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RE: polyserve and oracle 10g

From: Marquez, Chris <cmarquez_at_collegeboard.org>
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2005 17:56:10 -0400
Message-ID: <B30C2483766F9342B6AEF108833CC84E0450BC1A@ecogenemld50.Org.Collegeboard.local> 





Well...I should have spent a minute more reading the doc I referred to.
This is not ambiguous at all!


And sadly I *suspect* that if one opens a TAR and tells Oracle Support they run on Polyserve...Oracle Support will quickly tell them "good bye",...no?
---http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/linux/htdocs/oracleonlinux_faq.html#8



What filesystems are supported for Oracle on Linux?



Supported filesystems include Oracle Automatic Storage Management (ASM), ext3 (with O_SYNC), NFS, OCFS, ReiserFS, and raw. XFS is not supported.




Chris Marquez


Oracle DBA





-----Original Message-----


From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org on behalf of Marquez, Chris
Sent: Wed 6/8/2005 5:51 PM


To: mcdonald.connor_at_gmail.com; oracle-l_at_freelists.org; haroon_at_qureshi.name
Subject: RE: polyserve and oracle 10g
 


I learned a lot about Oracle "Unbreakable Linux" from Kevin's comments, however I'm not sure I'm any more clear if Oracle generically supports Oracle (on Linux,) on Polyserve?
When I say "generic" I don't mean the "Unbreakable Linux" part, when Oracle Corp will *fix* Linux if Oracle wont run on it...no, I mean, I can open a TAR that is NOT and Linux issue but 100% an Oracle issue and Oracle Support will help me if my Database is running on (on Linux,) on Polyserve?



Often Oracle is not very clear and it depends on the platform.  In the Intel space Oracle seems very specific about the *entire* hardware/software stack, while on big UNIX (AIX, HP, SUN) they say; "Oracle supports Oracle version abc on UNIX OS version xyz, and if your UNIX OS version xyz supports a piece of hardware for software then you covered and will not be turned away by Oracle Support.



Is this matter of 3rd party certification with Oracle?  I *assume* this exists and has Polyserve made any effort to partner with or had their products certified by Oracle?



For example, if I my database lives on NetApp-NFS, Oracle Support will support my TAR.
However, if I tell Oracle Support that my database lives on an Intel NFS box I built myself...they will likely send me packing and that they don't support Oracle database over NFS.



Which side of the "support line" does Polyserve fail?
Will Oracle Support me if I run the database on *any* filesystem that will run on Linux?



Maybe this is the answer;


>> http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/linux/htdocs/oracleonlinux_faq.html#6

>> Oracle will continue to support Oracle products on the certified Linux distributions.





Chris Marquez


Oracle DBA


C-(703)507-1421


cmarquez_at_capwiz.com 




-----Original Message-----


From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org on behalf of Connor McDonald
Sent: Mon 6/6/2005 8:47 PM


To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org


Subject: Re: polyserve and oracle 10g
 


I bounced the initial post off Kevin Closson at Polyserve, and he
replied as follows:



<quote>



>>i've seen some references that oracle does not certify oracle=20

>>products running on polyserve and that the support for=20

>>"Unbreakable Linux" is therefore not provided.  i believe this=20

>>is because polyserve requires a custom kernel to run.




This is a long answer to a topic that is actually wider than
PolyServe. The key is knowing what "Unbreakable Linux" is.



PolyServe contains Kernel Loadable Modules (KLM). Just loading a=20
non-open-source KLM into the kernel voids "Unbreakable Linux".=20
That includes certain Fiber Channel HBA drivers, certain=20
MPIO drivers and so on. The only software allowed
to be closed source is Oracle for "Unbreakable Linux".=20



PolyServe is not going to open source our products. Like Oracle,
we have a great deal of proprietary value add and a business model
that does not favor open sourcing. The value-add is exactly why HP=20
and Novell resell (and OEM in the case of HP) PolyServe - and provide
support=20


for it along with Linux. Not all problems can be solved with Open
Source.


That is the very reason customers are still choosing Oracle instead
of MySQL for certain IT needs.



So the answer to this question is to first understand "Unbreakable
Linux".=20


The following points are based on quotes from this URL:



http://www.oracle.com/technology/tech/linux/htdocs/oracleonlinux_faq.html#6



    
  
  1.   Unbreakable Linux is support for the Operating System.






"Oracle customers running  RHEL, SLES or Asianux, can call Oracle=20
directly for any Oracle or OS issue. Oracle will diagnose the issue=20
and will work with the OS partner to address the operating system=20
issue as needed."



2. Even with Unbreakable, customers still need OS support from the OS
provider.



"customers must have a current support contract in place with Oracle.=20
In addition, Novell and Asianux customers must maintain current support=20
contracts with those distributors, and Red Hat customers must maintain=20
a Standard or Premium support contract with Red Hat to be eligible for=20
Unbreakable Support."



3. Choosing to deploy outside the "Unbreakable" model does not render


   Oracle products unsupported



"If a customer recompiles the kernel or uses third-party software that
modifies=20


the Linux kernel, they are no longer eligible for Unbreakable Linux
Support=20


and can't receive direct Linux OS technical support from Oracle. In
these=20


cases, Oracle will continue to support Oracle products on the certified
Linux=20


distributions."



The PolyServe website contains a good deal of Oracle specific content.
The=20


value propositions are all outlined in solution briefs stored there.




Kevin Closson


Chief Architect, Database Solutions


PolyServe


</quote>



hth


Connor



On 6/7/05, Marquez, Chris <cmarquez_at_collegeboard.org> wrote:

> Haroon,
>=20
> I have used OCFS.
> It is little slow, and took a lot of probably unfair abuse ( from me) whe=


n really many of our issues *might* be hardware related.
> Still OCFS is not the best, but worth the price we paid for it.
> I *think* and believe that Polyserve is the best and clear leader in the =
Oracle-RAC-Linux space.

> I would love to have tried it and talk to some (on this list) who have.
>=20
> Below are some of my personal notes and comment during our initial RAC co=


nfig/test and links...not much here.


> 1.) I personally would not use/trust the RH or VERITAS option, only becau=
se they seem new...and I don't like *new* with RAC!
> 2.) email Polyserve directly...trust me...the know if they are certified =
with Oracle or not...open a TAR too...do both and you eventually get a fina=
l answer?

>=20
> hth
>=20
> PS All my stuff is 9i...never used RAC and 10g.
>=20
> Chris Marquez
> Oracle DBA
>=20
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> Global Cluster Filesystem-GFS, Cluster Filesystem-CF;
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>=20


> >>Wouldn't looking at another alternative of OCFS meaning products like R=
edhat Global Filesystem

> Yes, and RAW is an alternative.
> Other Global Cluster Filesystem-GFS, Cluster Filesystem-CF;
>  - Polyserve; http://www.polyserve.com/sol_linux_9irac.html
>  - Red Hat; http://www.redhat.com/software/rha/gfs/
>  - VERITAS Storage Foundation for Oracle; http://www.veritas.com/Products=


/www?c=3Dproduct&refId=3D145

>=20
> RAW is;
> * Has not additional cost to us.
> * Is support by Oracle and for many, many years the only options for OPS/=


RAC.



> * Been used by Oracle OPS/RAC for 7+ years.
> * Administratively more challenging...you have to be diligent in space ad=
ministration when using RAW...not for the lazy!

>=20
> Global Cluster Filesystem-GFS, Cluster Filesystem-CF is;
> * (Other than OCFS) An additional expenses.
> * (Other than OCFS) something we/I have no experiences with.
> * "Might" not support by Oracle (this is critical).
>=20
>=20
>=20
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org on behalf of Haroon A. Qureshi
> Sent: Sun 6/5/2005 4:43 AM
> To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
> Subject: polyserve and oracle 10g
>=20
> greetings,
>=20
> a client is planning on implementing 10g RAC and is looking
> into hardware and filesystems to use for the implementation.
> they have settled on linux on ibm servers and are still
> deciding which cluster file system to use.  polyserve is an
> option, as well as OCFS.
>=20
> i've seen some references that oracle does not certify oracle
> products running on polyserve and that the support for
> "unbreakable linux" is therefore not provided.  i believe this
> is because polyserve requires a custom kernel to run.
>=20





--=20


Connor McDonald


=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D


email: connor_mcdonald_at_yahoo.com


web:   http://www.oracledba.co.uk



"Semper in excremento, sole profundum qui variat"

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Received on Wed Jun 08 2005 - 18:04:20 CDT












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