[GLLUG] Which distribution for Oracle server?

[Jeremy Schneider]

> Hello,
>  My organization will soon be upgrading our Oracle servers (currently
8i on NT 4), and I have convinced them 
> that Linux is the way to go for the new OS. I'm currently researching
which distribution would be the best. These 

I just discovered GLLUG and I noticed your thread in the archives for
the mailing list.  I also noticed that you settled on 
RHAS.  I'm an Oracle DBA and RH SysAdmin for a company based out of
Okemos called The ASU Group and I'm towards
the end of a project that seems very similar to what you're doing.

> servers(we will have 3: dev, production, web) will be dedicated to
hosting Oracle 9i. The hardware will be Compaq 
> ProLiant DL360 servers, with data being stored to an IBM Tivoli SAN.

We have two ProLiant ML370's (very similar to the DL360) running Oracle
9i RAC together.  We're using an EMC 
CLARiiON storage network for the database with QLogic HBA's.  There
were a few minor issues getting started but it's 
running well now.  Yeah, linux on a cluster of dual-processor 2G Xeon
ProLiants, 4G memory each, redundant 2G fiber 
connections to an EMC CLARiiON storage network with a fully redundant
2G fiber backplane (!), running Oracle 9i
Real Application Clusters with transparent application failover -- I
can yank the plug from the server you're connected to
while you're running your month-end financial analysis report and you
won't even know anything happened (except for 
about a 10 second failover time)...  it's like a flock of penguins
riding Harleys...

>  Oracle certifies and supports Red Hat Enterprise, and UnitedLinux
(Conectiva, SCO, SuSE, TurboLinux). 
>  I've not been thrilled with Red Hat, and have not personally used
any of the UnitedLinux versions. From the 
> things I've read so far, I'm leaning towards SuSE. I'm installing
that on another box as I type, to get a first hand 
> look.

We wound up going with Red Hat because of the support.  Oracle's really
throwing their weight behind Red Hat.

> What are your experiences with these distros? Has anyone used a SAN
with Linux? If so, was there anything 
> weird I should know about? 

The weirdest thing we ran into was that the EMC sales rep told us that
EMC supported path failover (we 
have redundant connections from the servers to the SAN) and booting
from the SAN at the same time on
linux, which they don't.  After far too many painful hours with EMC
reps and support techs and one EMC 
engineer flying in from California we decided that they did not in fact
support it.  Embarrassing for EMC, a lot 
of wasted time for us.

> I've been running Linux at home, in several flavors, for about 6
years, but this will be my first production enterprise 
> level project. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions & updates
along the way.
> 
> -- Andy

I'm amazed how linux really seems to be taking off in the enterprise. 
I've been playing with it off and on since high 
school but I never expected it to be something I'd get payed to know. 
:)  I'm on the GLLUG mailing list now, so I'll 
get any updates you post to it.  Let us know how things go!!

Jeremy