RE: Documentation for reasons to NOT use RAC?

From: Goulet, Richard <Richard.Goulet_at_parexel.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:35:30 -0500
Message-ID: <6B0D50B70F12BD41B5A67F14F5AA887F047517A5_at_us-bos-mx022.na.pxl.int>



I have mixed feelings about RAC. Done properly it can allow one to replace very expensive hardware with a lot cheaper kit, but then you've got the problem of that RAC bill that's several times the hardware cost. It can also allow you to run a very large number of users at one time, something probably very useful to the likes of Google, and others like them. It's also very helpful for the odd hardware failure, but since today's servers are more fault tolerant that may be of limited benefit. Maybe the best argument for RAC is politics. Many years ago, as a blue suitor, I explained to a general that it was both cheaper and faster to use standard test equipment to support some avionics systems than Automatic Test Equipment (ATE). Well, that was all fine & dandy, but the politics of the day was to financially support, meaning acquire as much as we could, the ATE manufacturers. So even though the facts were against it the USAF bought a lot of ATE that cost more to buy, maintain, and run just to keep the politicians happy. The same argument can be made for RAC. It just makes your boss feel more secure.  

Dick Goulet
Senior Oracle DBA/NA Team Lead
PAREXEL International  

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Received on Mon Feb 22 2010 - 08:35:30 CST

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