RE: Anyone installed Oracle 9.2 RAC on solaris 9

[Matthew Zito]

Title: Message

 

Oracle 9i RAC on Solaris is problematic.  Here's why:

 

There are two choices for the underlying cluster server: Sun Cluster 3.0 and Veritas AC for RAC.  If you decide to use Sun Cluster, you still need to buy Veritas Volume Manager with the cluster option, since Sun doesn't really have a cluster-aware volume manager.  Then, Sun's clustered file system isn't supported by RAC, so you have to use raw devices.

 

If you use Veritas AC, its hideously expensive.  It's tiered pricing, but for tier 1b (the low end - like a sun 420r) it lists at 21k per node.  If you do decide to go with Veritas, you're required to either have an EMC or HDS storage array - the Xioech isn't supported.  Beyond these requirements, you need a minimum of three quorum disks that cannot be shared with any other data and two dedicated heartbeat links.  Once all this has been implemented, you're limited to only two nodes in a cluster.  It's never seemed worth it to me.

 

A much more sensible platform for deploying RAC is linux - no need to buy separate cluster software, the clustered filesystem is built-in, you can go multi-node, etc.  With linux, you can run the database off of a Netapp if you want, which is another option not available for RAC on Solaris.  It just seems like Oracle is trying to push RAC on linux at the expense of RAC on any other platform.

 

(FULL DISCLOSURE: My company has built a 9i RAC appliance based on Linux, so I won't even pretend like I'm not biased.  Even with my unbiased hat on, though, RAC on solaris seems less than ideal)

 

Thanks,

Matt

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Matthew Zito
GridApp Systems
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cell: 646-220-3551
Phone: 212-358-8211 x 359

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of laura pena
Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 10:50 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
Subject: Anyone installed Oracle 9.2 RAC on solaris 9

We have been given the funding to install a production Oracle RAC environment. I am wondering if Solaris 9 has any bugs we should know about.

 

Looks like we will be installing the following:

Oracle 9.2 (64-bit)RAC

Solaris 9 (64-bit)

 

Veritas DBE/AC version 3.5 - Veritas has a advanced cluster for Oracle9i Real Application software.

 

Our storag media is on a SAN solution using XIOtech and we will need to order an HBA.

 

 

Any information on bad ideas/gotchas would be most welcomed.

 

Many Thanks,

-Lizz

 

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