Re: limited trial version of Delphix for instant database cloning

Thanks for the reply. Your answers sum up exactly what I was assuming but I wanted to find out for sure. I might recommend this product to a client I had last year as they're an Agile shop and they're always wanting QA databases refreshed. It would be easier of course if Delphix had the ability built in to capture objects that are different in the target db (QA) and replay those changes when overwritten by a source db (Prod) that is stored in Delphix. This behavior could be controlled by the user doing the database 'refresh' and turn it off/on as needed when building the new VDB from the production source.

Using Toad (or some other tool) is by no means a problem and I know I use it when doing regular database refreshes today - I wonder if Delphix will get this functionality eventually ... (hint, hint)

Regards,
Chris Taylor

On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 1:27 PM, Tim Gorman <tim_at_evdbt.com> wrote:

> Chris,
>
> First, some background to clarify things...
>
> Production is the "source" database. Let's say that PROD is initially
> loaded into Delphix while it is at code release x.x.2. Once that occurs,
> QA is cloned as a "virtual database" or VDB from the "dSource" of PROD.
> Once a VDB is created, it is an independent branch from its dSource.
>
> So, QA is gradually modified from code release x.x.2 to x.x.3 in the
> normal course of events, which doesn't affect the dSource of PROD at all.
> The dSource of PROD is constantly in synch with the source database PROD,
> and any new VDBs created from the dSource of PROD will initially be x.x.2
> as well, but then become independent branches in their own right.
>
> Eventually, code release x.x.3 within QA is declared ready for production,
> and the deployment into the source database PROD occurs, so those changes
> are recorded and propagated into the dSource of PROD within Delphix. No
> problems. The existing VDBs are not affected by these changes, including
> QA.
>
> As you mention, QA has progressed to x.x.3.y, which doesn't affect
> anything around it. The upgrade of PROD to x.x.3 does not affect QA. The
> propagation of any changes in PROD to the dSource of PROD in Delphix does
> not affect QA. Everything is independent of one another.
>
> Now, to answer your questions...
>
> Q1. How can we preserve the differences in the QA environment when we want
> to create a new QA VDB and replace the prior one - that is, does Delphix
> provide that capability to generate a set of differences scripts to be
> replayed after the new VDB is created to bring the objects up to speed with
> the latest changes, OR would that be a function of the DBA/Dev teams to
> capture the changes prior to creating the VDB and replaying them manually?
>
> *A1. Delphix does not generate a "differences script" as you describe.
> However, there are a variety of tools (such as TOAD) that do compare two
> databases and produce such a script. Delphix can maintain the QA database
> at code release x.x.3.y, and Delphix can create a new VDB (named QA1) from
> the current dSource at code release x.x.3. A DBA can point TOAD at the two
> VDBs to generate the differences script.*
>
>
> Q2: How does Oracle licensing fit into this with VDBs?
>
> *A2: *
> *Delphix only virtualizes storage (i.e. datafiles, tempfiles, redo
> logfiles, archivelogs, control files, spfiles/pfiles, etc). Oracle
> licenses by CPU or named-user. This means that Delphix has no direct
> impact on Oracle licensing. As far as any indirect impact is concerned, it
> can be said that by creating VDBs more quickly using less storage, Delphix
> can have the effect of causing more Oracle licenses to be consumed, because
> it will become easier to generate more databases. However, this is purely
> a local choice, as DBAs could simply cram more database instances onto
> existing servers to preserve licenses. *
>
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Thanks!
>
> -Tim
>
>
>
> On 10/29/14 11:14, Chris Taylor wrote:
>
> Given the following scenario, can you share some answers/ideas to the
> questions that follow. This should be "on topic" I believe as related to
> leveraging this as a support function of the Oracle DBA group - or working
> in conjunction with a development/change management group.
>
> QA Environment at code release x.x.3
> Production at code release x.x.2
>
> Production is updated to x.x.3
>
> Some additional changes still reside in QA however that are not in Prod.
>
> 1. How can we preserve the differences in the QA environment when we
> want to create a new QA VDB and replace the prior one - that is, does
> Delphix provide that capability to generate a set of differences scripts to
> be replayed after the new VDB is created to bring the objects up to speed
> with the latest changes, OR would that be a function of the DBA/Dev teams
> to capture the changes prior to creating the VDB and replaying them
> manually?
>
> 2. How does Oracle licensing fit into this with VDBs?
>
> Sincerely!
> Chris Taylor
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 11:02 AM, kyle Hailey <kylelf_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> If you are interested in early access to the first publicly downloadable
>> version of Delphix, email me back and send me your linkedin profile URL.
>> I'll send you the download info back via Linkedin.
>>
>> At OOW we launched the public access to Delphix called #CloneAttack
>> (like #RacAttack) and ran it at the OTN lounge. Now we are rolling it out
>> on a limited download basis.
>>
>> Delphix allows you to clone data, especially databases notably Oracle,
>> in minutes no matter the size for hardly any storage . see
>> http://blog.delphix.com/kyle/2014/delphix/ for more info
>>
>> Now we running a limited download program. We have a trial version of
>> Delphix and hands on lab that include 3 virtual machine OVAs. One VM is a
>> Linux source with an Oracle database. Another VM is a Linux target for
>> creating clones. And the 3rd is a Delphix VM that creates the clones.
>>
>> A video of the lab install is here https://vimeo.com/106979766
>>
>> A video of an exercise using cloning is here https://vimeo.com/106979766
>>
>> Best Wishes
>> Kyle Hailey
>> http://kylehailey.com
>>
>>

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