storage subsystem on Oracle Server - duplexed or just mirrored?

From: Paul Drake <drake_at_psscorp.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 15:28:14 -0400
Message-Id: <10641.118712@fatcity.com>

Hi.

I'm looking for opinions on the following configuration.

Would you duplex or simply mirror the drives? I realize that duplexing the mirrored drives across the 2 RAID controllers provides for higher fault tolerance, but then every write is using both I/O channels, which somewhat reduced concurrency.

Its a workgroup server for 1 application (accounting) No DBA on site - remotely managed

Oracle 8.1.6.x Standard Edition
Windows NT Server 4.0 SP6a

Compaq Proliant ML530 (was 3000)
2 x 933 MHz PIII
512 MB RAM
2 x Smart Array 431 Ultra 160/m RAID controllers 8 x 9.1 GB Ultra3 10K universal pluggable hard drives. 2 internal storage cabinets, 4 drives each. (4 empty bays)

Duplexed configuration

A B

| 0 | | 0 | OS, swap, online redo, ora binaries,
system, control1, exports
____________| |_________|
| 1 | | 1 | arch redo, temp

____________| |_________|
| 2 | | 2 | rbs, indexes

____________| |_________|
| 3 | | 3 | data

____________| |_________|
| mt | | mt | empty (will contain 18 GB
drives next year)
____________| |_________|
| mt | | mt | empty (will contain 18 GB
drives next year)
____________| |_________|

the question is this:

Here I split online redo on a different channel from arch redo, indexes and data are on different channels indexes and temp are on different channels.

non-duplexed configuration

A B

| 0 | | 1 | 0 OS, swap, online redo, ora
binaries, system, control1, exports
____________| |_________|
| 0 | | 1 | 1 arch redo, temp

____________| |_________|
| 2 | | 3 | 2 rbs, indexes

____________| |_________|
| 2 | | 3 | 3 data

____________| |_________|

I know that 4 more drives (or non mirrored drives) would be awesome for OFA, but I'll need the space in a year for storage for another module, which falls under a different fiscal year for this site. Received on Fri Oct 06 2000 - 14:28:14 CDT