Software Requirements

1.2.1 Oracle VirtualBox (Version 6.x or newer)

What it is: Oracle VirtualBox is a free, open-source hypervisor (Type 2) that lets you create and run virtual machines (VMs) on top of your existing Windows installation. Each VM acts as a completely independent computer, running its own OS and software — in this case, Oracle Linux with Oracle Database 19c.

Where to download: https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads

Version guidance:

• VirtualBox 6.x is the version used in the course screenshots and practice documents. It is stable and well-tested with Oracle Linux appliances.
• VirtualBox 7.x can also be used, but the user interface has changed in some areas. If you use 7.x, expect minor visual differences compared to the screenshots shown in this guide — the underlying steps and commands remain the same.

After installing VirtualBox:

• Also install the VirtualBox Extension Pack (same version as your VirtualBox). This adds support for USB 2.0/3.0, RDP remote display, and disk encryption — some features needed for Oracle VM appliances.
• Extension Pack download: same page as VirtualBox, listed just below the main installer.

1.2.2 PuTTY or MobaXterm      

What it is: When Oracle Linux runs inside VirtualBox, you interact with it via a terminal (command line). While VirtualBox has a built-in console window, it is limited — no copy-paste, no split screens, no session saving. PuTTY and MobaXterm are SSH clients that give you a proper terminal window on Windows to connect to your Linux VM.

PuTTY:

• Lightweight, free, single executable — no installation needed.
• Best for simple SSH connections.
• Download: https://www.putty.org

MobaXterm:

• Feature-rich: tabbed sessions, built-in SFTP file browser, X11 forwarding, session manager.
• Highly recommended if you want to manage multiple VM sessions simultaneously (especially for RAC environments with two nodes).
• Download: https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net
• The free "Home Edition" is sufficient for all practice exercises.

Which one to use: Either works fine for this course. MobaXterm is recommended if you are working with RAC (you will be connecting to two nodes at once) or if you want to transfer files between Windows and your Linux VM easily.

1.2.3 Swingbench 2.5        

What it is: Swingbench is a free load-testing and benchmarking tool for Oracle Database, written by Oracle ACE Dominic Giles. In the context of RMAN practice, Swingbench is used to:

• Generate workload on the database — simulate real user transactions so the database is actively writing redo logs, generating archive logs, and modifying datafiles during RMAN backup/recovery exercises.
• Create a sample schema (SOE — Sales Order Entry) with realistic data volumes, so your RMAN backups are meaningful and not just backing up an empty database.
• Stress-test recovery scenarios — you can run Swingbench during a simulated failure and observe how RMAN recovers a database that was under active load.

Where to download:

• Option 1: Course downloadable resources section (provided with this course)
• Option 2: Dominic Giles' official portal — https://dominicgiles.com/swingbench.html

Which file to download: Download swingbench25.zip. Extract it to a folder on your Windows hosting PC (e.g., C:\swingbench).

1.2.4 Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.8 for Windows      

What it is: Swingbench is a Java-based application. It requires Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.8 (also called Java 8) to be installed on your Windows hosting PC — not inside the Linux VM.

Why JRE 1.8 specifically: Swingbench 2.5 was developed and tested against Java 8. Newer Java versions (11, 17, 21) may cause compatibility issues with Swingbench's GUI components.

Installation steps:

1. Download JRE 1.8 from Oracle's Java archive: https://www.java.com/en/download/
2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
3. After installation, open a Windows Command Prompt and verify: java -version — it should show java version "1.8.x"
4. If you have multiple Java versions installed, make sure JRE 1.8 is set in your PATH environment variable.

1.3 Oracle Database Software (For the Linux VM)       

The Oracle Database 19c software is installed inside the VirtualBox Linux VM, not on your Windows PC. Depending on which practice scenario you are working through, you will use one of three configurations:

1.3.1 Oracle Database 19c — Standalone (Single Instance)

Use case in this course: Basic RMAN concepts — backup, restore, recover, cataloging, retention policies, encryption.

What gets installed:

• Oracle Linux (as the guest OS in VirtualBox)
• Oracle Database 19c software (ORACLE_HOME)
• A single-instance Oracle database (non-RAC, non-ASM — or with a file system)

This is the simplest configuration and the best starting point if you are new to RMAN.

1.3.2 Oracle Database 19c + ASM

Use case in this course: RMAN with Automatic Storage Management — backing up datafiles stored in ASM diskgroups, restoring to ASM, managing FRA (Fast Recovery Area) in ASM.

What gets installed:

• Oracle Linux
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure 19c (which provides ASM)
• Oracle Database 19c (database files stored in ASM diskgroups)

Why ASM matters for RMAN: In production Oracle environments — including Exadata and ExaCS — databases almost always run on ASM, not on a regular file system. RMAN behaves slightly differently with ASM (path syntax like +DATA/ORCL/DATAFILE/, diskgroup management, FRA in ASM). This VM lets you practice those real-world scenarios.

1.3.3 Oracle Database 19c + RAC (Real Application Clusters)

Use case in this course: RMAN in a clustered environment — backing up a two-node RAC database, channel allocation across nodes, archived log management in RAC, recovery of RAC databases.

What gets installed:

• Two Oracle Linux VMs (Node 1 and Node 2) connected via a virtual private network
• Oracle Grid Infrastructure 19c on both nodes (Clusterware + ASM)
• Oracle Database 19c RAC (shared ASM storage between nodes)

Resource warning: This is the most demanding configuration. You need at least 14–16 GB RAM on the hosting PC and sufficient disk space for two full VMs. It is recommended to get comfortable with standalone RMAN first before moving to RAC.

1.4 Environment Summary