Re: Newbie Question: Oracle Instance Configurations

Here's my take.

We have implemented 7 instances on one machine and I'm not sure I'd do it again.

Whenever upgrade time comes (and requires system catalog changes) it takes us 7 upgrades. We also use more memory and processes with our approach. We also have 7 backup processes.

I would consider two instances (one production, one development) and use schemas in each of them to represent the different companies. That way you can tune the two instances and only manage two. You may consider also having a third instance for upgrade testing. Oracle upgrades can be a little shaky and you may not want to hit your development or production environments before testing.

Two instances will allow you to allocate larger chunks of shared memory and to minimize the number of database daemons. It will also help in the administration. As far as disk access, you can still tune my schema if you wish.

I have no idea what RAID-S is. I know about the standard RAID 0-5, but "S" is a new one on me. We currently use RAID 1 (mirrored RAID 0).

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Dale Porter <dporter_at_irgate.tnrcc.state.tx.us> wrote in article
<5f50pk$or1_at_ws00163.tnrcc.state.tx.us>...


> My shop is a fairly new Oracle/Unix environment.  I-Case/Oracle 

> devleopment projects are appearing daily.  There are currently three 

> approaches for development being used:  Program specific development, 

> integrated office development and functional lines development.  Most of 

> the different development approaches share some of the same clients and 

> will need access to each other's data.  Currently, we have tentatively 

> decided to implement a development and production instance for each of

 the 


> four offices (although it will not actually be an integrated database)

 for 


> a total of 8 instances.  Our server has 2 GIG RAM, 4 processors/100mhz, 

> 14 GIG internal disk and a EMC disk farm of 300 GIG.  The hardware 

> configuration is RAID-S.

> 

> Please give your opinion and/or pros and cons of our instance 

> configuration as well as discuss having the possibility of implementing 

> only 2 instances (one development and one production).  If you suggest 

> multiple instances as we have chosen, please suggest reading material or 

> list considerations we need to research when deciding how to divide the 

> production instances on the box discussed above.  Also, any input on the 

> choice of RAID-S is appreciated.

> 

> Dale Porter

> email:  dporter_at_irgate.tnrcc.state.tx.us

> 

> --------------------------------------------------

> Opinions expressed are my own and not those of my employer.

> 

> 

> 

>