Re: Multiprocessing: Oracle 7 & Solaris 2.3. H

In article 1208941843030001_at_reflex.demon.co.uk, rdw_at_reflex.co.uk (Richard Williams) writes:
>I'm investigating using Oracle 7 on a multiprocessor Sun platform (SS20 or
>SS1000) running Solaris 2.3.
>
>The system will have to support multiple concurrent users, so a
>multiprocessor system is obviously the way to go. Unfortunately, the SQL
>each user executes is rather complex, and it would be nice to see a
>multiprocessor system helping out there aswell...
>
>How successful is Oracle at dividing query/update load over the processors?
>
>Does it rely on spawning 'server' processes for a transaction that Solaris
>can run on separate processors, or does it go 'deeper' and break queries
>up into atoms that can be run as threads on separate processors.
>
>How much do we get for 'free', and how much parallel processing /
>multithreading do we have to code into our applications?
>
>We have received conflicting information from Sun & Oracle sources, so it
>would be great if someone who had actually used a configuration like this
>could shed some light on the subject.
>
>Thanks,
>
>--
>Richard Williams Email: rdw_at_reflex.co.uk
>Reflex Manufacturing Systems Tel: (0293) 560111

In V7.0 Oracle doesn't do any optimization *or* load balancing - the OS does! On Solaris and other System V4 variants - you can pbind individual processes onto specific processors, but Oracle still doesn't know, or care.

On the other hand V7.1 which is now hitting the streets (as it were), claims to perform query decomposition - splitting a query over the processors of a SMP box. The up/down side are yet to be timed, and it may take a rev or two to get the bugs out (they're already up to 7.1.3). The next step up is MPP on a Kendal , an NCUBE, or whatever!

Please note that all of the above are different from Oracle Parallel Server!

I hope I haven't added to the confusion ;-}.

Happy computing!!!

Sincerely,

Martin Farber
Independent Oracle Consultant

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