Re: Oracle under Windows NT

In message <32787a07.2878929_at_news.via.at> - dtr_at_leadingbits.via.at (Dieter Oberkofler) writes:
:>(1) What is the best (non-online) backup strategy on Windows NT?
Why no online backups ? If you are using a lot of PL/SQL this may also be a performance advantage because Oracle has to re-prepare everything after the database has been brought up again. And of course the buffer cache has to be refilled again. Databases with large memory (not possible under NT) need several hours to fill the cache.

:> - How can i savely stop and start the database instances?
We use sqldba (but not (yet) under NT) and start it like this  sqldba @startdb.sql
where startdb.sql contains

connect internal/<pw>
startup
exit

You may also use a brute force trick to get rid of users who did not log out or zombie sessions:

connect internal/<pw>
shutdown abort
startup
shutdown
exit

The first shutdown is an emergency shutdown after which you *must* restart the instance to perform an instance recovery. Then the database is brought down normally.

:> - What backup tools to use (EXP and ntbackup, Oracle Tape Backup)?
Or NT Tape backup ? Or is there GNU tar for NT ?

:> - How can i best schedule the backup process?
Try the at-Command of NT.

:>(2) How can i savely startup and especially shutdown oracle?
:> - What's the most reliable Oracle Tools to start/stop an instance?
 s.a.
:> - How can i start and stop the services in a batch process?
Don't know.

:>(3) Should the SQL*Net clients be installed on the local workstations
:> or on the Windows NT server to simplify the eventual updates?
:> - Are there any serious reasons not to have the clients on the
:> server?

Updates and maintenance is a serious reason unless you get payed for every hour of system maintencance :-).

:>(4) How can i configure Oracle to detect dead connections?
:> - Do i have to modify the server and/or the client SQL*Net
:> configuration files?

It's in the SQLNET.ORA (I think) I don't have the docs here. I don't remember the name of the parameter. SESSION.TIMEOUT ???

:> - When and why is a connection dead for Oracle?
Oracle checks the connection in intervals specified by the timeout period.

:> - Whow long would Oracle keep a connection alive without
:> detection?

0 means do not check at all.

:>
:>(5) What is the best transport protocol to use (TCP/IP, NETBIOS, IPX)?
:> - I know about the general advantages and dsatvantages but is
:> there anything oracle's SQL*Net V2 likes or dislikes?
The problem is not on the Oracle side but NT. I think NT likes TCP/IP. It does not like IPX. We have severe problems with the MS NW-Client. The new Novell Client
may be better but I haven't tested it.
The problem seems to be that MS does not know how to write good Novell clients (or is not interested in doing this) and Novell does not know how to write NT services (or is/was not interested).
You should try to stick with one protocol on your Win3.1 clients. Yes I have seen PCs running IPX, TCP/IP and Netbios at the same time. And I have seen them crash.

:>(6) What is the best strategy to connect to remote Oracle Server?
:> - Should i just use RAS to connect to a remove Windows NT server
:> and just use SQL*Net with the RAS protocol?
:> - Does oarcle have any own remote access services in SQL*Net?
:> - Does SQL*Net support any network load statistics?

It depends on the bandwidth you need. There at least was a product SQL*Net Async. I don't know if it has been ported to NT and if it is still supported. You should design remote access in a way that is network transparent i.e. your remote clients should use the same protocol as the local clients and then you can choose RAS, PPP, SLIP, Cisco ...

I am afraid I put up more questions than I could answer.

brgds
 Juergen Schiewe Received on Mon Nov 04 1996 - 00:00:00 CST