration
files.
l If routing to multiple target systems
where the names of the target
owners or tables (or both) are
different, you must use a separate
INSERT statement for each one. See
To route a partition to multiple
targets.
If creating a partition with a hash:

Use the following format to direct SharePlex
to automatically generate the named post
queues:
host:name|#[o. | r.]database
where:
l host is the name of the target

system.
l name is the base name of the post
queues that SharePlex will create.
Each name is appended with an
integer from 0 to the number of
partitions that you specify in the
OPTIONS column.
l |# directs SharePlex to sequentially
number the queues.
l database is the name or SID of the
target database, if applicable.
PRIORITY NUMBER NULL. This column is reserved for use by

SharePlex.
ORDER NUMBER NULL. This column is reserved for use by
SharePlex.
OPTIONS VARCHAR2(32) Specify one of the following, depending on

how you are defining the partitions:
If defining a partition based on a column
condition:
NULL

If defining a partition based on a hash:

HASH#, where # is the number of partitions
(post queues and processes) that you want
SharePlex to use. The numbering starts at 0.
For example, HASH4 creates the post queues
hash00, hash01, hash02, and hash03.
COL_CONDITIONS VARCHAR2(1024) Specify one of the following, depending on

how you are defining the partitions:
If defining a partition based on a column
condition:
Use standard WHEREconditional syntax such
as ((region_id = West) and region_id is not
null). You can specify as many column
conditions as needed. See How to create a
column condition for additional instructions.
If defining a partition based on a hash:
Specify a value of ROWID. This directs
SharePlex to create the hash based on the
rowid of the rows.
How to create a column condition

The following are guidelines for creating column conditions.
Choose appropriate columns

Use columns whose values will not change, such as PRIMARY or UNIQUE key columns. The objective is to avoid a
partition shift, where changes made to the conditional columns of a partition can cause the underlying data to
satisfy the conditions of a different (or no) partition.
Partition shift case 1: The column value is updated and the new value no longer satisfies any
column condition:
l SharePlex performs the operation, but future operations on that row are not replicated. The reason:
the row no longer satisfies a column condition.
l The source and target tables of the original partition are now out of synchronization, but Post
returns no errors.
l Example:
Column condition is C1=A and C2=B.
1. INSERT a row into the database. C1 and C2 values satisfy the column condition, so the row is
replicated to the target system.
C1 C2 C3 C4
A B 1 2

2. UPDATE ...set C1=B WHERE C1=A and C2=B
3. The change is replicated. Now the row does not satisfy the column condition, and subsequent
changes to data in the row are not replicated.
C1 C2 C3 C4
B B 1 2
Partition shift case 2: A row that satisfies one column condition gets updated to meet a
different condition:
l Post cannot find a matching target row. The reason: the original change was not replicated because it
did not meet the column condition.
l Post returns an out-of-sync error.
l Example:
Column condition is C1=A and C2=B.
1. INSERT a row into the database. C1 and C2 values do not satisfy the column condition, so the row
is not replicated to the target system.
C1 C2 C3 C4
B B 1 2
2. UPDATE ...set C1=A WHERE C1=B and C2=B

3. Now the row satisfies the column condition, so SharePlex replicates it, but Post cannot locate
the corresponding row on the target (it was never there) and returns an out-of-sync error.
How to repair out-of-sync rows caused by changes to the values of column conditions
You can do either of the following to repair the out-of-sync rows:
l Set the SP_ORD_HP_IN_SYNC parameter to a value of 1. This setting directs SharePlex to detect and
correct the out-of-sync condition. Enabling this parameter causes some performance degradation,
depending on how many tables are configured for horizontally partitioned replication. For more
information about this parameter, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
l Use the compare command to repair the out-of-sync rows. For more information about this command,
see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
NOTE:If you are using a column other than a key to base the column condition on, and you notice reduced
performance with horizontally partitioned replication enabled, add a log group for that column.
Use supported datatypes

SharePlex supports the following datatypes in column conditions:
CHAR
DATE
NUMBER
LONG VARCHAR
VARCHAR

VARCHAR2
NOTES:
l For the DATE datatype, SharePlex uses nls_date_format, with the syntax specified as
MMDDSYYYYHH24MISS. For example:
hiredate<1111 2011000000
l Horizontally partitioned replication does not support the following:

l Oracle TO_DATE function.
l VARRAYs and abstract datatypes.
l UPDATEs or INSERTs on LONG columns larger than 100k.
l LOB columns.
l Sequences.
l TRUNCATEs of an Oracle partition.
Use standard conditional syntax

The following list shows the conditional syntax that SharePlex supports in a column condition, where:
l value can be a string or a number. Enclose strings and dates within single quote marks (west). Do not
use quote marks for numbers (10).
l column is the name of a column in the table that you are configuring to use horizontally partitioned
replication.
column=value
not(column=value)
column>value
value>column
column<value
column<=value
column>=value
column<>value
column!=value
columnlikevalue
columnbetweenvalue1andvalue2
not(columnbetweenvalue1andvalue2)
columnis null
columnis not null
Conditions can be combined into nested expressions with parentheses and the AND, OR, and NOT logical
connectives.
Example column conditions

not (col1 = 5)
(col2 = 5) and not (col3 = 6)
((col1 is not null) and (col2 = 5))

Additional guidelines
l NULLs are replicated by SharePlex in cases such as this one: not (department_id = 90). If department_
id is NULL, it is replicated. To avoid replicating records with NULLs, include the column is not null
syntax as part of the condition, for example: not (department_id = 90) and department_id is not null.
l If parentheses are not used to indicate operator precedence, SharePlex supports operator precedence
in the same order that Oracle does. For example, a condition NOT x AND y behaves the same way as
(NOT x) AND y. A condition x AND y OR z behaves the same as (x AND y) OR z. When a condition
includes parentheses, the explicit precedence is respected.
l Do not:
l include references to other tables in the column condition.
l exceed the 1024 bytes maximum defined storage.
l During the activation of a configuration that refers to partition schemes, SharePlex verifies the syntax in
the column conditions of those schemes. If any syntax is incorrect, the activation fails. SharePlex prints
an error to the Event Log that indicates where the error occurred.
Specify partition schemes in the configuration file

Use one configuration file for all of the data that you want to replicate from a given datasource, including
tables that will have full-table replication and those that will use partitioned replication. For general
instructions on creating a configuration file, see Create configuration files. To configure entries for horizontally
partitioned replication, use the following syntax.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table !partition_scheme
! routing_map
Where:
l src_owner.table and tgt_owner.table are the specifications for the source and target tables,
respectively.
l ! partition_scheme is the name of the partition scheme to use for the specified source and target
tables. The ! is required. The name is case-sensitive. Compound routing of multiple partition schemes is
not supported, for example !schemeA+schemeB. Create a separate entry for each partition scheme
that you want to use for the same source table. See Examples.
l ! routing_map is a placeholder routing map. This component applies only to partitions using a column
condition. It is required only if a route that you used in a partition scheme is not listed somewhere in
the configuration file. This applies to different named queue routes as well as to routes to different
target hosts. All routes must be listed in the configuration file so that SharePlex can build a routing
cache. This requirement usually is satisfied if partitioned replication is combined with full-table
replication. However, if a route in a partition scheme does not appear in a regular (non-partitioned)
configuration entry or the entry for a different partition, you must provide a placeholder routing map
for that route on a separate configuration line. You can use a compound routing map if the names of all
target tables are identical. See Examples.
Examples
Configuration file entry to specify a partition scheme

Datasource:o.myora
scott.emp scott.emp_2 !partition_emp
scott.cust scott.cust_2 !partition_cust
Correct way to specify multiple partition schemes for the same source table
Datasource:o.myora
scott.emp scott.emp_2 !partition_schemeA
scott.emp scott.emp_3 !partition_schemeB
Correct way to specify placeholder routing map*
! targsys1
! [email protected][email protected]
*Required only for partitions based on column conditions.

Use vertically partitioned replication to replicate a subset of the columns of a table. For example, you
can replicate data changes made to C1, C2, C3, and C4, but not changes made to C5 and C6, as shown in
the diagram.

Guidelines for using vertically partitioned replication
Follow these guidelines when creating a configuration file that includes vertically partitioned replication.
l Vertically partitioned replication is appropriate for reporting and other data sharing strategies, but it is
not appropriate for high availability environments. Once you configure a table for vertically partitioned
replication, SharePlex does not recognize the other columns, so data in those columns is not replicated.
l You can combine horizontally partitioned and vertically partitioned replication for maximum control
over which information is distributed, and to where.
For example:
A company has a headquarters and regional divisions. The headquarters maintains the corporate
database, and each region maintains a regional database. The headquarters uses vertically
partitioned replication to share some of the column data of a table to those locations, while
retaining other sensitive data at headquarters. Row changes made to the shared columns are
further partitioned horizontally, for replication to the appropriate regional database.
l A table cannot be configured to replicate some columns to one target system and all columns to
another (combination of vertically partitioned replication and full-table replication). You can, however,
configure full-table replication to an identical table on one target, and then configure vertically
partitioned replication from that target to a second target that contains the table that requires only
the partition columns.
l A target table can, but does not have to, contain all of the same columns as its source table. The target
can contain just the columns being replicated from the source table. The names of corresponding
source and target columns do not need to be the same. Corresponding columns must contain the same
datatypes (same type, size, precision).
l ALTER TABLE to add a column to a table configured for vertically partitioned replication is not
supported.

To configure vertically partitioned replication, you specify either a column partition or an excluded column
partition in the configuration file:
l A column partition replicates data changes that are made to the specified columns.
l An excluded column partition replicates all data changes except those made to the specified columns.
Use one configuration file for all of the data that you want to replicate from a given datasource, including
tables that will have full-table replication and those that will use partitioned replication. For general
instructions on creating a configuration file, see Create configuration files. To configure entries for vertically
partitioned replication, use the following syntax.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table (src_col,src_col,...) tgt_owner.table [(tgt_col,tgt_col,...)] routing_map
src_owner.table !(src_col,src_col,...) tgt_owner.table routing_map
src_owner.table and tgt_ The specifications for the source and target tables, respectively.

owner.table
(src_col, src_col,...) The source columns to be replicated. Can be one of the following:
and l (src_col, src_col,...) specifies a column partition that lists
!(src_col,src_col,...) columns to replicate.
l !(src_col,src_col,...) specifies an excluded column partition that
lists columns not to replicate. The remaining columns comprise
the actual column partition.
NOTE: When using an excluded column partition, the corresponding

source and target column names must be identical, and the excluded
columns cannot be used in a key definition. See Define a unique key for
more information.
Follow these rules to specify either type of column partition:
l There can be one partition per source table.

l A column list must be enclosed within parentheses.
l Separate each column name with a comma. A space after the
comma is optional.
l The maximum length of a partition is 174820 bytes (the maximum
line length allowed in a configuration file). Therefore, the actual
number of columns that you can list depends on the length of
each name.
l The columns can be contiguous or non-contiguous in the source
table. For example, you can replicate the first, third and
seventh columns of a table.
l Key columns are not required to be included in the partition.
l If using horizontally partitioned and vertically partitioned
replication together for this table, all of the columns in the
partition scheme must be part of the column condition.
(tgt_col,tgt_col,...) The target columns. Use this option to map source columns to target
columns that have different owners or names. If the source and target
columns have identical owners or names, the target columns can be
omitted.
To map source columns to target columns, follow these rules:
l The syntax rules for the source column partition also apply to
the target column list.
l The target columns must have identical definitions as their
source columns, except for their names.
l List the target columns in the same logical order as their

corresponding source columns. This is required regardless of the
actual order of the target columns in the table, so that
SharePlex builds the correct correlations in the object cache.

For example, a change to the second column in the source list is

replicated to the second column in the target list.
routing_map The routing map for the column partition. The routing map can be one of
the following:
l If using horizontally partitioned replication for the source table,

specify a partition scheme, as in: !partition_scheme. See
Configure horizontally partitioned replication for more
information.
l If not using horizontally partitioned replication for the source
table, specify a routing map as follows:
l Use a simple routing map like [email protected] if replicating
the column partition to one target. A route with a named
export or post queue is supported. See Configure named
export queues and Configure named post queues for
more information about named queues.
l Use a compound routing map like
[email protected][email protected] if replicating the column
partition to multiple target systems. IMPORTANT! A
compound routing map must be used, rather than listing
multiple targets in separate entries, because only one
column condition per source table can be listed in the
configuration file. To use a compound routing map, the
owners and names of all of the target tables must be
identical. For more information about using a compound
routing map, see Routing specifications in a configuration
file.
Configuration examples
The following is a vertically partitioned replication configuration replicating to multiple targets by using
a compound routing map. To use a compound routing map for this source table, all targets must be
named scott.sal.
Datasourceo.oraA
scott.emp (c1,c2) scott.sal [email protected][email protected]
The following is a vertically partitioned replication configuration replicating to a single target where the target
columns have different names from those of the source.
Datasourceo.oraA
scott.emp (c1,c2) scott.sal (c5,c6) [email protected]
The following configuration file is not valid because it repeats the same column partition of scott.emp (c1, c2)
twice in the configuration file.

Datasourceo.oraA
scott.emp (c1,c2) scott.cust (c1,c2) [email protected]
scott.emp (c1,c2) scott.sales (c1,c2) [email protected]

10
Configure named queues
This chapter contains instructions for using the advanced SharePlex configuration options of named queues.
These options provide an additional level of flexibility to divide and parallelize data to meet specific processing
and routing requirements. Before proceeding, make certain you understand the concepts and processes in
Create configuration files.
Contents
Configure named export queues
Configure named post queues
Configure named export queues

A named export queue is an optional, user-defined export queue that is attached to its own Export process.
SharePlex creates each named Export queue and associated Export process in addition to the default export
queue-process pair. When SharePlex creates a named export queue-process pair, it also creates a dedicated
Import process, post queue, and Post process on the target to contain that data stream.
You direct SharePlex to create one or more named export queues when you create your configuration file. Any
data that is not configured for processing through a named export queue is processed through the default
export queue.

Benefits of named export queues
Use named export queues to isolate the replication of:
l Individual configurations: By default, SharePlex sends data from all active configurations through one
export queue-process pair per target system, but the use of named Export queues enables you to
separate each of those replication streams into its own export queue and Export process. In this way,
you ensure that purge config or abort config commands that are issued for one configuration do not
affect any of the others.
l Selected database objects: You can use a named export queue to isolate certain objects such as tables
that contain LOBs. Because each named export queue has its own Import process, post queue, and Post
process on the target, you are able to isolate the data the entire way from source to target. For more
information about the benefits of named post queues, see Configure named post queues.
Additional benefits:
l You can stop the Export or Import process for one data stream, while allowing the others to continue
processing.
l You can set SharePlex parameters to different settings for each export queue-process pair. This
enables you to tune the performance of the Export processes based on the objects replicating
through each one.

Considerations when using named export queues
l Make certain that each queue name is unique.
l You can combine named export queues with default export queues. Tables in the configuration with a
standard routing map (targetsys@database_spec without a named queue specification) are replicated
through a default export queue.
l All tables with referential integrity to one another must be in the same export queue.
l See Create configuration files for limitations that affect the number of queues that you can create.
Configure a named export queue

Use the following syntax to define a routing map that includes a named export queue.
source_host:export_queuename*target_host[@database]
Configuration with named export queue in routing map
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table source_host:export_queue*target_host[@database_specification]
Routing component Description
source_host The name of the source system.

export_queue The name of the export queue. Queue names are case-sensitive on all
platforms. Use one word only. Underscores are permissible, for
example:
sys1:export_q1*[email protected]
* Required component that separates the source routing component from

the target routing component.
target_host The name of the target system.
database specification One of the following, required if the target is a database:
o.oracle_SID
o.tns_alias
o.PDBname
r.database_name
c.oracle_SID
NOTES:

l Allow no spaces between any components in the syntax of the routing map.
l For more information about the components of a configuration file, see Create configuration files.
Examples
The following configuration files show two different datasources that are being replicated to two different
databases on the same target system. Each datasource is routed through a named export queue.
Datasource:o.oraA
scott.emp scott.emp sysA:QueueA*[email protected]
scott.sales scott.sales sysA:QueueA*[email protected]
Datasource:o.oraB
scott.prod scott.prod sysA:QueueB*[email protected]
scott.cust scott.cust sysA:QueueB*[email protected]
The following shows how to separate a table that contains LOBs from the rest of the tables by using named
export queues.
Datasource:o.oraA
scott.cust scott.cust sysA:QueueA*[email protected]
scott.sales scott.sales sysA:QueueA*[email protected]
scott.prod scott.prod sysA:QueueA*[email protected]
scott.emp_LOB scott.emp_LOB sysA:QueueB*[email protected]
Alternatively, you could simply define a named export queue for the LOB table and allow the remaining tables
to be processed through the default export queue.
Datasource:o.oraA
scott.cust scott.cust [email protected]
scott.sales scott.sales [email protected]
scott.prod scott.prod [email protected]
scott.emp_LOB scott.emp_LOB sysA:lobQ*[email protected]
How to identify named export queues

You can view named export queues through sp_ctrl:
l Use the qstatus command to view all queues on a system.

l Use the show command to view all Export processes with their queues.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more infomation about theses commands.
Configure named post queues

A named post queue is an optional component of the routing map in the configuration file. A named post queue
is a user-defined post queue with its own Post process, which together operate in parallel to the default post

queue and Post process. You can define one or more named post queue-process pairs to establish a set of
parallel Post replication streams.
Benefits of named post queues

You can use named post queues to isolate data from different tables into two or more separate Post streams. By
using named post queues, you can improve posting performance by isolating objects such as the following that
cause processing bottlenecks:
l objects that have LOB columns. Named post queues are recommended for objects that contain LOBs.
l objects that involve large transactions.
l any objects whose operations you want to isolate.
Process the remaining objects through additional named post queues, or use the default post queue. Objects
in the configuration file with a standard routing map (host@target) are replicated through a default post queue.
You can use horizontal partitioning to divide the rows of very large tables into separate named post queues as
an added measure of parallelism. See Configure horizontally partitioned replication.
You can set SharePlex parameters to different settings for each queue-process pair. This enables you to tune
the performance of the Post processes based on the objects replicating through each one.

Considerations when using named post queues
l See Routing specifications in a configuration file for limitations that affect the number of queues
you can create.
l Assign each post queue a unique name.
l If objects are linked by relational dependencies, process all of those objects through the same named
post queue. If interdependent objects are not replicated through the same post queue, parent and
child operations may be applied out of order and will cause database errors. As an alternative to
processing interdependent objects through the same queue, you can disable their referential
constraints on the target. This may be acceptable, because the constraints are satisfied on the source
system and then replicated to the target.
l When using multiple Posts, the target objects might not be changed in the same order as the
corresponding source objects, possibly causing the target database to be inconsistent with the source
database at any given point in time.
l If you implement named post queues for objects in an active configuration (thus changing the routing)
SharePlex locks those objects to update its internal directions.
Configure a named post queue

If you are using named export queues, SharePlex creates a named post queue-process pair for each one by
default. If you are not using named export queues, use the following syntax to define a named post queue in
the configuration file by adding the :queue component to the routing map:
host:queue@target
Configuration with named post queue in routing map
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table tgt_owner.table host:queue[@database_specification]
host The name of the target system.

: A colon. This is a required component.
queue The unique name of the post queue. Queue names are case-sensitive on
all platforms. One word only. Underscores are permissible, for example:
sys2:[email protected]
@database_specification (If the target is a database)
l The ampersand (@) is a required component.

l Specify the database with one of the following:
o.oracle_SID

o.tns_alias
o.PDBname
r.database_name
c.oracle_SID
NOTES:
l Allow no spaces between any components in the syntax of the routing map.
l For more information about the components of a configuration file, see Create configuration files.
Examples
The following configuration creates one post queue named Queue1 that routes data from table scott.emp and
another post queue named Queue2 that routes data from table scott.cust.
Datasource:o.oraA
scott.emp scott.emp sysB:[email protected]
scott.cust scott.cust sysB:[email protected]
The following shows how a named post queue is specified when you are routing data in a pass-through
configuration using an intermediary system. For more information about this replication strategy, see Configure
replication to share or distribute data.
Datasource:o.oraA
scott.emp scott.emp sysB*sysC:[email protected]
How to identify a named post queue

A named post queue is identified by the datasource (source of the data) and one of the following:
l the name of an associated named export queue (if the Import is linked to a named export queue)
l the user-assigned post-queue name (if the Import is linked to a default export queue).
You can view named post queues through sp_ctrl:
l Use the qstatus command to view all queues on a system.

l Use the show command to view all Post processes with their queues.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more infomation about theses commands.

11
Configure replication to maintain a
change history target
This chapter contains instructions for how to configure SharePlex to maintain a change-history target.
SharePlex enables you to maintain this history, while also replicating the same data set to maintain up-to-
date targets.
Contents
Overview of the change-history target
Configure change history
Overview of the change-history target

A change history target differs from a replication target in that a change history target maintains a record of
every change that occurs to a source object or objects, rather than simply maintaining a mirror of the current
state of the source data. While regular replication overlays current target data with change data, change
history inserts the change data to the target as a new record. The old data is preserved as a step-by-step
record of change. The historical data can be queried and analyzed for such purposes as data mining or resolving
customer disputes.
By using SharePlex to maintain change history on a secondary server, you can offload the overhead from the
production database. Such overhead includes the SQL work of adding the history rows, the extra storage of
those rows, and the query activity against the historical data.
NOTE: File, JMS, and Kafka targets support change history by default, because every source change is
written as a separate XML record. There is no overlaying of old data with new. Metadata that is
supported for these targets is included automatically when Post writes the XML. For a list of supported
metadata, see the target command in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Capabilities


l Combination of regular replication and change-history replication of the same source object(s)
Supported targets
Oracle target
Operations supported
SharePlex supports adding a change history row for these operations:
l INSERT
l UPDATE
l DELETE
l TRUNCATE
l ALTER TABLE to DROP COLUMN (NOTE: for ADD COLUMN, Post adds a column to the table, but does not
create a change history row.)
Operations not supported

l Changes made to UDT or VARRAY columns
l DBMS_LOB operation that is used to change a part of a LOB column (The value stored for that column on
the target will not be the complete LOB column.)
How SharePlex maintains change history

In a change history configuration, each target table serve as a history table that records every change
made to the source data as a continuous series of rows. Each new change row that SharePlex inserts
includes the following:
l the values of the key columns

l the after image of the changed columns. For inserts and updates, the after image consists of the new
values of the columns that were changed (or added in the case of an insert). For deletes, the after
image consists of the key values plus the other columns set to null.
l (optionally) a set of metadata values that provide context for the change. For example, there is
metadata that captures the userid of the user who made the change and the source system where the
change was made (useful when change data is tracked from multiple databases).
SharePlex can be configured to include the before image of update operations in the history or to control which
operation types are included in the history. For example, you could include only updates and deletes.

Configure change history
To configure change history, you use special syntax in the SharePlex configuration file and, optionally,
configure filter rules and other attributes to customize the history to your needs.
Create a change-history configuration file

1. Make certain that SharePlex is installed and the system is prepared according to the instructions in the
2. Create the history tables with the same name and structure as the source tables whose history they
will track, but omit all constraints on all columns. Target tables must not have PRIMARY KEY, FOREIGN
KEY, UNIQUE, NOT NULL, or CHECK constraints, nor can columns be defined with a DEFAULT value.
Because this is a history of changes, a row may have the same image as another row that has the same
key. Post does not perform integrity checks on a change-history target.
3. Disable triggers on the target tables.
4. Allow no DML or DDL to be performed on the target tables except by SharePlex.
5. On the source system, create a configuration file using the follpowing syntax. For more information
about how to create a configuration file, see Create configuration files.
Datasource:o.SID
src_owner.table !cdc:tgt_owner.table [email protected]
where:
l o.SID is the source Oracle instance.
l src_owner.table is the fully qualified name of a source object (owner.object) or a wildcarded
specification.
l !cdc: identifies the target as a change-history table.
l tgt_owner.table is the fully qualified name of the target history table or a wildcarded
specification.
l host is the target system.
l c.SID specifies the target Oracle instance.
6. (Optional) Run the following script on the target tables to add default metadata columns with their
default names. Post automatically populates the default metadata columns without any additional
configuration. You can customize the script to meet your requirements.
product_dir/util/add_change_tracking_columns.sql
The script only adds the default columns. To add optional columns, or to change a column name, use
the target command to add them to the Post configuration. For a list of default and optional metadata
columns, see the target command in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
NOTE: The default columns are automatically added to new tables that are added to the SharePlex
change history configuration.

Additional change history configuration options
This section describes how you can customize the SharePlex change history configuration.
Customize column names

You can use the target command with the colname option to customize the name of any metadata column. For
instructions, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Add the before image to each change row

You can include the before image of updates by setting the SP_OPO_TRACK_PREIMAGE parameter to U. This
parameter causes Post to insert two rows to a history table for every change made to the tracked source table:
one for the after image and one for the before image. The before image is composed of the key values plus the
before values of the columns that were changed, unless the SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter is used.
When before images are enabled, the SHAREPLEX_SOURCE_OPERATION column values for the two
records will be:
UPDATE BEFORE
UPDATE AFTER
NOTE: The before row will not include the before image of any LOB columns, because the redo log does not
contain the before image of LOBs.
You can override the global setting of SP_OPO_TRACK_PREIMAGE at the table level by using the set cdc
preimage option of the target command.
For more information about SP_OPO_TRACK_PREIMAGE and the target command, see the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
Include all columns of an operation in the history

To include the values of all table columns in each history record, rather than only the changed columns,
configure the following:
1. Turn on supplemental logging for all columns of the source tables that are being tracked. For example:
Alter table emp ADD SUPPLEMENTAL LOG DATA (ALL) COLUMNS;
2. Set the SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS parameter to 1.
NOTE: When both SP_OCT_USE_SUPP_KEYS and SP_OPO_TRACK_PREIMAGE are enabled, the before image
includes all column values as they were before the change.
Disable change history of an operation type

To disable the change history of a DML operation type, set the SP_OPO_TRACK_OPERATIONS parameter to the
appropriate value or values. Separate values with a slash (/). For example, to maintain change history only for
inserts and updates, change the parameter to I/U.The default is I/U/D which sends all DML operation types to
the history records.

Set rules and filters
You can use the set rule option of the target command to apply conditions on columns to control whether a
change is applied to the target history table. For example, you can specify a rule that if column 1 and column 3
are changed, then apply the operation and discard any changes that apply to other columns. For instructions,
see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Include COMMITs
By default, the COMMIT record is not included in the history tables. To configure Post to insert a row for every
COMMIT, set the SP_OPO_TRACK_COMMITS parameter to 1.

12
Set up DDL Replication
This chapter contains the information that you need to know in order to replicate DDL that is supported
by SharePlex.
Contents
DDL that SharePlex supports
Control DDL replication
Filter DDL Replication
Best practices for ALTERTABLE DDL
DDL logging and error handling
DDL that SharePlex supports

SharePlex replicates certain DDL changes that are written to the redo logs. Changes that bypass the redo logs
are not replicated.
For details on the DDL that SharePlex supports, see the SharePlexSharePlex Release Notes.
In a cascading configuration, DDL replication is supported only from the source system to the intermediary
system, but not from the intermediary system to target systems. For more information about cascading
replication, see Configure replication through an intermediary system.
DDL against objects owned by the SharePlex user or against system-owned objects is not replicated.
NOTE:
Because the source and target databases can be of different versions in SharePlex replication, the
source and target objects can be different. When DDL is applied to the target, it may fail if the operation
is forbidden on the target but allowed on the source.
For a list of objects for which DDL is supported, see the SharePlex Release Notes.
Control DDL replication

By default, SharePlex replicates some DDL for objects that are listed in the active configuration (explicitly or by
wildcard), but you can expand this support with parameter settings.
IMPORTANT!

l For the most current information about supported DDL and requirements or limitations, see the
SharePlex Release Notes provided with this release. That information may supercede what is
documented here.
l DDL replication is supported only to Oracle targets, except for ALTERTABLE to ADDCOLUMN or
DROPCOLUMN, which are supported for all SharePlex targets.
SharePlex provides default DDL support for objects in the configuration file. You can expand this support
through parameter settings.
See the SharePlex Release Notes for detailed information about the DDL that is supported by SharePlex.
Default DDL support

By default SharePlex replicates the TRUNCATETABLEcommand and the ALTERTABLEcommand to ADDor
DROPcolumns when:
l the affected object exists in the source and target at the time of activation and
l its name is listed in the configuration file (explicitly or through wildcard).
This functionality is controlled by the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_DDLparameter. A setting of 1 replicates ALTER but

not TRUNCATE. A setting of 2 replicates TRUNCATE but not ALTER. The default setting of 3 replicates ALTER
and TRUNCATE.
By default, the SharePlex Auto-Add feature is also enabled to provide DDL support for tables and indexes that
are created after activation. When SharePlex detects a CREATEstatement for one of these objects and its
name satisfies a wildcard in the configuration file, SharePlex does the following:
l replicates the CREATE to add the object to the target

l adds the object to replication
l maintains that object through future DDL and DML changes
The Auto-Add feature is controlled by the SP_OCT_AUTOADD_ENABLE parameter, which is set to 1 (enabled)
by default.
NOTE: Auto-Add is not supported to Open Target targets. If you are replicating data to an Open Target target,
SP_OCT_AUTOADD_ENABLE should be set to 0 and SP_OCT_REPLICATE_ALL_DDL should be set to 0.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for details about this parameter.
Expanded Auto-Add support

You can expand Auto-Add support to add new sequences and materialized views to replication if their names
satisfy a wildcard specification in the active configuration file.
To auto-add materialized views

1. Make certain the SP_OCT_AUTOADD_ENABLE parameter is set to 1.
2. Set the SP_OCT_AUTOADD_MV parameter to 1.
3. Set the SP_OCT_TARGET_COMPATIBILITY parameter to at least 8.6.2.
NOTE: SharePlex does not replicate materialized views to materialized views. SharePlex converts a
CREATEMATERIALIZEDVIEW to a CREATETABLE, applies the CREATETABLEto the target, and then replicates the

DML that populates the view. SharePlex replicates DROPMATERIALIZEDVIEW,but not
ALTERMATERIALIZEDVIEW.
To auto-add sequences
1. Make certain the SP_OCT_AUTOADD_ENABLE parameter is set to 1.
2. Set the SP_OCT_AUTOADD_SEQ parameter to 1.
3. Set the SP_OCT_TARGET_COMPATIBILITY parameter to at least 8.6.3.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for details about these parameters.
DDL support for objects outside the replication

configuration
You can configure SharePlex to replicate DDL for certain objects that are not listed in the configuration file.
SharePlex replicates the DDL statements, but does not replicate any data change operations made to the
objects because they are not part of active replication. Therefore, SharePlex does not maintain
synchronization of these objects on the target. The objects must exist in the source and target prior to
configuration activation.
To replicate DDL for objects outside the replication configuration

Set the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_ALL_DDLparameter to 1.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for details about this parameter.
See the SharePlex Release Notes for more information about supported DDL for objects that are not in the
configuration file.
Filter DDL Replication

You can filter the objects for which DDL is replicated when the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_ALL_DDL parameter is
enabled. This is the DDL that is not in the replication configuration.
NOTE: DDL filtering is only allowed for objects outside the replication configuration. All DDL performed
on objects inside the replication configuration must be replicated to keep the source and target
metadata consistent so that DML succeeds.
DDL filtering is controlled in the SHAREPLEX_DDL_CONTROL table that is installed in the SharePlex schema.
Name Type
------------- ------------
DDL_PARAMETER NUMBER
DDL_CODE NUMBER
SCHEMA_FILTER VARCHAR2(32)
OBJECT_FILTER VARCHAR2(32)

Each row in the SHAREPLEX_DDL_CONTROL table defines a filter based on what you specify in each of the
following columns:
l SCHEMA_FILTERfilters DDL by a schema name.

l OBJECT_FILTERfilters DDL by an object name.
l DDL_CODE filters by the code number of a DDL type. See DDL codes.
A null value in the DDL_CODE column means that the filter applies to all of the DDL types A null in the SCHEMA_
FILTER or OBJECT_FILTER column means that the filter applies to any schema or object name.
NOTE: The DDL_PARAMETER column is not an active column as of this release of SharePlex.
To filter DDL
Insert a row into the table with the desired values in the active columns.
Examples
The following filters out of replication the DDL for ALTERTABLE:
INSERT INTO SPLEX.SHAREPLEX_DDL_CONTROL (DDL_CODE, SCHEMA_FILTER, OBJECT_FILTER)
values (0x0F,null,null);
The following filters out of replication all DDL for all objects with names that begin with TEST_ in any schema:
values (null,null,'TEST_%');
The following filters out of replication the DDL for CREATE TABLE for the "Sales"schema and objects with names
that begin with "TEST_":
values (0x01,'Sales','TEST_%');
DDL codes
DDLType DDL_CODE
CREATETABLE 0x01
ALTER TABLE 0x0F
DROP TABLE 0x0C
ASSOCIATE STATISTICS 0xA8
DISASSOCIATE STATISTICS 0xA9
COMMENTONTABLE
COMMENT TABLE COLUMNS 0x1D

TRUNCATE 0x55

CREATE INDEX 0x09
ALTER INDEX 0x0B
DROP INDEX 0x0A

DDLType DDL_CODE

CREATE SEQUENCE 0x0D
ALTER SEQUENCE 0x0E
DROP SEQUENCE 0x10

CREATE CLUSTER 0x04
DROP CLUSTER 0x08

CREATE USER 0x33
ALTER USER 0x2B
DROP USER 0x35

CREATE_ROLE 0x34
ALTER_ROLE 0x4F
DROP_ROLE 0x36
GRANT 0x11
REVOKE 0x12

CREATE SYNONYM 0x13
DROP SYNONYM 0x14

CREATE VIEW 0x15
ALTER VIEW 0x58
DROP VIEW 0x16

CREATE TYPE 0x4D
ALTER TYPE 0x50

DROP TYPE 0x4E
CREATE TYPE BODY 0x51
DROP TYPE BODY 0x53


DDLType DDL_CODE
CREATE FUNCTION 0x5B

ALTER FUNCTION 0x5C
DROP FUNCTION 0x5D

CREATE PROCEDURE 0x18
ALTER PROCEDURE 0x19
DROP PROCEDURE 0x44

CREATE PACKAGE 0x5E
ALTER PACKAGE 0x5F
DROP PACKAGE 0x60
CREATE PACKAGE BODY 0x61
ALTER PACKAGE BODY 0x62
DROP PACKAGE BODY 0x63

CREATE DIRECTORY 0x9D
DROP DIRECTORY 0x9E
Best practices for ALTERTABLE DDL

The following are best practices for replication of ALTERTABLE replication.
Tables with VARRAY or ABSTRACT types

Do not add a VARRAY column or abstract datatype column if you plan to issue an ALTER TABLE to drop a column
or set a column unused soon thereafter. SharePlex must query the database to obtain information about this
data type. If the second DDL was performed before SharePlex was able to process the first DDL, the query will
fail because the metadata is already changed.
Tables with system-specific metadata

If some metadata is system-specific, such as the storage parameters of database objects, there may be
unexpected results when DDL on that metadata is replicated. For example, SharePlex replicates all of the
storage parameters for a source Oracle object, even though only some of them were changed with the ALTER
TABLE command. If the source and target objects were not created with the same storage parameters, one of
two things can happen: either the target table will assume the storage of the source table or, if the DDL is not
supported by the target, an error will be generated.

Example: consider a source table with MAXEXTENTS 525 and MINEXTENTS 20, and a target table with
MAXEXTENTS 505 and MINEXTENTS 4. If the MAXEXTENTS of the source object is changed to unlimited,
SharePlex will replicate both the MAXEXTENTS change and the non-changed MINEXTENTS of 20. This
causes Oracle error 01570, because MINEXTENTS cannot be larger than the extents currently allocated.
Alternatively, if the MINEXTENTS is changed to 1 on the source, but MAXEXTENTS is not changed,
SharePlex replicates both, which results in target parameters of MAXEXTENTS 525 and MINEXTENTS 1.
Tables that are renamed

When ALTER TABLE RENAME is issued on a source table that is currently in replication, SharePlex changes the
name of the table in the active configuration file by commenting out the old configuration line and adding a
new line at the end of the configuration file. If the source and target table names are the same, both are
changed to the new name. Otherwise, just the source name is changed. The following is an example:When
ALTER TABLE RENAME is issued on a source table that is currently in replication, SharePlex changes the name of
the table in the active configuration file by commenting out the old configuration line and adding a new line at
the end of the configuration file. If the source and target table names are the same, both are changed to the
new name. Otherwise, just the source name is changed. The following is an example:
# Table scott.table1 renamed to scott.table2 August 5, 2003 10:14
scott.table2 scott.table2 [email protected]
Whether the Post process stops on RENAME operations or not depends on the setting of the SP_OPO_STOP_ON_
DDL_ERR parameter.
Tables with system-generated interval

partitions/subpartitions
Because the database generates the names of system-generated interval partitions/subpartitions, the names
of those partitions on the source will not match the names of their corresponding partitions on the target. To
ensure that SharePlex truncates the correct partition when it replicates an ALTERTABLE to TRUNCATE a
system-generated interval partition, set the SP_OCT_TRUNC_PARTITION_BY_ID parameter to 1. This setting
directs SharePlex to identify the partition by using the partition ID, rather than by using the partition name
that is specified in the original ALTERTABLE command. Post maps the partition ID to the correct partition name
on the target table. For more information, see SP_OCT_TRUNC_PARTITION_BY_ID.
To support the replication of system-named interval partitions/subpartitions, both the source and target must
be SharePlex version 8.6.4 or later.
SharePlex does not support TRUNCATE of a system-generated sub-partition if the sub-partition is empty, and
Post stops with error SP-OPO01002. To configure Post to ignore this error, set the SP_OPO_CONT_ON_ERR
parameter to 1 and add error number SP-OPO01002 to the top of the oramsglist file, before you restart Post.
ALTERTABLE...MOVE
ALTERTABLEDDL commands that change the rowid of a table can affect subsequent DML operations if the
primary or unique keys of the tables in replication are not being logged. When the keys are not logged,
SharePlex fetches their values based on the rowid. Any operation that changes the rowid, such as
ALTERTABLE...MOVE, can cause the wrong key values to be used for subsequent DML operations.

DDL logging and error handling
Both Capture and Post log the DDL that they process. SharePlex also prints replicated DDL to the SharePlex
Event Log, but it may be truncated. Only the Post DDL log contains complete DDL statements. SharePlex stores
the DDL logs in the log subdirectory of the variable-data directory on the source and target systems.
By default, Post stops on DDL errors. An error usually indicates that the database component for which the DDL
was executed on the source system does not exist in the target database. The default setting of the SP_OPO_
STOP_ON_DDL_ERR parameter stops Post on DDL errors, so that subsequent DML on that object does not fail.
This enables you to correct the problem and keep the databases synchronized. For more information about this
parameter, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Table 15: SharePlex DDL log naming conventions
DDL log type Naming convention Example
Capture o.ORACLE_SID_ocap_ddl_log_number.log o.ora12_ocap_ddl_01.log
Oracle target o.ORACLE_SID_machine_name_opo_ddl_log_ o.ora12_server2_opo_ddl_

number.log 01.log
Open Target r.database_name_machine_name_xpst_ddl_log_ r.mssdb1_server3_xpst_ddl_

target number.log 01.log

13
Set up error handling
This chapter contains an overview of the tools that SharePlex provides to handle errors that are returned by
the Post process.
Contents
Continue to post when there is a DML error
Continue to Post when there is a DDL error
Increase the number of retries on error
Stop Post when data is out-of-sync
Continue to post when there is a DML error

SharePlex provides a way for Post to continue processing after it encounters a DML error, rather than stop.
Continue posting on Oracle and SharePlex errors

Valid for Oracle targets
When SharePlex posts to an Oracle target, you can configure Post to ignore specific Oracle DML errors and
specific SharePlex error messages and continue processing. Post determines which messages to ignore based on
the list in the oramsglist file. The file is installed with a small list of errors by default, but you can remove any
of them as desired.
When Posts ignores an error, it writes the error to the SharePlex Event Log. Post also logs the error and the SQL
statements that caused the error to the Error log. This log is named SID_errlog.sql log file and is stored in the
data directory in the SharePlex variable-data directory. For more information about these logs, see View events
and errors.
NOTE: There are certain errors that Post will not ignore, and it will stop for those messages even if they are
listed in the oramsglist file.
IMPORTANT: Use caution when using this feature. It could result in hidden out-of-sync conditions. Enable
this parameter only if your target users cannot tolerate replication lag and it is acceptable to have some
out-of-sync data. Check the SID_errlog.sql log frequently to see if there were errors that could cause
replication problems.

To configure Post to continue on errors
1. On the target system, change directories to the data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data
directory.
2. Find the oramsglist file.
3. If replication is not active, open the file in a text editor. If replication is active, make a copy of the file
and then open the copy in the editor.
4. Increase the number on the first line by the number of errors that you are adding. This number must
be equal to the total number of errors that are in the file. For example, in the following file there are
10 errors listed.
ora@sys1dad > vi oramsglist
10
604
900
902
908
909
910
911
932
960
1026
5. Starting at the end of the file, add the number of each Oracle or SharePlex error, one per line as shown
in the preceding example. The messages need not be in numerical order.
6. Save and close the file.
7. Stop Post (if running).
sp_ctrl> stop post
8. If you edited a copy of the oramsglist file, save the copy to the original name of oramsglist.
9. Change the value of the SP_OPO_CONT_ON_ERR parameter to 1.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_OPO_CONT_ON_ERR 1
10. Start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
Continue posting on ODBC errors

Valid for Open Target
When SharePlex posts to an Open Target target, you can configure Post to ignore ODBC errors and continue
processing. Post writes the error to the SharePlex Event Log. Post also logs the error and the SQL statements
that caused the error to the Error log. This log is named ID_errlog.sql log file, where ID is the database
identifier. The file is stored in the data directory in the SharePlex variable-data directory. For more information
about these logs, see View events and errors.
IMPORTANT: Use caution when using this feature. It could result in hidden out-of-sync conditions. Enable this
parameter only if your target users cannot tolerate replication lag and it is acceptable to have some out-of-sync

data. Check the SID_errlog.sql log frequently to see if there were errors that could cause replication
problems.
To configure Post to continue on errors

1. On the target system, change directories to the data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data
directory.
2. Look for one of the following files, depending on the database. These files are installed empty.
File name Supported database
postgresmsglist EDB Postgres Advanced Server
sqlservermsglist Microsoft SQL Server

sybasemsglist SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)
tdmsglist Teradata
NOTE: There are certain errors for which Post will stop, even if you list those errors in the message file.
3. If replication is not active, open the file in a text editor. If replication is active, make a copy of the file
and then open the copy in the editor.
4. Starting at the end of the file, add the number of each error, one per line as shown in the example. The
messages need not be in numerical order.
Example:
sqlservermsglist:
8102
8180
544
2627
3621

6. Stop Post (if running).
sp_ctrl> stop post
7. If you copied the original file, save it back to its original name.
8. Change the value of the SP_OPX_CONT_ON_ERR parameter to 1.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_OPX_CONT_ON_ERR 1
9. Start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
Continue to Post when there is a DDL error

By default, Post stops on DDL errors. An error usually indicates that the database component for which the DDL
was executed on the source system does not exist in the target database. The default setting of the SP_OPO_

STOP_ON_DDL_ERR parameter stops Post on DDL errors, so that subsequent DML on that object does not fail.
This enables you to correct the problem and keep the databases synchronized. For more information about this
Increase the number of retries on error

Post will retry certain failed operations when there is the possibility that they will succeed with another
attempt. The main operations that Post will retry are TNS write failures, connection failures, or locks on tables
when Post needs to apply a TRUNCATE.
To increase the likelihood that the failed operations are successful, you can increase the SP_OPO_RETRIES_MAX
parameter so that Post tries the operation more times. At the same time, increase the SP_OPO_RETRY_DELAY_
TIME parameter to increase the time interval between the attempts. That gives the lock or other blocking
operation enough time to be resolved between attempts.
If the Post process is set to continue on error (SP_SYS_SUSPEND_ON_ERROR=0) or if the error message is listed in
the oramsglist file, Post moves on to the next transaction in the queue. In all other cases, Post stops after it
reaches the maximum allowed attempts.
IMPORTANT: Reducing this parameter can cause the data to accumulate in the queues, possibly causing them
to exceed the available disk space.
For more information, see SP_OPO_RETRIES_MAX in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Stop Post when data is out-of-sync

By default Post does not stop when it determines that a row is out of synchronization. It logs the SQL statement
and data to the ID_errlog.sql log file (where ID is the database identifier) and then continues processing to
avoid replication lag.
You can configure Post to stop when it encounters an out-of-sync condition by setting the following
parameter to 1:
l Oracle targets: SP_OPO_OUT_OF_SYNC_SUSPEND

l Open Target targets: SP_OPX_OUT_OF_SYNC_SUSPEND
If you use this feature, make certain to monitor replication frequently. If Post stops, latency increases and data
accumulates in the queues. For more information, see the parameter documentation in the SharePlex
Reference Guide.

14
Transform data
This topic contains instructions for using the transformation feature of SharePlex. Transformation enables
SharePlex to manipulate data before, or instead of, posting it to a target.
Contents
Overview of transformation
Considerations when using transformation
Deploy transformation
Overview of transformation
Transformation directs the Post process to call a PL/SQL procedure (defined as a transformation routine)
instead of applying a SQL operation to the target database. Transformation enables replicated data to be
manipulated before, or instead of, posting to a target.
For example, if a source table and its target table are dissimilar in construction like when a persons first and
last name are in one column in the source table but in separate columns in the target table you can write a
transformation routine to convert the data for those columns so that replication succeeds. You can use
transformation routines to convert datatypes, units of measurement, or character sets. You can use them
instead of database triggers to reduce I/O overhead, and for many other business requirements.
When you specify transformation for a table, Post takes no action on the replicated data. Instead, it passes
data values to your transformation routine, enabling you to control both the form and destination of the data
with the procedure. You can post to the target table, post to an alternate location, or both. Therefore,
when writing your routine, is your responsibility to include in your procedure the necessary SQL operations
for posting.
Supported databases
Oracle source and target only
Supported replication strategies

Transformation is a convenient way to use SharePlex to transfer data from one table to another without
concern for maintaining identical structure or data. This makes it practical for reporting, broadcast, and data
mart and warehousing applications.

Transformation is not suitable for peer-to-peer or high-availability replication environments. High availability
requires identical databases that are kept synchronized by replication. For peer-to-peer replication
SharePlex must be able to detect and resolve conflicts when there are concurrent changes to the same
record. When data is transformed, SharePlex cannot compare before and after values to verify
synchronization and detect conflicts.
Supported operations
Transformation supports only INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE operations. You can do the following when
developing procedures:
l You can create one procedure for all three operation types, or you can create a procedure for each
operation type.
l You can use one procedure for all tables, or use different procedures for different tables. SharePlex
allows this through the use of wildcards to specify the tables.
If a transformation routine is specified for an individual table, and the table also is part of a group of tables for
which another routine is specified, only the table-specific routine is used for that table when the associated
DML operation occurs.
Considerations when using transformation

Because transformation changes data and because SharePlex does not post the data, transformation changes
the behavior of replication. It is a customization of SharePlex processing. Review the following considerations
before implementing transformation to ensure that your transformation procedures succeed.
Privileges
Any table that will be accessed through PL/SQL for transformation requires implicitly granted privileges from
the owner of the object to SharePlex.
Keys
A PRIMARY or UNIQUE key is required for all tables using transformation. SharePlex locates the target row for
UPDATEs and DELETEs by using the key, which enables it to return values to your transformation routine from
the target table for UPDATE operations. Do not allow keys to be changed on the target system, or SharePlex
will not be able to locate the row to pass values to your routine.
Test your routines

Test your transformation routines before you put them into production to make sure they work as intended,
and to make sure that one routine does not counteract another one. When data is transformed, SharePlex
cannot compare before and after values to verify synchronization, which is a measure of whether the routines
are performing correctly. The only way to confirm synchronization is to use the compare command with the key
option. This option restricts the comparison to just the key values and is not a complete confirmation of
synchronization. It only detects missing or extra rows. It does not (and cannot) indicate whether values in non-
key columns are properly correlated to those in the source columns, because the target data was transformed.
For those reasons, the repair command cannot be used to resynchronize data. You must devise your own
resynchronization procedures based on your companys business rules and the database environment.

Dates
The default date format for SharePlex transformation is MMDDYYYY HH24MISS. Tables with default dates must
use that format, or transformation will return errors. Before creating a table with a default date, use the
following command to change the date format in SQL*Plus.
ALTER SESSION SET nls_date_format = 'MMDDYYYYHH24MISS'
Other considerations
l Transformation does not support changes to LOB and LONG columns.
l The processing overhead for passing data to your procedure, combined with that of executing the
procedure itself, degrades overall performance on the target system compared to normal replication
and posting.
l The same PL/SQL package is used for both generic conflict resolution and transformation (its name is sp_
cr). Use either generic conflict resolution or transformation for a table, but not both. Transformed
tables cannot be compared by SharePlex and conflict resolution cannot succeed. If both are used,
SharePlex only calls the transformation routine. If appropriate, you can use generic conflict resolution
and transformation for different tables in the same configuration. For more information about conflict
resolution, see Configure replication to maintain multiple peer databases.
Deploy transformation
Deployment of transformation involves the following steps.
l Create configuration entries for the source and target tables to be transformed. There are no special
configuration procedures for tables that use transformation. Configure them as you would any other
table. See Create configuration files.
l Create transformation routines.
l Complete the transformation file
Create transformation routines

Write your transformation routines with dynamic PL/SQL procedural language. Use parameters and record and
table structures defined in the public package named sp_cr. This package was installed in the SharePlex
schema in the database. The package uses the following parameters.
Procedure interface
Follow this template to create your procedure.
(table_info in outsplex.sp_cr.row_typ, col_values insplex.sp_cr.col_def_tabtyp)
where:
l splex is the SharePlex schema.

l sp_cr is the name of the package that contains the PL/SQL record and table structures.

l row_typ is the name of the PL/SQL record that passes in/out variables (see Package definition).
l col_def_type is the name of the PL/SQL table that stores column information (see col_def_type table).
Package definition
SharePlex defines PL/SQL record and table structures in a public package named sp_cr in the SharePlex
database schema. The package uses the following parameters.
"CREATE or REPLACE PACKAGE %s.sp_cr AS
"TYPE row_typ IS RECORD
"(src_host VARCHAR2(32),
"src_ora_sid VARCHAR2(32),
"src_ora_time VARCHAR2(20),
"source_rowid VARCHAR2(20),
"target_rowid VARCHAR2(20),
"statement_type VARCHAR2(6),
"source_table VARCHAR2(78),
"target_table VARCHAR2(78), \n\t"
"oracle_err NUMBER,
"status NUMBER,
"action NUMBER,
"reporting NUMBER
");
IN variables
For each row operation that causes a conflict, SharePlex passes this metadata information to your procedure.
src_host The name of the source system (where the operation occurred). It is
case-sensitive and is passed using the same case as on the source
system, for example SysA . If there are named post queues in use on the
target system, this variable consists of the name of the post queue, for
example postq1.
src_ora_sid The ORACLE_SID of the source database. It is case-sensitive and is passed
in the same case as in the oratab file, Windows Registry or V$PARAMETER
table.
src_ora_time The timestamp of the change record in the source redo log.
source_rowid The row ID of the source row. It is passed as a literal within single
quotes, for example 123456.
target_rowid The row ID of the corresponding row in the target database. SharePlex
obtains the row ID by querying the target database. It is passed as a
literal within single quotes, for example 123456. If the row cannot be
found using the PRIMARY key, the value is NULL.
statement_type A letter, either I, U or D, indicating whether the operation is an INSERT,
UPDATE or DELETE statement.
source_table The owner and name of the source table, expressed as owner.table.
This value is case-sensitive and matches the way the table is named in
the database. It is passed within double quotes, for example
"scott"."emp."

target_table The owner and name of the target table, expressed as owner.table. This
value is case-sensitive and matches the way the table is named in the
database. It is passed within double quotes, for example "scott"."emp."
oracle_err This is different, depending on whether the procedure is being used for
conflict resolution or transformation.
Transformation: SharePlex passes a value of 0 for this variable. This
variable is only used for conflict resolution.
Conflict resolution: The Oracle error number that caused the conflict.
OUT variables
These variables direct the action of SharePlex based on whether the procedure succeeded or failed).
status Defines whether or not the procedure succeeded. You must specify a
value for this parameter.
l A value of 0 implies successful execution. It acts differently,

depending on whether the procedure is used for conflict
resolution or transformation.
Transformation: Post does not write any SQL. SharePlex does not
write any error messages to the Event Log when transformation
succeeds. It continues its processing by reading the next
replicated operation in the post queue.
l Conflict resolution: A value of 0 directs SharePlex to proceed
with the SQL statement. SharePlex does not write any log
entries to the Event Log when conflict resolution succeeds.
l A value of 1 implies that the procedure was unsuccessful. In this
case, the action SharePlex takes depends on what you specified
as the action variable.
l (Transformation only) A value of 7 implies unsuccessful
execution and instructs the Post process to stop.
action Defines the action that you want SharePlex to take. This is different,
depending on whether the procedure is used for transformation or
conflict resolution.
Transformation: You must specify a value of 0 for this parameter, which
directs SharePlex NOT to post the SQL statement. Your transformation
routine is responsible for posting the results of the transformation
either to the target table or another table. The outcome of this action
depends on what you specify for the reporting variable
Conflict resolution: Specifies the action to take as a result of an
unsuccessful conflict resolution procedure. You must specify a value for
this parameter.
l A value of 0 directs SharePlex NOT to post the SQL statement.

The outcome of this action depends on what you specify for the
reporting variable.
l The value of 1 is reserved for internal SharePlex use. Do not use
it.
l A value of 2 directs SharePlex to try the next conflict resolution
procedure that you listed in the conflict resolution file, if one
exists.
reporting Determines how SharePlex reports unsuccessful procedural results. You

must specify a value for this parameter.
l A value of 0 directs SharePlex NOT to report an error or write

the failed SQL statement to the SID_errlog.sql log.
l Values 1 and 2 are reserved for internal SharePlex use. Do not
use them.
l A value of 3 directs SharePlex to write the failed SQL statement
to the SID_errlog.sql log and report an error to the Event Log.
col_def_type table
SharePlex creates a col_def_tabtyp PL/SQL table for each replicated operation. This table stores column
information. It is different depending on whether the procedure is used for transformation or conflict
resolution.
l Transformation: For each row operation, SharePlex writes column information to col_def_type.
l Conflict resolution: For each row operation that causes a conflict, SharePlex writes column information
to col_def_tabtyp.
All fields are passed by SharePlex to your routine, although not all will have values if SharePlex cannot
locate the row.
Following is the datatype that is used to populate the col_def_tabtyp table.
type col_def_typ is record
(column_name user_tab_columns.column_name%type
,datatype user_tab_columns.datatype%type
,is_key boolean
,is_changed boolean
,old_value varchar2(32764)
,new_value varchar2(32764)
,current_value varchar2(32764)
);
type col_def_tabtyp is table of col_def_typ
Description of col_def_tabtyp
Column Description
column_name Tells your procedure the name of the column that was replicated from
the source table, for example emp_last_name. This value is not case-

Column Description
sensitive.
datatype Tells your procedure the datatype of the data in the replicated column,
for example VARCHAR2. This value is always in capital letters.
is_key Tells your procedure whether or not the column is a key column. If it is
a key column, SharePlex passes a value of TRUE. If the column is not
part of a key, SharePlex passes a value of FALSE.
is_changed Tells your procedure whether or not the column value has changed. If it
is changed, SharePlex passes a value of TRUE. If the column is not
changed, SharePlex passes a value of FALSE.
l For INSERTs, is_changed is TRUE for non-NULL values, because

none of the columns existed in the database. If a NULL value is
inserted, is_changed is FALSE.
l For UPDATEs, is_changed is TRUE for non-key columns. For key
columns, is_changed normally is FALSE, but SharePlex will pass
a value for a changed key column.
Conflict resolution only: If a key value also was changed on the
target system, SharePlex will not be able to locate the correct
row, and conflict resolution could fail.
l For DELETEs, is_changed is always FALSE, because SharePlex
replicates only the key values for a DELETE statement.
old_value Tells your procedure the old value of the replicated column, before it
was changed on the source system. This column is NULL for INSERTs,
because the row did not exist in the target database before the INSERT.
Conflict resolution only: This is the pre-image against which SharePlex
compared the source and target columns as part of its synchronization
check for UPDATEs and DELETEs. If the old value passed by SharePlex
does not match the current_value value obtained from the target row,
then there is a conflict.
new_value Tells your procedure the new value of the replicated column, as
changed on the source system.
current_value Tells your procedure the current value of the column in the target
table. If SharePlex cannot locate the target row, the value is NULL .
Example entries in col_def_tabtyp table per operation type

The following tables illustrate the possible outcomes of each type of operation.
INSERT operation
C1 TRUE NULL bind NULL FALSE

C2 TRUE NULL bind NULL TRUE
C3 FALSE NULL NULL NULL TRUE | FALSE

1 When an INSERT fails, it is because a row with the same PRIMARY key already exists in the target database.
SharePlex does not return the current value for INSERTs.
UPDATE operation
column_name is_changed old_value new_value current_value1, 2 is_key
C1 TRUE bind bind NULL | target_value FALSE

C2 FALSE bind NULL NULL | target_value TRUE
C3 TRUE bind bind NULL | target_value TRUE
1 (Conflictresolution) When an UPDATE fails, it is because SharePlex cannot find the row by using the PRIMARY
key and the pre-image. If the row cannot be found, SharePlex searches for the row by using only the PRIMARY
key. If SharePlex finds the row, it returns the current value for the key column as well as the changed
columns. If SharePlex cannot find the row by using just the PRIMARY key, then SharePlex returns a NULL.
2 (Transformation) For an UPDATE, SharePlex cannot locate a row using the PRIMARY key and the pre-images,
because the pre-images are different due to transformation. As an alternative, it searches for the row using
just the PRIMARY key. If it finds it, SharePlex returns the current value for the key column as well as the
changed columns. If it cannot locate the row using just the PRIMARY key, then current_value is NULL
DELETE operation
C1 FALSE bind NULL NULL TRUE
1 When a DELETE fails, it is because SharePlex could not find the row by using the PRIMARY key. Therefore,
SharePlex returns a NULL.
Complete the transformation file

To direct SharePlex to call transformation routines instead of posting SQL operations, use the
transformation.SID file, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target database. Before executing a SQL operation,
Post reads this file to determine if there is a transformation routine that it must call.
Where to find this file

A blank transformation.SID file, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance, was included in the data
sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory when SharePlex was installed. Use the file on the
target system.
If this file does not exist, you can create one in ASCII format in an ASCII text editor. It must be named
transformation.SID, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance. Note: the SID is case-sensitive.
IMPORTANT! There can be only one transformation.SID file per active configuration.
How to make entries in the file

Use the following template to link a procedure to one or more objects and operation types.
owner.object {i | u | d | iud} owner.procedure

where:
l owner.object is the owner and name of a target object, or a wildcarded entry. (See Syntax rules)
l i| u | d is the type of operation to be transformed by the specified procedure. You can specify any or all
operation types, for example id or iud. Upper or lower case are both valid.
l owner.procedure is the owner and name of the procedure that will handle the specified object and
operation type.
Syntax rules
l There must be at least one space between the object specification, the operation type specification,
and the procedure specification.
l You can use the LIKE operator and a SQL wildcard (%) to specify multiple objects by using a search
string. (See the Example.)
l You can use an underscore (_) to denote a single-character wildcard. For table names that contain an
underscore character (for example emp_sal), SharePlex recognizes the backslash (\) as an escape
character to denote the underscore as a literal and not a wildcard, for example: like:scott.%\_corp\_
emp. If you are not using the LIKE operator, the backslash escape character is not required if an object
name contains an underscore.
l You a comment line anywhere in the file. Start a comment line with the pound symbol (#).
Example transformation file
scott.sal IUD scott.sal_tr

like:scott.%\_corp\_emp IUD scott.emp_tr1
like:scott% IUD scott.emp_tr2
scott.cust U scott.sal_tr
How to change the file during replication

You can change the transformation file any time during replication to add and remove tables and procedures.
After you change the file, stop and re-start the Post process.

15
Configure SharePlex security features
SharePlex provides a number of security features that help protect replicated data on the local system
and during transfer across a network. This chapter provides guidelines for the configuration and use of
these features.
Contents
Secure connections to SharePlex
Secure data with SSH
Encrypt data across the network
Assign SharePlex users to security groups
Secure connections to SharePlex

SharePlex provides host authorization security that verifies whether or not SharePlex processes on specific
remote systems are authorized to connect to the local system for service and command requests. To
implement host authorization, you create an ASCII text file named auth_hosts in the data sub-directory of the
SharePlex variable-data directory and then populate it with the names of systems being granted connection
permission.
Requirements
l If used, the auth_hosts file must contain valid entries. If this file exists but is empty or contains invalid
entries, SharePlex sends an error message similar to the following example to the Event Log:
unauthorized connection attempt.
l If an auth_hosts file does not exist on a system, SharePlex accepts all requests from all systems that
attempt to connect to sp_cop.
l The name of the local system must be the first non-commented line of this file, or host authorization
will not function.
l All entries, including comments, must end with a return.
To configure the auth_hosts file

NOTE: Begin comment lines with a pound character (#).

1. Run an ASCII text editor such as vi (Unix and Linux), NotePad (Windows), or WordPad (Windows) to open a
blank file. If you are using a Unix and Linux text editor, change directories to the data sub-directory of
the SharePlex variable-data directory before you run the editor.
2. On the first non-commented line, enter the full machine name of the local system, for
example:Localhost.mycorp.com.
3. On the next non-commented line, enter one of the following:
Value Description
all Grants connection authorization to processes on all remote systems.

hostname Grants connection authorization to the specified host. Enter the fully qualified
machine name, for example remotehost.mycorp.com. Specify as many host names
as needed, each on its own line.
4. Save the file as auth_hosts in the data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory. If running
multiple instances of sp_cop, make certain to save the file to the correct variable-data directory.
Example
Note the name of the local host is on the first non-commented line.
#Comment: first line is local host name.

Localhost.mycorp.com
#Comment: remaining lines are remote hosts.
remotehost.mycorp.com
remotehost2.mycorp.com
remotehost3.mycorp.com
Secure data with SSH

SharePlex uses the SSH Secure ShellTM utility to provide encryption for network services such as secure
remote login and other services over an insecure network.
Requirements
l Purchase and install the SSH software. SSH is not included with Shareplex.
l Using SSH with SharePlex requires the use of local port forwarding (also known as tunneling) within the
SSH configuration. Port forwarding allows you to establish a secure SSH session and then tunnel TCP
connections through it.
l SharePlex can be configured to work with SSH software between a source system and one target
system. If a source replicates to multiple targets, only one of the routes can be configured with SSH.
l This feature is supported on Unix and Linux.

To set up SharePlex to use SSH
1. On the source and target systems, choose an available local port to be used as the tunnel port. For
peer-to-peer and high availability replication, the port must be the same number on both systems. For
other replication strategies, choose a different port on each system.
2. On the source system, issue the following command from the command prompt. This command connects
to the target system to set up the tunnel.
$ ssh -L source_port:target_host:target_port userid@target_host -N -f
where:
l -L specifies that the specified port on the local host (acting as the client) is to be forwarded to
the remote host and port.
l source_port is the port number on the source system.
l target_host is the name of the target system.
l target_port is the port on the target system.
l userid is your Unix and Linux user ID. You will be prompted for the password.
l -N specifies not to execute a remote command. This is used just to forward a port (protocol
version 2 only).
l -f forces the SSH shell to work in the background just before command execution. If this
argument is omitted, the terminal window you are using must be kept open. SSH cannot be
started with nohup.
Refer to your SSH documentation for more information about these commands.
3. (If using multiple SharePlex instances) On the source system, export the correct variable-data directory
for the instance of sp_cop for which you are setting up SSH.
ksh shell:
csh shell:
4. On the source system, start sp_cop. For more information about starting SharePlex, see Run SharePlex.
5. On the source system, run sp_ctrl from the bin subdirectory of the product directory.
6. In sp_ctrl, set the SP_XPT_USE_LOCALHOST parameter in one of the following ways.
l If there is only one target system, set the parameter with the following syntax:
sp_ctrl> set param SP_XPT_USE_LOCALHOST 1
l If there are multiple targets, use the following command to set up a tunnel to the target that
will use SSH. Replication to the other target systems will connect directly in the normal fashion.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_XPT_USE_LOCALHOST to host 1
where: host is the name of the target system that will use the tunnel.
7. In sp_ctrl, use the list param command with the modified option to verify the parameter setting. If the
setting is correct, you can activate a configuration at this point.
sp_ctrl> list param modified
8. If there is an active configuration, stop and then start sp_cop to make the new parameter setting

active.
To stop sp_cop:
sp_ctrl> shutdown /productdir/bin/sp_cop &
To start sp_cop:
$ /productdir/bin/sp_cop &
Encrypt data across the network

SharePlex encryption provides the ability to encrypt replicated data across the network. SharePlexuses
industry-standard Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption.
The Export process controls whether encryption is performed and the size of the key. It communicates these
factors to the Import process.
To configure encryption
1. Review the Encryption guidelines.
2. Enable encryption in SharePlex by setting the SP_XPT_ENABLE_AES parameter to 1. See Enable

encryption on the source system
3. (Optional)Set the size of the key by setting the SP_XPT_AES_KEY_LENGTH parameter to the desired
length (128-the default, 192, 256 bits). See Set the key size on the source system.
4. Create an encryption key by running the create encryption key command. See Create an encryption
key on the source system.
On the source and target systems:
5. Run the set encryption key command. See Set the key on the source and target.
6. Stop and start Export to activate the SP_XPT_ENABLE_AESparameter.
Encryption guidelines
l Use one encryption key for all Export processes in the SharePlex instance.
l SharePlex on both the source and target must be of a version that supports encryption (version
8.6.3 or later).
Enable encryption on the source system

Set the Export parameter SP_XPT_ENABLE_AES to 1 on the source system. By default, this parameter is set to
0 (encryption is disabled).
sp_ctrl> set param sp_xpt_enable_aes 1
Restart Export to activate this setting after you finish configuring encryption.

Set the key size on the source system
By default the AES key size is 128 bits. To increase the key size to 192 or 256 bits, set the Export parameter SP_
XPT_AES_KEY_LENGTH to the desired length on the source system. The parameter takes effect the next time
that Export starts.
sp_ctrl> set param sp_xpt_aes_key_length {128 | 192 | 256}
Create an encryption key on the source system

Run the following command in sp_ctrl on the source system:
sp_ctrl> create encryption key
The command returns a randomly generated AES key, for example:
E5F5D4CBA329D2C86B5D7ABA096C18600595490129F55A1422AAB0248B28D0E4.
NOTE: This command only generates the key. You must set the key on all systems. See Set the key on
the source and target.
Set the key on the source and target

The encryption key must be set on the source system plus all of the target systems.
To set a key
Run the following command in sp_ctrl on the source and target systems.
sp_ctrl> set encryption key key
key The encryption key that was generated by the create encryption key command.
The key must be set to the entire value that was generated by create encryption
key. It must be 64 bytes long.
Without further options, the command affects all routes.
Example:
sp_ctrl> set encryption key
E5F5D4CBA329D2C86B5D7ABA096C18600595490129F55A1422AAB0248B28D0E4
Example
The following example creates and sets the encryption key.
On the source:
sp_ctrl> create encryption key
On target 1:

sp_ctrl> set encryption key
On target 2:
sp_ctrl>set encryption key
View and reset encryption

To view the encryption key
Use the show encryption key command to view the key that is being used by SharePlex.
sp_ctrl> show encryption key
To reset the encryption key

Use the reset encryption key command to remove the encryption key.
sp_ctrl> reset encryption key
Assign SharePlex users to security groups

The SharePlex security groups provide access control to the SharePlex command and control system. Without
proper configuration of these groups, anyone with permissions on the system can use the commands that view,
configure, and control data replication.
Overview of SharePlex security groups

To monitor, control, or change SharePlex replication, a person must be assigned to one of the SharePlex
security groups on the systems where he or she will be issuing commands. Each group corresponds to an
authorization level, which determines which SharePlex commands a person can issue. To execute a command,
a user must have that commands authorization level or higher.
Description of the SharePlex security groups

Refer to the following table to determine the group and authorization level that you want to grant each
SharePlex user.
User Authorization Levels and Roles
Auth User type User User roles

level group
1 Administration spadmin* You need at least one user with Administrator rights on each source and
target system.
Can issue all SharePlex commands. Commands that can only be issued by
a SharePlex Administrator are:

Auth User type User User roles
level group
l startup, shutdown
l all configuration commands relating to an active configuration
l all parameter commands except list param
l start capture
l stop capture
l abort capture
l truncate log
The SharePlex Administrator user must be in the Oracle dba group. For
Oracle RAC and ASM 11gR2 and above, the user must also be in the Oracle
Inventory group. For example: $ useradd g spadmin G dba,oinstall. The
membership in Oracle Inventory group must be listed explicitly in the
etc/group file.
On Unix and Linux, unless you install SharePlex as a root user, the
SharePlex Administrator user and the SharePlex admin group must exist
prior to installation.
2 Operator spopr Can issue all SharePlex commands except those listed above.
3 Viewer spview Can view lists, status screens, and logs to monitor replication only.
NOTE: The default name for the SharePlex administrator group is spadmin, but you can designate any group or
specify any name for that group during installation.
Create and populate SharePlex groups on Unix and

Linux
Where and when to create the SharePlex groups on Unix and Linux depends on whether you install SharePlex
as a root or non-root user.
l If you install as non-root, create the groups in the /etc/group file before you run the SharePlex
installer. In a cluster, create them on all nodes.*
l If you install SharePlex as a root user, you can direct the installer to create the groups in the
/etc/group file. If you install in a cluster, the installer creates the groups on the primary node, but you
must create them yourself on the other nodes.
* The groups must exist because the installer adds the SharePlex Administrator user to the spadmin
group during the installation process. In a cluster, this user is only added to the primary node. You must
add the SharePlex Administrator user to the other nodes.
To create the groups in /etc/group

# groupadd spadmin
# groupadd spopr
# groupadd spview

To assign a user to a group
1. Open the /etc/group file.
2. Add the Unix or Linux user name to the appropriate group. To assign a list of user names to a group, use
a comma-separated list (see the following example).
spadmin:*:102:spadmin,root,jim,jane,joyce,jerry
If the password field is null, no password is associated with the group. In the example, the asterisk (*)
represents the password, 102 represents the numerical group ID, and spadmin is the group. The
group ID must be unique.
3. Save the file.
Users can verify their authorization levels by issuing the authlevel command in sp_ctrl.
Create and populate SharePlex groups on Windows

On Windows, the SharePlex groups are created in the Windows User Accounts control panel by the SharePlex
installer. To assign users to these groups, use that control panel after you install SharePlex.
Users can verify their authorization levels by issuing the authlevel command in sp_ctrl.

16
Activate replication in an Oracle
production environment
This chapter contains instructions for the initial startup of replication from an Oracle source database to an
Oracle target database on production systems.
Contents
What is activation?
Activation commands
Requirements for activating a configuration
Test the configuration before activation
Frequently Asked Questions about activation
How to activate multiple configuration files
Activate replication with an Oracle hot backup on an active database
Activate replication with an Oracle hot backup on a quiet database
Activate replication with Oracle transportable tablespaces
Activate replication with cold copy/transfer methods
What is activation?
When you activate a configuration, through the activate config command in sp_ctrl, SharePlex does
the following:
l Copy the source data to the target database to establish an initial synchronization point. SharePlex does
not establish or populate the target database, but it does capture and store active source transactions
while the target is being established.
l Activate (read) the configuration file to build a series of internal structures that identify objects and
routes. Only one configuration can be active for any given datasource at a time. Configurations for
different datasources on a system can be active at the same time.
l Start the processes that maintain the capture and replication of source transactions.
l Reconcile replicated data with the copied data. SharePlex applies transactions that occurred after the
copy was taken and discards transactions that occurred before the copy (and thus were applied by the
copy and would be redundant if applied by replication). The reconcile process is only required for
procedures that start replication while the source database is active.
During the activation of a configuration file, SharePlex performs the following procedures.

1. Assign an activation ID
SharePlex assigns an activation ID number to each configuration activation and its associated replication
processes and queues. A configuration can be activated many times, and this ID keeps track of each one. This
number is stored in the SHAREPLEX_ACTID internal table and is transparent to SharePlex users.
2. Create an object cache

SharePlex builds an object cache to map the Oracle object IDs of the tables and sequences to their names. For
tables, the object cache includes standard metadata needed to support replication: the name, size, and type
of columns, NOT-NULL constraints, and whether a column is part of a key. For tables using partitioned
replication, additional information is stored.
3. Add a configuration change marker

SharePlex places a configuration-change marker in the data stream. This marker directs sp_cop to
generate a new set of replication processes and queues. If another configuration is active for the same
datasource, the marker deactivates it, causing the removal of the old processes and queues after the data
they contain is posted.
4. Lock the tables, add the activation marker, unlock

SharePlex locks the tables that are listed in the configuration file so that it can obtain the information it needs
in a read-consistent state. As many tables can be locked concurrently as there are locking threads available.
When SharePlex locks a table, it places an activation marker in the data stream that tells the Capture process
to start (or stop) replicating that table.
NOTE: If an application uses NOWAIT locking on tables in the replication configuration, the NOWAIT could fail if
it attempts to obtain a lock on an object that is already locked because it is being activated.
SharePlex locks the following:
l All tables added to replication (new and reactivated configurations)

l All tables removed from replication (reactivated configurations)
l All tables where routes changed (reactivated configurations)
5. Unlock the tables

Each table is locked for a very short time, just long enough to activate a table. Replication of each table begins
as soon as its activation is complete. Should one or more table fail to activate, SharePlex continues with the
activation of the other tables. Users can access the data in a source table when the activation lock is released.
Activation commands
Use sp_ctrl commands to activate, deactivate and view information about a configuration activation. For more
information about these commands, see the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Activate a configuration file

Use the activate config command to activate a configuration file. This command retains control of the sp_ctrl
command line until the activation is finished.

View activation status
Use the show activate command in sp_ctrl to view the status of all activation activity on a source system.
If there are two or more concurrent activations, the command displays their status in the order in which
they started.
View configuration statistics

Use the show config command in sp_ctrl to view statistics for active configurations. This command displays the
status of a configuration (active or inactive), the datasource, the date and time the configuration was activated,
and the number of objects that are configured.
Deactivate a configuration file

Use the deactivate config or abort config command to deactivate a configuration. The purposes of these
commands are different, but both deactivate a configuration file.
l deactivate config gracefully terminates replication for an active configuration. It stops all Capture
activity for the configuration, posts all data currently in the queues, and removes the associated
SharePlex processes and queues.
l abort config is a forceful deactivation. It stops all replication activity for the configured datasource on
the source and target systems, whether or not data in the queues has been posted.
Deactivating or aborting a configuration stops replication. If users continue making changes to the configured
objects, the source and target data can go out of synchronization.
Requirements for activating a

configuration
Activation of a configuration is an event that requires a series of actions to be taken in a timely manner,
uninterrupted. Therefore, it is important to have all of your preparations done ahead of time, leaving nothing
in question. You can activate a configuration if you performed the minimal requirements outlined in this topic.
Required authorization level

Only a SharePlex Administrator can activate a configuration.
Additional users should be assigned to monitor SharePlex and perform basic operational procedures.
For more information about SharePlex user groups and authorization levels, see Assign SharePlex users to
security groups.

Required setup
l Before you activate a configuration, make certain that the objects that you want to replicate exist in
the source instance, unless they satisfy a wildcard definition in the configuration file and you are
replicating DDL. If you are configuring SharePlex to replicate supported DDL, supported changes can be
made to source objects while a configuration is active.
l If a table will be partitioned, create those partitions before you activate a configuration to begin
replication processing. Partitioning a table while it is actively replicating causes SharePlex to lose the
identifying information it has compiled, and DML from that table partition will not be replicated. You
can add a partition to a table already in replication, but you will need to reactivate the configuration to
update that table in the SharePlex object cache.
l Make certain all of the following setup procedures were performed.
Requirement Documentation to Read
Understand how to start and stop the sp_cop Run SharePlex

program.
Understand how to issue SharePlex commands. Execute commands in sp_ctrl
Understand the commands you will use during SharePlex Reference Guide
activation. See the documentation for the following
commands:
l activate config
l show activate
l reconcile
l status
l qstatus
Additional commands and SharePlex utilities may be

used, depending on the activation procedure you are
using. Review the procedure before performing the
steps.
Make certain your SharePlex configuration and setup Create configuration files
are complete and any optional features are included
Configure partitioned replication
in the configuration or setup.
Configure named queues
Configure SharePlex security features
Transform data
Set up error handling
Prepare the database to support replication. Set up Oracle database objects for replication
Set up an Oracle database to support SharePlex
Set up Oracle redo logging to support SharePlex
Set up TDE Support

Requirement Documentation to Read
Plan and configure SharePlex to support your Create configuration files

replication strategy
Configure a replication strategy
Open and mount the source and target databases. Database documentation
Prevent DDL operations, including TRUNCATE, during Database documentation

activation. Where permitted, DML changes are the
only permissible changes during activation.
Test the configuration before activation

Before you activate a configuration in production, perform a test activation by using the verify config
command. If there are syntax errors, misspellings or duplicate entries in the configuration file, the entire
activation will fail.
This command will test the configuration to find and report the following conditions:
l Verify the syntax of the entries in the configuration file.

l Report an error if the source object is not a table or sequence.
l Report if a host name specified in a route is unreachable.
l Report if there are duplicate specifications for a single object.
l Report if a table specification will be skipped and the reason why.
l List the qualifying objects included under wildcard specifications.
The verify config command does not verify how long the activation will take, nor will it verify the target
objects or database connection (as represented by the database identifier listed in the routing map.)
For more information, see the verify config command in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions about

activation
What happens during activation?
During activation, SharePlex gets the information it needs to identify and understand the objects that
are configured for replication and build routing maps. For more information, see What is activation?.
How long does activation take?

The length of time that activation takes varies, depending on the size, number and structure of the
configured objects.

Do users have to stop access to the data?
No. Each source table is briefly locked so SharePlex can build its internal object information. Then the
lock is released. This happens very quickly and may not even be noticeable by users. However, if a
business application has NOWAIT locking, the SharePlex lock may cause the application to fail if it
attempts to obtain a lock on an object that is being activated.
Can DDL be performed during activation?

No. Only DML changes are permitted on objects that are being activated. Once activation is finished, DDL
can be performed, but keep in mind that if the DDL is not the kind supported by SharePlex and
configured for replication, the DDL may cause the source and target objects to become out of
synchronization.
Can I activate multiple configurations for the same datasource?

No. You can create as many configurations for the same Oracle source data (meaning in the same Oracle
instance) but only one can be active at the same time.
Can I activate configurations for different datasources at the same time?

Yes. See How to activate multiple configuration files.
Can I test a configuration before I activate it?

Yes. This is highly recommended. Use the verify config command. See Requirements for activating a
configuration.
Can I interrupt an activation to make changes?

Yes and no. Activation is meant to be an uninterrupted procedure that initiates replication while
maintaining the same series of transactional events as those appearing in the redo log. You can use the
abort config command to terminate an activation, but you may then need to clean out the queues and
resynchronize the source and target data again. Ideally, you should have a tested configuration file
ready to be activated and be prepared to issue commands to the database and to SharePlex.
Can I activate against a quiet database?

Yes, but the database must be mounted and open.
Can I increase the number of activation threads?

Yes. The number of threads is controlled globally by the SP_OCF_THREAD_COUNT parameter, which
must be set before you issue the activate config command. You can override this value for a particular
activation by using the threads option when you issue the activate config command.
How to activate multiple configuration files

You can activate one configuration per datasource (Oracle instance) on a system. For example, if there are
ConfigA, ConfigB and ConfigC for instance ora10, you can activate only one of them at a time. Activating another
configuration for the same datasource automatically deactivates the first one.

However, if ConfigA replicates data from o.OraA and ConfigB replicates data from o.OraB, you can activate both
of those configurations at the same time. Replication for those configurations can operate concurrently.
To activate multiple configuration files

The activation process retains control of the sp_ctrl interface until the activation is finished. Because an
activation can take a significant amount of time, you can use different configurations in different sessions of sp_
ctrl. Activate the first configuration, then open another session of sp_ctrl to activate the second one. Open as
many sessions of sp_ctrl as you have configurations to activate.
The number of activation threads is controlled by the SP_OCF_THREAD_COUNT parameter, which is a global
setting for the instance of SharePlex. When activating more than one configuration concurrently, you can
override this value for a particular activation by using the threads option when you issue the activate
config command.
Activate replication with an Oracle hot

backup on an active database
Use this procedure to use an Oracle hot backup to establish a target Oracle instance and activate replication
without quieting the source database. This procedure involves using the reconcile command to ensure that
transactions which occurred after the point of backup are applied to the target, while eliminating redundant
replicated transactions that are already captured by the backup.
Preliminary considerations
Read these points before you proceed.
Supported databases
Oracle source and Oracle target

All replication strategies are supported with the following limitations:
Limitation Description
applies to:
Consolidated To establish consolidated replication, the use of a hot backup from all source systems is not
replication possible. A backup from one source will override the data that was applied by a backup from a
(many different source. You can use a hot backup of one of the source instances to establish a target
sources to
instance, and then use another copy method to apply the objects from the other source
one target)
instances. Possible methods include:
l Export/import (see Activate replication with cold copy/transfer methods)

l Transportable tablespaces (see Activate replication with Oracle transportable
tablespaces)
Peer-to- To establish peer-to-peer replication, you must:

applies to:
peer 1. Quiet all of the systems except the trusted source system for the duration of this
procedure.
2. Move all users to the trusted source system, and then follow this procedure.
Only after this procedure has been performed on all of the secondary systems may users may
resume activity on them.
Windows To use a hot backup between Windows systems, the target system must have an instance
systems already created containing an identical ORACLE_SID and directory structure created with the
Oracle creation tools. Oracle runs as a service on Windows, and the Registry entries must exist
before starting the database recovery process. The database can start empty, because the
hot backup will populate it.
Requirements
l [Unix and Linux systems] Verify that the ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME in the oratab file are correct for
the instance you will be establishing with the hot backup. The SID must be the SID used in the routing
map in the configuration file that you will be activating.
l Read the requirements in Requirements for activating a configuration before you start this procedure.
l Make certain a SharePlex database account exists in the source database (only). This account usually is
created when SharePlex first is installed. See the SharePlex Installation Guide for more information.
l Before you start, review this procedure and see the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information
about the commands that are used.
Procedures
There are two procedures for activation with a hot backup, depending on your replication strategy.
Activate replication with an Oracle hot backup on an active database
Activation with hot backup:cascading replication
Activation with hot backup: all strategies except cascading

Use this procedure for all replication strategies except cascading replication where SharePlex will be posting
to a database on the intermediary system.
1. On the source and target systems, go to the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory, and
start sp_cop and sp_ctrl.
2. On both systems, verify that the SharePlex processes are running.
sp_ctrl> status
3. On the target system, stop the Post process. This allows replicated data to accumulate in the post
queue until the database has been recovered and reconciled.
sp_ctrl> stop post
4. On the source system, run the Oracle hot backup.

5. When the backup is finished, activate the configuration on the source system.
sp_ctrl> activate config filename
6. On the source system, monitor activation status.
sp_ctrl> show activate
NOTE: The command retains control of sp_ctrl until activation is finished.
7. When activation is complete, switch log files on the source system.
svrmgr1> alter system switch logfile;
l To recover the database to a sequence number, make a note of the highest archive-log
sequence number.
l To recover the database to a Oracle System Change Number (SCN), pick an SCN to recover to on
the target database.
9. On the target system, do one of the following:
l If recovering to a sequence number, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL
CANCEL option in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has fully applied the
log from the previous step.
l If recovering to a SCN, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CHANGE scn
option in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has applied the logs
matching the SCN from the previous step.
10. On the target system, open the database with the RESETLOGS option.
11. On the target system, run Oracle Setup (ora_setup) on the database. When prompted for the SharePlex
database user, enter n to choose the existing user and password (these were copied in the backup).
Would you like to create a new SharePlex user [y]. n
NOTE: SharePlex can remain running during the setup process.
12. [Optional] If you are using named post queues and are unsure of the queue names, issue the
qstatus command.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
13. On the target system, issue the reconcile command as follows, depending on the recovery option you
chose. If you are using named post queues, issue the command for each one.
l If recovering to a sequence number, substitute the sequence number of the log that you noted
previously.
sp_ctrl> reconcile queue queuename for datasource-datadest seq sequence_number
Example: reconcile queue SysA for o.oraA-o.oraA seq 1234
l If recovering to a SCN, substitute the SCN that you noted previously.
sp_ctrl> reconcile queue queuename for datasource-datadest scn scn_number
Example: reconcile queue SysA for o.oraA-o.oraA scn 0123456789
NOTE: The command retains control of sp_ctrl until the reconcile process is finished.
14. On the target system, run the cleanup.sql script to truncate the SharePlex internal tables. Instructions
for running this script are in the SharePlex Reference Guide.

15. On the target system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so that
the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
16. On the target system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.
17. [Partitioned replication only] If you are using vertically partitioned or horizontally partitioned
replication for any tables, delete the unneeded columns and rows from those tables.
18. [High availability only] On the target (secondary) system, stop Export.
sp_ctrl> stop export
19. [High availability and peer-to-peer only] On the target (secondary) system, activate the configuration so
that SharePlex is ready in the event of failover.
20. On the target system, start the Post process. The two instances are now in synchronization, and
SharePlex will continue replicating to maintain synchronization.
sp_ctrl> start post
21. [Optional] If this was only a partial backup, drop the tablespaces that were not copied over during the
hot backup.
Activation with hot backup:cascading replication

Use this procedure for cascading replication where SharePlex will be posting to a database on the
intermediary system.
You will apply the backup to the intermediary system first (represented as sysB), and then to the target
system (represented as sysC).
1. On all systems, go to the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory, and start sp_
cop and sp_ctrl
2. On all systems, verify that the SharePlex processes are running.
sp_ctrl> status
3. On the intermediary and target systems, stop the Post process. This allows replicated data to
accumulate in the post queue until the databases are recovered.
4. sp_ctrl> stop post
5. On the source system, run the Oracle hot backup to the intermediary and target systems.
6. When the backup is finished, activate the configuration on the source system.
7. On the source system, view activation status.
8. When activation is complete, switch log files on the source system.
9. Make a note of the highest archive-log sequence number.

10. On the intermediary system, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CANCEL option
in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has fully applied the log from the
previous step.
11. On the intermediary system, open the database with the RESETLOGS option.
12. On the intermediary system, run Oracle Setup (ora_setup) on the database. When prompted for the
SharePlex database user, enter n to choose the existing user and password (these were copied in
the backup).
13. [Optional] If you are using named post queues and are unsure of the queue names, issue the
qstatus command.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
14. On the intermediary system, issue the reconcile command for each post queue. For seq sequence_
number, substitute the sequence number of the log that you noted previously.
15. On the intermediary system, run the cleanup.sql script to truncate all of the SharePlex internal tables.
Instructions for running this script are in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
16. On the intermediary system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script
so that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
17. On the intermediary system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.
18. On the intermediary system, set the SP_OCT_REPLICATE_POSTER parameter to 1. This directs SharePlex
to capture posted changes on that system and replicate them to the target system.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_OCT_REPLICATE_POSTER 1
IMPORTANT! Do not start any Post processes yet.
20. On the target system, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CANCEL option in the
RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has fully applied the log that you reconciled to in
the previous steps taken on the intermediary system.
22. On the target system, run Oracle Setup (ora_setup) on the database. When prompted for the SharePlex
database user, enter n to choose the existing user and password (these were copied in the backup).
23. On the target system, run the cleanup.sql script to truncate the SharePlex internal tables. Instructions
for running this script are in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
24. On the target system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so that
the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
25. On the target system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.

27. On the intermediary system, activate the configuration file.
28. On the intermediary system, monitor activation status.
29. On the intermediary and target systems, start the Post process. All instances are now in
synchronization, and SharePlex will continue replicating to maintain synchronization.
sp_ctrl> start post
hot backup.
Activate replication with an Oracle hot

backup on a quiet database
Use this procedure to use an Oracle hot backup to establish a target Oracle instance and activate replication if
user activity can be stopped while the procedure is performed. This procedure can be used for all replication
configurations.
Supported databases

All but high-availability. This procedure is not appropriate for a high-availability strategy because it requires
the source database to be quieted while the backup is taken and the configuration file is being activated.
Certain limitations apply:
applies to:
Consolidated To establish consolidated replication, the use of a hot backup from all source systems is not
replication possible. A backup from one source will override the data that was applied by a backup from a
(many different source. You can use a hot backup of one of the source instances to establish a target
sources to
instance, and then use another copy method to apply the objects from the other source
one target)
instances. Possible methods include:
l Export/import (see Activate replication with cold copy/transfer methods)

applies to:
l Transportable tablespaces (see Activate replication with Oracle transportable

tablespaces)
Windows To use a hot backup between Windows systems, the target system must have an instance
systems already created containing an identical ORACLE_SID and directory structure created with the
Oracle creation tools. Oracle runs as a service on Windows, and the Registry entries must exist
before starting the database recovery process. The database can start empty, because the
hot backup will populate it.
Requirements
l Users must stop accessing the production database while the hot backup and configuration activation
take place.
created during SharePlex installation. See the SharePlex Installation Guide for more information.
Procedure
NOTE: If you are not using cascading replication, ignore all references to an intermediary system. For more
information about cascading replication, see Configure replication through an intermediary system.
1. On the source system, complete the Oracle hot backup.

2. On the source system, stop user access to the source database by shutting it down and opening it in
restricted mode.
3. On the source system, switch the redo logs
4. Keep a record of the sequence number of the current log.
5. On all systems, start sp_cop and sp_ctrl from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
6. On all systems, verify that sp_cop and sp_ctrl are running.
sp_ctrl> status
7. On the intermediary and target systems, stop Post. Stopping Post allows replicated data to accumulate
in the post queue until the databases have been recovered.
sp_ctrl> stop post
8. On the source system, activate the configuration file.
9. On the source system, view activation status.

10. When the activation is finished, allow users to resume access to the source database.
11. List the archive logs on the intermediary and target systems. Delete any logs made after the one for
which you made a record.
12. On the intermediary and target systems, recover the database to the log number that you recorded.
Make sure a full recovery is performed.
13. On the intermediary and target systems, open the database.
14. On the intermediary and target systems, run Oracle Setup (ora_setup) for the target instance. When
prompted for the SharePlex database user, enter n to choose the existing user and password (these
were copied in the backup).
Would you like to create a new SharePlex user [y].n
NOTE:SharePlex can remain running during the setup.
15. On the intermediary and target systems, run the cleanup.sql script to truncate the SharePlex internal
tables. Instructions for running this script are in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
16. On the intermediary and target systems, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql
utility script so that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
17. On the intermediary and target systems, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that
perform DML.
replication for any tables, delete the unneeded columns and rows from those tables on the
intermediary and target systems.
19. [Intermediary system only] On the intermediary system, set the SP_OPO_REPLICATE_POSTER
parameter to 1. This directs SharePlex to capture posted changes on that system and replicate them
to the target system.
20. On the intermediary system, activate the configuration file.
21. On the intermediary system, monitor activation status.
22. When activation is finished, start the Post process on the intermediary and target systems. All instances
are now in synchronization, and SharePlex will continue replicating to maintain synchronization.
sp_ctrl> start post
hot backup.

Activate replication with Oracle
transportable tablespaces
Use this procedure to use the Oracle transportable tablespaces feature to establish a target Oracle instance
and activate replication. It enables you to synchronize and resynchronize numerous objects quickly and with
minimal downtime. It allows you to export just the metadata (data dictionary) and then copy the data files. This
method also moves indexes so that there is no need to rebuild them in the target database, and you can move
multiple tablespaces at one time.
NOTE: This document does not provide instructions for how to use transportable tablespaces. This procedure
should be performed by someone who has a solid understanding of database copy methods.
Supported databases

All replication strategies. This procedure may not appropriate for a high-availability strategy if the source
database cannot be quieted even briefly.
Requirements
created when SharePlex is first installed. See the SharePlex Installation Guide for more information.
Naming conventions used

In this procedure, the "source" system is one of the following:
l The source system of a single-direction replication configuration, including cascading replication.

l All source systems of a consolidated replication configuration.
l The trusted source system in a peer-to-peer replication configuration.
In this procedure, the "intermediary" system only needs to be part of this procedure if SharePlex will be
posting to, and capturing from, an intermediary system in a cascading configuration.
In this procedure, the "target" system is one of the following:
l The target system of a single-direction replication configuration, including cascading and consolidated
replication.
l The secondary systems in a peer-to-peer replication configuration.

In this procedure, the SharePlex commands in the procedure apply to all sp_cop instances that apply to the
replication strategy you are using (for example, all sp_cop processes on a target in consolidated replication).
Procedure
1. On the source system, set the source tablespaces that you want to copy to READ ONLY.
svrmgr1> alter tablespace name read only;
3. On the source system, start sp_cop and sp_ctrl from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex
product directory.
4. On the source system, verify that sp_cop and sp_ctrl are running.
sp_ctrl> status
5. On the intermediary and target systems, stop Post. Stopping Post allows replicated data to accumulate
in the post queue until the databases have been recovered.
sp_ctrl> stop post
6. On the source system, export the metadata to an export file.
7. When the export is finished, copy the datafiles to another location on the source system. This minimizes
the impact on the source database of copying the files to the target system.
8. Set the source tablespaces back to read/write mode.
svrmgr1> alter Tablespace name read write;
9. If any of the copied datafiles and tablespaces exist in the intermediary or target database, drop them so
that the copied files can be applied.
10. Copy the files from the new location on the source system to the intermediary and target systems.
11. On the intermediary and target systems, use the Oracle import utility to import the metadata and the
tablespace definitions.
12. On the intermediary and target systems, set the tablespace(s) to read/write mode.
13. On the intermediary and target systems, open the Oracle instances.
perform DML.
17. [Intermediary system only] Set the SP_OPO_REPLICATE_POSTER parameter to 1. This directs SharePlex
18. [Intermediary system only] Activate the configuration file.

19. [High availability] On the target system, stop the Export process.
20. [High availability and peer-to-peer replication] Activate the configuration on the target system(s).
21. Start Post on the intermediary and target systems. SharePlex begins executing the SQL statements that
have been collecting in the post queue, keeping the source and target data in sync.
sp_ctrl> start post
22. [Peer-to-peer replication] Allow users to access the databases on all systems.
Activate replication with cold

copy/transfer methods
Use this procedure to synchronize the source and target data with the following utilities:
l Import/Export/Data Pump
l Store/Restore from tape
l FTP
NOTE: This document does not provide instructions for how to perform the chosen copy method. This
procedure should be performed by someone who has a solid understanding of database copy methods.
Supported databases

All but high-availability. This procedure is not appropriate for a high-availability strategy because it requires
the source database to be quieted while the configuration file is being activated.
Requirements
l Users must stop accessing the production database while the copy and configuration activation
take place.
l The target instance must exist.

l Make certain SharePlex database accounts exist in the source and target databases. This account
usually is created during installation. See the SharePlex Installation Guide for more information.

In this procedure, the "source" system is one of the following:

In this procedure, the "intermediary" system only needs to be part of this procedure if SharePlex will be
posting to, and capturing from, an intermediary system in a cascading configuration.
In this procedure, the "target" system is one of the following:
replication.
Procedure
1. On the source system, stop user access to the objects that are in the replication configuration.
l If deploying consolidated replication, you can either stop access to all of the source systems at
once and make the copies at the same time, or you can synchronize each source system one at a
time using these instructions.
l If deploying peer-to-peer replication, stop access to all databases in the peer group, including
the trusted source.
2. Copy the files from the source system to the intermediary and target systems.
3. On the source system, start sp_cop and sp_ctrl.
4. On the source system, activate the configuration file (all files if using consolidated replication).
5. On the intermediary and target systems, start sp_cop and sp_ctrl.
6. On the intermediary and target systems, stop Post. Stopping Post allows any data that gets replicated
before the target data is established to collect in the post queue.
sp_ctrl> stop post
7. On the source system, allow users to resume access to the source database.
8. On the source system, verify that the sp_cop, Capture, and Read processes are running.
sp_ctrl> status
9. Start and mount the intermediary and target databases, but do not allow users access.

10. On the intermediary and target systems, apply the copy to the database.
perform DML.
14. [Intermediary system only] Set the SP_OPO_REPLICATE_POSTER parameter to 1. This directs SharePlex
15. [Intermediary system only] Activate the configuration file.
16. [Peer-to-peer] Activate the configuration file on the target systems.
17. Start Post on:
l The intermediary system
l The trusted source and all other targets in a peer group
l All other targets
NOTE: SharePlex will start executing SQL statements that accumulated in the post queue.
18. [Peer-to-peer] On the target systems in the peer group, allow users to resume access to the database.

17
Monitor SharePlex
This chapter contains an overview of the tools that SharePlex provides to detect errors and monitor the
replication processes. Like any mission-critical software, SharePlex should be monitored regularly for situations
or events that could interfere with processing, especially those that could result in loss of data
synchronization.
Contents
View and terminate SharePlex processes
View events and errors
Monitor with sp_ctrl commands
Run monitor scripts on Unix
Run a monitor script on Windows
Monitor replication with SNMP
View and terminate SharePlex processes

These instructions show you how to forcefully terminate SharePlex processes in cases where replication must
be shut down immediately. In normal circumstances, follow the shutdown instructions in Run SharePlex on
Unix and Linux and Run SharePlex on Windows
View and terminate processes on Unix and Linux

On Unix and Linux systems, you can use the ps -ef | grep sp_ command to view the SharePlex processes that
are running.
l The sp_cop process is the root process.

l The following child processes are spawned by sp_cop on a source system:
o Command and Control process (sp_cnc)
o Capture (sp_ocap)
o Read (sp_ordr)
o Export (sp_xport)
l The following child processes are spawned by sp_cop on a target system:

1. Command and Control process (sp_cnc)
2. Import (sp_mport)
3. Post (sp_opst_mt if the database is Oracle or sp_xpst if the database is Open Target)
Each child process has the same -u identifier as its parent sp_cop process. This makes it easier to identify
related processes when multiple session of sp_cop are running.
To terminate a SharePlex process on Unix and Linux

$ killPID
Or...
$ kill -9PID
View and terminate SharePlex processes on Windows

On Windows systems, SharePlex is managed by the NuTCRACKER operating environment, rather than the
Windows operating system. However, you can view and terminate SharePlex processes in the normal manner,
as you would other Windows programs.
View SharePlex processes on Windows

You can view the SharePlex processes on Windows systems in the following ways:
l From the Command Prompt console using the tlist program provided with the SharePlex software.
l From the Windows Task Manager.
In the Windows Task Manager, SharePlex appears as Sp_Copsrv.exe, representing the SharePlex sp_cop
process. The operating system controls the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe service. The parent Sp_Copsrv.exe process
spawns child Sp_Copsrv.exe processes one for each replication process (Capture, Read, Export, Import, Post,
sp_ctrl, and so forth.).
For a standard uni-directional configuration replicating through default queues to one target system, there are
following processes on a Windows system:

l One Sp_Ocap (Capture) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Ordr (Read) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Xport (Export) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
On the target system:

l One Sp_Mport (Import) process plus one child Sp_Copsrv.exe process.
l One Sp_Opst_Mt (Oracle Post) or Sp_Xpst (Open Target Post) process plus one child Sp_
Copsrv.exe process.

If there are no active replication configurations, the SharePlex processes do not start when you start the
service, and just the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe will be running.
To identify the parent Sp_Copsrv.exe process in the Windows Task Manager, look for the one that is using the
largest amount of memory. The child Sp_Copsrv.exe processes consume less memory than the parent process.
To identify which replication process is associated with a child Sp_Copsrv.exe process, look in the SharePlex
Event Log for the message stating when the replication process started. This entry provides the PID for that
process and the PID of the associated Sp_copsvr.exe process.
Terminate SharePlex processes on Windows

You can terminate SharePlex processes on Windows systems as follows:
l Windows Task Manager: Terminate one SharePlex process at a time

l KillSharePlex.bat: Terminate all SharePlex processes at once with a batch file.
To terminate a process with Task Manager

1. Press Control | Alt |Delete.
2. Select Start Task Manager or Task Manager, depending on your Windows version.
3. Select the Processes tab.
4. (Optional) Sort the processes by name.
5. Select the process that you want to kill.
6. Click End Process.
To terminate all processes with KillSharePlex.bat

Run KillSharePlex.bat from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
NOTE: This tool terminates all SharePlex processes without displaying them. There are no user prompts or
confirmation messages.
View events and errors

SharePlex reports errors and other abnormal conditions in the following ways.
Event Log
SharePlex reports operational errors, notices and warning conditions to the Event Log. This log provides a
perpetual step-by-step record of replication activities, errors, and events. The Event Log can help you replay
the sequence of events that led up to a problem.
Examples of replication events include:
l Start or stop of sp_cop or a replication process

l Execution of a command in sp_ctrl. User-issued commands are recorded for every SharePlex command

that is issued.
NOTE: A user-issued command appears in the Event Log as a notice, as in the following example:
Notice 08-07-02 16:13:24.641582 23696 1 User command: rjones activate
config 1route (from mycomp14)
l Oracle errors
l Failure of a network connection or SharePlex process
l Start or stop of a utility or script
l Login or logout of a user
Each entry in the Event Log includes:
l The date and time of the event.

l A description of the event and any related messages (error or non-error).
l The events process ID number, if it is associated with a SharePlex process.
To view the Event Log

Use the show log command in sp_ctrl or open the file named event_log in the log sub-directory of the
SharePlex variable-data directory.
SharePlex provides a script for unattended monitoring of this log. See Monitor events with sp_eventmon.
Status Database
The Status Database contains a summary of the conditions reported in the Event Log, including events that did
not generate an error message or warning at the sp_ctrl user interface. This information alerts you to potential
problems and helps you resolve existing ones. The Status Database may refer you to the Event Log for a more
detailed explanation of a warning, notice or event.
To view the Status Database

Use the show statusdb command in sp_ctrl or open the file in the data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-
data directory.
Error Log
When the Post process detects that source and target tables are out of synchronization, it logs the first 100 SQL
statements and data for the out-of-sync transactions to an error file on the target system. You can use this log
to determine the extent of the out-of-sync condition, and you can use the SQL statements to repair target
tables if the condition is not too severe, after first correcting the cause of the problem.
To view the Error Log

Open the ID_errlog.sql file in the log sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory (where ID is the
identifier of the SharePlex target, for example a target database).
Process logs
When a SharePlex process cannot process a record, the process not only logs the record to the Event Log, but
also to its process log file. The process logs are primarily for use in debugging.
The name of a process log consists of the datasource identifier (such as the ORACLE_SID), the short name of the
process (such as ocap, ord, opo, rcl), the file number, and the file extension (.log).
Examples:

Capture: ora10_ocap02.log
Read: ora10_ord01.log
Post: ora10_opo03.log
Reconcile: ora10_rcl01.log
The aging of old log files is performed in a circular pattern. The numbering begins with 01 and ends with 03. Up
to three logs can exist at any time, including the current one. When all three logs are full (50 MB), the process
starts overwriting them, beginning with the oldest one.
To view a process log

Open the file in the log sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory.
Activation log
When you activate a configuration, it generates a log.
To view the activation log

Open the file named SID_oconf##.log in the log sub-directory of the SharePlex variable data directory.
Compare/repair log
The compare and repair commands log errors, messages and warnings to a log. For more information about
these logs, see the compare commands in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Monitor with sp_ctrl commands

The information commands in sp_ctrl help you monitor different aspects of replication. Issue them
frequently to:
l Monitor for out-of-sync tables.

l Verify that replication processes are running.
l View the number of replicated messages in the queues.
l View the Event Log to view warnings, errors and other notifications.
l View process statistics that are helpful for tuning and problem solving.
l Detect tables or operations that are slowing down the replication process.
List of information commands
Command Auth. level Supported targets Description
append status 3 Oracle Displays status and results of the append

using and append commands.
copy status 3 Oracle Displays status and results of the copy using
and copy commands.
compare status 3 Oracle Displays the status and results of the compare
using and compare commands.

Command Auth. level Supported targets Description
lstatus 3 All Displays detailed information about the state

of SharePlex replication.
job status 3 Oracle Displays current status and history for
append, compare, copy and repair
commands.
orainfo 3 Oracle Displays the Oracle database information.
qstatus 3 All Displays the state of the capture, export and
post queues.
repair status 2 Oracle Disaplys the status and results of the repair
and repair using commands.
report 3 Oracle Displays append, compare, copy and/or
repair history for a table.
show 3 All Displays the source and destination of the
data being processed by each replication
process on a system, and displays the status of
each process.
show activate 3 All Displays the status of all configuration
activation activity on a source system.
show capture 3 All Displays brief or detailed statistics for the
Capture process for use in tuning and problem
solving.
show config 3 All Displays properties of the active
configuration.
show export 3 All Displays the number of messages sent to the
target system(s).
show import 3 All Displays the number of messages received
from the source system(s).
show log 3 All Displays the Even Log, Command Log, Verify
Log, Trace Log, or a process log.
show post 3 All Displays brief or detailed statistics for the
Post process for use in tuning and problem
solving.
show read 3 All Displays brief or detailed statistics for the
Read process for use in tuning and problem
solving.
show sql 3 All Displays the current or last SQL statement
processed by the Post process.
show statusdb 3 All Displays the Status Database, which contains
records of important replication events.
show sync 3 All Displays information about out-of-sync
conditions.
status 3 All Displays an overview of the state of SharePlex
replication.
See the SharePlex Reference Guide for details about these commads.

Run monitor scripts on Unix
The SharePlex monitoring scripts notify you of events and conditions that can adversely affect replication on
Unix or Linux systems. These scripts provide a monitoring mechanism without the need for frequent status
checks through sp_ctrl. They can be run independently or through scheduled jobs.
SharePlex provides the following scripts:
l sp_eventmon monitors the SharePlex Event Log and reports errors that you specify in a special file.
l sp_logmon monitors how well Capture is keeping pace with the changes entering the redo logs. If
Capture loses pace by a specified number of logs, sp_logmon alerts you before the logs wrap so that you
can take corrective action.
l sp_ps monitors the SharePlex processes and notifies you if one or more are stopped so that you can
correct the problem before the logs wrap or the queues exceed available disk space.
l sp_qstatmon monitors the status of the SharePlex queues and sends a warning if the backlog exceeds a
threshold (limit) that you define. This enables you to take corrective action before the queues exceed
available disk space and replication is adversely affected.
IMPORTANT!
l These scripts run on Unix or Linux systems only.

l The monitoring scripts are overwritten with new scripts during patches and upgrades of SharePlex.
Before you install the patch or upgrade, rename your existing scripts so that your customizing is
retained. After applying the patches, update the new scripts with your customizing. Do not rename the
existing scripts to replace the updated scripts, or you could lose important improvements or fixes.
Requirements for using the monitoring scripts

l These scripts must be run in the ksh shell.
l All monitoring scripts must remain in the directory where they were installed. All but sp_ps are in the
.app-modules directory of the SharePlex installation directory. The sp_ps script is in the util directory
of the installation directory.
l The scripts must be customized to reflect your environment, such as the type of e-mail or the
paging available.
l To use the monitoring scripts, start sp_cop with the -uname name option, where name can be an
identifier of your choice. Suggestions are:
l the SharePlex port number
l the ORACLE_SID of the instance for which replication is being monitored
l the SharePlex Administrators name
l SharePlex must be running prior to executing a monitoring script.
l Verify the ORACLE_HOME (the path to the ORACLE_HOME directory) for each Oracle instance
being monitored.
l The monitoring scripts make use of sp_ctrl commands. Before you use the scripts, make a link in the util
sub-directory to the sp_ctrl binary in the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory. Do not
copy the binary itself, because that makes it difficult to maintain patches to sp_ctrl.

l Users of the monitoring utilities must have the following rights:
l Local access to sp_ctrl and permission to run the script on the system on which the sp_cop to be
monitored is running.
l Korn (ksh) shell access and ps permission from the Unix or Linux command line.
l Read, write and execute permissions to the directory where the scripts reside.
l The permission on the iwgrep utility must be 755.
l The monitoring utilities use the mailx program to send e-mail notifications. Before using a script, make
sure mailx is configured to send e-mail on all systems where the monitoring scripts will be deployed.
l Paging requires that your service provider supports receiving e-mails on your paging device.
l To kill any of the processes generated by these scripts, use the kill -9 command. The kill command
alone does not kill all of the processes.
Monitor capture with sp_logmon

The sp_logmon monitoring script helps prevent situations where you must resynchronize your data because
the redo logs wrapped before Capture was finished reading them. It monitors the redo log group to which
Oracle currently is writing and determines which log SharePlex is reading.
If Capture loses pace by a specified number of logs, sp_logmon generates a warning in the logmon.log file and
in an e-mail message, if that option is enabled. This gives you time to correct the cause of the delay and restore
the archive logs, if necessary.
Prepare to run sp_logmon

Before running the script, perform the following tasks.
Satisfy requirements
See the requirements in Requirements for using the monitoring scripts for usage requirements. NOTE:The
script must be run in the ksh shell.
Define email addresses

To use the e-mail notification feature, define the e-mail address(es) in the script before running it.
1. Open the script in the app-modules directory of the SharePlex product directory.
2. Add any number of address strings after the MailUserName= variable. Use the full e-mail and/or pager
address. Separate multiple entries with a comma, as shown in the following example:
[email protected],[email protected]
IMPORTANT! If the person modifying the script is someone other than a SharePlex user, he or she needs to have
these Oracle privileges:
l CONNECT privileges
l SELECT privileges for the V$LOG table
l SELECT privileges for the SharePlex internal tables

Run sp_logmon
Run the script from the util sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory, not from app-modules. When you
run it from the util directory, you actually make a soft link that runs a utility which first sets up the correct
environment before running the script itself.
Syntax
nohup sp_logmon -p port -t interval -l integer [-m ] [/dev/null] &
Table 16: Required arguments
nohup sp_logmon Directs the script to continue running in the background if the user logs out. This
ensures continuous monitoring. The sp_logmon component runs the script.
-p port Sets the port number for the instance of sp_cop that you are monitoring. You can
monitor different SharePlex instances by running sp_logmon for each one, using
different values for this argument.
-t interval Sets the time interval between scans in seconds. The value can be any positive
integer.
-l integer Sets the maximum permissible number of redo logs between where Oracle is
writing and where Capture is reading. This value triggers the warning generated
by sp_logmon. Valid values are positive integers from 1 to the number of redo
logs in the group.
& Runs the script in the background.
Table 17: Optional arguments
/dev/null Redirects the notification output to the /dev/null device on the local system so
that the monitoring process continues to run in the background and generate
output. To have the output appear on screen, omit this argument.
-m Enables the e-mail/paging option. Without this parameter, sp_logmon only logs
errors to the log file.
Monitor events with sp_eventmon

The sp_eventmon monitoring script monitors the SharePlex Event Log (event_log) at set intervals for entries
relating to key replication events. You can define the scan interval and the error messages you want the script
to detect. Each scan starts where the previous one stopped to keep the impact on the system minimal and
prevent duplicate warnings.
The sp_eventmon script takes the following actions after each scan of the Event Log:
l When sp_eventmon detects an error that you defined, it prints a notification to the error.splex log file
and an e-mail message, if that option is enabled.

l It logs each error, the error Event Log line number of the error, the sp_cop instance name (typically
the port number), and the time and date of the error.
The script relies on the iwgrep program, the error_list file (described later), and a marker file named
username.mrk (where username is derived from the string that you enter with the -s argument when you
run sp_eventmon). These three components must be kept in the same directory as the script, or it will
not function.
NOTE: The username.mrk file prevents duplicate warning messages from being sent to the log and to your e-
mail or pager. Without this file, the script starts scanning the Event Log from the beginning every time it starts.
Warnings that were previously generated are sent again.
Prepare to run sp_eventmon

Define error messages

The sp_eventmon script scans for events listed in the error_list file, located in the util sub-directory of the
SharePlex product directory. View that file for more information about the supported errors. You can add
custom error strings to the error_list file by editing it in any ASCII text editor. Open the file and place each
error string on a separate line.
Set IW_HOME
The IW_HOME variable in the script must be set to the correct value on each machine. This variable must point
to the directory in which the monitoring scripts and iwgrep reside.
If the path is not correct:
2. Set the path as shown in the following example:
IW_HOME=/export/home/splex/monscripts
Define e-mail addresses

Run sp_eventmon
NOTES:

l If you are running multiple instances of sp_eventmon, each instance must be run under the name of a
different operating system user. Each username.mrk file will have a different username.
l Use the truncate log command in sp_ctrl to truncate the Event Log frequently when you are running
the sp_eventmon script. If the log grows too large, the iwgrep program cannot grep from it properly.
When you issue the truncate log command, remove the username.mrk file. The next time you run sp_
eventmon it will create a new file. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about the
truncate log command.
l When there is an existing Event Log with errors in it and the script is running, issue the truncate
log command and then delete the sp_cop_name.mrk file, where sp_cop_name is the value used in
the -s argument when the script was run. This file is in the util sub-directory of the SharePlex
product directory.
To run sp_eventmon
Syntax
nohup sp_eventmon -s 'sp_copname' -t interval -p path [-n name ] [-m] /dev/null &
nohup sp_eventmon Directs the script to continue running in the background if the user logs out.
This ensures continuous monitoring. The sp_eventmon component runs the
script.
-s 'sp_copname' Sets the name of sp_cop that was used when sp_cop was started with the -u
option. The name of sp_cop must be enclosed within single quote marks. You
can use this parameter more than once to monitor multiple sp_cop instances on
a system. Without this parameter, sp_eventmon will not start.
-t interval Sets the time interval between scans in seconds. The value can be any positive
integer.
Table 19: Optional Components
-p path Sets the path to the

SharePlex variable-data
directory. Without this
variable, sp_eventmon
assumes the default path.
/dev/null Redirects the notification
output to the /dev/null
device on the local system
so that the monitoring
process continues to run in
the background and
generate output. To have

the output appear on

screen, omit this argument.
-n name Sets the name of the Event
Log if it is something other
than the default name
event_log.
-m Enables the e-mail/paging
option. Without this option,
sp_eventmon only logs
errors to the log file.
Monitor processes with sp_ps

The sp_ps monitoring utility monitors all SharePlex processes, including child processes, associated with a
specified sp_cop instance. It scans the processes at regular intervals and reports abnormal conditions to one or
more log files. It can monitor multiple installations of SharePlex on one or more systems, and it supports uni-
directional and bi-directional (peer-to-peer) configurations.
Prepare to run sp_ps

See Requirements for using the monitoring scripts for usage requirements. NOTE:The script must be run in
the ksh shell.
Set the scan interval

The scan interval specifies how long the sp_ps program waits between checks. The default is 2,000 seconds. To
specify a different scan interval, follow these steps.
1. Open the sp_ps file in the app-modules directory of the SharePlex product directory.
2. Set the interval= parameter to the required scan interval. Use any positive integer, for example:
interval=1500

1. Open the script in the util directory of the SharePlex product directory.
NOTE: The e-mail/paging option is enabled by default for sp_ps, but confirm that it was not changed. In the
script, MAILOPTION=TRUE enables e-mail notifications and MAILOPTION=FALSE disables them.

Run sp_ps
Run the script from the util sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory.
Syntax
nohup sp_ps ['sp_cop -u name'] CONFIGURATION [> /dev/null] [ &]
nohup sp_ps Directs the script to continue running in the background if the user logs out.
This ensures continuous monitoring. The sp_ps component runs the script.
'sp_cop -u name' Use this parameter if you are running more than one sp_cop process. Use it to
specify each one of those processes that you want to monitor. This argument
must reflect exactly the same name that was used when sp_cop was started
with the -u option. It must be enclosed within single quote marks.Without the -
uname option, sp_ps assumes you want to monitor the sp_cop that uses the
default SharePlex port of 2100.
CONFIGURATION Specifies the type of configuration of the SharePlex instance being monitored.
This value must be entered in CAPITAL letters. Valid values:
SOURCE Use for uni-directional replication to monitor the Capture, Read and
Export processes on the source system.
TARGET Use for uni-directional replication to monitor the Import and Post
processes on the target system.
MULTI-SOURCE Use for peer-to-peer replication. It directs the script to
monitor the Capture, Read, Export, Import and Post processes on each system.
NOTE:If replicating between source and target tables on the same system,
there are no Export or Import processes.
> /dev/null Redirects the notification output to the /dev/null device on the local system
so that the monitoring process can continue to run in the background and
generate output. To have the output appear on screen, omit this argument
& (Ampersand) Runs the script in the background.
Monitor queues with sp_qstatmon

The sp_qstatmon script monitors the status of the capture and post queues for message backlogs. You can
configure the script to alert you if the number of messages in a queue exceeds a defined threshold (limit),
indicating that there is a potential data, system or network problem. This gives you time to correct the
problem before the queues exceed their allocated space on the filesystem.
After each analysis of the queues, the sp_qstatmon script prints a notice in the capstat.log file for the capture
queue or the poststat.log file for the post queue, as well as an e-mail message if that option is enabled.
Prepare to run sp_qstatmon


Assign permission to create temporary files

The script creates some temporary files in the util sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory. Assign
write permission to that directory to the sp_qstatmon module.

To execute sp_qstatmon with e-mail notification, you must first must define the e-mail address(es) in the
script. Notification messages are sent to all addresses coded in the script. Unless email notification is enabled,
sp_qstatmon only logs errors to the log file.
You can specify as many addresses as you want.
1. Open the sp_qstatmon script in any ASCII text editor. The script is in the .app-modules directory in the
SharePlex installation directory.
2. Add the address strings after the MailUserName= variable. Use the full e-mail and/or pager address.
Separate multiple entries with a comma, as shown in the following example.
[email protected], [email protected]
Run sp_qstatmon
Syntax
nohup sp_qstatmon -v path -t n -p port_number [-c integer ] [-d integer ] [-m] > /dev/null &
nohup sp_qstatmon Directs the script to continue running in the background if the user logs out. This
ensures continuous monitoring. The sp_qstatmon component runs the script.
-v path Sets the path to the SharePlex variable data directory for the instance of sp_cop
that you want to monitor. Without this variable, sp_qstatmon fails and prints an
error message requesting a valid path.
-t n Sets the time interval between scans in seconds. This value can be any positive
integer.
-p port Sets the port number for the instance of sp_cop that you are monitoring. You can
monitor different SharePlex instances by running sp_qstatmon for each one,
using different values for this argument.

Table 22: Optional arguments
/dev/null Redirects the notification output to the /dev/null device on the local system so
that the monitoring process continues to run in the background and generate
output. To have the output appear on screen, omit this argument.
-c integer Sets the number of messages in the capture queue at which the script issues a
warning message. This value can be any positive integer. Without this
parameter, sp_qstatmon defaults to 100 messages.
-d integer Sets the number of messages in the post queue at which the script issues a
warning message. This value can be any positive integer. Without this
parameter, sp_qstatmon defaults to 100 messages.
-m Enables the e-mail/paging option. Without this parameter, sp_qstatmon only
logs errors to the log file.
Run a monitor script on Windows

SharePlex provides the Sp_Nt_Mon script for monitoring processing Windows systems. Sp_Nt_Mon runs in the
background to monitor SharePlex and notify you of events and conditions that can adversely affect replication.
This script provides a monitoring mechanism without the need for frequent status checks through sp_ctrl.
IMPORTANT! Do not rename this script.
The Sp_Nt_Mon script detects and reports the following conditions by email:
l The status of the Capture, Read, Export, Import, Post, and Sp_Copsrv.exe processes.
l The volume of the capture and post queues.
l Latency between redo logs being processed by Oracle and by SharePlex.
l Specific messages in the Event Log (described later in this topic)
To configure and run Sp_Nt_Mon

1. Run the SpClient utility from the SharePlex programs group.
2. On the SpClient toolbar, click the SpMonitor button.
3. Select the port number of the instance of SharePlex that you want to monitor, then click
Configure Monitor.
4. Refer to the following table to modify the properties in the sp_nt_mon.txt file. Sp_Nt_Mon reads input
from this file. To make comments in this file, start each comment line with the # symbol.
Property Default Value Description
Time Interval 60 seconds Sets a time interval, in seconds, between monitoring polls.
Send Email 1 (enabled) Enables or disables email alerts. Email is the only reporting option.
alert
0 = disabled
1 = enabled

SMTP Server none Specifies the name of the SMTP server for the e-mail account.
Name
Email Address none Specifies one or more email addresses that will receive monitor
notifications. Separate each email address with a space, for
example:
Email Address: [email protected]
[email protected]
Cop 0 (do not Specifies processes to monitor. A value of 1 enables monitoring

monitor) and must be set for each process that you want to monitor. For
Capture
example, to monitor Capture and Export, set the properties as
Read follows:
Export Cop: 0
Import Capture: 1
Post Read: 0
Export: 1
Import: 0
Post: 0
Capture 0 (do not Sets the maximum number of messages that a queue can contain
Threshold monitor) before an alert message is triggered.
Post Threshold Set a positive numeric value for each queue that you want to
monitor. Set a value that is well below the amount of disk space
that is allocated to this queue. This gives you enough time to add
disk space or resolve any problems that are causing a backlog.
Monitor the 0 (do not Enables or disables the monitoring of supported Event Log
Event Log monitor) messages.
0 = disabled
1 = enabled
The following messages are monitored:
SharePlex was shutdown
System call error
Queue partition is full
Host is down
Internal error
Out of sync
Poster failure
Parameter was changed Activate config

Deactivate config
Bad config file
sp_cop was shutdown
Child process failed
Error
ORA-error number errors
Monitor Redo 0 (do not Enables or disables the monitoring of Capture latency, which is
Logs monitor) the number of redo logs that Oracle has processed ahead of
SharePlex in the redo stream.
0 = disabled
1 = enabled
Redo Threshold 2 logs Sets a value for the maximum permissible number of logs for
Oracle to be ahead of SharePlex in the redo stream. When the
value is reached, an alert is triggered. Use when Monitor Redo
Logs is enabled.
5. Click Start to run the script. The script starts and the word Start becomes Stop. The script runs
continuously to monitor SharePlex until you click Stop.
Monitor replication with SNMP

SharePlex provides agent support for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) on all Unix, Linux, and
Windows platforms supported by SharePlex replication.
NOTE: SharePlex provides only agent support for SNMP. It only sends SNMP traps. SharePlex does not
provide an SNMP signal daemon (SNMP manager) to intercept the traps. Use the SharePlex SNMP feature
only if you have a Network Management Station (NMS) to manage SNMP signals. The SharePlex SNMP
agent is named snmptrap and is installed with SharePlex in the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex
product directory. Do not run this program.
Enable SNMP
To enable SNMP monitoring of SharePlex replication, set the SP_SLG_SNMP_ACTIVE parameter to 1. By default,
the parameter is set to 0 (disabled).
Configure the SNMP agent

The following parameters configure the SNMP agent to communicate with the NMS. Each parameter must have
a value if the SP_SLG_SNMP_ACTIVE parameter is enabled.

Parameter Value
SP_SLG_SNMP_HOST The name of the system (host) to which the traps will be sent
SP_SLG_SNMP_COMMUNITY The community security string
SP_SLG_SNMP_MJR_ERRNUM The major error number to be used by the traps
SP_SLG_SNMP_MNR_ERRNUM The minor error number to be used by the traps
Custom MIB parameters

The following parameters specify required information for a custom MIB.
Parameter Value
SP_SLG_SNMP_ENTERPRISE_ The enterprise object identifier to send with the trap. The default is
OID 1.3.6.1.4.1.3.1.1 .
SP_SLG_SNMP_TRAP_OID A custom object identifier to bind to the trap. The default is 1.3.6.1.2.1.1.1.0.
SP_SLG_SNMP_TRAP_ The name of the trap program. The default is iwsnmptrap.
PROGRAM
Configure the SNMP traps

The following parameters configure the SNMP agent to send traps for specific replication events. The message
or error text for the event is included in the trap and is the same error that appears in the Event Log.
To enable an SNMP trap for an event, set the corresponding parameter to a value of 1. By default all traps are
disabled (parameter value of 0).
Parameter SharePlex Event
SP_SLG_SNMP_INT_ERROR SharePlex logic errors and errors that cause processes to exit
SP_SLG_SNMP_SYS_ERROR System-related errors encountered by SharePlex
SP_SLG_SNMP_ERROR Other SharePlex errors
SP_SLG_SNMP_OUT_OF_SYNC Replication is out of synchronization
SP_SLG_SNMP_STARTUP SharePlex starts up
SP_SLG_SNMP_SHUTDOWN SharePlex shuts down
SP_SLG_SNMP_LAUNCH A SharePlex process starts

SP_SLG_SNMP_EXIT A SharePlex process stops

18
Prevent and solve replication problems
This section contains solutions to many of the common questions and problems that can arise during replication,
and it also suggests preventive measures for avoiding problems.
Contents
Find the solution in the SharePlex Knowledge Base
Solve Oracle setup problems
Solve configuration file problems
Solve activation problems
Solve replication problems
Solve DDL replication problems
Solving queue problems
Solve Synchronization Problems
Solve compare command errors
Solve other replication problems
How to resynchronize source and target tables
How to restore the archive logs
How to release semaphores after process failure
How to resolve disk space shortage
How to find the ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME
Find the solution in the SharePlex

Knowledge Base
If the issue you are experiencing is not listed in this documentation, search the SharePlex Knowledge Base at:
https://support.software.dell.com/shareplex/kb
This site provides filtering options and links to other resources that can help you use and troubleshoot
SharePlex.

Solve Oracle setup problems
This section helps you diagnose problems that are associated with the database account and connection
information that was created for SharePlex when SharePlex was installed on the system.
SharePlex.
Problem Description Solution
Incorrect If SharePlex cannot interact with Oracle, it 1. See How to find the ORACLE_SID and
ORACLE_SID might be using the wrong ORACLE_SID ORACLE_HOME to determine the
and/or ORACLE_ and/or ORACLE_HOME. Oracle values.
HOME
2. Rerun the Oracle Setup (ora_setup)
program.See the SharePlex
Installation Guide for more
information.
Insufficient If Oracle Setup fails, the person who runs it See the SharePlex Installation Guide for
database may not have the correct privileges the required privileges.
privileges
Asterisk as the Sometimes, the oratab file has an * Ensure that a valid ORACLE_SID is in the
ORACLE_SID (asterisk) symbol instead of a value for the oratab file, and then try running the setup
entry ORACLE_SID. program again.
Solve configuration file problems

This section reviews problems and solutions associated with the management of configuration files. See also
Solve activation problems.
SharePlex.
A configuration was accidentally deleted

You might be able to recover an accidentally deleted configuration if that configuration was previously active
and you did not run ora_cleansp since it was activated.
Solution: View the Event Log to determine the activation ID for that configuration file, then look in the save
sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory for a .conf.actid file, where actid is the activation ID you
got from the Event Log.

Solve configuration file errors
Error message Description Solution
The parameter for The name you gave this Use a different name. To see a list of
create config must configuration already exists for configurations on a system, use the list
be a new file name. another configuration file. config command.
or... Destination
file exists - file
must not exist prior
to operation.
Couldnt fork editor. SharePlex failed to open the Make sure the editor still exists on the
or Editor execution default text editor. system. The default editors are vi on
failed. Unix and Linux and WordPad on
Windows. To change the default text
editor, see Set a default editor for sp_
ctrl .
Destination file The name you specified when Use a different name. To see a list of
exists - file must copying the configuration file configurations on a system, use the list
not exist prior to already exists in this SharePlex config command.
operation. instance.
Problems in reading The edit config command could not Confirm the name of the file you are
or writing file used open the specified file. trying to edit, including the case, and
in edit -- command check to see if the file is corrupted.
aborted.
Edit config file is SharePlex does not allow editing of 1. Copy the configuration using the
not allowed for an an active configuration. copy config command.
active config file.
2. Edit the copy using the edit
config command.
3. Activate the new configuration
file.
Destination file The new name you are giving this Use a different name. To see a list of
exists - file must configuration already exists for configurations on a system, use the list
not exist prior to another file. config command.
operation.
Invalid file name You could have misspelled the Verify the name and spelling, including
passed to command. configuration name or used the the case, then enter it again. To see a
or File does not wrong case. list of configurations on a system, use
exist. the list config command.
File access denied - You are not authorized to issue the View your authorization level with the
check file command. authlevel command in sp_ctrl , then
permissions. view the reference documentation for
the command to determine its minimum
authorization level. The SharePlex
Administrator assigns authorization
levels.


Solve activation problems
This section reviews problems and solutions that may be associated with the activation of a configuration file.
SharePlex.
NOTE: Many configuration problems can be prevented by using the verify config command in sp_ctrl before
you activate a configuration or reactivate one containing new or changed objects. The verify config command
reviews the configuration to help ensure that basic requirements for activation and replication have been
satisfied. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information.
SharePlex cannot locate the configuration file

If SharePlex cannot locate the configuration file that you want to activate, verify its location. Configuration
files must reside in the config sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory for activation to
succeed. The create config command in sp_ctrl automatically puts configuration files in that directory. It is
possible someone moved it.
Problems also occur if the configuration file was created without using the create config command. This can
happen if the file was created directly through the operating system or if the config.sql or build_config.sql
script was used to create it. If the working directory at the time was not the config sub-directory, or if the file
was saved to a different directory, the activation will not find it.
Solution: Move the configuration file to the config sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory.
Some objects failed to activate

If SharePlex cannot activate one or more tables, it will continue to activate the other ones and display the
names of the ones that failed in the ID_oconf##.log file or in the show activate command display.
The following are reasons why individual objects fail to activate.
SharePlex If activation cannot lock the tables in the Assign the SharePlex database user the
cannot configuration file, activation of that table will privilege to lock tables.
lock tables fail.
Invalid You may be trying to replicate objects that are To understand the objects and operations that
objects not supported by SharePlex. SharePlex supports, see the Release Notes
that accompany this release.
Invalid SharePlex could not get routing information. Verify the names of the targets, and fix any
target syntax errors in the routing map. See Routing
systems specifications in a configuration file. Then
activate the affected objects again
Syntax Misspelled names, table names specified Run the verify config command to view the
errors and errors. For help with configuration syntax, see

misspelled without an owner name, and other improper Create configuration files.
words syntax in the configuration specification can
cause activation of an object to fail.
Activation failed completely

There are several things can cause the entire activation of a configuration to fail. Common error messages for
configuration activation problems are:
Bad configuration file
The Oracle sid SID specified in the config file is invalid.
The following are causes and solutions for activation failures.
Incorrect The wrong ORACLE_SIDis specified on the Edit the configuration file to specify the
ORACLE_SID Datasource:o.SID line. correct ORACLE_SID. See How to find the
ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME if needed.
Oracle If SharePlex is having trouble connecting to Update the connection information. See
password Oracle and you know the account exists, find out Change the SharePlex database account.
problems if someone changed the password.
Insufficient If Oracle Error 20 (ORA-00020 maximum number Increase the PROCESSES parameter in
PROCESSES of processes (string) exceeded) is the Oracle or decrease the number of
setting cause of an activation failure, it is because activation threads that you are using. The
number of threads is controlled by the
Oracle ran out of resources on the source system
threads option of the activate config
to allow one or more threads to log on. command.
ORA-00942: SharePlex cannot access the Data Dictionary. Make certain that the O7_DICTIONARY_
table or ACCESSIBILITY parameter in the init.ora
view does file is set to TRUE. (This is the default.) The
database must be restarted if the
not exist.
parameter is changed.
Deactivation In rare cases, if you activate a configuration too Before you activate a new configuration
followed too soon after a deactivation, the activation fails. after deactivating one, wait until you see
closely by the following message in the Event Log:
activation Notice: sp_ordr (for o.ora10
queue o.ora10) Deactivated.
Activation takes too long

If the source tables are being accessed by users during activation, SharePlex might have to wait to obtain the
locks it needs.
Solution: Use the show activate command to view the activation status of each table. If SharePlex is waiting for
a lock on a table, the command output displays a message alerting you. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for
more information about the show activate command.

The reconcile command is slow to complete
If you issue the reconcile command when source database activity is low, the command process can, in some
circumstances, seem to stall. This happens because the reconcile command is dependent on data continuing
to arrive from the source system. If there is no replicated activity on the source system after the point of the
hot backup or copy, the reconcile process waits until source activity resumes. This is normal.
Common activation errors

The following are common error messages that you might encounter when activating a configuration.
ACTIVATE CONFIG error Cause Solution

messages
No datasource keyword at The datasource specification is Specify as:

the beginning of the wrong or incomplete.
Datasource:o.SID
configuration file.
The Oracle sid SID Either the datasource See How to find the ORACLE_SID and
specified in the config specification in the configuration ORACLE_HOME
file is invalid. file was entered incorrectly, or
To determine whether there is a
one of the following is the cause.
SharePlex account, query the
l A database account does database for tables that start with
not exist for SharePlex. SHAREPLEX_.
l SharePlex cannot get

Oracle environment
information.
Objectname may not be The object is probably one of the Remove the object from the
replicated because it's types of objects that SharePlex configuration file.
neither a table or a does not replicate.
sequence. Sp_conf exit.
line n, source object name The owner name may be missing Specify object names as
(T_HFL_1) not of form from one or more objects listed in ownername.objectname.
OWNER.TABLE the configuration file.
syntax error in line n. There is a syntax error on the Fix the incorrect syntax. See Create
specified line of the configuration configuration files for help.
file.
line n, bad routing spec There is a syntax error in the Make sure the routing map is
(o.ora10) routing map. written correctly, for example
[email protected]. See Routing
specifications in a configuration
file for help.
File does not exist. SharePlex cannot find the Issue the list config command. If
configuration file. the file you want to activate is not
listed, it may not be in the config
sub-directory of the variable-data
directory. Find the file and move it
to that directory, then issue the
activate config command again.

ACTIVATE CONFIG error Cause Solution
messages
Attempt to run sp_conf The configuration is already in the None required.

when sp_conf is already process of being activated.
active
Login parameters not A SharePlex account and internal Run the database setup program.
set... tables do not exist in the source For more information, see the
database. SharePlex Installation Guide .
Currently involved in Objects in the configuration file SharePlex cannot lock the tables to
transaction. are locked. analyze them if another process has
them locked. If the locks are from
source transaction activity, try
activating at a time when the
database is less busy.
WARNING, not all objects One or more tables failed to See Some objects failed to activate
activated successfully. activate. for possible solutions.
Check activation log.
Deactivate/flush a You are attempting to deactivate No action is necessary if this is the
nonactive datasource a configuration that is not active. configuration that you wanted to
deactivate. To see a list of
configurations, use the list config
command.
Solve replication problems

This section reviews common problems that you could encounter while data is being replicated.
SharePlex.
Replication is too slow

Many factors can cause replication to be slow with higher latency than expected. The following are common
causes and solutions.
Excessive Excessive chaining reduces the Reorganize chained tables.

chaining performance of the source database
because Oracle must read multiple blocks
for a single row. Excessive chaining
reduces Post performance on the target
system because block fragmentation in
the database decreases the speed at
which Post can apply SQL statements.

Ineffective Capture reads archive logs if the redo logs See Set up Oracle redo logging to support
redo log wrap before Capture is finished with SharePlex for more information.
configuration them, but this can slow down replication
and consume disk space. In most cases,
the redo logs should be configured so that
SharePlex can avoid using the archive logs.
SharePlex If Capture, Read, or both slow down during Ideally, the SharePlex priority should match
has low hot backups or other Oracle-intensive Oracle's priority.
process operations, view the process-priority
priority
settings on the system to determine if
SharePlex can be assigned more
resources.
Keys are not If PK/UK logging is not enabled for the Enable PK/UK logging.
being logged tables in replication, SharePlex must
query the database to get the key values
for update and delete operations.
Network Network factors can cause data to transfer Make certain that all Export and Import
problems to a target system too slowly, or not at all. processes are running, and ask the network
administrator to check the network for causes
of slowdowns.
Parameter Some SharePlex parameters, when To determine if any parameter settings are
settings changed from their default settings, can responsible for reduced performance, issue
inhibit replication performance. the list param modified command to view
parameters that have non-default settings.
Review the documentation for those
parameters in the SharePlex Reference Guide
to determine whether a particular setting is
affecting replication speed.
Temporary Temp tables receive numerous changes Remove temporary tables from replication.
tables and that cause replication overhead and
FND tables performance degradation.

Post is too slow

There are a number of things that cause the Post process to slow down. SharePlex generates the sp_opst_mt
- operation taking too long message when it takes more than five seconds to apply a SQL statement to
the target instance. Often it only takes one table to cause a bottleneck. Use the show sql or show post
command to find out which table Post is processing, and then check for the following.
Full table scans If a target table does not have a key, Do one of the following:
Post must perform a full table scan
l Add an index or key if possible, and
to find the correct row. This slows
use a hints file. See Use Oracle

the Post process. INDEX hints.

l If you cannot add a key, create a
key definition.See Define a unique
key.
l Set the Oracle DB_FILE_
MULTIBLOCK_READ_COUNT
parameter to the maximum number
of blocks that can be read in one I/O
request. This is defined by the
system setting MAX_IO_SIZE/DB_
BLOCK_SIZE. You can increase the
DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS parameter as
well.
Bitmap indexes on Bitmap indexes are beneficial for Avoid using bitmap indexes on target tables
target tables queries, but they slow down the in replication, or only use them on tables
DML operations applied by Post. For that do not have frequent DML activity.
more information, see Bitmap
indexes.
Disk I/O bottleneck Disk I/O bottlenecks on the target Disk I/O is the nature of the database
system are a common cause of slow environment, but you can reduce the
Post performance. Post can spend a bottleneck by placing the redo logs on
high percentage of its time waiting faster hard drives or on a solid-state drive.
for Oracle to commit data. The
effect is worse when there is a
Capture process reading from the
same log device in peer-to-peer
replication.
High number of buffer Review any table with SQL If there are more buffer gets than four, the
gets statements that cause a high index probably needs to be rebuilt. You
number of buffer gets. There should can rebuild an index without the need to
reactivate the configuration file.
only be two to four buffer gets on an
index, depending on its size and
whether or not it is a unique index.
Oracle write-rate By default, one buffer writer writes If this is a constant problem, you can
bottlenecks all dirty Oracle blocks to disk. consider increasing the number of writers.
Whenever that buffer writer process See the database documentation.
wakes up to write, it locks portions
of shared memory and, in effect,
blocks the processes that are either
modifying or reading data blocks
including the Post process.
Small transaction size Normally, Post performs an internal If most of your transactions are small, try
read/release after it receives each changing the value of the Post SP_OPO_
COMMIT, which means it purges that READRELEASE_INTERVAL parameter. See

data from the queue as part of the the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
checkpoint recovery process. For information about this parameter.
smaller transactions, this can cause
excessive I/O on the target system
and hinder the Post process.
Sequences not cached If the sequences in replication are Cache sequences. If replicated sequences
not cached, they add unnecessarily are part of a key, replicate the tables that
to the replication volume. contain those keys, and remove the
sequences from the replication
configuration. You should see significant
performance improvement.
Low ulimit An error similar to the following Solution: Set the ulimit as close to the
means that the system file optimal value of 1024 as possible.
descriptors setting on the target
The ulimit can be set either as a system
system needs to be increased:
hard limit or a session-based soft limit, as
Error 07-24-08 follows:
12:11:40.360226 8693 12345
Poster error: /var/quest/ l Set a hard limit: (Recommended) A
vardir/log/event_log: Too root user and system restart are
many open files (posting required to change the hard limit,
from ora102, queue prodsys, but the value remains fixed at the
to ora10b) correct level to support SharePlex.
Consult your System Administrator
for assistance.
l Set a soft limit: A soft limit setting
stays in effect only for the duration
of the sp_cop session for which it
was set, and then it reverts back to
a default value that may be lower
than the hard limit and too low for
SharePlex.
Compare process locks The repair command locks all rows If you do not want Post to wait for a repair
that need repair, or the entire table process to finish, you can kill the compare
if there are more than 1000 out-of- process. To avoid issues with locks caused
sync rows, throughout the repair by repair processes, consider running the
process. This could block Post if Post repairs during non-peak hours.
tries to apply data to the table being
repaired.
Difference in Capture SharePlex reads and processes See Tune the Post process.
and Post speed records from the redo logs faster
than it can post those operations to
the target database with standard
SQL statements.
Full archive log If Post appears stalled and will not Move some of the old archive logs to
directory another device, or delete them to make

shut down normally, but the only room for new ones.
error in the Event Log is sp_opst_
mt - operation taking too
long, it could be that the archived
log directory on the target system is
full. If so, then Oracle cannot create
new logs, and it suspends
processing. Post stalls because it is
waiting for Oracle.
Capture stopped
If Capture is stopped, issue the status command in sp_ctrl to verify whether or not it was stopped intentionally
by an authorized SharePlex user. If it was, find out why and make certain that it is not stopped for too long.
The following are other reasons why Capture could stop unexpectedly.
archive logs When Capture detects a log wrap and the Restore the archive logs from the one that
not archive logs are not available, Capture Capture last processed or point SharePlex to
available stops and returns a Log wrap their location with the SP_OCT_ARCH_LOC
detected error. It waits a certain amount parameter. To determine the log that Capture
of time and then starts again, continuing needs, use the show capture command with the
this process until the logs are restored. detail option. See also How to restore the
archive logs .
Compressed Capture cannot read compressed archive Uncompress the current log that Capture needs
archive logs logs. and all those after it so that Capture can process
them. To determine the log that Capture needs,
use the show capture command with the detail
option.
archive logs Capture stops if it cannot locate the If you are storing the archive logs in a location
in archive logs it needs. When the redo logs other than the normal Oracle location, make
unexpected wrap, Capture looks for the archives in sure this parameter is set to the full path name
location
Oracles archive-log list, and if the logs are of the directory containing the archive logs.
not there, Capture looks in the location
specified by the SP_OCT_ARCH_LOC
parameter.
No access to Capture stops when it cannot read or find Find out if someone changed permissions such
the redo the logs, then it tries to read the log again. that SharePlex does not have permission to read
logs the redo logs.
No access to Capture stops if it is unable to write to the Verify the permissions and space for the variable-
the SharePlex logs because of restrictive data directory.
variable- permissions on the state sub-directory in
data the variable-data directory, or if there are
directory space restrictions in that directory.

Corrupted Capture stops due to the error a Restore the current log that Capture needs and
archive logs portion of redo logs could not be all those after it so that Capture can process
parsed.... This error occurs because of them. To determine the log that Capture needs,
corrupted archive logs. use the show capture command with the detail
option. See also How to restore the archive logs .
Post stopped
If Post stops, issue the status command in sp_ctrl to find out why.
An idle status means there is no data in the post queue to post.
A stopped by user status means that a SharePlex user stopped the Post process. To find out which user is
responsible, view the user issued commands in the Event Log.
A stopped due to error status means a replication or Oracle error caused Post to stop.
The following are some potential causes for Post to stop unexpectedly.
Correctable Post stops for Oracle errors that can be Use the information in the SID_errlog.sql
Oracle errors corrected, so that you can fix the problem file to correct the problem, then start Post
without risk of the data going out of again. Posting resumes from the point
synchronization. The errors and the faulty SQL where it stopped.
statement are logged to the SID_errlog.sql file
in the log sub-directory of the variable-data
directory on the target system.
Non- Some Oracle errors, such as out-of-sync If the errors cannot be corrected but you
correctable conditions, cannot be corrected. In that case, want Post to continue processing, list the
Oracle errors SharePlex reports the error to the Event Log, errors in the in the oramsglist file and then
writes the error and SQL statement to the SID_ set the SP_OPO_CONT_ON_ERR parameter
errlog.sql file, and continues processing. to 1, which directs SharePlex to ignore
Sometimes, errors that cannot be corrected those errors and continue posting. For more
cause Post to stop. information, see Continue to post when
there is a DML error.
Locks on If a target table is locked, the Post process To find out if the table is locked, check the
target tables cannot apply a SQL statement and generates an V$LOCK system statistics table, and resolve
error message: Currently involved in a the situation accordingly. You might have
transaction. This message could mean that a to resynchronize the data if DML was
user, application, or job is accessing the table performed on the table. See How to
and might have caused an out-of-sync condition. resynchronize source and target tables.
Or, it could mean that a repair command has
locked the table.
No more If you see the following error, Post has View the current database OPEN_CURSORS
open cursors exceeded the available open cursors. value using the following SQL statement:
Warning: sp_opst_mt (for select value from V$PARAMETER
o.oracle-o.oracle queue oracle) where name = 'open_cursors' ;

Post has opened number cursors. To determine an adequate OPEN_CURSORS

No more available cursors! value for SharePlex, see Adjust open
Exiting cursors.
Post requires a certain number of open cursors
to the target database.
Configuration When you are using named export queues, and To start Post and finish replication, shut
deactivation you deactivate the configuration, Post could down SharePlex, then start it again.
when there stop with the following error instead of posting
are named
the remaining data from the queues:
export
queues sp_opst_mt (for o.qa920-o.qa920 queue
q5) 15007 - Can't open poster queue
que_NOEXIST: Queue does not exist.
Queue name Post stops if a queue name is too long. Make certain the name assigned to named
is too long queues in the configuration file are no
longer than 15 characters.
Post If Post returns an error message of "shs_ 1. In the Windows Control Panel, open
generates a SEMERR: an error occurred with the Configure PTC MKS Toolkit.
semaphore semaphore" on a Windows system, SharePlex
error requires more semaphores than are available. 2. Select Runtime Settings.
This usually occurs when named queues or
3. From Category, select Semaphores.
horizontally partitioned replication are being
used. You can increase the number of 4. Set the following semaphores:
semaphores through the MKS Toolkit.
Max Number of Semaphore IDs: 10
Max Number of Semaphores: 512
Max Number of Semaphore Undo
entries: 90
Other problems and solutions

SharePlex Sometimes machine names cannot be resolved Add the IP addresses and names of all servers
cannot between Unix or Linux and Windows systems. (Unix, Linux, and Windows) in the replication
resolve a network to the /etc/hosts file on all Unix and
machine Linux machines, and add the same information
name to the hosts file on all Windows machines.
sp_cop is SharePlex may be performing its overhead Increase the idle time of sp_cop with the SP_
using too activities too frequently. COP_IDLETIME parameter. See the parameter
much CPU documentation in the SharePlex Reference
time
Guide.
Corrupted If a source table is corrupted or there is To disable posting for a table, use the SP_
source another reason that you do not want the OPO_DISABLE_OBJECT_NUM parameter, which
table replicated data to be posted to the target disables posting of both DML and DDL

database, you can prevent posting for that operations. SP_OPO_DISABLE_OBJECT_NUM is

table without removing it from the active disabled by default. When you are ready to
configuration or affecting posting for other begin posting to the target table again, set SP_
objects. OPO_DISABLE_OBJECT_NUM to 0. For more
information, see the parameter
documentation in the SharePlex Reference
Guide.
Conflict If you encounter compile problems with your This issue does not affect replication;
resolution conflict resolution routines, check whether any SharePlex replicates data for tables with
generates tables have the same names as their owners. A identical owner and table names.
compile known issue in PL/SQL prevents the SharePlex
errors conflict resolution logic from compiling the
PL/SQL for tables whose names are the same as
their owners. Oracle has stated that the issue
will not be fixed. See Oracle TAR 2577886.996
Common replication errors

The following table explains many of the common error messages that you might experience during replication.
sp_cop error messages Cause Solution
sp_cop cannot setup; memory Processes that access the Kill those processes. SharePlex
segment n in use. queues were still running processes start with sp_. When all
when you last shut down sp_ have been killed, sp_cop should
cop. start.
Error: sp_cop can't setup There are already one or To run multiple sessions of
shared memory statistics more SharePlex sp_cop SharePlex, you need to use
capability - exiting Error: processes pointing to the separate variable-data directories
sp_cop(shs) Cannot delete same variable-data for each one. See Run multiple
previous memory segment 303. directory. instances of SharePlex.
Please check to see if any
Shareplex processes are
running (ps -ef | grep sp_).
If there are some processes
running then kill them and
restart sp_cop.
Capture error messages

Capture time limit (300 sec) Capture is not processing See Capture stopped for possible
exceeded. records, which could causes. If you cannot determine the
indicate a problem with the cause of the problem, call Dell
redo log. If, after a specific Support before a log wrap occurs.
number of seconds, Capture
cannot process a record, it
stops, logs the record, and
returns this message.
Log wrap detected The redo logs wrapped and If archive logs are available,
Capture cannot locate the

archive logs. uncompress and restore them to

the archive log directory. SharePlex
looks for the archive logs first in the
Oracle archive log list, then in the
location specified by the SP_OCT_
ARCH_LOC parameter. This
parameter should always be set to
the correct archived log directory.
If you use compression for the
archive logs, do not compress them
until SharePlex is finished
processing them. To determine the
current log for SharePlex, issue the
show capture command with the
[detail ] option in sp_ctrl on the
source system. You can compress
any logs that were generated
before the current one. Note that
this error also occurs when the
archived log is corrupted.
Post error messages
sp_opst_mt - operation taking It is taking more than five See Post is too slow.
too long. seconds to apply a SQL
statement to the target
instance.
Rowid not found SharePlex cannot locate the Check for triggers, processes, or
correct row to update in the users that may have deleted the
target database. row on the target. See also Solve
Synchronization Problems.
Database not available. Post cannot log into the Verify that the database is running,
target database. and determine whether someone
changed the password of the
SharePlex database account.
Oracle-related error messages
Cant access OBJ$Table SharePlex cannot access the Check the O7_DICTIONARY_
Data Dictionary, which it ACCESSIBILITY Oracle tuning
must be able to do in order parameter and make sure it is set to
to replicate. TRUE (the default).
Forward and backward operation Messages may be out of Find out if Oracle was shut down
counts do not match... sequence. before SharePlex. This can cause
SharePlex to return errors, and in
rare cases, corrupt the queues. The
proper procedure is to shut down
SharePlex and then shut down
Oracle. For help resolving this
problem, contact Dell Support.
Error: sp_opst_mt (for A unique constraint was Ignore this message. The tables are
o.blues920-o.ora9 queue violated on the source still in synchronization because
bluesky) 15033 - Failed to system. The change entered Oracle rolled back the offending
execute SQL on table: QA.T_ operation. This is an unavoidable

DEST_1: ORA-00001: unique the redo log, but Oracle error because of the way Oracle
constraint (.) violated. rolled it back. The rollback handles the violation.
also entered the redo log.
SharePlex detects the
constraint violation on the
target.
SQL Cache error messages
Warning: sp_opst_mt (for The SQL Cache size is set to No action is required if this is your
o.oracle-o.oracle queue 1, and more cursors are still intended configuration. For more
oracle) Too many concurrent needed. SharePlex disables information about SQL Cache, see
transactions. Will disable the the SQL Cache feature in Tune SQL Caching.
SQL Cache capability. this case.
Warning: sp_opst_mt (for Post detected that it will No action is required unless the
o.oracle-o.oracle queue exceed its maximum number value gets to 1 and there are still
oracle) Running out of of cursors and is trying to not enough cursors. For more
cursors. Number of cursors decrease the SQL Cache information about SQL Cache, see
size. Tune SQL Caching.
opened so far is number. Will
attempt to decrease SQL Cache
size.
or...
Notice: sp_opst_mt (for
o.oracle-o.oracle queue
oracle) Shrinking SQL Cache
size to number per session.
SQL Cache disabled. The SQL Cache feature is No action is required if this is your
disabled. intended configuration. For more
information about SQL Cache, see
Tune SQL Caching.
Hints file error messages
15050 hint file not found SharePlex looks for the To prevent this message, create a
hints.SID file whether you blank hints file in the data sub-
use it or not. The location of directory of the variable-data
directory. Name it hints.SID.
this file is the data sub-
directory of the SharePlex
variable-data directory. If
this file gets moved or
deleted, SharePlex returns
this error message.
15051 missing column in the The hints file is not See Use Oracle INDEX hints for more
hint file (either table of configured correctly. information about using index hints.
index name)
15052 syntax error for
tablename
15053 syntax error for

indexname
15054 source tables object_ The hints file includes a If this table is in the configuration,
id not found in object cache source table that is not in make certain that the owner name
the active configuration. All and table name are spelled in the
tables in the hints file must hints file the same way as they are
be listed in the active in the configuration.
configuration.
15055 more than n valid The hints file permits only as Either remove some of the table-
entries were entered into the many table-index index combinations or increase the
hints file combinations as the value value of SP_OPO_HINTS_LIMIT. For
set by the SP_OPO_HINTS_ more information about this
LIMIT parameter. parameter, see the Post
parameters documentation in the
SharePlex Reference Guide .
15056 error allocation This indicates a system-level If you believe the system memory is
memory for hints memory problem; the hints sufficient, stop the Post process and
file itself does not demand a start it again. If you are not using
the hints file, you can ignore this
significant amount of
error.
memory.
17000 error opening hint SharePlex cannot open the Check the file for corruption. If the
file hints file. file is valid, make certain there is
sufficient read permission for the
Post process. See Use Oracle INDEX
hints for more information about
using index hints.
Environment-related error messages
sp_opst_mt: pid=num date/time The system file descriptors Set the ulimit to 1024.
src host/ sid=db01:N2PB setting is not 1024.
/var/quest/vardir/log/ event_ The ulimit can be set either as a
log: Too many open files system hard limit or a session-based
soft limit, as follows:
l Set a hard limit:

(Recommended) A root user
and system restart are
required to change the hard
limit, but the value remains
fixed at the correct level to
support SharePlex. Consult
your System Administrator
for assistance.
l Set a soft limit: A soft limit
setting stays in effect only
for the duration of the sp_
cop session for which it was
set, and then it reverts back
to a default value that may
be lower than the hard limit

and too low for SharePlex.

06/29/00 08:05 System call SharePlex ran out of space See How to resolve disk space
error: sp_ocap(que) (for for the queues on the disk. shortage .
o.QA11 queue o.QA11) No space
left on device devname
06/29/00 08:05 Internal error:
sp_ocap (for o.QA11 queue
o.QA11) 10705 - writecommit
failed que_BUFWRTERR: Error
writing buffer to file
06/29/00 08:05 Process exited
sp_ocap (for o.QA11 queue
o.QA11) [pid = 8692] -exit(1)
gethostbyname name failed - The local hosts file is not The host name is not specified
exiting configured properly. correctly in the hosts file
(/etc/hosts on Unix and Linux or
hosts on Windows). If this system is
not part of a cluster, make
corrections to the name in the file.
If this system is part of a cluster,
the virtual IPaddress must be
mapped to a host alias in the hosts
file. For instructions on configuring
SharePlex in a cluster, see the
Other error messages

Snapshot too old The read-consistent view Increase the size of the rollback
required by SharePlex is no segment.
longer available.
Parameter paramname does not SharePlex cannot find a Always check for an updated param-
exist in the paramdefaults parameter that it needs to defaults file when you manually
file. Using hard coded default
reference. You have an update SharePlex.
value. Please make sure that
your param-defaults file is older version of the param-
the correct version. defaults file than the
version of SharePlex that
you are running. Someone
might have updated the
SharePlex binaries using a
downloaded patch, and may
not have installed the latest
param-default file.
Invalid DATE format detected A user or application Set the SP_OCT_DEF_ parameters to
in record with rowid=rowid, on entered an invalid date enable SharePlex to fix the format
obj object_id. See capture log value into the Oracle of dates and times if they are not
for detail. database that bypassed the caught by the database checks. See
databases validity check. the SP_OCT_DEF parameters
documentation in the SharePlex
Reference Guide .

shs_SHMERR: an error occurred You ran the qview utility Shut down SharePlex and re-run
with shared memory. without shutting down qview.
SharePlex (sp_cop).
Solve DDL replication problems

This section reviews many common problems and solutions encountered when replication of DDL is active. For
more information about SharePlex DDL support, see Set up DDL Replication.
SharePlex.
DDL is not replicating

Only some DDL is enabled by default. Other DDL support must be explicitly enabled with parameter settings.
The SP_OPO_STOP_ON_DDL_ERR parameter is defaulted to direct the Post process to stop if there is an error
applying the DDL, to enable you to correct the problem to keep the databases synchronized. This parameter
should be set to 1 (on). When enabled, messages such as the following notify you that DDL was skipped.
Skipping generic 9i DDL operation, schema (bob) could not be set.
FAILED DDL Replication for "create user bob."
Solution: Make certain the following parameters are set to appropriately. See Control DDL replication for more
information about how to use these parameters to configure DDL replication.
Parameter Description Default
SP_OCT_ Replicates the TRUNCATETABLEcommand and the ALTERTABLEcommand to ADDor On

REPLICATE_ DROPcolumns when:
DDL
l the affected object exists in the source and target at the time of activation
and
l its name is listed in the configuration file (explicitly or through wildcard).
SP_OCT_ Auto-add to replication any tables and indexes that are created after activation. On
AUTOADD_
ENABLE
Set SP_ Auto-add to replication any materialized views that are created after activation. Off
OCT_
AUTOADD_
MV
SP_OCT_ Auto-add to replication any sequences that are created after activation. Off
AUTOADD_
SEQ

Parameter Description Default
SP_OCT_ Replicate DDL for tables and indexes that are not listed in the configuration file. Off
REPLICATE_ SharePlex replicates metadata changes for those objects, but does maintain data
ALL_DDL changes to them. The objects must exist in the source and target prior to
configuration activation.
Replicated DDL is not completely displayed in the

Event Log
SharePlex prints replicated DDL to the Event Log, but it truncates statements longer than 2,000 characters.
Only the first 2,000 characters are recorded in the log.
Solution:None required.
Solving queue problems

This topic helps you solve replication problems that may be related to the SharePlex queues.
SharePlex.
SharePlex is running out of disk space

Data accumulating in the queues can cause SharePlex to run out of disk space. The following are some possible
causes and solutions.
Stopped When replication processes stop, If a process was stopped by a user, find out why and then
replication data accumulates in the queues. start it as soon as possible so that SharePlex can process the
processes accumulated data. If a process stopped because of an error,
view the Event log with the show log command to find out
what happened, then resolve the problem so that
processing can continue and the queue backlog can be
reduced.
Large The Post queue may become View the post queue with the qstatus command. If the value
operations large when storing large in the Backlog (messages) field remains constant or is
transactions for which there has shrinking, while the value in the Number of messages field
not yet been a COMMIT. To allow is increasing, Post is waiting for a COMMIT before releasing
for rollbacks and data recovery, the data.
SharePlex retains data in the
Use the show post detail command to verify that Post is
post queue until it receives the
processing transactions normally. If possible, set the
COMMIT.
COMMIT point for your application to 500 to generate smaller

SQL statements for SharePlex to process. Also, consider

creating a configuration that uses named post queues which
isolate tables that are known for long transactions. See
Configure named post queues for more information.
If the accumulation of messages in the Post queue is
threatening to cause disk space issues, you can stop Import
until Post can clear out some of the operations from other
transactions. See How to resolve disk space shortage
Capture is If Capture is processing archive If the location of Capture in the logs is far behind that of the
processing logs, the capture queue database, the latency between the source and target data
archive consumes disk space while the may be too large to be acceptable to the target users.
logs
archived records are being Rather than add more disk space to the variable-data
processed. directory, it might be more practical to run ora_cleansp to
clean up the replication environment and queues,
resynchronize the data, and reactivate the configuration.
If SharePlex continues to run out of disk space because
Capture is processing the archive logs, the SharePlex
Support team can help you tune the performance of
Capture and adjust the redo configuration. For more
information about how to configure the redo logs for
replication, see Set up Oracle redo logging to support
SharePlex.
Unplanned An unplanned increase in See How to resolve disk space shortage.

increase in activity on the source system can
source cause data to accumulate in the
transaction
Post queue and approach the
activity
maximum amount of allocated
disk space.
There is a failure to write and open queue error

If there is a sequence of messages in the Event Log similar to the following, stop and start sp_cop.
1 08-06-12 13:20:17.089485 2384 1 sp_ordr(rim) (for o.user queue o.user) Error
opening output queue rv=9 que_open(-,writeuser+ X,0x0a02d364+PR+o.user+sp_
ordr+o.user)
Notice 08-06-12 13:20:17.089485 2384 1 sp_ordr (for o.user queue o.user) data
route to a02d364.48.7e failed err=100
Error 08-06-12 13:20:17.089485 2384 1 sp_ordr (for o.user queue o.user) 11004 -
sp_ordr failure writing to queue(s)
Notice 08-06-12 13:20:17.089485 2384 1 sp_ordr (for o.user queue o.user) Exit sp_
ordr to retry rim-write.
Info 08-06-12 13:20:17.089485 2384 1 Process exited sp_ordr (for o.user queue
o.user) [pid = 8183] - exit(1)

The queues are corrupted
If the system that hosts SharePlex fails, one or more SharePlex queues can become corrupted, and there will
be errors reading from and writing to them. In that case, the purge config and abort config commands cannot
be used, because they rely on the queues to operate.
Solution: Contact SharePlex Support to resolve queue corruption issues.
The post queue seems too large

If the size of the post queue seems too large relative to the number of messages it contains, that is not
unusual. The SharePlex post queue actually consists of a number of sub-queues, each approximately
corresponding to a user session on the source system. A sub-queue can have one or more files associated with
it, each with a default size of 8 MB. If the entire 8 MB of size is not used, the file remains on the system even
after the data has been posted and read-released.
Solution: The size for the post queue in a status display is the actual disk space used by all of the queue files.
You can eliminate obsolete files that have been read-released by using the trim command in the SharePlex
qview utility. Thecommand preserves files containing data not yet posted and committed to the target
database. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about the qview utility.
Solve Synchronization Problems

This section reviews the causes and solutions for common synchronization problems. If you try these solutions
and are still having problems, contact Dell Support.
For important information about synchronization in replication, see Understand the concept of synchronization.
SharePlex.
How SharePlex reports out-of-sync conditions

For all objects except those involved in transformation, SharePlex verifies that the source and target data in
a given operation are synchronized before posting the replicated data to the target. SharePlex does not verify
synchronization if transformation is being used because:
l Transformation changes the target data, so before and after images cannot be compared.
l The transformation routine posts the data, not SharePlex.
When SharePlex determines that source and target data are different, it generates error conditions but
continues to post other data from the post queue. To direct Post to stop processing altogether when it
detects an out-of-sync condition, change the SP_OPO_OUT_OF_SYNC_SUSPEND (Oracle) or SP_OPX_OUT_OF_
SYNC_SUSPEND (Open Target) parameter. See the Post parameter documentation in the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
When an out-of-sync condition occurs, the Post process logs a message in the Status Database and also to the
Event Log. To view these files in sp_ctrl:

l Status Database: Use the show statusdb or show sync command.
l Event Log:Use the show log command.
Use these commands frequently to monitor for out-of-sync errors.

The following is an example of how SharePlex reports an out-of-sync condition.
sp_ctrl (irvspxu14:8567)> show sync
Out Of Sync Status Database irvspxu14
Count Details
----- --------------------
3 Table "SCOTT"."TG_TEST1" out of sync for queue irvspxu14 since 16-Jun-
08 17:06:33
08 15:47:58
08 15:52:03
When data goes out of synchronization, SharePlex logs the failed SQL statements to the database_ID_errlog.sql
file in the data sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory.
IMPORTANT: If you see an out-of-sync message in the Status Database and in the Event Log, but there is no
record in the database_ID_errlog.sql file for the transaction, do not ignore those messages. They could be
associated with a ROLLBACK. Regardless of whether or not a transaction is rolled back, SharePlex still compares
the pre-images of the source and target rows. If they are different, that indicates that the data is out of
synchronization. Only when a transaction is committed on the source but fails on the target does SharePlex log
it to the database_ID_errlog.sql file, to give you a record of the statement that should have been applied as a
tool for problem solving and for manually applying the statement if appropriate. Rolled back statements are
canceled operations, and therefore not logged on the target.
Detect false out-of-sync conditions

Sometimes an out-of-sync message can be false, and the data is not out-of-sync. You can compare the source
and target data by using the compare command, or you can perform the following comparison manually.
To compare with the compare command

See the compare commands in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
To verify that data is out-of-sync

1. Get the rowid of the affected row from the database_ID_errlog.sql file in the variable-data directory on
the target system.
2. Using the rowid in the WHEREclause, run a SELECT query on the source table to get the row data
for this rowid.
3. Run a SELECT query on the target table, using the row data that you got from the source query in the
WHERE clause.
4. Compare the query results. If they are different, the rows are out of synchronization. If they are the
same, the rows are synchronized.

Common out-of-sync conditions and solutions
The following are common ways in which data goes out of synchronization. In most cases, SharePlex detects out-
of-sync conditions and returns an error message, but there are some situations where an out-of-sync condition
is hidden, and SharePlex will not return an error.
Out of sync Description Solution

condition
Incorrect If ora_cleansp was run on some, but not Determine whether or not ora_cleansp was run on
running of all, systems associated with an active all systems by viewing the Event Log. The log tells
ora_cleansp configuration, SharePlex perceives an you if and when ora_cleansp was run on each
out-of-sync condition. system. It also tells you if and when the
configuration was activated. You can compare the
times for those events to determine what
happened.
If ora_cleansp was not completed on all replication
systems for this configuration, run it on all systems.
Because ora_cleansp removes replication queues
and processes and deactivates the configuration,
you must perform initial synchronization again.
DDL changes Some DDL-related causes of out-of-sync For a list of supported DDL, refer to the SharePlex
conditions are: Release Notes.
l Non-replicated DDL changes are To undo duplicate DDL changes made manually and
made to source objects, but the also by SharePlex:
configuration was not
1. Stop the Post process (it might already be
reactivated so that the objects
stopped).
can be re-analyzed.
sp_ctrl(sysB)> stop post
l DDL that SharePlex replicates
also gets performed manually 2. Alter the target table to undo the DDL
on the target. changes.
3. Start Post and let SharePlex post the
replicated DDL (which is still in the post
queue).
sp_ctrl(sysB)> start post
DML changes If applications or users make Prevent all DML access to the target tables that are
made DMLchanges to the tables on the in replication.
directly to target, the results of those changes
the target will cause hidden out-of-sync conditions You can use the compare and repair commands to
until Post attempts to apply a compare tables for out-of-sync rows and then repair
replicated change to the affected rows. those rows. For more information, see the command
When the change is applied, SharePlex documentation in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
returns an out-of-sync error.
Inadequate Conflict resolution procedures are Revise and test the conflict resolution procedures,
or non- required in a peer to peer (active- then see How to resynchronize source and target
existing active) configuration. SharePlex uses tables.
conflict
the conflict resolution procedures to

condition
resolution determine which operation to post

routines when the same data change is received
from different systems.
Log wrap If the redo logs wrap before Capture l If archiving is not enabled, there are no
can process the data it needs, the data archive logs for SharePlex to read. Data lost
can go out of synchronization if archived after the log wrap cannot be recovered.
logging is not enabled or if the archive Enable archived logging, and resynchronize
logs needed by Capture were removed. the data. See How to resynchronize source
(Normally, Capture would access the and target tables.
archive logs and continue replicating.)
l If SharePlex is many logs behind Oracle,
See Correct the problem first consider resynchronizing the data instead of
restoring the logs. It might take less time
than Capture would take to process the
missing records from the archive logs. In
addition, it eliminates the possibility that
the capture queue could exceed free disk
space while processing the archive logs. You
can base your decision on the size of the
redo logs and the number of tables being
replicated, both of which determine how
much information Capture must process.
Also take into consideration how much
latency the users of the target data can
tolerate.
l If archive logs are available, copy the
appropriate logs back to the archived-log
directory on the source system, or use the
SP_OCT_ARCH_LOC parameter to point
SharePlex to their location.
Triggers on Triggers must be disabled on target If triggers have fired on the target system, the
target objects. The triggers fire on the source objects changed by the triggers are out of
objects system and SharePlex replicates their synchronization and must be resynchronized. See
effects to the target. To determine if How to resynchronize source and target tables.
triggers are enabled on the target
system, query the database. To disable the effects of triggers
SQL> select * from user_ To disable the effects of triggers on target objects
triggers where table_ after the data is resynchronized, you can either of
owner=owner and table_ the following:
name=name;
l Run the sp_add_trigger.sql script, which
directs triggers to ignore the SharePlex
Oracle user. See the utilities documentation
in the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information about the trigger scripts.
l Disable the triggers if they are not needed.

condition
Unnecessary The only constraints that are necessary See Set up Oracle database objects for replication
constraints on target tables in a one-way
replication configuration are primary
and unique key constraints. CHECK
constraints are not necessary on the
target because they are satisfied on
the source. FOREIGN KEY and
ONDELETECASCADE constraints are also
satisfied on the source, and SharePlex
replicates the child operations to the
correct tables on the target.
You can leave
ONDELETECASCADEconstraints
enabled if you configure SharePlex to
ignore them.
LONG If a table has no primary or unique key, If you can create a key from columns that ensure
columns SharePlex builds a simulated key based uniqueness on the target table(s), you can avoid
on all of the columns except the LONG this kind of out-of-sync condition. After you create
and LOB columns. If the LONG columns the key, resynchronize and re-activate those
in the target rows are the only columns objects so that SharePlex can update its object
that contain unique values, multiple cache.
rows could meet the criteria for the
If adding a primary or unique key is not possible
simulated key. SharePlex could apply
(such as when packaged applications are in use),
the UPDATE or DELETE to the wrong row
uniqueness of rows on the target system cannot be
without the error being detected,
ensured.
causing the table to go out of
synchronization without an error
message.
Changes to If tables use sequences as keys, and a Create the sequences so that the updates cannot
keys key value changes, this may cause result in a duplication of keys on the target system.
duplicity on the target system. If the See Set up Oracle database objects for replication
for additional information.
new value already exists as a key in
another row on the target system,
SharePlex returns a unique-key
constraint violation and out-of-sync
error. This can happen when you
update values using an x +n formula,
where n is an incremental increase. It
is possible that one of the x +n values
will equal an existing value.
DBMS_ The effects of these procedures, such Exclude source and target objects from the jobs.
SCHEDULER as objects being created, manipulated
procedures and dropped outside replication, may
running on not be visible to replication or may not
source be supported, resulting in data changes
and/or that cause out-of-sync conditions.

condition
target
system
Virtual If replicating data that is configured as If you do not need that data replicated to the
private a virtual private database, the target, you can filter it out of the SharePlex
database SharePlex database user may not have configuration by means of partitioned replication.
the access rights to capture the data.
Any changes to that data will not be If you want the data to be replicated, assign the
reflected on the target. SharePlex user the correct access rights.
Duplicate Duplicate entries, where the source, Copy the configuration file to a new file.
entries in target, and routing map are identical,
the cause double posting on the target. Find and remove any duplicates in the new file.
configuration Perform a resynchronization and reactivation by
file.
following the directions in How to resynchronize
source and target tables
Lack of disk Data goes out of synchronization if user See How to resolve disk space shortage .
space transactions continue when SharePlex
does not have enough room to
accommodate them in the queues. This
can happen if:
l The network or target system

was unavailable and too much
data accumulated in the export
queue.
l The target Oracle instance was
unavailable and too much data
accumulated in the Post queue.
l The redo logs wrapped and

Capture lost pace with Oracle as
it processed the archive logs,
causing data to accumulate in
the capture queue.
l A SharePlex process was
stopped, but not restarted.
l The flush command was issued,
but Post was not started again.
Changes to Out-of-sync conditions can result from See Configure horizontally partitioned replication
column the use of horizontally partitioned for more information about how to create column
conditions in replication in the following cases: conditions so that partition shift does not occur.
horizontally
l A column condition value is
partitioned
updated and the new value no
replication
longer satisfies the row
selection criteria.

condition
l A row that does not satisfy the

column condition is updated to
satisfy the condition.
Not If a table was added to the Resynchronize the affected tables, then reactivate
reactivating configuration, but the configuration was the configuration so that SharePlex can update its
after a not reactivated, operations on that object cache. To resynchronize the tables, see How
configuration
table are not being replicated. to resynchronize source and target tables.
change.
Queue If the SharePlex queues are corrupted, To avoid queue corruption during system failure,
corruption such as if there is a system failure, the you can use the parameter SP_QUE_SYNC. See the
data in them can be lost. This requires Queue parameters documentation in the SharePlex
Reference Guide .
a resynchronization.
PK/UK Certain replication problems can be SharePlex recommends that both primary key and
logging not prevented by logging key values. unique key supplemental logging be set, or that a
enabled SharePlex fetches key values based on supplemental log group on unique columns be
the rowid. Any operation that changes defined for every table in replication.
the rowid, such as ALTER TABLE...MOVE,
can cause the wrong key values to be
used for subsequent DML operations.
Correct the problem first

If data is out-of-synchronization, do the following before you resynchronize the data:
1. Determine why it happened before you resynchronize the data. Otherwise, the problem can repeat
itself and result in more data going out of synchronization.
2. Stop the Post process to prevent further errors. If the accumulation of messages in the Post queue is
threatening to cause disk space issues, and if there is enough disk space available on the source system,
you can stop Import until Post can clear out some of the operations from other transactions. See How to
resolve disk space shortage for steps.
3. View the Status Database and the Event Log to determine the cause of the problem.
4. Resolve the problem.
Resynchronize data
See How to resynchronize source and target tables to resynchronize data.
Solve compare command errors

If you are having trouble with the compare or repair command, refer to the following for assistance.

SharePlex.
Oracle Error 904 calling oexec in de_select_ Do a DESCRIBE on both tables. It probably will
error prepare_to_fetch. show that the tables do not have an equal
904 number of columns or the datatypes are
A comparison failed because the source and
different. After you correct the DDL problem,
target tables being compared are structurally
you can run a repair to resynchronize the
different. The compare and repair commands do
values in the rows.
not detect and repair out-of-sync conditions
caused by unsynchronized DDL operations or
tables that are not structurally identical.
"Too Can not add DataEquator queue reader There is no workaround or way to adjust the
many que_TOOMANYUSERS: User table is full. limit, nor is there a way to determine how
users many compare processes can run
error The maximum number of processes reading from
concurrently without exceeding the limit.
and writing to the SharePlex queues was
exceeded. No more than 20 processes can read TIP: To compare multiple tables at the same
from and write to the post queue at the same time, without being restricted by process
time, including the replication processes and the limitations, use the compare using command.
compare and repair processes. An error is most To limit the tables being compared, create a
likely to occur when a repair option is used, new configuration containing only the ones
because a repair accesses the queue much longer that you want to compare, and use it for the
than a comparison without a repair. comparison. (Do not activate that
configuration.) All of the tables are compared
with one compare using process.
A client When a sp_desvr server process dies, the See Kill compare processes .
process associated sp_declt client processes usually die.
fails to If a process does not die, you can kill it.
die
A server When you kill a sp_declt client process or it dies See Kill compare processes .
process on its own or if the sp_desvr server process has
fails to not communicated with the client the sp_desvr
die server process usually exits after a certain
amount of time, which is controlled by the SP_
DEQ_TIMEOUT parameter.

Kill compare processes

To kill a client process
If you need to kill a sp_declt client process, and there are multiple compares running, you can determine
which one to kill in one of the following ways:
l By viewing the sp_declt log file In the file, look at the Session IDs of the sp_declt processes and find
the one that matches the PID of the sp_desvr process that died. That is the sp_declt process to kill. The
sp_declt Session ID is the same as the PID of the associated sp_desvr process.
l By viewing the Event Log The Event Log records the startup of each sp_declt client process and its

PID. A subsequent entry in the log records the compare log file to which the process is writing. Within
the compare log files name in that entry is the PID of the server process. For example, in the following
sample entry, the sp_declt process PID is 2450. The process writes to compare log ../o734v32a_declt-
1228-01.log. The 1228 is the PID of the server process.
05/04/01 17:01 Process launched: sp_declt (for o.o734v32a-o.o734v32a- 87056
queue all) [pid = 2450]
05/04/01 17:01 Notice: sp_declt(deq) (for o.o734v32a-o.o734v32a-87056 queue all)
Opened DataEquator session log file /u10/julia30014/var7/ log/o734v32a_declt-
1228-01.log
You can search the log file names for the server process that died, and look for the client process
associated with that log file to determine the correct PID to kill.
On Windows systems, the logs also record the startup of the associated sp_cop process.
To kill a server process

If you need to kill a sp_desvr server process when a sp_declt client process dies, look in the Event Log to find
out which log the sp_declt client process was writing to. The Event Log records the startup of each client
process and its PID. A subsequent entry in the log records the compare log file to which the process is writing.
Within the compare log files name in that entry is the PID of the server process. For example, in the following
sample entry, the sp_declt process PID is 2450. The process writes to log ../o734v32a_declt-1228-01.log. The
1228 is the PID of the server process, and that is the process to kill.
05/04/01 17:01 Process launched: sp_declt (for o.o734v32a-o.o734v32a- 87056 queue all)
[pid = 2450]
05/04/01 17:01 Notice: sp_declt(deq) (for o.o734v32a-o.o734v32a-87056 queue all)
Opened DataEquator session log file /u10/julia30014/var7/ log/o734v32a_declt-1228-
01.log
On Windows systems, the logs also record the startup of the associated sp_cop process.
Solve other replication problems

This section reviews solutions to other replication problems.
SharePlex.
SharePlex does not run on a Windows system

SharePlex uses the MKS Toolkit (also known as NuTCRACKER) operating environment from Parametric
Technology Corporation (PTC) to run on Windows systems. If the NuTCRACKER service is stopped or disabled, or
if the NuTCRACKER files have been removed or relocated, there will be errors when you try to run SharePlex.
Solution:

1. Run the Windows Task Manager, then click the Processes tab.
2. Check to see if the NuTCRACKER service is running. The process name is nutsrvx, where x is the version
of the NuTCRACKER software.
3. If the process is not running, start the NuTCRACKER service by using the Services panel of the
Administrative Tools Control Panel.
l If you do not see the NuTCRACKER service, re-install SharePlex.
l If the NuTCRACKER service started, but SharePlex still returns errors, check to see if the
NuTCRACKER files were relocated. To determine the correct installed location, look at the
following in the Windows Registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Data Focus\Runtime
l The InstallDir string in the right pane of the Runtime node shows the correct location for the
files. Search for the MKS Toolkit folder and restore the files to the location specified in the
InstallDir entry.
If you cannot locate the files or cannot restore them to the correct location, do the following:
1. Stop the SharePlex and NuTCRACKER services, if running.

2. Run regedit to open the Registry Editor.
3. Delete the Data Focus and Mortice Kern Systems registry folders under HKEY_LOCAL_
MACHINE\SOFTWARE\.
4. Close the Registry Editor.
5. Restart the system.
6. Reinstall SharePlex. Make certain to reinstall SharePlex in the same location, and make certain to
install the NuTCRACKER component when prompted.
7. Restart the system to make the new NuTCRACKER environment effective.
A Cant unlink file error occurs on Windows

systems
A nuisance error similar to the ones below sometimes occur on Windows systems. The files eventually unlink.
Text file busy Unlinking file: 'r:\splex2102/rim/o.SERV+C+0.0000000
Or...
System call error: sp_ordr.exe(osp) (for o.SERV queue o.SERV) Text file busy
17003 - Can't unlink file R:\Splex2100/state/o.SERVlog_ sp_ordr.30
Common connection errors

The following are solutions to common errors when starting sp_ctrl, or with forming a connection with the host,
port or [on host] commands in sp_ctrl.

Explanation of connection error messages
Error Cause Solution
Host unknown: cannot form Appears when either the host Verify that the system to which
connection command or [on host] option is you want to connect is running and
issued. that you are using the correct
system name.
Network unreachable The network is down. Find out how long the network
administrator expects it to last. If
the downtime could cause the
SharePlex queues to exceed their
disk space, take measures to avoid
having to resynchronize the data.
See How to resolve disk space
shortage .
User is not authorized as a You do not have user permissions SharePlex users must be listed in
SharePlex user -- check to execute the operation. the /etc/group file (Unix and
/etc/group Linux) or in the Users list
(Windows) under one of the
SharePlex user groups: SharePlex
Admin, spoper, spview.
unauthorized connection A connection from a remote See the error message for the
attempt from host hostname. machine was denied because its name of the system. To allow that
net name is not listed in the auth_ system to connect to the sp_cop
hosts file. on the local system, add its name
to the auth_hosts file.
Common command errors

Deactivate/flush a nonactive You are attempting to flush a None required.

datasource configuration that is not active.
Bad routing specification The syntax in the routing map is See Routing specifications in a
incorrect. configuration file .
Status db file is corrupt. The Status Database has been Shut down SharePlex and remove
damaged. the statusdb file, which resides
in the data subdirectory of the
SharePlex variable-data
directory. SharePlex will create
another one when you start sp_
cop again.
Parameter does not exist in You tried to set a parameter, Use the list param command to
database. and you entered the wrong view the SharePlex parameters
name or the parameter is for your version and to verify the
deprecated for your SharePlex spelling.
version.
Parameter type checking You might have entered the Use the list param command to
failed - look in param - wrong data type for the determine the valid data type.

defaults file. parameter.

Unknown service specified. Valid service (process) names are Issue the command again with
capture, read, export, import, the correct name.
or... post.
No such module.
or...
Service may be only one of:
post, read, import, export,
capture, all.
Command was called with an The command contains invalid Issue the help command to view
invalid argument. input. valid input for the command.
or
Unknown keyword used in
command.
Permission denied for command You are not a member of the Issue the authlevel command to
- check your authorization user group that can issue this view your authorization level.
level. command.
Default host is not defined: SharePlex cannot to determine Either establish a default host
use the host command or [on which system you want the with the host command or use
host] option. command to affect. the [on host] option with the
command that you want to issue
(if available).
How to resynchronize source and target

tables
The following instructions help you decide how to resynchronize out-of-sync tables.
l If only a few tables are out of synchronization, and they are not large, you can use the compare
command in sp_ctrl to see how many rows are out-of-sync in each one. If the number of out-of-sync rows
is small, you can run the repair command to resynchronize them. See Overview of Compare and Repair
l As an alternative to the compare and repair commands, you can use the SQL statement(s) in the SID_
errlog.sql file to patch the tables manually after you correct the problem. See Manually patch out-of-
sync tables
l If the number of out-of-sync tables is large, it might take less time to re-synchronize the databases than
it will to use the compare and repair commands to repair them. You can:
o Resynchronize by copying the source tables
o Resynchronize with Oracle transportable tablespace
o Resynchronize with an Oracle hot backup on an active database

Manually patch out-of-sync tables
If the number of synchronization errors is small, you can try to repair out-of-sync tables manually. When the
Post process detects an out-of-sync condition, it ignores the error and continues to apply the next operations in
the post queue. However, Post logs source SQL statements that cause out-of-sync errors to an error file called
SID_errlog.sql. (SID is the ORACLE_SID for the target instance.) You can apply those SQL statements to a target
table through SQL*Plus. Because this procedure bypasses the comparison made by Post, the operations should
succeed assuming the structure of the target table did not change.
SharePlex stores the SID_errlog.sql file in the data sub-directory of the variable-data directory on the target
system. The entries in the file are similar to the following example:
-- Host (irvlabua) Sid (al920u64)
-- session 2, 1 error --
--
-- [1] Tue Dec 11 13:31:32 2007
-- redolog seq#/offset 26622/26980368
-- redolog timestamp 641050290 (12/11/15 13:31:30)
-- original rowid AAE0m8AAWAAAAFEAAA
-- -- NOT FOUND
delete from SP_5.QA_LOB_DISABLE_INROW t where rownum = 1 and KEY='01';
To apply the SQL manually

1. Stop user access to the affected source table.
2. On the target system, open the SID_errlog.sql file.
3. In SQL*Plus, apply the SQL statement(s) to the target table.
4. Reactivate the configuration if you had to make any changes to it.
5. Allow user access to the source table.
Resynchronize by copying the source tables

This procedure restores synchronization to out-of-sync target tables by applying a copy of the source tables.
You only need to resynchronize the tables that are out of synchronization, so users can continue accessing all
other tables.
IMPORTANT! Before you start, review this procedure and see the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information about the commands that are used.
1. On the source and target systems, make sure sp_cop is running.

2. On the target system, run sp_ctrl.
3. [IF NECESSARY] On the target system, issue the show sync command to identify the tables that are out
of synchronization.
sp_ctrl> show sync
4. On the source system, stop activity for the out-of-sync tables.
5. On the source system, run sp_ctrl.

6. On the source system, issue the flush command. NOTE:This command has additional options for use
with named queues or multiple targets. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information about
this command.
sp_ctrl> flush datasource
7. On the source system, copy the tables.
8. On the source system, reactivate the configuration file if you had to make any changes.
9. On the source system, allow users back onto the source tables.
10. On the target system, issue the status command until it shows that Post stopped.
sp_ctrl> status
11. On the target system, restore the tables.
12. On the target system, disable or modify triggers, referential integrity constraints and check constraints
according to the requirements of your replication strategy.
13. On the target system, determine the status ID of each message by viewing the Status Database.
sp_ctrl> show statusdb detail
14. On the target system, clear each message with the following command.
sp_ctrl> clear status statusID
15. On the target system, start the Post process.
sp_ctrl> start post
Resynchronize with Oracle transportable tablespace

The transportable tablespace feature enables you to resynchronize numerous out-of-sync tables quickly and
with minimal downtime. To use the transportable tablespace feature, follow the instructions in the Oracle
documentation for generating a tablespace set, moving the tablespace set to the target database, and plugging
the set into the database. The following instructions contain steps only for using this feature to resynchronize
data. It assumes familiarity with using the transportable tablespace feature.
IMPORTANT! Before you start, review this procedure and see the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information about the commands that are used.
1. On the source system, set the source tablespace to READ ONLY.

SQL>ALTERTABLESPACE name READONLY;
3. On the source system, issue the flush command in sp_ctrl. NOTE:This command has additional options
for use with named queues or multiple targets. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more
information.
4. Export the metadata to an export file according to the Oracle documentation.
5. When the export is finished, copy the datafiles to a secondary location on the source system. This
minimizes the impact on the source database of copying the files to the target system.
6. On the source system, set the source tablespace(s) to READWRITE mode.
SQL>ALTERTABLESPACE name READ WRITE;

7. On the target system, drop the existing datafiles and tablespaces from the target database so that the
copied files can be applied.
8. Copy the files from the secondary location on the source system to the target system.
9. On the target system, use the Oracle import utility to import the metadata and the tablespace
definitions.
10. On the target system, set the tablespace(s) to READWRITE mode.
SQL>ALTERTABLESPACE name READ WRITE;
NOTE: SharePlex must be the only user permitted to have write access to the target tables, unless you
are using peer-to-peer replication.
11. On the source system, reactivate the configuration file if you had to make any changes to it.
12. On the target system, run sp_ctrl.
sp_ctrl> start post
Resynchronize with an Oracle hot backup on an active database

When you use an Oracle hot backup and the reconcile command to resynchronize a target instance, users can
continue to access the production data while the backup is made and applied.
IMPORTANT:
l To resynchronize centralized reporting, such as a data warehouse, you cannot use a hot backup from
all source systems. One backup would override the data from the previous one. You can use a hot
backup of one of the source instances to establish the target instance, and then use another method
such as export/import or transportable tablespaces to copy the tables from the other instances.
l To resynchronize peer-to-peer replication, you must quiet all of the secondary source systems for the
duration of this procedure. Move all users to the primary system, and then follow the procedure. After
the procedure has been performed on all of the secondary systems, users can resume activity on them.
To resynchronize with a hot backup

1. On the source and target systems, run sp_ctrl.
2. On the target system, stop the Post process. This allows the replicated data to accumulate in the post
queue until the target instance has been recovered and reconciled.
sp_ctrl> stop post
3. On the source system, run the Oracle hot backup.
4. On the source and target systems, verify that sp_cop, sp_ctrl and all SharePlex processes (Capture,
Read, Export, Import, Post) are running.
sp_ctrl> status
5. Switch log files on the source system.

l To recover the database to a sequence number, make a note of the highest archive-log
sequence number.
l To recover the database to an Oracle System Change Number (SCN), pick an SCN to recover to on
the target database.
6. Recover the target database from the hot backup:
l If recovering to a sequence number, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL
CANCEL option in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has fully applied the
log from the previous step.
l If recovering to a SCN, recover the database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CHANGE SCN
option in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle has applied the logs
matching the SCN from the previous step.
7. Open the database with the RESETLOGS option.
8. On the target system, issue the reconcile command. If you are using named post queues, issue the
command for each one. Issue the qstatus command if you are unsure of the queue name.
l If recovering to a sequence number, substitute the sequence number of the log that you
noted in step 5.
l If recovering to a SCN, substitute the SCN that you noted in step 5.
sp_ctrl> reconcile queue queuename for datasource-datadest scn scn_number
Example: reconcile queue SysA for o.oraA-o.oraA scn 0123456789
The reconcile process retains control of sp_ctrl until it is finished, and then the sp_ctrl prompt returns.
9. On the target system, log onto SQL*Plus as the Oracle user for SharePlex, and run the cleanup.sql script
located in the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory. This script truncates and updates
the SharePlex tables, which are owned by the SharePlex user. If you are running multiple instances of
sp_cop with multiple variable-data directories, there is a SharePlex Oracle user for each one. Make
sure you run this script as the SharePlex user that owns the tables you want to restore. The script
prompts you for the SharePlex user name and password.
SQL> @/productdir/bin/cleanup.sql
10. On the target system, disable or modify the following according to your replication strategy:
l triggers
l foreign key constraints
l cascading delete constraints (or configure SharePlex to ignore them)
l check constraints
l scheduled jobs that perform DML
11. On the source system, reactivate the configuration file if you had to make any changes to it.
12. On the target system, start the Post process. The two instances are now in synchronization, and
SharePlex will continue replicating.
sp_ctrl> start post

How to restore the archive logs
If you decide to restore the archive logs to enable SharePlex to resume capture and replication, use the
following procedure to determine the required archive logs.
1. Determine the sequence number that Capture needs to resume processing from. Capture stops when it
encounters a log wrap and prints a message to the Event Log (event_log) containing the redo log
sequence number it needs. You also can find out this number by querying the SHAREPLEX_ACTID table
and looking at the SEQNO column, as shown in the following example:
SQL> select * from splex.shareplex_actid;
ACTID SEQNO OFFSET AB_ QUE_SEQ_NO_1 QUE_SEQ_ COMMAND

FLAG NO_2
----- ------ -------- ------ ------------ --------- ------------

-- - -----
14 114 9757200 0 672101000 0
2. Query the Oracle V$LOG_HISTORY table to find out when that sequence number was archived, then
copy the logs from that point forward to the source system.
SQL> select * from V$LOG_HISTORY;
RECID STAMP THREAD# SEQUENCE# FIRST_CHANGE# FIRST_TIM NEXT_CHANGE#
----- ------ ------- -------- ------------- --------------

-
111 402941650 1 111 2729501 14-JUL-00 2729548
112 402941737 1 112 2729548 14-JUL-00 2729633
113 402941930 1 113 2729633 14-JUL-00 2781791
114 402942019 1 114 2781791 14-JUL-00 2836155
115 402942106 1 115 2836155 14-JUL-00 2890539
How to release semaphores after process

failure
If database corruption or other system problem forced you to shut down SharePlex, verify that SharePlex
released the semaphores and shared memory that it was using.
To verify and release semaphores

1. Look for any SharePlex processes that did not shut down, and kill them.
$ ps -ef | grep sp_
$ kill -9 PID
2. Change directories to the rim sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data directory, then issue the od

-x command for the shmaddr.loc and the shstinfo.ipc files.
# od -x shmaddr.loc
0000000 0000 00e1 ed40 0000 4400 9328 0080 0000
0000020 0002 0021
0000024
# od -x shstinfo.ipc
0000000 0000 00e0 ee90 0000 4100 9328 0010 0000
0000020 0002 0020
0000024
3. Make a note of the following values:

l The first 32-bit word of each of the files above reveals the hexadecimal equivalent of the ID of
the shared memory segment. Convert this value to decimal. For example, in the shmaddr.loc
file shown in step 2, the first word is 0000 00e1, which equates to a decimal value of 225. In the
shstinfo.ipc file, the first word is 0000 00e0, which equates to a decimal value of 224.
l The third word of the shmaddr.loc and the shstinfo.ipc files reveals the hexadecimal equivalent
of the KEY of the shared memory segment and the semaphore. (Each set has the same key
value.) Do not convert this value to decimal. For example, in the shmaddr.loc file, the third
word is 4400 9328. In the shstinfo.ipc file, the third word is 4100 9328.
l The fifth word of each file is the SEMAPHORE ID. Convert this value to decimal. The semaphore
IDs in the examples are hex 0002 0021 and 0020 0020, which in decimal are 131105 and 131104,
respectively.
4. Issue the ipcs -smaa command to view all of the shared memory segments and semaphores. (Shared
memory segments are listed first and are denoted with an m. Semaphores are denoted with an s.)
The display looks similar to the following, but will be more extensive.

5. Verify that the shared memory IDs from the shmaddr.loc and shstinfo.ipc are in the list and that the
keys match.
6. For each shared memory segment, verify that the value in the NATTCH column is 0. This ensures that
the SharePlex processes that you killed released their memory segments.
7. For the semaphores, verify that the semaphore IDs and keys match the file values.
8. As root, issue the ipcrm -m command for the ID values (224 and 225 in the examples) to remove the
memory segments.
# ipcrm -m 224
# ipcrm -m 225
9. As root, issue the ipcrm -s command for the key values (131104 and 131105 in the examples) to remove
the semaphores.
# ipcrm -s 131104
# ipcrm -s 131105
How to resolve disk space shortage

This topic helps you resolve disk space issues that can occur when something interferes with replication. For
possible causes see Solve replication problems.

How to conserve disk space on the target
SharePlex captures and processes data much faster than it posts it with SQL statements on the target system,
so the target is where most disk problems can occur, assuming the network is operational and data is being sent
from the source. If you think the post queue may exceed its disk space, there may be enough free space on the
source system to store the data temporarily until the Post queue clears out.
1. Stop the Import process.

2. Let the data accumulate on the source system until Post processes enough messages to clear
the post queue.
3. Start Import.
4. Continue to stop and start Import until the amount of data accumulating in the post queue levels out.
When you implement this method, monitor the replication services and disk usage on the source system. On
Unix and Linux systems, you can use the sp_ps script to monitor processes and the sp_qstatmon monitoring
script to monitor the queues. On Windows systems, you can use the Sp_Nt_Mon utility to monitor those
components. See Monitor SharePlex for more information.
How to restore disk space

If a queue disk runs out of disk space, you may see messages similar to this in the Event Log:
11/22/07 14:14 System call error: No space left on device bu_wt.write [sp_mport
(que)/1937472]
11/22/07 14:14 System call error: No space left on device bu_rls.bu_wt [sp_mport
(que)/1937472]
11/22/07 14:14 Error: que_BUFWRTERR: Error writing buffer to file que_writecommit
(irvspxuz+P+o.a920a64z-o.a102a64z) [sp_mport(rim)/1937472] 11/22/07 14:14 Error:
sp_mport: rim_writecommit failed 30 - exiting [sp_mport/ 1937472]
11/22/07 14:14 Process exited sp_mport (from irvspxuz.domain.com queue irvspxuz)
[pid = 1937472] - exit(1)
If a queue disk is almost out of free space, you might be able to add disk space without the need to
resynchronize the data.
To restore disk space

1. Stop SharePlex on the affected system.
2. Add more disk space.
3. Start SharePlex.
4. View the Event Log and look for the messages "queue recovery started" and "queue recovery
complete."
l If both messages are there, SharePlex resumes processing where it stopped and the recovery
succeeded. If your applications generate high volumes of transactions, there may be numerous
backlogged messages in the queues. Depending on the nature of the transactions, how well the
target database and the Post process are tuned, and your tolerance for latency, it might be
more practical to resynchronize the data instead of waiting for replication to regain parity with
Oracle's processing.

l If one or more queues is corrupted, the Event Log records a message like this: Bad header
magic... or peekahead failure. Or, you will see the message queue recovery started,
but you will not see the queue recovery complete message that signifies successful queue
recovery. In this case, you must restore replication an initial state.
To restore replication to an initial state

1. Run ora_cleansp to restore the variable-data directory and SharePlex tables. It must be run on all
systems in the affected replicationconfiguration. See the utilities documentation in the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
2. Synchronize the data using your method of choice, then reactivate the configuration. See Activate
replication in an Oracle production environment.
3. You can prevent this problem from occurring again by using the SharePlex monitoring utilities to
start unattended monitoring of key replication events, including queue volume alerts. See
Monitor SharePlex.
How to find the ORACLE_SID and

ORACLE_HOME
To connect to an Oracle database, SharePlex gets the ORACLE_SID from the input provided during the Oracle
Setup process that is performed during installation. By default, the setup program displays the SID that was
specified when the SharePlex installer was run. The person who runs Oracle Setup has the option to enter a
different ORACLE_SIDfrom the default shown. Based on the value of the ORACLE_SID, SharePlex gets the
ORACLE_HOME from the Registry or oratab file. Both values are stored in the SharePlex environment.
SharePlex uses the Oracle libraries that are in the location specified with ORACLE_HOME.
To determine the ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME being used by SharePlex

Issue the orainfo command in sp_ctrl.
sp_ctrl (mysysl11:2101)> orainfo
Oracle instance #1:
Oracle SID ora12
Oracle HOME /oracle/products/12
Oracle Version 12
Oracle instance #2:
Oracle SID ora12
Oracle HOME /oracle/products/12
Oracle Version 12
To determine the default ORACLE_SIDand ORACLE_HOME on Windows

View the Oracle entry in the Registry at \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE.

To determine the default ORACLE_SID and ORACLE_HOME on UNIX and Linux
On most Unix and Linux systems the oratab file is under /etc/oratab. On Oracle Solaris systems, it is under
/var/opt/oracle, but sometimes there is an oratab file in the /etc directory as well.
The entry in the file looks like the following example:
qa12:/qa/oracle/ora12/app/oracle/product/12.0
In the example, qa12 is the ORACLE_SID and /qa/oracle/ora12/app/oracle/product/12.0 is the

ORACLE_HOME.

19
Repair out-of-sync Data
This chapter contains an overview of the SharePlex Compare and Repair feature. SharePlex provides this
feature as built-in support to help you maintain data that is synchronized between the source and
target systems.
Contents
Overview of Compare and Repair
Before you use Compare and Repair
How to use the repair and compare commands
Overview of Compare and Repair

In addition to regularly monitoring the health and performance of replication, it is good practice to compare the
source and target data on a regular schedule to ensure that all of the data is still synchronized. Post detects
out-of-sync conditions for the rows that it is processing, but there can be hidden out-of-sync conditions.
Examples of these are DML applied on the target or an incomplete backup restore. These conditions can go
undetected until Post applies an operation that affects the out-of-sync row. The SharePlex Compare and Repair
feature enables you to detect hidden out-of-sync conditions and then repair them.
NOTE: To understand how hidden out-of-sync conditions can occur, see Understand the concept of
synchronization.
SharePlex provides the following commands for comparing and repairing out-of-sync data:
l compare: Compares an individual source table to its target table or compares a wildcarded set of tables
in the same schema.
l compare using: Takes input from a file to compare some or all of the tables in the active replication
configuration.
l repair: Repairs an individual target table or a wildcarded set of tables in the same schema.
l repair using: Takes input from a file to repair some or all of the tables in the active replication
configuration.
Overview of the server and client processes

The compare and repair commands are always issued on the source system. The command spawns a server
process on the source system and then sends a message through the SharePlex queues to spawn a client
process on the target system.

The server and client processes then begin communication with each other. Depending on the syntax
options included in the command, the processes may be multithreaded on the target. The two processes
compare the source and target tables and then write the results to a log file. They also write the SQL that
is needed to repair any out-of-sync rows to a SQL file in the same location as the log files. If only a compare
command is issued, SharePlex does not execute these SQL statements. If a repair command is issued, the
command works identically to the compare commands except that it executes the SQL statements to repair
the out-of-sync rows.
How locks are managed

During a comparison, SharePlex obtains a brief exclusive lock on the source table to get read consistency for its
row selection. On the target system, SharePlex obtains an exclusive lock on the target table and retains the
lock for the duration of the comparison of that table. This prevents the table from being modified while
SharePlex is processing it.
After locking the tables, the rows are read and sorted in identical fashion on both source and target. Next, a
batch of rows is read and a check sum is performed. If the check sums match, another batch of rows is
processed the same way. If any check sums do not match, the processes determine which rows are out-of-
synchronization and then they create the SQL statements to repair them. If a repair command is issued,
SharePlex repairs the rows.
Before you use Compare and Repair

Before running the compare or repair commands, review these guidelines.
l All of the SharePlex processes (Capture, Read, Export, Import, Post) must be running when you run a
comparison or repair command.
l The tables that you want to compare or repair must be part of an active configuration file.
l Uncommitted transactions on a source table prevent the compare and repair processes from obtaining
the brief locks they need to obtain read consistency. Make certain that all transactions are committed
before you run a comparison or repair.
l If a table is large, it will probably need to be sorted in the TEMP tablespace. Before running the
compare or repair commands, the TEMP tablespace may need to be made larger. The size depends on
the setting of the SP_DEQ_THREADS parameter or the threads option within the command syntax, both
of which controls the number of processing threads used by SharePlex on the target. Each thread
processes a table. At the default of two threads, the size of the tablespace should be larger than the
sum of the sizes of the two largest tables. If you set the number of threads higher, then increase the
size of the tablespace to accommodate a proportionate number of the largest tables. However,

l The UNDO tablespace may also need to be increased. Based on transaction volume and the length of
time it takes to compare the largest table, increase the size of the UNDO tablespace and increase the
undo_retention database parameter to avoid an ORA-1555 Snapshot too old error. Tables with LOBs take
much longer to compare or repair than tables without them.
The following are commonly modified compare and repair parameters. Do not increase the values unless
necessary. For details about these parameters, see their documentation in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Parameter Description
SP_DEQ_ This parameter is used on the source side to control fetch batch size. The batch size controls
MALLOC the number of rows that SharePlex selects at once for comparison. Larger batch sizes increase
processing speed but require more memory.
SP_DEQ_ This parameter manages the select statement Degree of Parallelism hint. The parallelism
PARRALLISM option of the command overrides this setting.
SP_DEQ_ This parameter controls how the repair commands work on Oracle partitioned tables,
PART_ depending on whether row movement is possible.
TABLE_
UPDATE
SP_DEQ_ This parameter controls the size of the buffer that holds fetched LONG and LOB data and can
READ_ be adjusted based on available system memory.
BUFFER_
SIZE
SP_DEQ_ This parameter sets a threshold that controls whether SharePlex uses row-level or table-level
ROW_LOCK_ locking when a where option is used.
THRESHOLD
SP_DEQ_ This parameter determines whether or not LOBs are included in the compare/repair
SKIP_LOB processing. If LOBs are not modified once inserted, you can speed up processing by setting this
parameter to 0 so that only non-LOB columns are included in the processing.
SP_DEQ_ This parameter sets a queue backlog threshold. High backlogs delay the establishment of a
TIMEOUT connection between the source and target compare/repair processes. If the backlog meets or
exceeds this value, any compare or repair command that is issued on the source will exit and
return an error. If this happens, consider running the compare or repair when the system is
less busy.
How to use the repair and compare

commands
The recommended procedure for maintaining synchronized data through the comparison and repair commands
is to run the compare or compare using command first, then view the results with the repair status command.
This command shows any rows that are out-of-sync and the possible cause. Unless the cause of the out-of-sync
condition is corrected, replication will go out of synchronization again, even if you repair the rows this time.
After the problem is fixed, issue the repair or repair using command.
You can run the repair or repair using command without doing a preliminary comparison. The command
performs a comparison first, to identify the out-of-sync rows, and then it repairs those rows. However, the
underlying cause of the out-of-sync condition must be corrected to prevent future out-of-sync conditions.

See Solve Synchronization Problems in the SharePlex Administration Guide for causes and solutions for out-of-
sync conditions.
To view the status or results of a comparison, use the compare status command in sp_ctrl.
To view the status or results of a repair, use the repair status command in sp_ctrl.
When to run a repair

The best time to repair a target table depends on its size, the cause of the problem, the extent of out-of-sync
rows, and how long you are willing to tolerate users being locked out. Before you initiate a repair, consider the
following:
l Although the users of the tables are not usually affected by the brief locks that are applied when
tables are compared, they are locked out of the target table for the duration of the repair process. For
a small table, this might not be disruptive, but for a large table needing extensive repairs, the wait can
be significant.
l Locks on a target table can reduce posting performance if Post must wait for the repair to finish before
it can apply changes to that table and move on to other tables. This increases the latency of the target
data and causes operations to accumulate in the post queue. If the objects that Post needs to change
are different from those being repaired, the two processes run simultaneously.
l If you must repair a table immediately, but cannot tolerate locks or replication latency, you can use the
where option to limit the repair to certain rows. An alternative is to use the key option, but this option
may cause the repair to miss some out-of-sync rows.
l If the repair can wait, correct the cause of the problem immediately and then do the repair during non-
peak hours.
l Replication latency can slow down the compare and repair processing. The message sent from the
source to spawn the command processes on the target is sent through the queues along with regular
replicated data. Delays caused by a data backlog will delay the spawn message and cause the process
on the source to lose its read consistency, which results in errors. If possible, perform comparisons and
repairs during off-peak hours.
How to run the compare and repair commands

To get additional information and syntax for the compare and repair commands, see the command
documentation in the SharePlex Reference Guide.

20
Procedures to Maintain Oracle High
Availability
This chapter contains instructions for recovering replication along with the database and applications during a
failover in a high-availability environment. To support these procedures, SharePlex must be properly
configured to support high availability. See Configure replication to maintain high availability.
Contents
Recover replication if the primary system fails
Recover replication if the secondary Oracle instance fails
Move replication during planned failover and failback
Recover replication if the primary system

fails
In an unplanned failure of the primary (source) machine, replicated data remaining in the SharePlex queues on
that system will be unrecoverable as a result of buffering and the likelihood that the queues are corrupted. In
a high-availability environment, you can move replication to the secondary (target) machine along with the
database users to maintain data availability. When the primary system is restored, you can move users and
replication back to that system with minimal downtime using a hot backup of the secondary instance.
For this procedure, you will activate a configuration file and then use the reconcile command to synchronize
the results of the backup with ongoing replicated user changes after the copied instance is recovered.
Supported databases
Oracle database on Unix or Linux
Requirements
l SharePlex must be configured correctly to support high availability. See Configure replication to
maintain high availability.
l You must have a backup of the SharePlex replication environment.
l You must know how to run SharePlex. See Run SharePlex.

l You must understand the activate config, reconcile, and delete queue commands. See the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
Procedure 1: Move replication to the secondary

system
This procedure moves replication to the secondary system after an unplanned failure of the primary system.
1. Verify that Export is stopped on the secondary system.

2. Use the qstatus command to view the post queue, and keep issuing this command until the number of
backlogged messages is 0. NOTE: Do not wait for the actual numberof messages to be 0. If the primary
system failed before the commit for some transactions were received, messages for these partial
transactions will remain in the queue until cleared later in this procedure.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
3. Run the script that grants INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE access to all users on the secondary system.
4. Run the script that enables triggers and constraints on the secondary system when users begin using
this system.
5. Implement the failover procedure for relocating users to the secondary system, including starting the
applications.
6. Move users to the secondary system and let them resume working, but do not start Export. Their
transactions will now be accumulating in the export queue awaiting restoration of the source
database. NOTE: If started, Export will repeatedly try to connect to the primary system, wasting
system resources.
7. Go to Procedure 2: Move replication to the restored primary system.
Procedure 2: Move replication to the restored

primary system
This procedure moves users back to the primary machine after it is recovered from an unplanned failure.
Follow each segment in the order presented.
Restore the replication environment on the primary system

1. On the primary system, recover the SharePlex directories, system files and Oracle files from the
backups and archives.
2. On the primary system, start sp_cop using the -s option to prevent the SharePlex processes (Capture,
Read, Export, Import, Post) from starting.
$ /productdir/bin/sp_cop -s &
3. On the primary system, start sp_ctrl.
4. On the primary system, deactivate the configuration file. When you copied the archived SharePlex
variable-data directory to the primary system, you copied the configuration that was active before the
system failed. This causes the Capture process to set the transaction number to 1 when replication

from the primary system resumes.
sp_ctrl> deactivate config filename
Purge the queues

1. Run sp_ctrl on the primary and secondary systems.
2. On the primary system, delete the capture queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue datasource:C
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue o.oraA:C
3. On the primary system, delete the export queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue queuename:X
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue sysA:X
4. On the secondary system, delete the post queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue queuename:P for datasource-datadest
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue sysA:P for o.oraA-o.oraB
NOTE:
l You are issuing the delete queue command on the primary system because you restored the old
capture and export queues when you restored the archived SharePlex directories.
l You are issuing the delete queue command on the secondary system because data remaining in
the post queue cannot be posted. The primary system failed before Post received a COMMIT for
remaining transactions. SharePlex will rebuild the queues when you reactivate the
configuration and the two systems are reconciled.
Start replication from secondary to primary system

1. On the primary system, verify that all SharePlex processes are stopped.
sp_ctrl> status
2. On the primary system, stop Post.
sp_ctrl> stop post
3. On the secondary system, start Export. This establishes communication between the primary and
secondary systems.:
sp_ctrl> start export
Synchronize the source and target data

1. On the secondary system, run an Oracle hot backup.
2. When the hot backup is finished, switch log files on the secondary system and make a note of the
highest archive-log sequence number.
3. On the primary system, recover the primary database from the backup by using the UNTIL CANCEL
option in the RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after the log with the number you recorded has
been fully applied.
4. Open the database with the RESETLOGS option.

NOTE: This resets the sequences on the primary system to the top of the cache upon startup.
5. On the primary system, issue the reconcile command using the sequence number of the log that you
noted previously. If you are using named post queues, issue the command for each one. If you do not
know the queue names, issue the qstatus command first.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
Example: reconcile queue SysB for o.oraA-o.oraA seq 1234
6. On the primary system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so
that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
7. On the primary system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.
8. On the primary system, log onto SQL*Plus as the SharePlex Oracle user and run the cleanup.sql utility
from the bin sub-directory of the SharePlex product directory. This truncates the SharePlex tables and
updates the SHAREPLEX_ACTID table.
9. On the secondary system, truncate the SHAREPLEX_TRANS table. This table contains transaction
information that the Post process was using before the primary system failed, and therefore
that information is obsolete. Truncating the table restores transaction consistency between the
two systems.
Activate replication on the primary system

1. On the primary system, activate the configuration file.
2. On the primary system, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
Restore the object cache

1. On the primary system, view the status of the SharePlex processes.
sp_ctrl> status
NOTE: This command shows that Post stopped due to an error, which occurred because the object
cache is missing.
2. On the primary system, issue the show log command with the filter option, and filter on the keyword
"objcache."
sp_ctrl> show log filter=objcache
3. Look for a Post error message that refers to a file with a name similar to the following example:
0x0a0100c5+PP+sys4+sp_opst_mt+o.quest-o.ov-objcache_sp_opst_mt.18
You are looking for a string that contains the string objcache_sp_opst_mt, followed by a number. This
is the object-cache file that the Post process needs. If you are using named post queues, there will be
more than one error message, each referring to a different object-cache file but ending with the same
number, such as the number .18 in the example.
4. Make a note of the full pathname of the Post object-cache file(s) named in the error message. The path
will be the state directory in the SharePlex variable-data directory, for example:

splex_vardir/state/0x0a0100c5+PP+sys4+sp_opst_mt+o.quest-o.ov-objcache_sp_
opst_mt.18
5. On the secondary system, shut down SharePlex.

sp_ctrl> shutdown
6. On the secondary system, change directories to the state sub-directory of the SharePlex variable-data
directory and locate the Capture object-cache file. This file will have a name similar to the one in the
following example.
o.quest-objcache_sp_ocap.18
IMPORTANT! If there are more than one of these files, use the one with the most recent number at the
end of it this number should match the number at the end of the Post object-cache file, such as .18 in
the example.
7. Copy the Capture object-cache file to the primary system and rename it to the full pathname of the
Post object-cache file that you noted previously.
8. On the primary system, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
Switch users back to the primary system

1. On the secondary system, stop user access to the database.
2. On the primary system, view the post queue and continue to issue the command until the number of
messages is 0.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
3. On the secondary system, shut down the Oracle instance.
svrmgr1> shutdown
4. On the secondary system, start the Oracle instance.
svrmgr1> startup
NOTE: This resets the sequence on the secondary system to the top of the cache to synchronize with
the primary system.
5. On the primary system, enable database objects that were disabled.
6. On the secondary system, start SharePlex.
7. On the secondary system, stop Post.
sp_ctrl> stop post
8. Move users back to the primary system.
9. On the secondary system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so
10. On the secondary system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.
11. On the secondary system, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
12. On the primary system, view the number of messages in the post queue, and keep checking until the
number of messages is 0.

sp_ctrl> qstatus
13. When the number of messages is 0, switch users back to the primary system.
14. On the primary system, stop Export to prevent accidental changes made on that system from being
replicated to the primary system.
NOTE: The secondary system is now in a failover-ready state again, with:
l no users
l an active configuration
l disabled or modified triggers, constraints, and scheduled jobs
l a stopped Export process
Delete this text and replace it with your own content.
Recover replication if the secondary

Oracle instance fails
In an unplanned failure of the secondary (target) Oracle instance, the replication environment from that
system to the primary system is corrupted. This procedure enables you to restore the replication configuration
without affecting the database users on the primary system, and without the need to reactivate the
configuration file on the primary system. Only the secondary configuration is affected.
This procedure cleans out the SharePlex queues and restores the target instance by means of a hot backup
from the source system. You will use the reconcile command to synchronize the results of the backup with
ongoing replicated user changes after the copied instance is recovered.
Supported databases
Requirements
l You must understand the activate config, reconcile, and delete queue commands. See the SharePlex
Reference Guide.
l This procedure assumes that the secondary system itself is operational so that you can interact with
SharePlex on the system.
Procedure
This procedure is divided into logical segments. Follow them in the order presented.

Purge the queues
1. On the secondary system, stop Post.
sp_ctrl> stop post
2. On the secondary system, deactivate the configuration file.
NOTE: The deactivation causes the error Error in sp_cnc. in the Event Log. You may ignore it and
continue with the procedure.
3. On the primary system, run sp_ctrl.
4. On the primary system, delete the post queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue queuename:P for datasource-datadest
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue sysB:P for o.oraA-o.oraB
NOTE: You are deleting the queues on the primary system because there could be messages remaining
from uncommitted transactions sent from the secondary instance before it failed.
5. On the primary system, truncate the SHAREPLEX_TRANS internal table in the SharePlex schema. This
table contains transaction information that the Post process on that system was using before the
secondary instance failed, and therefore the information is obsolete. Truncating the tables restores
transaction consistency.
6. On the secondary system, run sp_ctrl.
7. On the secondary system, delete the capture queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue datasource:C
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue o.oraB:C
8. On the secondary system, delete the export queue.
sp_ctrl> delete queue queuename:X
Example: sp_ctrl> delete queue sysB:X
NOTE: You are deleting the queues on the secondary system because the capture and export queues
on that system still retain a record of the transactions that have already been processed.
Synchronize the data

1. On the primary system, begin a hot backup of the primary Oracle instance.
2. On the primary system, switch log files.
3. Make a note of the highest sequence number of the archive logs.
4. On the secondary system, recover the secondary database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CANCEL
option in the RECOVER clause. Cancel the recovery after Oracle has fully applied the log from the
previous step.
5. On the secondary system, open the secondary database with the RESETLOGS option. This resets the
sequence on the secondary system to the top of the cache upon startup
6. On the secondary system, run SQL*Plus as the SharePlex database user.
7. In SQL*Plus, run the cleanup.sql script from the bin subdirectory of the SharePlex product directory.

8. On the secondary system, issue the reconcile command using the sequence number of the log that you
sp_ctrl> qstatus
11. On the secondary system, after the sp_ctrl prompt returns, stop Export. This ensures that nothing
accidentally gets replicated to the primary system when you activate the configuration on the
secondary system.
Start replication on the secondary system

1. On the secondary system, activate the configuration file.
sp_ctrl> start post
3. Use the status command to determine if any other SharePlex processes have a status of Stopped due
to Error and start them.
sp_ctrl> status
sp_ctrl> start process
NOTE: The secondary system is now prepared for future failover.
Move replication during planned failover

and failback
In a planned failover of database activity to a secondary Oracle instance, you can quickly move SharePlex to the
secondary system. While users continue their transactions on that system, SharePlex captures their changes
and stores them until the primary system is back online and activity is moved back to that system.
Supported databases

Requirements
l There must be enough disk space where the queues reside on the secondary system to contain the data
that accumulates while users are working on that system.
l You must understand the SharePlex flush command. See the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Procedure
This procedure is divided into logical segments. Follow them in the order presented. Do not shut down the
primary instance until prompted in the procedure.
Switch users to the secondary system

1. On the primary system, stop user access to the primary instance.
2. On the primary system, flush the data in the queues to the secondary system. This command stops Post
on the secondary system and places a marker in the data stream to establish a synchronization point
between the primary and secondary data.
where: datasource is the datasource specification of the primary Oracle instance, for example o.OraA.
3. On the secondary system, verify that Post stopped. (Continue to issue this command until it shows that
Post stopped.)
sp_ctrl> status
4. On the primary system, verify that there are no messages in the capture and export queues. The
Number of Messages and the Backlog (messages) fields must be 0.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
5. On the secondary system, verify that there are no messages in the post queue. The Number of
Messages and the Backlog (messages) fields must be 0.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
6. On the primary system, shut down SharePlex.
7. On the primary system, shut down the Oracle instance with the abort option. Do not use the
immediate option.
svrmgr1> shutdown abort
NOTE: This resets the sequence on the primary system to the top of the cache when the
database starts.
8. On the secondary system, verify that Export is stopped. This prevents user changes from being
replicated to the primary system until it is back online and SharePlex is ready to receive them. Stop
Export if needed.
sp_ctrl> status

9. On the secondary system, run the script that grants INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE access to all users.
10. On the secondary system, run the script that enables triggers and constraints on the
secondary instance.
11. Run your failover procedure for relocating users to the secondary system, including starting the
applications and starting jobs that were running on the primary system.
12. Move the users to the secondary system to resume working, but do not start the Export process.
Switch users back to the primary system

1. On the primary system, open the Oracle instance. The sequence on this system should now be at the
top of the cache.
2. On the primary system, disable triggers on the tables, or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so
3. On the primary system, disable check constraints and scheduled jobs that perform DML.
4. On the primary system, start SharePlex.
5. On the secondary system, start Export so that SharePlex sends the accumulated replicated data to the
primary system.
NOTE: SharePlex passes any sequence updates from the secondary system back to the primary system
when Export starts.
6. On the primary system, stop Export.
7. On the primary system, allow Post to process the message backlog that was sent from the
primary system.
8. On the secondary system, stop user access to the Oracle instance.
9. On the secondary system, flush the data in the queues to the primary system.
where: datasource is the datasource specification of the secondary Oracle instance, for example o.OraB.
10. On the primary system, verify that Post stopped. (Continue to issue this command until it shows that
Post stopped.)
sp_ctrl> status
11. On the secondary system, verify that there are no messages in the capture and export queues. The
Number of Messages and the Backlog (messages) fields must be 0.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
12. On the primary system, verify that there are no messages in the post queue. The Number of Messages
and the Backlog (messages) fields must be 0.
sp_ctrl> qstatus
13. On the secondary system, shut down SharePlex.
sp_ctrl> shutdown
14. On the secondary system, shut down the Oracle instance with the abort option. Do not use the

immediate option.
svrmgr1> shutdown abort
NOTE: This resets the sequence on the secondary system to the top of the cache when the
database starts.
15. On the secondary system, start the Oracle instance.
svrmgr1> startup
NOTE: The sequence on the secondary system is now at the top of the cache. When the next value is
selected on the primary system, a new cache is acquired and is replicated to the secondary system.
Now, the primary system is at the start of a cache, and the secondary system is at the top of a cache.
16. On the primary system, run the script that grants INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE access to all users.
17. On the primary system, run the script that enables triggers and constraints on the primary system when
users begin using this system.
18. Run your failover procedure for moving users back to the primary system, including starting the
applications and starting jobs that were running on the secondary system.
19. Switch the users to the primary system to resume working, but do not start the Export process. This
prevents replicated data from being sent to the secondary system until SharePlex is ready to
receive it there.
Resume replication to maintain the secondary instance

3. On the secondary system, start SharePlex.
4. On the secondary system, stop Export. This prevents any accidental DML on that system from being
replicated to the primary system.
5. On the primary system, start export.
sp_ctrl> start post
Replication from the primary instance to the secondary instance is now active to keep the two
databases synchronized and ready for future failover when needed.

21
Make changes to an active replication
environment
This chapter contains instructions for making datbase changes, or performing system and software
maintenance, on systems where SharePlex replication is active.
Contents
Change an active configuration file
Add or change table specifications in an active configuration
Add Oracle sequences to an active replication configuration
Remove objects from replication
Make DDL changes in an active replication configuration
Make Oracle changes that affect replication
Change the SharePlex database account
Change the name or IP address of a replication host
Set the SharePlex port number
Change an active configuration file

Many procedures that change an element of the replication environment will also involve changing the
SharePlex configuration file. SharePlex does not permit anyone to edit an active configuration file. You must
make a copy first. By copying the file first, you preserve the original file in case it is needed again or you
encounter a problem with the new file. By copying the file first, you also can control when to activate the new
configuration file.
Unless you are adding numerous objects to a configuration or adding tables with extensive chaining, activation
of an edited configuration is less time-consuming than the original activation if you do not deactivate the
original configuration. The activation of the new configuration automatically deactivates the original
configuration, and SharePlex only needs to analyze the new, changed, and removed objects. If you deactivate
the original configuration before you activate a new one, SharePlex re-analyzes all of the objects.

Add or change table specifications in an
active configuration
If you are using wildcards and an object that you are adding satisfies the wildcard specification, it is not
necessary to add the object to the configuration file. Any new objects that match the wildcard criteria are
automatically added into replication. Only add objects that must be explicitly stated by name.
Supported databases
Oracle
Procedure
IMPORTANT! Do not deactivate the original configuration.
1. If the new source and target tables are populated, synchronize them according to the directions in
Activate replication in an Oracle production environment.
2. In sp_ctrl, issue the copy config command to make a copy of the active configuration file.
sp_ctrl> copy config filename to newname
Where: filename is the name of the active file and newname is the name of the new one.
3. Issue the edit config command to open the new configuration file in the default text editor.
sp_ctrl> edit config newname
4. Add the entries for the new tables or change existing entries. For example:
l To change the vertical partitioning of a table, make the required changes to the column
partition in the table specification. See Configure vertically partitioned replication for
assistance.
l To change the horizontal partitioning of a table, change the column conditions as needed in the
SHAREPLEX_PARTITION table, and change the partition scheme in the entry for that table in the
configuration file. If deleting a partition scheme, remove it from the configuration file and either
keep it in the SHAREPLEX_PARTITION table or remove it. See Configure horizontally partitioned
replication for assistance.
l To add a new target system to a partition scheme if that system is not already in a routing map
somewhere else in the configuration file, add a routing map for it in the configuration. Begin the
line with an exception marker (!) and one or more spaces, for example: ! [email protected]
5. Save the configuration file.
6. Activate the new configuration. This deactivates the original configuration.
sp_ctrl> activate config newname
7. Allow users to access the tables.

Add Oracle sequences to an active
replication configuration
The procedure to use to add a sequence to an active configuration file depends on whether or not you can stop
user access to the objects that use the sequence. If the sequences are used to populate a column in a table,
you may not be able to stop user access.
Enable auto-add of sequences
Add a sequence if the sequence does not populate a column
Add a sequence if the sequence populates a column
Supported databases
Oracle
Enable auto-add of sequences

You can configure SharePlex to add sequences to replication automatically if their names satisfy a wildcard in
the configuration file. For more information, see Control DDL replication
Add sequences if auto-add is not enabled

The following procedures apply if the auto-add feature for sequences is not enabled.
Add a sequence if the sequence does not populate a column

1. Stop user activity to the objects on the source system.
4. Add the new sequences to the configuration file.
6. Create the target sequence on the target system. To ensure uniqueness on the target system, the start
value of the target sequence must be larger than the start value of the source sequence. Use the
following formula to determine the target START_WITH value:
source_INCREMENT_BY_value = START_WITH_value

8. Allow users to access the objects.
Add a sequence if the sequence populates a column

3. Add the new sequences to the configuration file.
6. On the source system, flush the data from source system to the target system. This command stops Post
and places a marker in the data stream that establishes a synchronization point between source and
target data.
7. flush datasource
where: datasource is o.ORACLE_SID of the source instance for example o.oraA.
8. After Post stops, issue the following Oracle command on the target system to find the last known value
of the sequence. Make a record of this value.
select max(column_name) = last known value
9. Determine the value of the following equation.
source_INCREMENT_BY_value x source_CACHE_value
For example, if the source sequence is incremented by 2 and the cache size is 10, the value
would be 20.
10. Starting with the value that you recorded for the select max (column_name) command, determine the
next highest multiple of (source_INCREMENT_BY_value x source_CACHE_value).
Example:
INCREMENT_BY = 2
CACHE = 10
select max(column_name) = 24
Next highest multiple of (2 x 10) after 24 = 40.
11. To the value obtained in the previous step, add another multiple of (source_INCREMENT_BY_value x
source_CACHE_value). The result determines the START WITH value of the target sequence. For
example, in the previous equation the START WITH value would be: 40 + (2 x 10) = 60.
12. Create the target sequence with the START WITH value that you calculated.
13. On the target, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post

SharePlex will continue replicating the data, while keeping the target sequence at least one multiple
of (source_INCREMENT_BY_value x source_CACHE_value) ahead of the source sequence.
IMPORTANT!
Sequences continue to be incremented even when a transaction is rolled back. If numerous rollbacks are
issued for a source table that uses a replicated sequence, it causes the sequence values to increase without
actually being used in columns in the table. As a result, when Post applies the next valid operation, the
sequence value on the target system could be less than the value in the replicated row.
When there are numerous rollbacks, view the target table regularly to ensure that the current value of the
target sequence remains greater than the maximum value in the table. If the current value of the target
sequence is less than the maximum value in the table, repeat the preceding procedure to re-establish the
sequence relationships.
Remove objects from replication

Removing objects from an active replication configuration involves a similar procedure to adding objects. The
objects being removed are locked when the new configuration is activated, but only those objects are locked,
so the activation is less time-consuming that the original activation.
You can prevent posting to a table without removing it from the configuration file. You may need to do this if,
for example, there is data corruption and you do not want DML or DDL operations to be applied to that table. To
prevent posting to a table, use the SP_OPO_DISABLE_OBJECT_NUM parameter. For more information about this
Supported databases
All databases supported by SharePlex
Procedure
3. In the new configuration file, delete the entries for the objects that you want to remove from
replication. If the object that you want to remove from replication satisfies a wildcard, use the not
notation to exclude the object. See Use Wildcards to specify multiple objects for more information.
6. Allow users to access the removed objects.

Make DDL changes in an active replication
configuration
This procedure applies to DDL changes that are not of a type that is supported by SharePlex. DDL that is
supported by SharePlex can be applied to the source database without reactivating the configuration file or
stopping user access to objects, assuming the applicable SharePlex parameters are set correctly. Supported
DDL is replicated by SharePlex to the target, where it is applied by Post. For a list of supported DDL operations
and required parameters, see the SharePlex Release Notes.
Use this procedure to apply DDL that is not of a type that is supported by SharePlex. The DDL must be applied
outside SharePlex on both the source and target systems. This procedure requires stopping access to the
objects in the configuration file and a reactivation of the configuration file to update the internal tables.
However, only the changed objects are analyzed, so the activation time will be shorter than the time required
for a full activation.
Supported databases
Oracle database
Requirements
l You must understand how to activate a configuration file with the activate config command.
l You must understand the SharePlexflush command. See the SharePlex Reference Guide.
Procedure
1. On the source system, stop access to the source objects (on all systems if using peer-to-peer
replication).
2. On the source system (trusted source in peer-to-peer), flush the data from the source system to the
target systems. This command stops the Post process and places a marker in the data stream that
establishes a synchronization point between the source and target data.
where: datasource is the database specification of the source instance, for example o.oraA.
3. On the target system (all secondary systems in peer-to-peer) verify that the number of messages in the
post queue is 0 on each system and that Post stopped.
sp_ctrl> lstatus
4. On the source system, make the DDL changes.
5. On the source system, reactivate the configuration file.
6. On the source system, allow user activity to resume. Their replicated changes will accumulate in the
post queue.

7. On the target system, make the corresponding DDL changes.
8. [High availability and peer-to-peer replication only] On the secondary systems, reactivate the
configuration file.
9. On the target systems, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
SharePlex resumes replication from the last stop point and the data remains synchronized.
Make Oracle changes that affect

replication
This topic helps you make common changes to the Oracle environment while replication is active.
Supported databases
Oracle on Linux and UNIX
Move the location of ORACLE_HOME

If you change the ORACLE_HOME, you need to relink SharePlex to the Oracle libraries.
1. Shut down SharePlex.

sp_ctrl> shutdown
2. Move the ORACLE_HOME.
3. Edit the oratab file to point to the new ORACLE_HOME.
4. Edit the defaults.yaml file to point to the new ORACLE_HOME. This file is in the data subdirectory of the
SharePlex product directory.
5. Start SharePlex.
Change the target ORACLE_SID

2. On the source system, copy the active configuration file to a new name, but do not deactivate it.
3. On the source system, open the new configuration file.
4. Change the ORACLE_SID to the new one in all of the routing maps that include this target database and
target system.

5. Save and close the configuration file, but do not activate it.
6. On the source system, stop user access to the objects involved in replication.
7. On the source system, flush the data in the queues to the target. This stops the Post process and
establishes a synchronization point between the source and target databases.
where: datasource is the database indicator of the source instance, for example o.oraA.
8. On the source system, activate the new configuration file. This will deactivate the original
configuration file.
NOTE:The activation will be brief because SharePlex does not need to analyze the tables.
9. On the source system, allow users to access the objects involved in replication.
10. On the target system, verify that Post stopped. If Post is not stopped, continue to issue the command
until it shows that Post stopped.
sp_ctrl> status
11. On the target system, shut down the database and then rename the ORACLE_SID.
12. On the target system, start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
Change the SharePlex database account

You can change the user name (schema or database), the password, or both in the SharePlex database account.
The database account was established during the installation of SharePlex. These procedures guide you
through the process in the correct order to maintain an active replication configuration.
Supported databases
All SharePlex-supported databases
Procedure
This procedure changes the user account name and/or password of the SharePlex user account in a database.
This user account is the one that the SharePlex processes use to connect to the database when performing
replication tasks.
IMPORTANT! If using multiple variable-data directories, you must run this procedure for each one that you
want to change.
1. (Unix and Linux only) If you are using multiple variable-data directories, export the environment
variable that points to the variable-data directory for the SharePlex instance for which you are running
Oracle Setup.
ksh shell:

csh shell:
2. Run sp_ctrl on the system where you are changing the password.
3. Stop the SharePlex processes on the system where you are changing the account information. For
example, if you are changing the SharePlex account in the source database, stop Capture and Read. If
you are changing the account in the target database, stop Post.
sp_ctrl> stop service
4. Verify that all SharePlex replication processes for this instance of SharePlex are stopped.
sp_ctrl> status
5. Log in to the database as a DBA user and change the SharePlex account name and/or password to the
new ones. Important! Do not delete the SharePlex objects!
6. If you changed the account name, copy all of the SharePlex database objects from the old account to
the new one.
NOTE:Keep the old account and SharePlex objects as backup until you are certain replication
resumes properly.
7. In sp_crtl, issue the following command to change the account name and/or password in the SharePlex
internal records.
To change the user account:
sp_ctrl> connection {o.SID | r.database} set user=username
To change the password:
sp_ctrl> connection {o.SID | r.database} set password=password
where:
l SID is the ORACLE_SID of the database, if the database is Oracle.
l database is the name (not the DSN) of the database, if the database is non-Oracle.
l username is the new account name.
l password is the new password.
8. Start the SharePlex processes.
sp_ctrl> start service
Change the name or IP address of a

replication host
Description
Use the provision utility to change a host name or IP address in the SharePlex configuration.

The SharePlex processes rely on the host names or IP addresses of the source and target machines to route
data properly. The provision utility enables you to update host names or IPaddresses within an active
SharePlex instance, without reactivating a new configuration.
NOTE: The provision utility does not change anything in the database. It only affects SharePlex
internal objects.
Supported databases
All databases supported by SharePlex on all supported platforms
Guidelines for using provision

l provision is only valid for SharePlex version 6.1.1 and above.
l (SharePlex 7.0.2 only) If provision is being used because the host name of a machine changed, contact
Dell Support to request a new license. Otherwise SharePlex will not start after the change.
l (SharePlex 7.0.2 only) Add the following parameter to the param-defaults file before you run provision:
SP_CFP_DEBUG I live int() 0x00000000
l If running SharePlex on an AIX machine, set EXTSHM before running provision.
export EXTSHM=ON
l Run provision on the machine for which the name or address changed. provision propagates the
changes to the SharePlex processes that are involved between that machine and the other machine in
the same routing map. Therefore, if you change the target machine, run provision from that machine. If
you change the source machine, run provision from that machine.
Run provision
1. Stop sp_cop. If sp_cop is running, provision will fail. NOTE: provision prevents sp_cop from being
started while it is running.
2. Using the command line of the operating system, run provision from the SharePlex variable-data
directory with the following syntax:
provision -f old_name[:old_ipaddress] -t new_name[:new_ipaddress] [-n]
Argument Input
-f hostname[:ipaddress] l -f is required and represents "from."

l old_name is the old (current) host name.
l old_ipaddress is the old IPaddress. Use if the IPaddress cannot be
obtained from the network.
-t hostname[:ipaddress] l -t is required and represents "to."

l new_name is the new host name.

Argument Input
l new_ipaddress is the new IPaddress. Use if the IPaddress cannot

be obtained from the network.
-n Runs provision without actually making any changes. Generates a report

on the changes that provision will make.
IMPORTANT! The best practice is to run provision with -n first, to make
certain you agree with the potential changes, then run it without -n to
make the changes.
Example:
provision -f oldname -t newname -n
3. View the event log to view every change that was made. If the provision run fails or you do not agree
with the changes that were made, you can undo them by running the undo_provision script. See Undo
changes made by provision
Undo changes made by provision

The provision utility creates an undo_provision script that can be used to restore the host names and
IPaddresses to their previous state. Run the undo_provision script from the util subdirectory of the SharePlex
product directory. There are no input arguments to this script.
Known issues
The following may occur but do not affect the integrity of the replication environment:
l The provision utility does not change the active configuration file.This means that the configuration file
no longer represents the current state of replication after provision is run. If you need to run the
compare config command, or if you decide to reactivate the configuration, update the host name or
IPaddress in the configuration file first.
l If an Export or Import error occurred when SharePlex connected to a machine before the name or
address was changed, the error status persists and cannot be cleared.
l If the new or changed machine is a source machine, provision generates new routing information, but
the Read process may still have the old routing in its cache. When you start sp_cop, Read might
generate a warning that the stored IP address does not match the one for the machine. You can ignore
this error.
l After provision is run for a source host, it might not update the "hostname" column in SHAREPLEX_ACTID
table with the new host name details. If that column is not correctly updated, you must update the
SHAREPLEX_ACTID table manually to specify the new host name. This is only required if the name
change affected a source machine.
Set the SharePlex port number

The SharePlex processes use TCP and UDP ports to communicate with each other on different systems. The
default TCP and UDP port numbers for SharePlex are both set to 2100 at the time of installation. For some

deployments of SharePlex you may need to change the port number or add additional ones.
Before selecting a port number, review the following points:
l If your replication strategy requires multiple instances of sp_cop on a system, you must set a unique
port number for each one. See Run multiple instances of SharePlex.
l When an non-default port is required, the same number must be used for both the TCP and UDP ports,
and it must be used for the TCP and UDP ports of all other instances of sp_cop that are involved in the
same replication configuration. If the ports are different, sp_cop on one system cannot connect to the
sp_cop on another system to send or receive messages and data.
l On the Windows platform, SharePlex permits a maximum of 64 port numbers (SharePlex instances) on
one system.
Set the SharePlex port on Unix and Linux systems

To set the port number on Unix and Linux systems, a SharePlex Administrator must set both the TCP and UDP
port parameters in the SharePlex environment. If there is an active configuration, you will be instructed to
stop access to the source objects and shut down sp_cop.
1. (If using multiple variable-data directories] Export the SP_SYS_VARDIR environment variable to point to
the correct variable-data directory for the port you are setting.
ksh shell:
csh shell:
2. Export the following environment variables.
ksh shell:
export SP_COP_TPORT=port
export SP_COP_UPORT=port
csh shell:
setenv SP_COP_TPORT port
setenv SP_COP_UPORT port
where: port is the new port number
3. Change directories to the SharePlex product directory.
4. Start sp_cop and sp_ctrl. NOTE:If you are using multiple variable-data directories, start sp_cop with
the -uport option, where port is the port number that you have chosen for the variable-data directory
that you exported.
./sp_cop [-uport] &
5. Run sp_ctrl.
./sp_ctrl
6. In sp_ctrl, set the following SharePlex parameters.
set param SP_COP_TPORT port

set param SP_COP_UPORT port
7. Do one of two things:
l If there is not an active configuration, use the shutdown command in sp_ctrl to stop sp_cop. The
next time you start sp_cop, the new port number takes effect.
NOTE: If you do not have an active configuration, you are finished setting the port number.
l If there is an active configuration, continue to the next step.
To finish setting the port in an active configuration

8. Stop access to the replicating objects on the source system, then issue the flush command in sp_ctrl on
the source system to clear the queues.
flush o.database_identifier
where: database_identifier is o. followed by the Oracle SID, tns_alias, or PDB name that SharePlex uses
to connect to the source database (depends on whether the database is a regular Oracle instance, RAC,
or PDB in a container database).
9. On the source system, issue the qstatus command to verify that all of the messages reached the
target system.
qstatus
Continue to issue the command until the export queue is empty.
10. On the target system, issue the qstatus command to verify that all of the messages were posted to the
database. Continue to issue the command until the post queue is empty.
11. On the target system, issue the status command to verify that Post stopped.
status
12. Shut down SharePlex on the source and target systems.
shutdown
13. Start sp_cop on the source and target systems. NOTE:If you are using multiple variable-data directories,
start sp_cop with the -uport option, where port is the port number that you have chosen for the
variable-data directory that you exported.
./sp_cop [-uport] &
14. Run sp_ctrl on the target system.
15. Start the Post process.
start post
16. Allow users to access the replicating objects.
17. Use the status command on the source and target systems to verify that all SharePlex processes
are running.
status
Set the SharePlex port on Windows systems

On Windows systems, SharePlex port numbers are stored in the Windows Registry. If it becomes necessary to
change a port number, this is the SharePlex entry location:
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Quest Software\SharePlex.

1. Log onto Windows as a SharePlex Administrator using your system password and user name. Your user
name must be assigned to the SharePlex Admin group.
2. Run the SpUtils utility.
3. Select the SharePlex Services tab.
4. Under Port, select the port number for the instance of SharePlex whose port you want to change.
5. Under SharePlex Service Status, click Stop.
6. Click Close.
7. From the Start menu, select Run.
8. In the Run dialog box, type regedit to open the Registry Editor.
9. In the Registry Editor, under \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Quest
Software\SharePlex, right click the current port number, then select Rename.
10. Replace the highlighted port number with the new number.
11. Click the new port number to highlight it.
12. In the Name column of the right-hand pane, right-click the SP_SYS_VARDIR entry that is associated with
the new port number, then select Modify.
13. In the Edit String dialog, change the port number (only the port number) in the path to the new port
number, then click OK.
14. Exit the Registry Editor.
15. In the Windows file explorer, navigate to the variable-data directory for which you changed the port
number (the one whose name still shows the old port number).
16. Right click the name, and then use the Rename command to change only the port number in the name
to the new port number.
17. Run the SpUtils utility, then select the SharePlex Services tab.
18. Under Port, select the new port number.
19. Under SharePlex Service Status, click Install to establish the SharePlex service under the new port.
20. After Current State shows that the service is installed, click Start to start the service.

22
Apply an Oracle application patch or
upgrade
This chapter contains procedures to follow when you need to apply an application patch or upgrade and there
is an active replication configuration. These procedures apply to Oracle databases.
Contents
Before you patch or upgrade an application
Apply patch/upgrade to source then copy it to target
Apply patch/upgrade to source and target
Apply patch to source and replicate it to the target

Review the following topics before you patch or upgrade an application on a system where SharePlex
replication is active.
Which procedure to use?

There are different procedures for applying an application patch or upgrade to an Oracle database while
replication is in process. Which one to choose depends on what changes the patch or upgrade makes.
Changes made by the What to do

patch/upgrade
Applies DDL that is not Follow one of these procedures:

supported by SharePlex.
Adds new tables (including Follow one of these procedures:

temporary tables renamed to a
permanent table) Before you patch or upgrade an application
Creates or modifies triggers or Follow one of these procedures:

constraints

Changes made by the What to do
patch/upgrade

Does any of the following: Follow Before you patch or upgrade an application
l Adds indexes, stored NOTE:Because this procedure assumes that SharePlex can replicate all of
procedures and/or the changes that the patch or upgrade applies, the patch/upgrade is not
packages to source applied to the target.
system
l Changes users and
security on source
system (other than
SharePlex)
l Performs DML changes.
l Performs DDL changes
that SharePlex
replicates.
And:
Does not make any of the
changes listed in the
previous rows of this
table.
The effect of patches and upgrades on partitioned

replication
A patch or upgrade can make changes that affect the column partitions or column conditions in your replication
configuration. Take the following into account when you perform this procedure.
How a patch or upgrade can affect vertically partitioned replication

See Configure vertically partitioned replication for more information.
If the patch or upgrade does this to a Do this:

table:
Adds columns that do not satisfy the column (Optional) Drop the columns from the target table after the
partition of the table patch or upgrade is applied.
Adds columns that need to be in the column Add those columns to the source and target column partition
partition of the table lists in the configuration file.
Drops columns that are part of the column Remove those columns from the source and target column
partition of the table partition lists in the configuration file.
Changes the name of a column that is in the Change the column name in the source and target column
column partition of a table partition lists in the configuration file.

How a patch or upgrade can affect horizontally partitioned replication
See Configure horizontally partitioned replication for more information.
If the patch or upgrade does this Do this:

to a table:
Adds rows that need to be in a Add a column condition for the rows in the SHAREPLEX_PARTITION
partition scheme table.
Deletes rows that are part of a Remove the column condition from the partition scheme in the
partition scheme SHAREPLEX_PARTITION table.

In these procedures, the "source" system is one of the following:

these procedures, the "target" system is one of the following:
replication.
Apply patch/upgrade to source then copy

it to target
Supported databases
Oracle on all supported platforms
When to use this procedure

If the patch or upgrade does any of the following:
l Makes DDL changes of a type not replicated by SharePlex.

l Used a temporary table that was renamed to a permanent table that must be included in replication
(for example, a reorganization.
l Added objects that must be replicated.

Overview of the procedure
Use this procedure to run an Oracle hot backup to copy patches or upgrades from the source system to the
target system, instead of applying the patch or upgrade directly on the target system. This is useful if the
patch or upgrade makes extensive changes that are of the type(s) not supported by SharePlex replication, or if
you are unsure of what it does.
With this procedure, you can keep the configuration file active on the source system. You use the reconcile
command to identify and eliminate the following:
l Duplicate DML and DDL from the patch or upgrade operations that were replicated but also applied by
the backup.
l Production transactions that were replicated but also applied by the backup.
NOTE: It could be less time-consuming to apply a patch or upgrade manually to the target system, instead of
using a hot backup. Examples of such situations are when the operation only adds an index or stored
procedures, or when it only changes security. See Apply patch/upgrade to source then copy it to target.
Apply the patch/upgrade

1. Stop user access to the instances involved in replication on the source and target systems, but do not
shut down SharePlex.
3. On the source system, flush the data to the target system. This command stops Post and places a
marker in the data stream that establishes a synchronization point between source and target data.
where: datasource is the datasource of the source instance, for example o.oraA.
4. On the source system, apply the patch or upgrade.
5. On the source system, restore user access to the source instance.
6. [If the patch/upgrade adds objects that must be replicated] Edit the configuration file as follows (do not
deactivate it). The patch or upgrade may have affected column partitions or column conditions in
partitioned replication. See Apply patch/upgrade to source then copy it to target.
l Copy the configuration file.
l Edit the copy.
Save the file.
l If you added objects in the previous step, activate the new configuration file.
l If you did not make any changes to the original configuration file, activate that one.
8. On the source, run the Oracle hot backup.

9. On the source, switch log files and make a note of the highest archive-log sequence number.
10. On the target, recover the target database from the hot backup using the UNTIL CANCEL option in the
RECOVER clause, and cancel the recovery after Oracle fully applies the log that you recorded in the
previous step.
12. Run Oracle Setup (ora_setup) on the target instance, but do not create a new user. Choose the existing
SharePlex user and password (copied in the backup). See the SharePlex Reference Guide for Oracle
Setup instructions.
13. On the target system, issue the reconcile command using the sequence number of the log that you
sp_ctrl> qstatus
NOTE:The reconcile process retains control of sp_ctrl until it is finished.
14. On the target system, if the patch or upgrade installed triggers on the tables in replication, disable
them or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
15. On the target system, if the patch or upgrade added check constraints or scheduled jobs that perform
DML, disable them.
16. On the target system, perform any cleanup required by partitioned replication (see Apply
patch/upgrade to source then copy it to target).
sp_ctrl> start post
The two instances are now in synchronization, and SharePlex resumes replication.
Apply patch/upgrade to source and target
Supported databases

If the patch or upgrade does any of the following:
l Makes DDL changes of a type not replicated by SharePlex.

l Used a temporary table that was renamed to a permanent table (for example, a reorganization, which
changes the object ID)
l Added objects that must be replicated.

Overview of the procedure
Use this procedure to apply an application patch or upgrade if it includes changes to the database that are not
replicated by SharePlex and you can stop user access to the source database to deactivate and reactivate the
configuration file. It requires deactivation of the configuration file so that SharePlex can rebuild its object
information to incorporate the changes that the patch or upgrade applied. When you reactivate the
configuration, SharePlex will re-analyze all of the objects again. You can allow users to access the source data
while the patch or upgrade is applied to the target system.
NOTE: To avoid a deactivation, see Apply patch/upgrade to source and target.

1. Stop user access to the instances involved in replication on the source and target systems, but do not
shut down SharePlex.
3. On the source system, deactivate the configuration.
5. [If the patch/upgrade adds objects that must be replicated] On the source system, edit the
configuration file, including making any changes to column partitions or column conditions if using
partitioned replication. See Apply patch/upgrade to source and target.
8. On the target system, apply the patch or upgrade.
9. On the target system, if the patch or upgrade installed triggers on the tables in replication, disable
them or run the sp_add_trigger.sql utility script so that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
10. On the target system, if the patch or upgrade added check constraints or scheduled jobs that perform
DML, disable them.
11. On the target system, perform any cleanup required by partitioned replication (see Apply
patch/upgrade to source and target).
sp_ctrl> start post
The two instances are now in synchronization, and SharePlex resumes replication.

Apply patch to source and replicate it to
the target
Supported databases

If all of the operations applied by a patch or upgrade are supported by SharePlex and can be replicated to the
target. This includes DML changes and DDL that is supported by SharePlex. If you are not sure whether the
patch or upgrade performs operations that are not supported by SharePlex, use Apply patch to source and
replicate it to the target.
Note: For a list of operations that SharePlex supports, see the SharePlex Release Notes.

1. Stop user access to the Oracle instances on the source and target systems.
5. On the target system, if the patch or upgrade created or modified triggers, disable them or run the sp_
add_trigger.sql utility script so that the triggers ignore the SharePlex user.
6. On the target system, restore user access to the target instance.

23
Back up Oracle data on the source or
target
This topic contains procedures for making backups of source and target Oracle data while replication is active.
Contents
Perform a partial backup of the source system
Perform a full backup on the source system
Perform a partial backup of the source

system
To perform a partial back up of a source system (for example, to extract data or populate a data warehouse)
while data is being replicated, you can perform the partial backup on the target system instead and copy the
same data as you would on the source system.
This procedure does not interrupt user access to the source data and does not deactivate or reactivate the
configuration file.
1. On the source system, start sp_ctrl.

2. On the source system, flush the data to the target system. This command stops the Post process and
places a marker in the data stream that establishes a synchronization point between source and
target data.
where: datasource is the datasource specification of the source Oracle instance, for
example o.oraA.
3. On the target system, back up the data. NOTE:The data now matches the source data at the
flush marker.
sp_ctrl> start post

Perform a full backup on the source system
To back up the entire source system, including SharePlex, you must shut down SharePlex replication while the
backup is performed.
This procedure stops user access to the source data but does not deactivate or reactivate the configuration
file. Replication resumes when started after the backup.
Perform these steps on the source system:

1. Stop all system activity.
2. Start sp_ctrl.
3. Flush the data to the target system. This command stops the Post process and places a marker in the
data stream that establishes a synchronization point between source and target data.
where: datasource is the datasource specification of the source Oracle instance, for
example o.oraA.
4. Shut down SharePlex. This command shuts down SharePlex.
sp_ctrl> shutdown
5. Shut down the network and the Oracle instance.
6. Perform the backup.
7. Start the network and the Oracle instance.
8. Start sp_cop (Unix and Linux) or the SharePlex service (Windows).
9. Start sp_ctrl.
10. Allow users to access the source Oracle instance.
11. Verify that the SharePlex processes started.
sp_ctrl> status
Perform these steps on the target system:

1. Start Post.
sp_ctrl> start post
2. Verify that Post started.
sp_ctrl> status

24
Tune the Capture process
This chapter contains instructions for improving the performance of the Capture process to prevent Capture
from losing pace with the volume of redo that an Oracle source database generates.
Contents
Disable LOB Mapping
Tune Capture on Exadata
Tune checkpointing
Disable LOB Mapping

If you have PK/UK logging enabled on the source database (recommended to support more SharePlex features
and faster processing), check the setting of the SP_OCT_ENABLE_LOBMAP parameter. This parameter controls
whether or not SharePlex uses a LOB map when replicating tables that contain out-of-row LOB columns. The
LOB map is used by the Capture process to map LOBIDs and rows when PK/UK logging is not enabled. LOB
mapping is enabled by default. The SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP table stores these mappings.Transactions with
numerous LOB operations can slow down Capture because it needs to maintain and refer to the mappings. If
PK/UK logging is enabled on the database, you can disable LOB mapping by setting this parameter to 0.
To disable LOBmapping during active replication

1. Run sp_ctrl on the source system.
2. Set SP_OCT_ENABLE_LOBMAP to 0.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_OCT_ENABLE_LOBMAP 0
3. Stop Capture.
sp_ctrl> stop capture
4. Truncate the SHAREPLEX_LOBMAP table.
5. Restart Capture.
sp_ctrl> start capture
Tune Capture on Exadata

The Capture process can be configured to use multiple capture threads for faster performance on an Exadata
system. Capture reads directly from the logs on the Exadata ASM disks.

The SP_OCT_ASM_MULTI_OCI parameter controls the number of threads that Capture uses to read
the redo logs.
The value set for this parameter must satisfy all of the following:
l greater than 1.
l an even divisor of the number of disks in the ASM disk group that stores the redo logs. For example, if
there are 16 disks, the values of 2, 4, 8, and 16 are valid.
l not larger than the number of disks in the ASM disk group that stores the redo logs.
A large number of threads is not required, and performance actually diminishes with too many threads. The
more threads, the more memory Capture requires.
Start with a small number of threads and monitor performance, then add threads if needed until you obtain an
ideal balance between performance gain and memory usage. For example, if there are 16 disks, you could start
with a value of 2.
To configure SharePlex for multi-threaded capture on Exadata

1. Run sp_ctrl.
2. Set the SP_OCT_ASM_MULTI_OCI parameter to the number of threads that you want Capture to use.
sp_ctrl> set param SP_OCT_ASM_MULTI_OCI 3
3. Restart Capture.
NOTE: Capture automatically adjusts its buffer size to the value of the AU_SIZEparameter that is set for the
disk group where the logs reside. This is the recommended buffer size for best performance and should not be
changed. The SP_OCT_ASM_MULTI_OCI_BLOCK_SIZE parameter can override the default behavior if necessary.
Tune checkpointing
Capture checkpoints it state to disk on a regular basis to support recovery. This information includes the log
and location within that log of the most recently processes data. In a database environment where there are
frequent log switches, a switch can occur before SharePlex writes its checkpoint. You can use the SP_OCT_
CHECKPOINT_LOG parameter to ensure that Capture issues a checkpoint before a log switch.
The checkpoint is triggered when Capture lags a specified number of logs behind Oracle. For example, with the
default of 2, Capture does a checkpoint when it falls 2 or more logs behind Oracle.
The range of permissible values for this parameter is from 2 (the default) to a value equal to the number of logs
you are using. A value of 0 disables this feature.

25
Tune the Post process
This chapter contains instructions for improving the performance of the Post process. Because replicated
data is applied through standard SQL mechanisms, the Post process provides the most potential for
performance tuning.
Contents
Use Oracle INDEX hints
Tune SQL Caching
Adjust open cursors
Skip large maintenance transactions
Make small transactions faster
Split a large transaction into a smaller one
Use Oracle INDEX hints

Valid for:Oracle targets
When SharePlex performs UPDATEs and DELETEs on a target table, Oracle sometimes does not pick the most
efficient index for SharePlex. Without the right index, the Post process slows down when multiple UPDATEs and
DELETEs are performed. SharePlex enables you to make use of Oracles INDEX hints to enforce the use of the
correct index on target objects.
To use INDEX hints, use the hints.SID file, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance. When Post
applies a SQL statement, it reads the hints file. If the file contains entries, Post reads the data into memory and
then checks each UPDATE and DELETE statement that it processes. If any of those operations involve tables
listed in the hints file, Post sends the hints to Oracle.
Use hints only for tables that need them. For example, if Post is doing full-table scans on tables where there
are defined indexes, use hints only for those tables. The use of hints causes Post to read the hints.SID file for
each operation on tables listed in the file. This can slow down processing if numerous tables are listed.
The default maximum number of hints (table/index pairs) is 100. You can adjust this value with the SP_OPO_
HINTS_LIMIT parameter. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information.
Make certain all indexes are valid. Although SharePlex will use an invalid index as a hint, Oracle ignores invalid
hints and returns no errors. SharePlex writes the following information to the event_Log if it detects abnormal
conditions relating to the specified hints.
15050 hint file not found

17000 error opening hint file
15051 missing column in the hint file (either table or index name)
15052 syntax error for tablename
15053 syntax error for indexname
15054 source tables object_id not found in object cache
15055 more than 20 valid entries were entered into the hints file
To use the hints file

There is a blank hints.SID file in the SharePlex variable-data directory on each system. Use the hints.SID file
that resides on the target system. If a hints file does not exist, create one in this directory and make certain to
use the hints.SID naming format.
1. Stop Post if it is running.

2. Open the file.
3. You can add comment lines anywhere in the file. Start a comment line with a pound symbol (#).
4. On a non-commented line, use the following template to specify a source table and the index that you
want to use for that table. Put at least one space between the table name and the index name. Place
each specification on a separate line.
src_owner.table tgt_owner.index
Example
scott.emp scott.emp_index
Tune SQL Caching

Valid for:All supported targets
SharePlex caches frequently-used SQL statements for reuse so that they do not have to be parsed and bound
every time they recur. This is an adjustable feature of SharePlex that is named SQL Cache. You can tune this
feature to maximize its advantages based on the amount of repetitive statements your application generates.
SQL Cache improves the performance of Post only if the same SQL statements are issued over and over again,
with no variation except the data values. If that is not true of your environment, then SQL Cache adds
unnecessary overhead to the Post process, and you should disable it.
Enable or disable SQL Cache

Control SQL Cache as follows:

Oracle
SP_OPO_ Enables or disables SQL Cache. Enabled by default with a setting of 0. To disable SQL Cache set
SQL_ the parameter to 1. To disable SQLCache only for batch operations set the parameter to 3,
CACHE_ which reduces the amount of memory that Post uses.
DISABLE
SP_OPO_ Determines the number of active statements to cache per Post session. Post opens 50 cursors
MAX_CDA per session by default. You can increase or decrease this setting if needed. See Adjust open
cursors for additional important information.
OpenTarget
SP_OPX_SQL_CACHE_ Enables or disables SQL Cache. Enabled by default with a setting of 0. To disable
DISABLE SQL Cache set the parameter to 1.
Use the target Determines the number of active statements to cache per Post session. For Open
command: Target databases, Post gets the number of allowed active statements from the
ODBC driver. If that value is lower than the setting for max_active_statements,
target r.database
Post stops and returns an error. You can either disable the SQL Cache feature or
[queue queuename] set
reduce the value of max_active_statements.
resources max_
active_
statements=number_
of_active_statements
Tune SQL Cache for best performance

Follow these steps to make certain that the number of active statements is optimal for the operations that are
replicated.
1. Determine the hit ratio for cached statements by running sp_ctrl and issuing the show post
detail command.
2. Look for the SQL cache hit count field. It shows the ratio of the total number of messages that are
executed without parsing and binding divided by the total number of INSERT, UPDATE and
DELETEoperations. For example, a hit ratio of 36% indicates that Post is using cached statements 36
percent of the time.
3. View the hit ratio after several days of typical replication activity to gauge the ideal setting for the
number of active statements. If the hit ratio is under 50 percent, increase the parameter value in a
small increment of about 5 statements.
4. Monitor the hit ratio over the next few days. If the hit ratio increases, it means your applications are
using all of the cursors allowed for active statements. Continue to increase the parameter value in
small increments until the hit ratio remains constant.

Adjust open cursors
The value of the Oracle parameter OPEN_CURSORS needs to be set high enough to support the level of
performance expected of the Post process. This parameter defines the maximum number of cursors that a
process (such as Post) can open.
Internally, Post establishes its maximum total number of open cursors from the value of OPEN_CURSORS, minus
the 10 required for routine calls. You view this value in the event_log. For the following example, OPEN_
CURSORS is set to 512.
Notice: sp_opst_mt (for o.oracle-o.oracle queue oracle) Post will not open more
than 502 cursors (OPEN_CURSORS 10).
Post maintains a record of the number of cursors it has open. If Post detects that it will exceed the maximum
number of cursors, it closes the least-recently used cursor in the least-recently used session.
To avoid running out of cursors, the Post process queries the OPEN_CURSORS value when it starts. If the value is
not high enough, Post writes the following warning to the event_log:
Warning: (sp_opst_mt for o.oracle-o.oracle queue oracle)Oracle parameter 'OPEN_
CURSORS' is < number. Check 'OPEN_CURSORS' setting.
The OPEN_CURSORS value can be modified or added if absent.

To view the OPEN_CURSORS value, query the database using the following SQL statement:
select value from v$parameter where name = 'open_cursors';
To estimate a value for OPEN_CURSORS that is high enough for the Post process
1. Estimate the peak number of concurrent transactions (sessions) that will be expected for the target
instance. Post opens a session on the target system for each one on the source system. You can get a
good estimate of the number of transactions by issuing the show post detail command in sp_ctrl when
production is at its maximum level. The Number of Open Transactions field in the display shows the
number of concurrent transactions.
2. Use the following formulas to determine the correct setting for OPEN_CURSORS to support SharePlex
(and other applications that may be accessing the target data).
SQL Cache enabled (default): By default, Post needs to reserve 10 cursors for routine calls that are
closed once they finish, plus a minimum of 7 cursors per transaction (the base minimum of 2 plus an
additional 5). The formula is:
SQL Cache disabled: The Post process needs to reserve 10 cursors for routine calls that are closed once
they finish, plus a minimum of 2 cursors per transaction. The formula is:
Skip large maintenance transactions


Large transactions that are applied by application patches or other internal Oracle operations can be omitted
from replication if they are not relevant to the data needed by user applications. These operations can
translate into thousands or millions of individual UPDATE or DELETE statements for SharePlex, all to be applied
by Post. Such transactions can adversely affect Post performance and increase the latency between the source
and target data that user applications need to perform their work. There may be reasons to prevent other DML
operations from being posted to a target database.
There are two ways you can handle such transactions:
l Assuming there are no referential relationships between those operations and the user data, configure
those operations to process through a dedicated named post queue. For more information, see
Configure named post queues.
l Configure Post to skip the operations, and then apply the SQL statement directly through Oracle. See
the following instructions.
To skip maintenance DML

1. On the source system, run the create_ignore.sql script from the util sub-directory in the SharePlex
product directory. This script creates the SHAREPLEX_IGNORE_TRANS public procedure in the database.
When executed at the start of the transaction, the procedure directs the Capture process to ignore the
DML operations that occur until the transaction is committed or rolled back. Thus, the affected
operations are not replicated. For more information about the script, its limitations, and how to run it,
see create_ignore.sql in the SharePlex Reference Guide.
2. Edit your patch script to call SHAREPLEX_IGNORE_TRANS before UPDATEor DELETEoperations. This
allows SharePlex to ignore the transaction and not send it to the target. The script will also have to be
run on the target to bring the database back into sync.
NOTE: Only DML operations are affected by the SHAREPLEX_IGNORE_TRANS procedure. It does not cause
SharePlex to skip DDL operations, including TRUNCATE. DDL operations are implicitly committed by Oracle, so
they render the procedure invalid.
Make small transactions faster

Valid for:See individual sections in this topic
Use the Post Enhanced Performance (PEP) feature to improve the speed of Post when it is processing mostly
small transactions, such as those most commonly found in OLTP.
This performance tool has two levels:
l Increase the level of concurrency

l Reduce the number of commits
Increase the level of concurrency

Valid for:Oracle
The Transaction Concurrency feature enables you to configure Post to apply transactions in parallel to increase
overall throughput. The smaller the transaction, the bigger the performance gain.
To enable the concurrency feature, set the SP_OPO_DEPENDENCY_CHECK parameter to 1.

NOTE: This feature may reduce or eliminate the need to run multiple Post processes, but you can still benefit
from the use of multiple Post processes because they eliminate a single point of failure. If a Post process fails,
the other Post processes will continue, resulting in less recovery time, after the problem is resolved. This
feature can be used in a multi-Post configuration, so long as the rules for using multiple processes are followed
(such as including all tables with referential integrity in the same process stream). See Configure named post
queues for more information about using multiple Post processes.
Reduce the number of commits

Valid for: Oracle and Open Target
The Commit Reduction feature enables you to configure Post to combine smaller transactions into larger ones.
This reduces the number of commits and acknowledgments that must be processed. The smaller the
transaction, the bigger the performance gain.
Commit reduction is enabled by default when you enable the concurrency feature, and it cannot be enabled
without enabling concurrency. The size of the combined transaction is controlled by the SP_OPO_COMMIT_
REDUCE_MSGS parameter (for Oracle targets) or the SP_OPX_COMMIT_REDUCE_MSGS parameter (Open Target).
This parameter sets the minimum number messages (operations) in the transaction. Post skips the commits of
small transactions whose boundaries are within the specified range, and instead applies all of the operations in
the combined transaction. The default combined transaction size is 100 messages. To disable commit reduction,
set this parameter to a value of 1.
The parameter setting is not an absolute threshold. SharePlex will not break up a transaction across different
combined transactions. Therefore, Post may need to exceed that threshold in order to include all of the
operations and the commit of the last transaction in the group.
With both concurrency and commit reduction enabled, testing has shown that performance can be increased
by as much as two or three times over conventional SharePlex posting speeds.
Split a large transaction into a smaller one

Valid for:Currently supported for Teradata
You can configure Post to split a large transaction into a series of smaller ones. This option can work around
resource limits that affect large transactions, such as the number of row locks permitted per transaction.
To split a large transaction into smaller ones

Use the target command to set the commit_frequency parameter.
target r.database [queue queuename] set resources commit_frequency=number_of_operations
This parameter specifies a maximum number of operations after which Post issues a commit. It can be any
integer greater than 1.
Example:
target r.mydb queue q1 set resources commit_frequency=10000

A
Appendix A: Peer-To-Peer Diagram
This diagram visually explains the concept of peer-to-peer replication. See Configure replication to maintain
multiple peer databases for more information.

B
Appendix B: SharePlex variables
SharePlex uses the following environment variables, which you may need to set in certain situations. Usually
you must perform additional steps before or after setting a variable, so refer to the recommended instructions
before setting a SharePlex variable.
Environment Variable Description
EDITOR Sets the default ASCII text editor for sp_ctrl commands that use one, for
example the create config command. See Set a default editor for sp_
ctrl .
HOST Sets a host name for all locally run sessions of sp_ctrl . To set a per-
session host, see Execute commands in sp_ctrl .
SP_COP_TPORT Sets a non-default port number for an instance of SharePlex. The
default port number is 2100. You may need to set a different port
number if you are setting up additional instances of sp_cop (see Run
multiple instances of SharePlex) or if a different port number than 2100
must be used (see Set the SharePlex port number).
SP_SYS_HOST_NAME Sets the virtual IPaddress (also known as the global cluster package
name) on a clustered system, such as Oracle RAC. This variable must be
set on all cluster nodes. For more information about configuring
SharePlex in a cluster, see the SharePlex Installation Guide .
SP_SYS_VARDIR Sets the full path to the SharePlex variable-data directory so that sp_
cop can locate the configuration data, queues, logs and other
information. If there is only one instance of sp_cop on the local system,
this variable is set by default*. If there are multiple instances of sp_cop
on the local system, always set this variable to point to the correct
variable-data directory of an instance before setting any other
SharePlex variables for that instance. For more information, see Run
multiple instances of SharePlex.
*On Unix and Linux, the variable-data directory is set in the proddir/data/defaults.yaml file. On Windows, it is
set in the Windows Registry.
To set an environment variable in Unix or Linux

ksh shell:
export variable_name=value
csh shell:
setenv variable_name value

ksh shell:
export SP_SYS_VARDIR=full_path_of_variable-data_directory
csh shell:
setenv SP_SYS_VARDIR full_path_of_variable-data_directory
To set an environment variable on Windows

Set the environment variable by adding it to the SharePlex node of the Windows Registry.
IMPORTANT! Incorrect Registry settings can adversely affect the operation of SharePlex. Consult a System
Administrator if you need help with this procedure.
1. Shut down the SharePlex service.

2. Open the Run dialog. The location varies with the Windows version.
3. In the Run dialog, type regedit to run the Registry Editor.
4. Expand the SharePlex node:
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432node\Quest Software\SharePlex
5. Right click the port number of the SharePlex instance to which you want to add a variable, then select
New, then String Value.
6. Under the Name column, right click the new variable, then select Rename.
7. Type the correct name.
8. Double click the new variable.
9. Under Value Data, enter the string for the new variable and then click OK.
10. Exit the Registry.

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Dell SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5)

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 2

About this Guide 18

Conventions used in this guide 19

About Dell Software 20

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 3

Run multiple instances of SharePlex 40

Execute commands in sp_ctrl 45

Prepare an Oracle environment for replication 48

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 4

Create configuration files 65

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 5

Configure replication to Open Target targets 87

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 6

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 7

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 8

Configure a replication strategy 138

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 9

Configure partitioned replication 171

Configure named queues 186

Configure replication to maintain a change history target 193

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 10

Set up DDL Replication 198

Set up error handling 206

Transform data 210

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 11

Configure SharePlex security features 219

Activate replication in an Oracle production environment 227

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 12

Monitor SharePlex 246

Prevent and solve replication problems 264

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 13

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 14

Repair out-of-sync Data 307

Procedures to Maintain Oracle High Availability 311

Make changes to an active replication environment 322

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 15

Apply an Oracle application patch or upgrade 336

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 16

Back up Oracle data on the source or target 343

Tune the Capture process 345

Tune the Post process 347

Appendix A: Peer-To-Peer Diagram 353

Appendix B: SharePlex variables 354

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 17

This manual provides instructions for:

Other SharePlex documentation

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 18

Conventions used in this manual

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 19

Contacting Dell Software

Technical support resources

l Create, update, and manage Service Requests (cases)

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 20

About source and target data

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 21

About the SharePlex architecture

SharePlex 8.6 (8.6.5) Administrator Guide 22