10g RAC network failure behavior

Well, I just inherited a 2-node 10g RAC database on linux. I'm trying to understand the network failure points, and what the behavior is supposed to be from RAC.

I just read a Metalink note stating that the DB and ASM are dependant on the VIP, so a link or adapter failure on the public interconnect would cause the instance to crash. Unfortunately there is no more information as to why they are dependant on the the public interconnect. Why crash the instance? What about locally connected apps? Isn't there another hearbeat through the private interconnect?

Also, what I haven't found is what happens when the private interconnect fails? CSS is supposed to guard against the split brain syndrome, but how? What happens?

Any help would be apprecated from you RAC gurus.... and if you could point me to the right documentation, that would be helpful too. I've been perusing the CRS/RAC install and admin guides and I'm not finding this information anywhere.

Thanks in advance for your help. Received on Mon Aug 21 2006 - 13:29:37 CDT