For production, we keep it to one instance per guest. It gives us greater control over priorities. For test and development, we have multiple. We use Tivoli Storage Manager with the Data Protector for Oracle as our primary backup mechanism. For some people to have warm and fuzzies, we bring the database down periodically and Flashcopy the database volumes. Don't use the snapshot that comes with Linux's LVM!!!!! There is a bug that is apparently s/390-z/Series specific. For large volumes it _will_ corrupt your database.
>From SuSE (through IBM) support : The corruption we see on S/390 can be caused anywhere in the kernel, starting from the memory subsystem to the iobuf on S/390 (suspection of Andrea Arcangeli) to the buffer header code within LVM(suspection of Martin Schwidefsky) to the remapping of blocks within LVM-snapshot specific code paths(and there are many) inside LVM including LV locking issues and list-handling for the exception table which seems to be the instance where the LVM code works out the snapshot-specific block mapping. ------ Lastly, yes, we are using LVM. We couldn't get by without it. The database import runs about 5 hours when striped across twelve volumes. With LVM unstriped it is somewhere between 10 and 15 hours. __USE_LVM__!!! > -----Original Message----- > From: David Kreuter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 10:53 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: linux early results > > > Congratulations, Chris! > > I am in the early stages of a major Oracle on linux for > zseries deployment - your experiences are most helpful! > > Are you running one database per linux instance, or do you > have any instances that have multiple Oracle DBs? > Right now some of the Sun's we may supplant are running > multiple DBs per single Sun instance. > > How are you backing up your linux Oracle instances? > > Are you using LVM's? > > Thanks, > David Kreuter > > ________________________________ > > From: Linux on 390 Port on behalf of Little, Chris > Sent: Tue 4/13/2004 11:49 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: linux early results > > > > > Can you share some more: > > > > 1) how many linux instances are you running? > > right now we have 12 defined. We would have more but we are DASD > constrained until we get the power connectors for that 18TB > Shark sitting > idle on the raised floor . . . . > > > 2) how much real memory do you have? > > 6 gig allocated to the VM lpar. 1 gig is defined as XSTORE. > > > 3) how much virtual memory are you allocating per linux instance? > > Our child welfare database has 2 gig allocated to it. The HP > had 3 gig and > our DBA's weren't confident of having any less than 2. > Looking at linux > memory utilization I'm very confident that we can lower that. > Also, we > have run into issues with the qeth module hanging with > 2 gig/ guest. > > > And anything else you think would be worth knowing for those > > of us who are > > planning and hope to match your success. > Management has to be behind it. Before IBM suggested running > Linux, there > was a lot of insecurity (pun intended) about putting Linux into our > environment. When I was still in operations, I just about lost my job > because I had left a Redhat _documentation_ CD in a PC. Yesterday, my > manager's manager said it would take a disaster to go back to > the HP. Three > years ago she said that she would never let Linux in this > shop, it was just > too insecure. How times change. > > Also, know your platform. I had some experience with working > on a mainframe > from my operations days, but it has still been a culture > shock moving to it. > I still have a lot to learn about z/VM. There are times the > platform just > doesn't make sense to me. > > Lastly, we had commitments from IBM and Oracle to get this working. > Whenever we hit a snag, and there have been a few, both companies came > through for us. > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Lionel B. Dyck, Systems Software Lead <>< > > Kaiser Permanente Information Technology > > 25 N. Via Monte Ave > > Walnut Creek, Ca 94598 > > > > Phone: (925) 926-5332 (tie line 8/473-5332) > > E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sametime: (use Lotus Notes address) > > AIM: lbdyck > > > > > > > > "Little, Chris" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent by: Linux on 390 Port <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > 04/12/2004 12:11 PM > > Please respond to > > Linux on 390 Port <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > To > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > cc > > > > Subject > > linux early results > > > > > > > > > > > > > > In late 2000, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services > > decided that the > > HP > > equipment purchased in 1995 to service the Child Welfare > > division needed > > to > > be upgraded. The assumption at that time was to continue > > with HP as the > > primary vendor and the operating system would continue as > > HP-UX; however, > > government being the way it is, the bidding invitation was > > not extended > > until early 2002, with the bids arriving in April. At that time a > > separate > > project was underway to move our existing 390 hardware to > > z/Series. IBM > > then mentioned to management that Linux running on the > > z/Series might be > > of > > benefit to us. After much handwringing, mentions of > > security, and shouts > > that Linux wasn't mature enough, we decided to go ahead > with putting a > > mission critical Oracle database on Linux under z/VM. (geek > > note: it's a > > 2064-1C5 with two engines dedicated to a z/VM lpar) > > > > Fast forward two years. > > > > On April 9, 2004, the child welfare database on HP-UX was put > > in read-only > > mode. > > On April 10, the import to Linux completed with minor (and > correctable > > issues). > > On April 11, the go ahead to put the Oracle/Linux database in > > read/write > > was > > given > > On April 12, 2004, the first users began logging in (much > sweating and > > worrying on the part of certain sysadmins). In first six > > hours, we have > > received comments such as "... 'it is flying' and another was > > 'they must > > have put another rat on the wheel'. It is nice to see smiles!" and > > "Mondays > > have always been the slowest of the days I've noticed in > the past, but > > today > > it is really nice. The slowest transaction seems to be > when you first > > sign > > on to KIDS, but after that it is 'smooth sailing.' Thanks!" > > > > With the polls closed and early results coming in, Linux on > > z/Series looks > > like the winner! > > > > +------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------------- > > + > > | Chris Little [EMAIL PROTECTED] | > > | Ok Dept of Human Services Data Services Division > (405)522-1306 | > > +------------------------------------------------------------- > > -------------- > > + > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > > send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO > > LINUX-390 or > > visit > > http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > > send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO > > LINUX-390 or visit > > http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO > LINUX-390 or visit > http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO > LINUX-390 or visit > http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For LINUX-390 subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: INFO LINUX-390 or visit http://www.marist.edu/htbin/wlvindex?LINUX-390
