Mission Critical RAC setup on Linux

[gopi]

Please provide your opinion:

Where the industry is today, would you put a 24x7x365 (very, very little down time) business on Linux machines running RAC (more than likely 2 nodes)? The cluster software need to be 'bullet proof.' In fact everything must be bullet proof. Also, we are using 9iAS for the application/web tiers.

My management is asking this because of financial constraints. As with many companies, the stability of the system will determine the success of our future.

Thank you very much for your time !

Frank

[OracleDoc]

Good topic!

Hmmmm, the only thing I've heard about good cluster software is Veritas, but it's expensive. I haven't heard if there is a version for it for Linux ( but I'm sure there is). Since you're running Linux what hardware have you guys looked at? At my last client site we ran Linux on Dell boxes. I must say I was impressed with the performance.

The one thing I would really think about is whatever hardware you guys decide on, I would look at the support. How much time is it going to take to get new hardware if you guys blow a controler card or CPU. Yea, you're running RAC but if you're on one machine your fanny is hanging out in the wind.

[gopi]

Originally posted by OracleDoc
The one thing I would really think about is whatever hardware you guys decide on, I would look at the support. How much time is it going to take to get new hardware if you guys blow a controler card or CPU. Yea, you're running RAC but if you're on one machine your fanny is hanging out in the wind.

Good advice....I'll take it.

We are losely considering the HP rx-5670 Itanium ("not much cheaper than HP-UX but 50% faster" - HP Sales Guy. But we are also considering the rp-5670 (same box but pa-risc chip / hp-ux).

Where we can save money is: rather than 5670, we by HP Prolient or Dell. The advice from sales is that this class of mahines are okay for the app server but putting the database on these boxes is still risky.

Our current systems are Sun Solaris (another topic for another day).

[stecal]

Like that story about a server (at some university) being walled up during a reconstruction project, and it sat there running for several years before it was found, which would you rather have buried behind a wall for several years: a Linux box or a Solaris box? I'm going with Solaris.

[stmontgo]

New Oracle initiaitives internally are heavily migrating away from the big solaris boxes to rac clusters in linux.

[marist89]

Originally posted by gopi
Where the industry is today, would you put a 24x7x365 (very, very little down time) business on Linux machines running RAC (more than likely 2 nodes)? The cluster software need to be 'bullet proof.' In fact everything must be bullet proof. Also, we are using 9iAS for the application/web tiers.

My management is asking this because of financial constraints. As with many companies, the stability of the system will determine the success of our future.

My opinion is a 24x7x365 business that relies on a database for their business wouldn't have financial constraints when purchasing hardware.

That being said, Oracle is pushing Linux pretty hard, especially in RAC environments. I have been impressed with what I've seen on Linux thus far. Sun's financial instability and failure to bring better products to market is an indication that over time they won't be a major player in the server market.

Would I put a multi-node Linux RAC up without testing? No.
Would I bring up a multi-node Solaris RAC without testing? No.

[gopi]

Originally posted by marist89
My opinion is a 24x7x365 business that relies on a database for their business wouldn't have financial constraints when purchasing hardware.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. The only reason management is thinking Linux is to save a buck (whether they have 200 million in cash or not - but that's another story too).

thanx!

[OracleDoc]

which would you rather have buried behind a wall for several years: a Linux box or a Solaris box? I'm going with Solaris.

No way man! Compaq on WinNT all the way!!

[Tarry]

I don't see jeff with his whip