Oracle-L: Production database configuration high-level check list...

From: Grabowy, Chris <cgrabowy_at_fcg.com>
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 10:34:01 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.005570E6.20030224103401@fatcity.com>

Sigh. I have a gung-ho development group that installed Oracle and created their own production database/instance at a client site. This is on Windows 2000, so insert CD, click NEXT 100 times. Viola!

They were bragging about how easy it was, until I started asking some key questions about their configuration. Now the project manager is asking for a list of items that I would need to configure, and number of hours.

I googled but didn't find anything that seemed to help, so I'm posting my high-level check list below for feedback of any kind (updates to the check list, links, white papers, insults, etc.)

Many thanks.

Chris

Security

Lock out back door accounts.
Change passwords for SYS, SYSTEM, and INTERNAL to non-dictionary words.
Change passwords for the application schemas to non-dictionary words.

Backups

Are regular, scheduled backups setup? o Exports really needed? o Cold/Hot Backups setup?

Archivelog mode

Is the production database in archivelog mode?
- In init.ora add
  - LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST = c:\archive
  - LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT = arch%.arc
  - LOG_ARCHIVE_MAX_PROCESSES=2
- In server manager
  - connect
  - startup mount
  - alter database archivelog
  - alter database open
  - shutdown immediate
- Execute a complete cold backup.
Where are the archive log files going? Is there a process to back them up and clean them out?

Tablespaces

Are the data and index tablespaces sized to support future growth?
Is the temp tablespace sized properly?

Redo Logs/Redo Log Buffers

Sizing?
Placement, separate from data/index files?
Mirroring, via Oracle redo log groups?

Control file

Do we have three copies on separate disks?

Init.ora

Compare against dev/test.
Adjust to server size, memory, CPUs, etc.
open_cursors = 200 ???

Analyze schema objects

Is there a scheduled process to regularly analyze objects?

Windows 2000

Set background processes to have priority over foreground processes?
The Oracle services are auto started?
Using NTFS disks? FAT32 is insecure.
Make sure the screen saver is none CPU intensive.

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Author: Grabowy, Chris
  INET: cgrabowy_at_fcg.com

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Received on Mon Feb 24 2003 - 12:34:01 CST