Oracle Database Management Strategic Directions

1. Best Practices for managing Oracle database servers.
2. Oracle Fusion Middleware products like J2EE, ADF, XML, BPEL, SOA, Web Services, Discoverer...).
3. Oracle Application Servers and Apache.

I have installed Enterprise Linux in two environments: On a standalone intel platform and also on a Apple MacBook Pro running Parallels. You can also install it with VMWare on Windows as well. Vmware and Parallels are excellent for running virtual machines with Oracle software. They provide a lot of flexibility when working with test environments.

• The install of the Enterprise Linux was a very simple install, especially on the Apple MacBook running Parallels. For the Virtual Machine with Parallels, I'd make sure and install with at least 18GB of disk. You don't need quite this much but I wanted a little bit of flexibility. Within this 18GB of storage, I created:
  
• /opt - 5GB for Oracle and other software (mainly for DB and App Server)
  
• /u01 - 5GB for Oracle database and application server files.
• / - 3.3GB used for OS, used 1GB for swap, leaves some room for flexibility.
  
• The Enterprise Linux operating system takes up at least 3.3GB if it is installed with the Server option and most of the Server packages are selected. Then you'll need the space for the Oracle database server and other software as well. If installing the Oracle 10g database or application server, you want to make sure you have at least 1GB of memory reserved for Oracle.
  

Enterprise Linux will be tested running the Oracle Database Server, Oracle Application Server, JDeveloper and SQL Developer. I'd love to test it running RAC but I will have to see how time allows it in the next few weeks. Time permitting I will put JBoss and MySQL on it as well.

There are not a lot of installation instructions, because Enterprise Linux installed easiliy on a standalone platform and in Parallels on Apple 10.4. If you are new to installing Oracle on Linux, go to otn.oracle.com and under Documentation go to Installing Oracle on Red Hat. Follow the step by step instructions and OTN will keep you on the yellow brick road. Make sure and set any kernel recommendations by Oracle.

With Parallels on Apple, just make sure to increase the default memory and disk storage. If using ISO files. make sure and set the default CD device to the ISO first file. When promped in Parallels for the next set of files, go to the Menu area and under Devices select Connect to the next ISO file. That way Parallels will find the next ISO file in the sequence.

I will follow with how the testing goes.

Labels: Evaluation of Enterprise Linux for Oracle