Databases

Oracle DB 19c Standard on Linux User Guide

| Product: Oracle DB 19c Standard on Linux

Overview

This guide covers the deployment and configuration of Oracle Database 19c Standard Edition on Linux using cloudimg AMIs from the AWS Marketplace. Oracle Database 19c is the long term support release of the Oracle Database. Standard Edition provides core relational database functionality suitable for departmental and workgroup applications that do not require the advanced features of Enterprise Edition.

What's included in this AMI:

  • Oracle Database 19c Standard Edition 19.3.0.0.0 (64 bit) installed at /u01
  • Preconfigured ORCL sample database ready to start
  • Oracle Listener preconfigured on port 1521
  • Dedicated oracle OS user with environment scripts
  • Helper scripts for starting and stopping the database and listener
  • Randomly generated SYSTEM user credentials
  • OS package update script for keeping the system current
  • AWS CLI v2 for AWS service integration
  • Systems Manager Agent (SSM) for remote management
  • CloudWatch Agent for monitoring
  • Latest security patches applied at build time
  • 24/7 cloudimg support with guaranteed 24 hour response SLA

Prerequisites

Before launching this AMI, ensure you have:

  1. An active AWS account
  2. An active subscription to the Oracle DB 19c Standard on Linux listing on AWS Marketplace
  3. An EC2 key pair for SSH access
  4. Familiarity with EC2 instance management and SSH

Recommended Instance Type: m5.large (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM) or larger. The minimum requirements are 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 20 GB disk space, but Oracle Database benefits significantly from additional memory for production workloads.

Step 1: Launch the AMI

  1. Navigate to the AWS Marketplace and search for "Oracle DB 19c Standard cloudimg"
  2. Click Continue to Subscribe, accept the terms, then Continue to Configuration
  3. Select your preferred Region and Software Version
  4. Click Continue to Launch
  5. Choose Launch through EC2 for full control over instance configuration
  6. Select your instance type (m5.large recommended)
  7. Configure storage: 20 GB gp3 minimum for root volume, plus the dedicated /u01 Oracle volume
  8. Configure your Security Group with the following inbound rules:
Port Protocol Source Purpose
22 TCP Your IP SSH access
1521 TCP Your IP Oracle Database Listener port

Important: Restrict port 1521 to trusted application servers or your IP only. Do not open the Oracle Listener port to the public internet.

  1. Select your EC2 key pair and launch the instance

Step 2: Connect via SSH

Once your instance is running and has passed both status checks (2/2), connect using SSH:

ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@<public-ip-address>

To switch to the root user:

sudo su -

Important: Wait for the EC2 instance to reach 2/2 successful status checks before connecting. Early connection attempts may produce permission denied errors while the instance is still initialising.

Step 3: Switch to the Oracle User

The Oracle software is owned by the dedicated oracle OS user. Switch to this user to manage the database. Please type this command rather than copying and pasting:

sudo su - oracle

Three scripts are available in the oracle user's home directory:

  • setEnv.sh sets the Oracle environment variables, enabling utilities such as sqlplus
  • start_all.sh starts the ORCL sample database and its associated Oracle Listener
  • stop_all.sh stops the ORCL sample database and its associated Oracle Listener

Step 4: Start the Oracle Database and Listener

Run the following commands as the oracle user to start the sample database and listener:

cd $HOME
. ./start_all.sh

Expected output:

LSNRCTL for Linux: Version 19.0.0.0.0 - Production

Starting /u01/app/oracle/product/bin/tnslsnr: please wait...

TNSLSNR for Linux: Version 19.0.0.0.0 - Production
Listening on: (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=ip-x-x-x-x.ec2.internal)(PORT=1521)))

The command completed successfully

SQL*Plus: Release 19.0.0.0.0 Production

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> ORACLE instance started.
Database mounted.
Database opened.

Step 5: Connect with SQL*Plus

Set the Oracle environment variables and launch SQL*Plus:

cd $HOME
. ./setEnv.sh
sqlplus / as sysdba

Expected output:

SQL*Plus: Release 19.0.0.0.0 Production

Copyright (c) 1982, 2019, Oracle. All rights reserved.

Connected to:
Oracle Database 19c Standard Release 19.3.0.0.0 - 64bit Production

SQL>

Type EXIT to leave the SQL*Plus session.

Step 6: Connect Remotely with SQL Developer

To connect to the database from an external tool such as SQL Developer, use the following connection settings:

Setting Value
Database Type Oracle
Authentication Type Default
Username SYSTEM
Password See credentials file below
Connection Type Basic
Hostname Your instance public IP
Port 1521
Service Name orcl.us.oracle.com

Note: To retrieve the SYSTEM user password, refer to the randomly generated credentials file at /stage/scripts/oracle-database-credentials.log.

Server Components

Component Version Install Path
Oracle Database 19c Standard 19.3.0.0.0 /u01

Note: Component versions may be updated on first boot by the automatic OS package update script.

Filesystem Layout

Mount Point Size Description
/ 38 GB Root filesystem
/boot 2.0 GB Operating system kernel files
/u01 20 GB Oracle software installation directory

Key Oracle directories:

Directory Purpose
/u01/app/oracle Oracle base directory
/u01/app/oracle/product Oracle software home
/u01/app/oracle/product/network/admin Listener and TNS configuration files
/u01/app/oracle/diag Oracle diagnostic and alert log files

Managing the Oracle Database

The Oracle Database is managed using shell scripts provided in the oracle user's home directory. The database does not use systemd services.

Start the database and listener:

sudo su - oracle
cd $HOME
. ./start_all.sh

Stop the database and listener:

sudo su - oracle
cd $HOME
. ./stop_all.sh

Check listener status:

sudo su - oracle
cd $HOME
. ./setEnv.sh
lsnrctl status

Scripts and Log Files

Script/Log Path Description
initial_boot_update.sh /stage/scripts Updates the OS with the latest packages on first boot
initial_boot_update.log /stage/scripts Output log for the boot update script
oracle-database-credentials.log /stage/scripts Oracle Database SYSTEM user credentials
setEnv.sh /home/oracle Sets Oracle environment variables for sqlplus and other tools
start_all.sh /home/oracle Starts the ORCL database and Oracle Listener
stop_all.sh /home/oracle Stops the ORCL database and Oracle Listener

On Startup

An OS package update script runs on first boot to ensure the image is fully up to date. You can disable this by removing the script and its crontab entry:

rm -f /stage/scripts/initial_boot_update.sh

crontab -e
# Delete the following line, save and exit:
@reboot /stage/scripts/initial_boot_update.sh

Troubleshooting

Cannot connect via SSH

  1. Verify the instance has reached 2/2 status checks in the EC2 console
  2. Confirm your security group allows inbound TCP port 22 from your IP
  3. Ensure you are using the correct key pair and connecting as ec2-user

Oracle Listener fails to start

  1. Switch to the oracle user: sudo su - oracle
  2. Source the environment: . ./setEnv.sh
  3. Check listener status: lsnrctl status
  4. Review the listener log at /u01/app/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/<hostname>/listener/alert/log.xml
  5. Verify port 1521 is not in use by another process: netstat -tlnp | grep 1521

Database fails to start

  1. Switch to the oracle user and source the environment
  2. Connect to sqlplus: sqlplus / as sysdba
  3. Check the instance status: SELECT STATUS FROM V\$INSTANCE;
  4. Try starting manually: STARTUP;
  5. Review the alert log at /u01/app/oracle/diag/rdbms/orcl/ORCL/trace/alert_ORCL.log

Cannot connect remotely on port 1521

  1. Verify the Oracle Listener is running: lsnrctl status
  2. Confirm your security group allows inbound TCP port 1521 from your IP
  3. Test connectivity: telnet <instance-ip> 1521
  4. Check that the listener.ora file references the correct hostname

Security Recommendations

  • Restrict port access: Only allow port 1521 from trusted application servers or specific IP addresses
  • Change default passwords: Update the SYSTEM and SYS user passwords immediately after first login
  • Use strong passwords: Ensure all database user passwords meet complexity requirements
  • Enable auditing: Configure Oracle Database auditing to track access and changes
  • Encrypt connections: Configure Oracle Net Services to use SSL/TLS encryption for client connections
  • Limit OS access: Restrict SSH access to authorised administrators only
  • Review user privileges: Remove unnecessary grants and follow the principle of least privilege
  • Keep the system updated: Apply Oracle Critical Patch Updates and OS security patches regularly

Support

If you encounter any issues with this product, contact cloudimg support:

  • Email: support@cloudimg.co.uk
  • Website: www.cloudimg.co.uk
  • Support hours: 24/7 with guaranteed 24 hour response SLA