RE: Reducing the number of databases

As long as your management doesn't base its decisions on the ratio of databases per DBA. Otherwise, you may cut the number of databases and then management will say "why do we need so many DBAs.  

I can see performing server consolidation. That can reap a real ROI in terms of Oracle licensing.  

When you talk of reducing the number of test databases, that worries me. There was probably a reason these were created in the first place. Probably to support quality procedures. So if you eliminate some databases, does that mean some quality steps are skipped?  

If you combine databases, you must make sure that the applications are compatible. Do they have the same uptime requirements? With 3rd party applications, you are often restricted by the vendor's support for specific Oracle versions. If you put two applications in the same database, then you can only upgrade that database if both applications will support the Oracle version you are upgrading to.  

Any change involves weighing the effort, risks, and benefits (a.k.a. ROI). In database consolidation of existing applications, you must weigh the amount of effort and risks against the benefits you feel you will receive. With new applications there isn't nearly as much involved in the decision. I don't know if this is what you had in mind. Fortunately I haven't had a management-mandated server consolidation project yet.

Dennis Williams
DBA, 80%OCP, 100% DBA
Lifetouch, Inc.
dwilliams_at_lifetouch.com

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 11:00 AM To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Hi,  

We have around 120 databases. Most applications have 5 environments (dev, test, integrated test, acceptance, prod) some applications have more. The applications are a mix of home developped and bought application
(peoplesoft, harvest, compass,...)

New applications are coming in.
New databases will appear soon with DB2UDB.  

All servers are unix/aix, there are 15 production server and around 10 servers for the dev, test, integrated test and acceptance databases. All databases are at 8172 except 6-7 databases and planning to go to 9i in 2004. Off course we see the migration like a pain.  

We want to reduce the number of databases and instances. To obtain a significative gain I think we must reduced to around 60 databases.  

Anybody has done the task to consolidate on less servers and les databases ?  

One way to do it would be to go with

    2 instances of dev
    2 instances of test
    2 instances of integrated test
    2 instances of acceptance
    all prod instances are standalone.  

Food for thought

    backup
    Oracle version
    availability
    naming convention of objects
    security
    ...  

All feedback is welcome.  

Stephane Paquette<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Administrateur de bases de donnees

Database Administrator

Standard Life

www.standardlife.ca

Tel. (514) 499-7999 poste 7470 et (514) 925-7187

stephane.paquette_at_standardlife.ca <mailto:stephane.paquette_at_standardlife.ca>  

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Author: DENNIS WILLIAMS
  INET: DWILLIAMS_at_LIFETOUCH.COM

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