Re: Pentium bug and Oracle

Well. just to set the record straight.. Oracle DOES use floating point hardware in the kernel. It uses it for cost based query optimization. I don't think a divide error is going to radically change the way the optimizer works though. 4 digits should be plenty.

IMHO   Andrew McAllister (mcallister_at_neptune.grad.missouri.edu) wrote:
: In article <3bnuls$olh_at_crcnis3.unl.edu> nolan_at_helios.unl.edu (Michael Nolan) writes:
: >From: nolan_at_helios.unl.edu (Michael Nolan)
: >Subject: Pentium bug and Oracle
: >Date: 2 Dec 1994 20:05:15 GMT
 

: >For folks running Oracle on a Pentium system (such as the NCR/AT&T 3000
: >series), is there any reason to be concerned about Intel's Pentium FPDIV
: >bug?
: >---
: >Michael Nolan, Sysop for the DBMS RoundTable on GEnie
: >nolan_at_notes.tssi.com, dbms_at_genie.geis.com
: >(posted from nolan_at_helios.unl.edu)
 

: Well, I read about the bug and immediately went over to my oracle server,
: connected and typed:
: select (4195835/3145727)*3145727 - 4195835 z from dual
: and got the correct answer: 0
 

: Am I worried about Oracle messing up? No. It seams that Oracle 7 SVR4
: for Unixware seems not to use the math hardware capabilities on our Pentium
: 90. I guess this is good ;)
 

: Am I worried about all my other applications on my server and on my desktop
: machines? You bet.
 

: Here's what I did...
: I called Intel at 1-800-628-8686 and said I was working on a complex financial
: database server and had a P90 with the FDIV bug. After a few call backs and
: some questions from an Intel engineer or two I was approved for a replacement
: P90 in my server, but not for any of the other machines in our department. (I
: didn't tell them that Oracle doesn't use the Floating point hardware)
 

: To summarize the current state of the Floating Point bug in Pentium chips:
: 1) Bug free chips are NOT shipping to any vendor at this time (except in
: sample quantities).
 

: 2) Intel will not replace your pentium unless they are convinced you will be
: hurt by the bug. (I suggest you do what ever it takes to convince them.)
 

: 3) Contrary to what Intel says, many credible people believe that you will
: eventually run into the bug on your Pentium, and it will cause you some sort
: of problem. (Just the risk of hitting the bug is enough to make me worry)
 

: If you would like to test for the bug on your pentium you can run any number
: of applications like MS Word, Excel, Access, Windows Calculator, the
: XCalculator that ships with Unixware, or any program that is compiled to take
: advantage of the FPU and use double precision on a 486 or Pentium. (Don't
: write an app and compile it with the equation above, if you do, your
: compiler's optimizer may pre-calculate the correct answer for you)
: Get to a point where you can type an equation and type the one mentioned
: above. If you get the answer of 256, you have a buggy Pentium. The answer is 0
: on all the other machines in my office:)
 

: For lots more info on this bug try comp.sys.intel.
 

: P.S. Thanks Oracle for using your own dedicated math libraries.
: Andy
: Andrew McAllister -- mcallister_at_neptune.grad.missouri.edu
: Office of Research, University of Missouri-Columbia
: The views above are not those of my employer.

--
Kirk Bradley
Oracle Corporation
Mainframe and Integration Technologies Group