About parallel server

Hi everybody!

I have some questions about parallel server. Now we have only one instance "stand-alone" (no parallel), but we are thinking to switch to parallel server because we have a couple of sparc 3500 and nobody are using it, and we think it's good for increase our processing power.

The problem is I didn't work with parallel server and I have a lot of questions about it:

1. Is mandatory to use raw devices for control files, redo logs & data files?
2. How we transfer our cooked data files to raw devices data files? import/export? or exist another better (fast) method?
3. If I start with only one node, performance will be the same of one single instance (no parallel)?
4. Somebody know how to work with raw devices under solaris? any link? I try to found someting in metalink but there's no samples...
5. What about backup? I can't put tablespaces in backup mode and copy with cp... maybe it's time to use rman?

Thanks in advance!

--
Fernando O. Papa
DBA
El Sitio - Infraestructura


(54-11) 4339-3854


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