Resolving Oracle GoldenGate Checkpoint File Errors

Oracle GoldenGate is known for its reliability in data replication, but like any complex system, errors can occasionally appear. One common issue is encountering errors related to checkpoint files, specifically, when a checkpoint file is mistakenly created as a directory rather than a binary file. This blog outlines the root cause, the steps to resolve the error, and how to prevent similar issues in the future.

Problem Description:

During an initial load with Oracle GoldenGate, the replicat abended with the following error and process got abended

                                      TCP_CORK    0                   N/A                 0                 
                                     SO_SNDBUF    8192                N/A                 8192              
                                     SO_RCVBUF    43690               N/A                 43690.
2024-06-17T14:30:50.566+0530  INFO    OGG-01025  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  REPLICAT task started by manager (port 7819).
2024-06-17T14:30:50.568+0530  INFO    OGG-00963  Oracle GoldenGate Manager for Oracle, mgr.prm:  Command received from RMTTASK on host [::1]:64766 (REPORT 12125 7819).
2024-06-17T14:30:50.568+0530  INFO    OGG-00960  Oracle GoldenGate Manager for Oracle, mgr.prm:  Access granted (rule #1).
2024-06-17T14:30:50.568+0530  INFO    OGG-00973  Oracle GoldenGate Manager for Oracle, mgr.prm:  Manager started replicat task process (Port 7819).
 2024-06-17T14:30:55.570+0530  INFO    OGG-01229  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  Connected to ggate1:34034.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.580+0530  INFO    OGG-00995  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  REPLICAT repinit starting.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.580+0530  INFO    OGG-03059  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  Operating system character set identified as UTF-8.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.580+0530  INFO    OGG-02695  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  ANSI SQL parameter syntax is used for parameter parsing.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.580+0530  INFO    OGG-02095  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  Successfully set environment variable ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/19c/db_1.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.580+0530  INFO    OGG-02095  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  Successfully set environment variable ORACLE_SID=ESTCDB.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.596+0530  INFO    OGG-01360  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  REPLICAT is running in Remote Task mode.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.618+0530  ERROR   OGG-02422  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  Could not open checkpoint file /u01/app/oracle/product/19c/ogg/dirchk/REPINIT.cpr (error 2, No such file or directory).
2024-06-17T14:30:55.631+0530  WARNING OGG-01194  Oracle GoldenGate Capture for Oracle, extinit.prm:  EXTRACT task repinit abended : Initial data load error reported by REPLICAT.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.634+0530  ERROR   OGG-01203  Oracle GoldenGate Capture for Oracle, extinit.prm:  EXTRACT abending.
2024-06-17T14:30:55.645+0530  ERROR   OGG-01668  Oracle GoldenGate Capture for Oracle, extinit.prm:  PROCESS ABENDING.
2024-06-17T14:31:00.632+0530  ERROR   OGG-01668  Oracle GoldenGate Delivery for Oracle:  PROCESS ABENDING.

This error occurs when GoldenGate tries to read or write to a file named REPINIT.cpr, but instead finds a directory. Oracle GoldenGate relies on these checkpoint files to track the replicat’s progress, and if the file isn’t present or is not in the expected format, the replicat cannot continue.

Stop the Replicat:
Before making any changes, stop the affected replicat from GGSCI:

STOP REPLICAT REPINIT

Confirm the Issue:
Log in to the server and navigate to the directory where checkpoint files are stored. Verify that REPINIT.cpr is indeed a directory:

cd /u01/app/oracle/product/19c/ogg/dirchk
ls -ld REPINIT.cpr

Remove the Directory:
If it’s confirmed that REPINIT.cpr is a directory, remove it to clear the incorrect entry:

rm -r REPINIT.cpr

Add the checkpoint file in Globals file and Return to GGSCI and repeat the replicat using the appropriate command. This allows GoldenGate to create the correct checkpoint file format:

ADD REPLICAT REPINIT, SPECIALRUN

Add the replicat with initial load direct load

GGSCI (ggate1 as c##ggadmin@ESTCDB/ESTPDB) 79> add replicat repinit, SpecialRun
REPLICAT added.

The issue arises when a directory is mistakenly created with the same name as the checkpoint file.Ensure that all checkpoint file operations are handled directly by GoldenGate command and Regularly verify that the dirchk directory contains only valid binary files.

By following these simple steps—stopping the replicat, removing the directory, re-adding the replicat, and validating the parameter file, you can quickly resolve checkpoint file errors in Oracle GoldenGate. This approach not only fixes the immediate issue but also helps maintain a clean and efficient GoldenGate environment, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted data replication.