Re: AIX or W2k3 to run Cluster?

Jack wrote:

> If your system is relative small then SAN is not so expensive. > NAS is good enough if you do not want something better (as SAN).

Quantify "better" ... what does that mean. More expensive hardware? More expensive switches? More expensive cabling? Yes performance is better, slightly better, but run real benchmarks and determine whether the delta is worth the dollars.

Still I'd like to know what metrics you are using other than performance.

>>>SAN with RAID-10 will be good choice (1MB stribe size, or at least
>>>256kb).
>>>Look that hardware is RAC-certified.
>>
>>How can you feel comfortable giving this kind of specific advice when
>>you don't know the OP's storage vendor, don't know the nature of the
>>i/o that will be done, etc.

> 
> Morgan, you would likely want to count every bits, but there is also an easy 
> way:
>  Look:  http://otn.oracle.com/deploy/performance/pdf/opt_storage_conf.pdf
>  You might also have a look at Juan Loaiza's article "Optimal Storage
>  Configuration Made Easy" http://technet.oracle.com/deploy/performance/

Read them all. If you have a specific point ... please state it. I could just as easily point you to:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/deploy/availability/htdocs/lowcoststorage.html So just pointing to a URL is valueless.

>>>For reference:
>>>http://h71019.www7.hp.com/ActiveAnswers/downloads/HPInfiniBandSolution_OracleRAC.pdf
>>>http://download.oracle.com/docs/pdf/B10766_08.pdf
>>
>>I don't believe this. First you reocmmend "relatively cheap" Intel-based
>>hardware and then you suggest the most expensive mem-interconnect strategy
>>possible. How does this make sense? And what does Intel
>>hardware or Linux have to do with the SAN vs NAS question at all?

> 
> Well, it'is only meaning is: to look also some other vendors than IBM.
> Do you think that Proliant DL380 is too expensive server?

In the 32bit space or the 64bit space? But yes I do. Hardware in isolation from support agreements, etc. is meaningless. All that matters is TCO and I have the numbers to back up my comment.

-- 
Daniel A. Morgan
http://www.psoug.org
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace x with u to respond)