Re: 21 terabytes at NYNEX

In article <mjrDqHH2K.IEA_at_netcom.com> mjr_at_netcom.com (Mark Rosenbaum) writes:
>In article <4llm6j$2m1_at_gol2.gol.com>, John Durkin <yamanote_at_gol.com> wrote:
>>mew_at_world.std.com (Michael E Willett) wrote:
>>
>>>In the April 22 WSJ article "Storage Devices Take Spotlight
>>>in Computer Industry," Jerry Higgins, who manages a database
>>>of 21 trillion bytes of data at NYNEX, says, "Computers are
>>>becoming a sidelight to the data warehouses."...
>>
>>Although I respect the concept of 21 TB of storage, I would like to
>>know how this backed up. With current technology, it sounds like a
>>near impossible task, unless the 21 TB DASD is mirrored. Even then,
>>at some point I assume a tape backup must be taken.
>
>21 TB would not fit on most 32 bit UNIX servers. There is a 2 GB limit
>on file sizes and typically about a 1 K limit on the number of files

Perhaps it is a 64 bit server. Maybe a 12 350MHz processor Alpha 8400 with 14G of directly addressable memory. And a huge tape robot in one of the 144 PCI slots.

I too am curious how Nynex actually does it (as opposed to this useless drooling). I've wondered if TRW gave up on Oracle due to this issue.

>open at once. This would most likely be a distributed design if it
>is using open systems. With many machines the backup is spread over
>many tape drives.
>
>Also in data warehouses most of the data is read only. If the data
>is partitioned correctly only a small fraction of the change data
>is backed up.
>
>>Or, does the concept of backup not exist for data warehouses? Of
>>course it must, as these type of applications become more and more
>>mission critical. I would like to hear from the storage gurus how
>>massive amounts of DASD can be efficiently backed up and restored when
>>necessary.
>
>
>Hope this helps
>
>
>Mark Rosenbaum Otey-Rosenbaum & Frazier
>mjr_at_netcom.com Consultants in High Performance and
>(303) 727-7956 Scalable Computing and Applications
>Boulder CO

-- 
Joel Garry               joelga_at_rossinc.com               Compuserve 70661,1534
These are my opinions, not necessarily those of Ross Systems, Inc.   <> <>
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