Which Unix Server

I am in the process of preparing a request for a unix Oracle database server, and have narrowed it down to two choices: an R/S 6000 550 or a comparable (same price range) machine from Sun. The machine will be dedicated to Oracle, and although one unix operating system will hold the database, applications binaries will be served from this machine to R/S 6000, Sun, and Next workstations. The workstations then connect to the database through SQL*NET. User's not having workstations will connect to either another Sun or RS/6000 compute server. The compute server will then behave in much the same way as a work station. Directly logging into the Oracle database server will be strongly discouraged.

What if any are the advantages and disadvantages of running Oracle on a RISC platform particulary an R/S 6000 running aix? Which architecture would you choose? Are they compelling reasons to choose something such as a Sequent, a Pyramid, or other type of unix machine?

One thing more. I expect to have about 25-30 concurrent users against this database.

                     Ian MacGregor [Stanford Linear Acclerator Center]