Re: native Oracle-port on Linux -- what would it take?

["S V" <sv1_at_mindspring.com>]

keep in mind that those who would want to run Oracle on Linux usually have pretty modest database needs, thus much of what you're asking for isn't really an issue at all. if you need a large SMP system or terabytes of tablespaces you would probably buy something else than a PC -- don't you agree?

| Linux is missing many features for any OS to be worth considering
| as a viable database platform.
| 1. Linux has no logical volumes layer.

what's the problem? I have worked on ONE site where they used logical volumes, but they would have done just as well without. this is a non issue.

| 2. Linux has no transaction-oriented filesystem.

would you like to explain why you think this is an issue at all? because I really can't see any reason why you would need one. sure, the extra redundancy at the file system level is probably a cool feature, but this has nothing to do with the database.

| 3. Linux has no support for raw devices - hence NO even remote possibility
| to run Oracle Parallel Server.

I have yet to desire raw devices for using Oracle and I certainly have never needed to run Oracle Parallel server. if I would ever need to run it I would certainly not do it on a PC.

| 4. Linux networking is flaky at best.

uh, compared to what? would you mind explaining to me how you got that impression, because we're obviously from different worlds. in my world Linux holds up pretty good compared to other OSes running on PCs and more traditional UNIX servers as well.

| 5. Linux OS block size is what? 512 bytes? It would make even MS
| Access laugh and puke steam.

uh, what block size would that be? if you're talking about the file system one can only guess whatever gave you that idea. on my system the block size on a ext2 filesystem can be between 1024 and 4096.

would you care to explain what block size you are referring to and what block sizes other systems where Oracle is available use?

| 6. Linux SMP is rudimentary and flaky at best.

that might be true, but still, they ported Oracle to NT and last time I checked Linux scaled better across 2 CPUs than NT.

would you care to explain?

| 7. The same for multithreading.

from what I understand Linux multithreading is different from for example Solaris. I'm told (by people who are intimately familiar with the Linux kernel) that Linux does multithreading faster than for example Solaris.

it's there, it's fast -- now, would you care to explain exactly why you think that Linux has "rudimentary and flaky at best" multithreading?

| In fact porting Oracle to Linux would require Oracle to write its
| own Linux almost from scratch.

you are most absolutely wrong.

| ==> I don't see much (or rather _any) prospects for seeing Oracle on
| Linux.

perhaps it's time for you to take a closer look at Linux as well as other systems that Oracle has been ported to before you jump to any conclusions about the suitability of Linux as a platform for running Oracle. Oracle has been ported to operating systems that are _far_ less advanced than Linux and that lack almost everything that you mentioned in your post. that hasn't stopped Oracle from porting to them so far, so you will have to think of something better.

the fact that Oracle already can be run on Linux using iBCS2 (this has been possible since at least version 1.2 of the Linux kernel) should prove that Oracle can in fact run under Linux without, as you state, Oracle Corp. having to rewrite Linux from scratch.

(Some time ago I read that someone had benchmarked Oracle on a PC using  both SCO UNIX and Linux with some very interesting results. does  anyone remember who did this?)

porting Oracle to Linux is certainly not a technical issue, it is a political and economical one. if the CEO of Oracle is as dedicated to the cause of fighting Microsofts operating system monopoly as he would like us to think he is it puts him in a strange light when he doesn't pay attention to those who use one of the more viable alternatives to NT turn to Oracle for support.

-Bjørn Received on Thu Dec 18 1997 - 00:00:00 CST