Brian Peasland wrote:
> DA Morgan wrote:
>> Mladen Gogala wrote:
>>> Brian Peasland wrote:
>>>>> It's usually a good practice to ask for references and check them.
>>>>> Oracle
>>>>> sales person will probably be able to compile the list of similar
>>>>> configuration in your general area. If he can't - don't buy, you
>>>>> definitely do not want to be one and only owner of that unique
>>>>> configuration within a 100 miles radius.
>>>>
>>>> Why within a 100 miles radius? In today's Internet-connected world,
>>>> I communicate with many DBA's all around the globe, even in this
>>>> forum! I do not need to be physically colocated with the person I am
>>>> exchanging knowledge with.
>>>>
>>>> Cheers,
>>>> Brian
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Brian, support is the problem here. If you are the only one within a
>>> wide area, the company that sold you the disk array will likely not
>>> have a support person close by, so you will have to contact Elbonia
>>> for tech support. Also, Oracle will not have anybody particularly
>>> well versed in
>>> your neighborhood, so in case you need it, you will have to wait for
>>> somebody to be flown into your area. This world is a global village,
>>> but the local user groups are still there for a reason. That reason
>>> is usually not marketing perpetrated by the Oracle Corp. and its
>>> affiliates during annual events. Those local luser groups are
>>> organized for mutual
>>> support purposes. Oracle usually tries to use luser attitude
>>> readjustment tools on them.
>>
>> With some reservations I am going to disagree. Most organizations have
>> purchased their disk from EMC, Fujitsu, Hitachi, LSI, NetApp, etc. and
>> these vendors may not be supporting RAC in the area but they certainly
>> have the resources to make available if required.
>
> That has been my experience as well. I would add that I work as a
> contractor to the fed govt and our Oracle needs are all funneled through
> the Washington DC area. So if I need to talk with my Oracle rep, I have
> to call his DC-area phone. And who knows where my Metalink analyst is
> physically sitting these days.
>
> Our vendors are pretty good about getting us the support we need. Maybe
> that's due to the amount of dollars we spend on their products...I don't
> know. Sometimes we do have to push and prod them, but I expect that to
> be the same no matter where you are.
>
>> My only reservation is with EMC as I have found them to often have a
>> knee jerk reaction to the word Oracle and immediately point to metalink.
>> Good product but I am not thrilled with their support team.
>
> I fully agree with your assessment of EMC, but I do have other
> reservations with EMC. They came in on a real low price point when we
> purchased disk from them many years ago. After our first maintenance
> contract expired, the cost of renewing that maintenance contract was so
> high, that it would have been cheaper to buy new replacement disk, which
> is precisely what they were strong arming us into doing. They figured
> they had their foot in the door and could rake in the big bucks. I guess
> they forgot that as a govt facility, we have procurement rules to follow
> and they didn't get the new disk bid. Ouch. And I am much happier with
> our current disk vendors.
>
> Cheers,
> Brian
And likely the tax payers would be happy too if they knew about it. ;-)
--
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace x with u to respond)
Puget Sound Oracle Users Group
www.psoug.org
Received on Tue Aug 08 2006 - 15:11:13 CDT
