Re: Time required to install and setup Oracle database?

In article <3201DB1E.6D61_at_levelv.co.uk>, "Chris M. Day" <chrisd_at_levelv.co.uk> writes:
>First time round would probably take 1 day for the server installation
>and configuration - just follow the ICG.

I think this probably depends on what version of Oracle you're installing and what platform you're installing it onto. The 7.3.2.1.0 install docs under UNIX are just about the worst I have ever seen for any product (PC, Mac or UNIX) in my lifetime.

My tip:

Re-install Oracle several times - you're *guaranteed* not to get it right first time !

>The client connection would mean installing SQL*Net V2 on the
>server/clients,
>and generating configuration files via Oracle's 'Network Manager' , this
>should 1 day for the number of client specified.

Easier said than done for UNIX because Oracle have, incredibly, *failed* to port the "Network Manager" software to UNIX ! Instead, we're supposed to run it on PC and FTP the data files back up to UNIX. How many ways can I spell "aaaarrrgggghh" ?

SQL*Net V2 would have been a nightmare to install if I hadn't pestered the Oracle phone support and got them to fax/e-mail me a file that should have been available in the first place !

Getting the server software correctly installed should take no longer than a week. It's harder to get the clients talking properly to the server is a different matter though...

Other stumbling block issues:

• Oracle on-line docs aren't in HTML and yet they supply an Oracle Web Browser and Server on the CD-ROMs. Duh !
• http://www.oracle.co.uk/ is entirely password-protected. Nice one, Oracle - you didn't give us a username/password when we bought our annual support. That WWW server has a lot of the "undocumented answers" to technical problems you come across when installing Oracle and yet they've blocked us from using it.
• Still trying to get a mixed OS environment up and working (HP-UX 9.X clients and 10.X server) - not as easy as you might think.
• The latest (7.3.2.1) Oracle UNIX server manuals completely fail to mention that you have to run <CD-ROM mount point>/ORAINST/START.SH before you can start installing software...
• The compression format on the UNIX CD-ROMs is *not* UNIX compress or UNIX gzip. I eventually found the Oracle decompression program ($ORACLE_HOME/orainst/oiuncomp).
• The Oracle installer seems to occasionally "forget" to install files from the CD-ROM ! Several times I've had to copy them (using the above decompress program) off CD-ROM and into $ORACLE_HOME !!

Basically, installing Oracle is one long nightmare under UNIX. Someone desperately needs to look at their install manuals and rewrite them (plus sort out dubious installer problems).

Richard K. Lloyd,           E-mail: rkl_at_csc.liv.ac.uk
Connect,                       WWW: http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/users/rkl/