Setting up Persistent Routes in Linux

Apparently Oracle RAC 11.2.2 (11G R2 - 2) requires that the heartbeat network is isolated from the other network devices.  Meaning that it will fail it's installation when you attempt to ping the heartbeat network and linux doesn't properly route it out of the heartbeat device only.  This has been verified with the following:

• Start a continuous ping from server 1, to server 2 on the heartbeat network.

• Run tcpdump to watch traffic in another window (or screen session) – tcpdump -s0 -i bond1
  (Note: bond1 was the network device we used above, change it to the appropriate network device)

If you verify this is true and Oracle fails to install. Here's the fix, and how to set a persistent route across reboots.

• To set a route on the cli:
  • route add -net 192.168.X.XXX netmask 255.255.255.0 gw <Ip_of_network_adapter>
    ex. route add -net 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 gw 192.168.1.100

• To set a route to be persistent across reboots:
  • cd /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts
  • vi route-<device>
    ex. vi route-bond1
  • (add) 192.168.1.0/24 via 192.168.1.100 dev bond1
  • Reboot to test.

When completed, use route -n to verify the routing table.