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        Oracle Security >> Oracle Security >> Oracle software installatio question
        
(Message started by: Pete Finnigan on Dec 15^th, 2005, 5:15pm)

Title: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 15^th, 2005, 5:15pm

Hi,

I am in the process of planning a migration of our Oracle software from v 9.2.x -> 10.2. As part of this migration, I am looking at the possibility of not installing the http server (not iAS) under the owner of the RDBMS software.

I have been looking through the installation guides, and to date, have found nothing to indicate this is possible.

I know I have read article somewhere by Pete (?) that this is a good policy, but I cannot find anything here either.

Our use of the Oracle http server is very limited at this time. However, I do see it's use growing in our organization over the next year or so and I would prefer to apply the controls now, versus a retrofit.

So, does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks.

Ron Reidy

Title: Re: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 15^th, 2005, 7:01pm

Hi Ron,

I cannot remember where I have written about this, I know I have..:-). I think almost certainly I did so in my book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&path=ASIN/0974372749&tag=petefinnigora-20&camp=1789&creative=9325">Oracle Security Step-by-Step (Version 2.0)</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=petefinnigora-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0974372749" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> and most likely also in the SANS course.

It is hard to find in the Oracle documentation but I am sure it is in there somewhere to create an apache user and install as that user. I have installed apache as a seperate user previously so i know it can be done. I was told you can run the OUI as oracle and choose custom install and insatll everything you need excet apache and its dependancies and then after its complete run the OUI again as apache and again choose custom and install apache in the same Oracle home. I have not done it myself but i was told by someone who has that it works.

I do it a different way. I found a good article by Roger Shrag a long time ago and used his method on a Sun box and it worked. He has a paper called www.dbspecialists.com/presentations/oracle920solaris.html - (broken link) Installing and Configuring Oracle9i on the Solaris Platform. Scroll through and you will find detailed instructions.

hope this helps

cheers

Pete

Title: Re: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 15^th, 2005, 11:54pm

Pete,

Thanks for the reference to Roger Shrag's paper. I think this might fit the bill for us. I will have a test server to try this out on after Xmas.

rr

Title: Re: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 16^th, 2005, 9:28pm

Hi Ron,

Glad it was of use to you. Please let us know how you get on with it.

cheers

Pete

Title: Re: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 20^th, 2005, 4:24am

Pete (and anyone else who may be interested),

The answer with 10g is so easy. The http server is not installed as part of the database software install. Instead, the http server is installed from the companion CDs. So, this means (theoretically) that http can be installed as another user (not the owner of the RDBMS software), within a chroot jail that has really limited access to the rest of the server. I will be testing this out in a couple of weeks and report back on my results.

Ron Reidy

Title: Re: Oracle software installatio question
Post by Pete Finnigan on Dec 20^th, 2005, 6:57pm

Thanks for the update Ron, I look forwards to hearing about your testing,

cheers

Pete