Oracle Parallel Server and Sun Clustering Options

Hi All,

Does anybody have any experience with Sun Clustering Software?

More specifically running Oracle Parallel Server on a Sun Cluster and what is needed?

The problem we are having is with ordering the software!

Our Sun VAR claims that we cannot run the Oracle Parallel Server on their hardware without purchasing the Sun Cluster software. And they will not sell us the Sun Clustering software without first purchasing a Sun disk array.

Now in the past this might be true but since Sun needed to provide a critical piece of software called the Distributed Lock Manager. However with the advent of Oracle 8i Oracle now provides this necessary piece of software. Additionally will will be using Veritas for concurrently accessing our disk subsystem very possibly Hitachi but also possibly EMC. So the first question is do we really need the Sun Clustering Software to run Oracle Parallel Server?

If so does anybody know of anybody who has been able to get around the requirement of having to purchase a Sun disk array which we definitely do not want or need? (It is rumored
that Sun will bypass this requirement for select customers.)

The question that we keep asking ourselves is that if Oracle supplies the DLM software and if Veritas supplies the concurrent disk access software then precisely what does Sun provide us with the clustering software that we will need for OPS?

My experience with Oracle Parallel Server mostly comes from working with IBM AIX and HACMP the IBM clustering product. Using IBM AIX and HACMP as an analogy the only
thing we would be getting from the "clustering" software after the DLM and the concurrent disk access software would be some clunky scripts for managing the cluster which do we really need?

Our goal is to run Oracle and OPS use a Hitachi or EMC as a backend disk farm AND NOT
buy any more Sun disks.

If anybody has any insights as to how to do this would work from an ordering, support, operational or any standpoint i.e. the combination of Sun/Oracle/EMC or Hitachi, any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Please reply to me as well as the list.

Thanks,
Andrew T. Rodnite
Oracle Database Administrator
Webb Information Systems
(612) 396-3387
rodnite_at_winternet.com Received on Mon Jan 10 2000 - 14:42:45 CST