Oracle Database: Difference between Static listener and Dynamic listener registrations

Database can be registered in two ways with a listener :-

1. Static Registration :- A static registration of database to a listener is used when we want to remotely start our database. Static registration is like hardcoding a instance details in listener.ora file. In a static registration an instance is registered with the listener whether its up or not. When a client request comes listener opens a dedicated connection , and server later find out that instance is not up then it gives error message as "Oracle not available".

2. Dynamic Registration :- In Dynamic registration , registration is performed by PMON process. Once a Database instance starts, its PMON process registers instance details with associated listener. Dynamic registration does not require any manual configuration in the listener.ora file where as Static configuration does.From Oracle 8i dynamic configuration introduced.

PFB listener.ora file having static configuration :-

SID_LIST_LISTENER =
(SID_LIST =
(SID_DESC =
(SID_NAME = AMIT)
(ORACLE_HOME = /oracle_home/oracle/ora11g/product)
)
(SID_DESC =
(SID_NAME = TEST)
(ORACLE_HOME = /oracle_home/oracle/ora11g/product)
)
)

LISTENER =
(DESCRIPTION_LIST =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.11.1.10)(PORT = 1521))
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC1521))
)
)

ADR_BASE_LISTENER = /oracle_home/oracle

PFB listener.ora file having dynamic configuration :-

LISTENER =
(DESCRIPTION_LIST =
(DESCRIPTION =
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = TCP)(HOST = 10.11.1.10)(PORT = 1521))
(ADDRESS = (PROTOCOL = IPC)(KEY = EXTPROC1521))
)
)

ADR_BASE_LISTENER = /oracle_home/oracle

As we can see dynamic configuration is much easier as compared to static configuration.

PFB listener status details when using Dynamic regitration :-

bash-3.2$ lsnrctl status

LSNRCTL for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 02-DEC-2013 10:51:59

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

STATUS of the LISTENER

------------------------

Alias LISTENER

Version TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production

Start Date 01-DEC-2013 16:19:04

Uptime 10 days 18 hr. 32 min. 56 sec

Trace Level off

Security ON: Local OS Authentication

SNMP ON

Listener Parameter File /oracle_home/oracle/ora11g/product/network/admin/listener.ora

Listener Log File /oracle_home/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/new/listener/alert/log.xml

Listening Endpoints Summary...

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))

Services Summary...

Service "amit" has 1 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

Service "amitXDB" has 1 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

The command completed successfully

Above status as "READY" resembles that listener has checked instance details and found its status as up or running to handle client request.

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

STATUS of the LISTENER

------------------------

Alias LISTENER

Version TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production

Start Date 01-DEC-2013 16:42:04

Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 0 min. 0 sec

Trace Level off

Security ON: Local OS Authentication

SNMP ON

Listener Parameter File /oracle_home/oracle/ora11g/product/network/admin/listener.ora

Listener Log File /oracle_home/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/new/listener/alert/log.xml

Listening Endpoints Summary...

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))

The listener supports no services

The command completed successfully

Above status resembles that either Instance is not up, or its not been registered with listener.

PFB commands to register database instance with listerner if its not automatically registering with listener :-

bash-3.2$ sqlplus

SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.1.0 Production on Mon Dec 2 11:43:39 2013

Enter user-name: /as sysdba

Connected to:

Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production

With the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options

SQL> alter system register;

System altered.

SQL> exit

Disconnected from Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.1.0 - 64bit Production

With the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options

bash-3.2$ lsnrctl status

LSNRCTL for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 02-DEC-2013 11:43:51

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

STATUS of the LISTENER

------------------------

Alias LISTENER

Version TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production

Start Date 01-DEC-2013 16:44:04

Uptime 0 days 0 hr. 1 min. 47 sec

Trace Level off

Security ON: Local OS Authentication

SNMP ON

Listener Parameter File /oracle_home/oracle/ora11g/product/network/admin/listener.ora

Listener Log File /oracle_home/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/new/listener/alert/log.xml

Listening Endpoints Summary...

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))

Services Summary...

Service "amit" has 1 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

Service "amitXDB" has 1 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

The command completed successfully

PFB listener status details when using static regitration also :-

bash-3.2$ lsnrctl status

LSNRCTL for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production on 02-DEC-2013 11:50:28

Connecting to (DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST= amit)(PORT=1521)))

STATUS of the LISTENER

------------------------

Alias LISTENER

Version TNSLSNR for IBM/AIX RISC System/6000: Version 11.2.0.1.0 - Production

Start Date 01-DEC-2013 18:10:27

Uptime 0 days 02 hr. 40 min. 0 sec

Trace Level off

Security ON: Local OS Authentication

SNMP ON

Listener Parameter File /oracle/oracle/ora11g/product/network/admin/listener.ora

Listener Log File /oracle/oracle/diag/tnslsnr/pacs3/listener/alert/log.xml

Listening Endpoints Summary...

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=tcp)(HOST=amit)(PORT=1521)))

(DESCRIPTION=(ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=ipc)(KEY=EXTPROC1521)))

Services Summary...

Service "amit" has 2 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status UNKNOWN, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

Service "amitXDB" has 1 instance(s).

Instance "amit", status READY, has 1 handler(s) for this service...

The command completed successfully

Above status as "UNKNOWN" resembles that listener has not checked instance status details that whether its up or not, it has just registered the details of instance. So listener is not sure that whether instance can handle client request or not.

I hope this article helped you.

Regards,

Amit Rath