Re: Real Application Cluster (RAC) - Access Transperency

Robert Heinzmann wrote:

> Hello,
>
> How transparent is access to a Oracle RAC server group, or so called
> Cluster ?

Depends on the client installation. You can make it almost totally transparent to the client (= user) if you set up the client (=software at the user's computer) properly. Check out the additional information on TAF - transparent applciation failover.

> AFAIK (reading the quite bad documentation) the clients have to know
> that the Oracle server they connect to is a Oracle RAC server and that
> there is a failover node (or more). This configuration is done via the
> tnsnames.ora file. What about clients except sqlplus ? they dont use
> tnsnames.ora, or do they ? Now do such use the strengthened ability of
> the RAC cluster?

Minor correction here - all clients that use SQL*Net / Net8 / Oracle Net Services use TNSNAMES.ora or another of the TNS name variants such as an Oracle Names server. And, IIRC, that means all clients (not just SQLPlus), other than some specialized cases of JDBC/RMI.

With all due respect, the questions & comments sound almost like you started with the "Real Application Clusters Deployment and Performance" or "Real Application Clusters Setup and Configuration" manuals. If true, I recommend additonal review "Database Concepts" and "Real Application Clusters Concepts", available at
http://otn.oracle.com/docs/products/oracle9i/doc_library/release2/nav/docindex.htm.

(And yes, there is a technique that needs to be learned to be able to read the manuals.) Received on Sat May 31 2003 - 18:16:45 CDT