Automate Deleting a Database

Delete a RAC database with DBCA and GUI and command line.

I wanted to demonstrate a simple way to delete or drop a RAC database using the Database Configuration Assistant. I have done this several times manually and decided to use DBCA to do this task easily which helps to automate the process and save time.

1. Set the appropriate database home then invoke dbca as the oracle user from the command line.

2. Select RAC database

3. Select the option to Delete a Database.

4. Select the database to delete then click Finish.

5. Confirm Yes to delete all of the Oracle instances and datafiles for your database.

6. Monitor the progress

7. Final confirmation screen to perform another operation.

8. Also you may monitor the progress of the database deletion from the alert log, please note the alert log will be removed after the database is removed.

Wed Apr 08 10:28:07 2015

ALTER SYSTEM SET cluster_database=FALSE SCOPE=SPFILE;

Shutting down instance (immediate)

Stopping background process SMCO

Shutting down instance: further logons disabled

Stopping background process QMN

...... Summmarized output

Completed: ALTER DATABASE CLOSE NORMAL

Deleted Oracle managed file +RECO_EXAD/odsdev2/archivelog/2015_04_08/thread_1_seq_21807.49154.876479305

...... Start the database with cluster_database set to false

Completed: ALTER DATABASE   MOUNT

ALTER SYSTEM enable restricted session;

DROP DATABASE

Deleted Oracle managed file +DATA_EXAD/odsdev2/datafile/system.459.791624835

Deleted Oracle managed file +DATA_EXAD/odsdev2/datafile/sysaux.457.791624821

...... Dropping of files from ASM associated with database

You will notice in ASM the directory for the database and its contents are removed as well also all RAC services registered to the Clusterware are also removed for you automatically!

Below is even an easier way to invoke dbca to drop a database via the command line.

The database must be running when you do this. Thanks to Charles Kim for sharing this with me.

RMANDR - oracle: cat del_DBATOOLS_dbca.txt

dbca -silent -deleteDatabase -sourceDB DBATOOLS -sysDBAUserName sys -sysDBAPassword ChangemeSys!

RMANDR - oracle: ksh del_DBATOOLS_dbca.txt

Connecting to database

4% complete

9% complete

14% complete

19% complete

23% complete

28% complete

47% complete

Updating network configuration files

52% complete

Deleting instance and datafiles

76% complete

100% complete

Look at the log file "/apps/oracle/cfgtoollogs/dbca/DBATOOLS.log" for further details.