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RE: Oracle and NAS storage systems

From: DENNIS WILLIAMS <DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM>
Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 07:58:23 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.00497FAC.20020715075823@fatcity.com>


Dick -

   We use NetAppliance to store Oracle datafiles on our test system. I am pretty sure the NetAppliance is configured as RAID5. I would rate it as quite satisfactory for that purpose. We have many test systems and they are only used sporadically.

   I have had no reliability issues with the NetAppliance, so I can't figure what EMC means by it being "risky".

   I did find that if performance is pushed to a high level, the NetAppliance seems to have problems. I can't say for sure whether the problem is with the NetAppliance or with a network bottleneck. For example, I was going to rebuild 5 or 6 large indexes. Both the table and the index were on the NetAppliance system. I started a script to simultaneously build these indexes and went home for the night. Based on my experience with our normal RAID5 drives, I came in the next morning fully expecting all those indexes to be built. None of the indexes got rebuilt. My guess is that there was too much contention. I built the indexes one at a time, moving the base table to a normal RAID5, and performance was quite satisfactory. Have had no further problems or test user complaints.

   I wouldn't commit to using NAS on a system that will push the disk drive subsystem really hard. Maybe for a less-critical system that needs access to large amounts of cheap disk. Test first. I have also heard of a lot of SAN systems being mis-configured and producing poor or erratic database performance.

Dennis Williams
DBA
Lifetouch, Inc.
dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 9:43 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Folks,

    I've been asked to validate/invalidate a contention made by two storage vendors.

    NetAppliance has stated that you can use a netapp filer with Oracle for datafiles, although their configuration looks more like a DAS(direct attached
storage) configuration using 10baseT cables vs. SCSI cables. Of course their
real claim to fame here is Oracle's endorsement.

    EMC on the other hand has stated that using a NAS, in the traditional mode,
for Oracle datafiles is at best risky. And although their product can support
it, they do not recommend doing so for several of the reasons that I've held out
are pertinent.

    Therefore, is there anyone out their using a NAS to store datafiles? If so,
what does the configuration (server to NAS) look like?

Dick Goulet
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Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
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Author:
  INET: dgoulet_at_vicr.com

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Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS
  INET: DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM
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San Diego, California        -- Public Internet access / Mailing Lists
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