Updating the log device repository

Replication Agent stores information about primary log devices in its RASD when you initialize the Replication Agent instance. Log device information in the RASD is referred to as the log device repository.

Unlike other information in the RASD, you can update the log device repository at any time using the ra_updatedevices command.

If any log device is added, dropped, extended, or moved at the primary database, the Replication Agent log device repository must be updated. If Oracle ASM is being used to manage redo logs and a disk is added to or dropped from an ASM disk group, the device repository should be updated. Sybase recommends that you coordinate all log device changes at the primary database with updating the Replication Agent log device repository.

When you update the log device repository, Replication Agent does the following:

Queries the primary database for information about all of its log devices.
Compares the information returned by the primary database with the information recorded in the log device repository.
Updates the log device repository with the new information returned by the primary database, if:
- It finds information for existing log devices in the log device repository that does not match the information returned by the primary database, or
- It finds information about new log devices in the information returned by the primary database.

If the path for a log device at the primary site is different from the path for the corresponding log device at the standby site, you must use ra_devicepath to specify the path to the log device recorded in the RASD.

The primary database need not be quiesced when you update the Replication Agent log device repository.

Log in to the Replication Agent instance with the administrator login.
Use the following command to determine the state of the Replication Agent instance:
```
ra_status
```
If the Replication Agent is in Admin state, skip this step and go to step 4.

If the Replication Agent is in Replicating state:
1. Suspend replication by the Replication Agent instance:
```
suspend
```
2. Verify that the Replication Agent is in Admin state:
```
ra_status
```
If you coordinate log device changes at the primary database with updating the Replication Agent log device repository, make the log device changes at the primary database after the Replication Agent is in Admin state.
After you verify that the Replication Agent is in Admin state, update the log device repository in the RASD:
```
ra_updatedevices
```
If you need to specify the path for a log device, use ra_devicepath:
```
ra_devicepath device, dev_path
```
where:
- device is the device ID (for Oracle, this is the group ID).
- dev_path is the alternate path (optional) that Replication Agent should use to access the log device.
You must invoke ra_devicepath once for each log device whose path you need to specify.
Start replication in the Replication Agent instance:
```
resume
```

You can update the log device repository as often as necessary to accommodate log device changes at the primary database.