Re: Oracle Parallel Server and Sun Clustering Options

The last I heard this was a question of certification. Sun will not support anything other than a very select list of devices. But if you are a big enough customer, are prepared to suffer the consequence (if they occur), and make enough of a fuss then you can run their software on almost any disk array you fancy.

I believe there is still a little bit of O/S level software that has to be vendor-supplied by the way. Oracle has simply reduced the size of the dependency, not eliminated it entirely. (e.g. for HP I believe you still have to run MC Lock Manager, which takes calls from the OPS lock daemon).

--

Jonathan Lewis
Yet another Oracle-related web site: http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

Andrew Rodnite wrote in message <85dg85$51v$1_at_blackice.winternet.com>...
>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 - 16:07:14 CST