RE: 9i Grid "voodoo" cookbook

Well, (and this is honestly not a marketing pitch, I SWEAR) that's where companies like mine are stepping in. All of these kind of technologies are fine and dandy, but they add complexity, new skills to train people on, etc. The ownership savings can be very questionable. So, vendors build products that try to automate and take the pain away from the IS departments. Sure, you still have to test whatever end-to-end solution you're looking at, but its much easier than trying to master the entire solution.

This isn't just true of clustering/RAC - its true of storage, networking, infrastructure management, middleware, etc. Every new technology that is bigger/better/faster/cheaper (circle any three you like) is also a new learning curve and new set of pitfalls. The lifecycle is tech is proposed->tech is built->early adopters buy in->early adopters get burned (generally)->companies look at early adopters' experience and build products to mitigate pain->tech becomes (more) accepted, whether they use the vendors' products or not.

Matt

--
Matthew Zito
GridApp Systems
Email: mzito_at_gridapp.com
Cell: 646-220-3551
Phone: 212-358-8211 x 359
http://www.gridapp.com



> -----Original Message-----

> From: ml-errors_at_fatcity.com [mailto:ml-errors_at_fatcity.com] On 

> Behalf Of Odland, Brad

> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2003 4:25 PM

> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

> Subject: 9i Grid "voodoo" cookbook

> 

> 

> (Yeah Tom Mercadante...I agree)

> 

> I remember a time when Microsoft was spouting Windows 

> clustering and how great it was. People started with two 

> boxes then kept adding until the whole mess fell apart. 

> People and companies whet bust promoting cluster solutions. 

> Rather than sizing a box appropriately and purchasing the 

> hardware sized to handle five years of growth now we are 

> looking at a cluster scenario again. Adding boxes as we go. 

> Just how easy is that? What about future security issues? 

> Patches...etc...

> 

> Frankly I find it hard to believe that anyone is going to 

> save any money with blades and 9i RAC right now. Once again 

> the hardware people have found that giving people less for 

> the same cost is better (for them). Seems like the burden of 

> testing and proving these cluster solutions is going to fall 

> on us (IS). I mean really! Who would set this solution up and 

> roll it into production in a weekend....?? I sure wouldn't 

> expect that. I would expect to have to create a test lab, buy 

> test hardware and prove that it actually works. Seems 

> expensive to me. Somebody honestly tell me they would have no 

> problem converting a 8 way HP-UX box to four dual blades and 

> 9i RAC in a weekend. Different packaging is all we have here. 

> RAC is like a "lunchable". Less product, more expensive, more 

> marketing promises and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

> 

> Don't get me wrong I think the idea sounds cool. It's just 

> that we've all heard of cool stuff turning into a hot 

> steaming pile real fast...

> 

> IT budgets are stretched pretty thin. Buying unproven 

> technology is not a very wise choice right now unless you 

> have a lot of disposable cash for in house testing. 

> 

> Why should IT have to prove this works?

> 

> 

> Brad O.

> -- 

> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net

> -- 

> Author: Odland, Brad

>   INET: Brad.Odland_at_qtiworld.com

> 

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