Re: Installating 7.2.2.4 Sunday; General Questions

Hi Mirwais,

Interesting questions ... I'll see if I can introduce some de-confusion

Mirwais Qader wrote:
>
> We are going to install our 7.2.2.4 Oracle on Sunday. Some questions I
> want to straighten out before we go ahead with it.
> (We have never had ORACLE nor installed it!)
>
> Installing on HP9000; HP-UX 9.04; 256MB RAM;
> 350MB space on 1 disk: /users
> 244MB space on another disk: /oracleDB
> 8-concurrent user system (to be expanded to 16, then 40 in
> next 3 years).
>
> Client-Based Installation: Server will only have database,
> tools (Developer/Discoverer 2000) will be on clients (PCs).
>
> System Administer wants to install on: /users/orahome
> Want to put database on: /oracleDB
>

Sounds fairly reasonable to me

> I am hoping to Install it under the "BASE" installation to be able to
> update/migrate WITHOUT uninstalling the current version when future
> versions come in.
>

Under HP-UX, you define an environment variable or a conceptual variable called BASE. In your case you assign it to

ORACLE_BASE=/users/orahome
export ORACLE_BASE

> BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORIES:
>
> ORACLE_BASE
>
> PRODUCT
> 7.2.2.4
> ADMIN
> db_name1
> files
> DATA
> db_name1
> log etc. files
> LOCAL
>
> TAR
>

You are using OFI ... therefore you are defining everything relative to you starting point of ORACLE_BASE = /users/orahome

> 1. What is Distributed Space? Is that the space for the server
> software?
>

Sorry ... not familiar with that term.

> 2. What exactly is an sid? What should I be setting the
> environment variable ORACLE_SID to?
>

SID == System Identifier == name of an oracle instance == pointer to memory area & set of processes reserved for one running copy of Oracle.

A typical UNIX installation can have several running ORACLEs... usually they are identified by ORACLE_SIDs like 'test', 'hr', 'mktg' or 'ora1', 'ora2', etc.

> 3. How would I get the installer to follow my BASE installation
> structure? How do I tell it that the database will be on
> disk vg00 while the server software is on disk vg01?
>

Location of oracle data files is defined at database creation time in the creation scripts. Depending on your requirements, the database data files should be distributed across as many disks as at all possible to minimize performance problems due to disk I/O.

> If my directory structure is as shown above, do I have to LINK
> the db_name1 directory to /users/oracleDB (on the other disk)?
>

NO!!! Links require O/S interpretation & slow down the system a bit. Also they are too easily removed. Tell the DB where the files are in the create scripts. Defulat installation will ask where to put this stuff & build the scripts on the fly.

> Also, how do I distribute the LOG and REDO files across separate
> disks (if I wanted to)?

Absolutely ... tell the installer where to put this stuff

>
> 4. What is the TNS Listener? Do I need it? (I don't think I do!!)
>

Listner sits on a net port and listens for SQL*Net traffic. If you want SQL*Net V2, you need the listner.

Look at it this way ... (not 100% accurate, but close enough for the type of expanation you are looking for)

     Client                 Net                Server (HP-UX)
    ----------------------  ---        -----------------------
    Application                                 Database kernel
       |                                          ^
       v                                          |
       SQL*Net                                 SQL*Net
          |                                      ^
          v                                      |
          TCP Adapter                         Listner
              |                                 ^
              +----------- net drivers ---------+



> 5.      NETWORK Software:


> 

>         I know I have to install SQL*Net V2 with the TCP/IP Adapter, but

>         WHY is TNS Listener listed with it?

> 

>         What is the MultiProtocol Interchange?


     Interchange allows listner to listen for stuff from different networks,
     such as Novell SPX/IPX as well as TCP/IP, etc.


> 

>         What's the Names Server?

     A server that translates Oracle node paths to easy-to-remember names
     so that you can 'get there from here' without having to specify hardwareish
     addresses.   Used to save your sanity.



> 6.      Exactly what are the software components that I would NEED to


>         install?  If my tools are on the PCs, then some of these would be

>         installed only on the PC, some on server, and some on both - I would

>         think!

> 

>         - SQL*Net

• Both ... this is you communication

> - SQL*Plus

• Always install on the server - used to get at data and do some basic data admin even if net is down.
• Install on PC only if access to server in UNIX is not easy.

> - SQL*DBA

• No choice ... install on server. This is the utility that allows you to start/stop the DB. Don't bother putting this on the PC.

> - SQL*Loader (what does this do?)

• Bulk data flat file loader. Very handy if you are loading lots of data from outside of the Oracle environment.
• Handy on server. Put on PC only if you have lots of flat files to bring in. (Flat file == file with defined record structure)

> - Export
> - Import (isn't this SQL*Loader)

• Server! These are your basic backup/recovery tools. Not the same as trying to load outside data.

> - Server Manager

• ???

> - Migration Tools

• You probably don't need them. Help upgrade from older Oracles. Server only.

> - EASY*SQL (What the heck is this?!)

• Query By Forms ... I've never used this, since I enjoy SQL*Plus (I'm also a bit of a masochist when it comes to databases).
• If you want this, put it on the PC.

>
> - How is the FORMSGENERATOR different from FORMS?
>

• Going to SQL*Forms? Put this on the platform where you will develop the forms.

      Tool:       Developer       +--->  Generator           +-----> Interpreter
                     |            |          |               |          |
      Result:        +> Source files         +> Intermediate files      |
                                                                        v
                                                            run-time execuation

         SQL*Forms is like Visual Basic ... you develop in a developer environment,
          you compile (generate) and then you pass the generated files to the 
          interpreter (VB==VBRUNx00.dll)

         The SQL*Form advantage:  The source files stay the same across all platforms,
         so you only need to regenerate to run under UNIX, MAC ...



> 7.      What is a default small database size?


> 

>         (Oracle consultant told me 100MB, but ICG book says 21MB)

• Install scripts vary default size based on platform. Plan on tablespace sizes (data files that can hold tables) .... these will vary

            System         = 20M
            Rollback (RBS) = 10M
            Temp           =  5M
            Tools          = 10M
            Users          = 20M   <--- This is where you default app's tables go

        other files:  logs _at_ 1/4 -> 2 M each             




> 8.      I am not installing the Online Documentation, but I will


>         the Online Help.  This is mainly because Help takes only

>         4.9 MB (according to ICG).  IS THIS TRUE?


      From the questions you ask, I suggest you consider taking the 5M
      hit and installing the online help.
 

>
> YOU WILL BE REGARDED AS A GOD IF YOU ARE SO KIND TO RESPOND!
> Thanks in advance - Mir

Please don't ... just a guy who's been through it.

/Hans Received on Fri Feb 02 1996 - 00:00:00 CET