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Re: OPS instalation - pretty urgent

From: Don Granaman <granaman_at_home.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 18:00:35 -0700
Message-ID: <F001.0038C872.20010912180017@fatcity.com>

I'll add my 2 cents worth here... I think perhaps the esteemed Mladen is exaggerating a wee bit ;-)

In addition to the Oracle 8i Concepts Manual, you will want to read the Oracle 8i Parallel Server Concepts Manual -
http://otn.oracle.com/docs/products/oracle8i/doc_library/817_doc/paraserv.817/a7 6968/toc.htm - and the Oracle 8i Parallel Server Administration, Deployment, and Performance Guide -
http://otn.oracle.com/docs/products/oracle8i/doc_library/817_doc/paraserv.817/a7 6970/toc.htm - and perhaps a few white papers specific to OPS on AIX (sorry, I don't have specific references for AIX). The blueprints at www.eECOstructure.com have quite a bit of platform-specific information about OPS - including AIX. It may take a pith helmet and a machete to wade through everything else and find it though.

For failover of client connections, you will want to use the capabilities of Net8 - assuming that you are using Net8 for these connections. Relevant references include the aforementioned OPS manuals and the Net8 Administrator's Guide -
http://otn.oracle.com/docs/products/oracle8i/doc_library/817_doc/network.817/a76 933/toc.htm as well as a few particularly relevant notes on MetaLink (search on "transparent application failover").

I agreed with: private rollback segments, private log threads (required), etc. I good SA is critical - you will become the closest of partners in this adventure!

As for the SYSTEM tablespace, perhaps a bit more than for a non-OPS installation, but it mostly depends on the same factors as an exclusive Oracle system. Unless you have specific needs in SYSTEM for replication, auditing, and such, just use 300-500 MB if you can afford the space. You probably won't need it all, but you might need up to 200 MB or so, depending on the application and installed/enabled options.

You do not necessarily need 1 GB redo log files for OPS - it depends on the nature of your system just as in any other Oracle layout.

50x more semaphores? Where did this come from?!? I thought that AIX used the post-wait kernel extensions instead of semaphores, but it has been years since I've done AIX. I've built a number of 7.x, 8.0.x, and 8.1.x OPS systems (all on Sun recently though) and never had to do anything like 50x semaphores! 2x+50 semaphores perhaps, but not 50x!

As for MTS, uh... hmmm...well... I'd rather pass, but thanks anyway. My personal prejudice perhaps and it isn't OPS specific. I've built about a dozen OPS systems in the last three years, some were truly huge (e.g. clustered Sun E10Ks), and not one used MTS. The choice of MTS or not depends (again) largely on non-OPS specific constraints.

I would change one other thing. Take vacation before you start! If you have never done OPS before and are not very familiar with the OS, Oracle, and application OPS-specific issues and/or do not have an SA that is familiar with OPS on AIX, then you have a fairly steep learning curve and a long project ahead! Especially if this is for any kind of critical system and the intended use of OPS is for anything other than a strict active-passive availability solution, the system is OLTP or a hybrid, and you don't yet have a very solid grasp yet on how to make the application behave well in an OPS environment. You will likely be ready (overdue?) for another vacation when you're done!

I'm not trying to scare you off or be condescending, but the original question sounded a little like someone with 80 hours in a single engine Cessna 4-seater climbing into the cockpit of a SR-76 Blackbird and asking "How do I start this critter?"

-Don Granaman
[certifiable (OPS) OraSaurus]

Uh, oh! Did you just say OPS? First of all, go to Oracle and ask them for EXACTLY the OS version you need and the required OS patches. Second, plan your configuration: private rollback segments, private log threads, locally managed tablespaces, you should know exactly how much space do you need for SYSTEM, how many 1GB log files you need, etc, etc. You are probably aware that everything has to reside on the raw devices. Find a good SA to carve up your disk drives to fit your needs. Start with static locking (hashed, GC_FILES_TO_LOCKS) and turn it to releasable for the high concurrency tables. Configure large pool for the MTS connections, you'll need it. Ask oracle & IBM whether you need any specific OS parameter to be set (AIO, nonpageable memory, post-wait extensions), make sure that you have a truckload of semaphore sets and 50 times more semaphores. Don't be stinting on the shared memory size. Download all relevant manuals from metalink, print them out on your bosses favorite laserjet and read them. Remember the following phone number: (800) 223-1711. Take vacation when you're done.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pablo ksksksk [mailto:p_rodri99_at_yahoo.es]
> Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 6:33 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
> Subject: OPS instalation - pretty urgent
>
>
> Hi
> it's the first time I'm going to install an OPS
> (Oracle 8.1.6 and AIX 4.3).
> What things should I take care of? (patches, some
> tips, etc)
> Where can I find some documentation (besides Oracle
> Concept Manual), can someone point me good docs?
>
> TIA

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Author: Don Granaman
  INET: granaman_at_home.com

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Received on Wed Sep 12 2001 - 20:00:35 CDT

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