Custom rolled HA using Oracle SE

Would like some comments on how you would tackle the following.

2 nodes running Oracle SE. One to serve as primary and the other as a standby for HA.

Application - batch process (daemonised) doing close to real-time processing, whacking tons of data into Oracle (direct path inserts at over 300 inserts/sec), running on the same node as the primary instance.

As the application resides with the database, it makes failover interesting.. never mind that this is Oracle SE which means no Data Guard.

Okay, so
a) what kind of config would you put together to switch processing (instance & application) over from primary to standby in case of a failure of the primary?
b) how would you keep the two instances in sync?

.. and no, you cannot shoot the hostage in the leg either. ;-)

Specifics. 10G SE as the software, Perl/Perl-DBI as the batch app and RH WS 3 as o/s.

I have some idea on what I want to do witht his, but can do with others' thoughts on it.

--
Billy