Sun Oracle Exadata - Technical Frequently Asked Questions
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An Oracle storage product which is highly optimized for the Oracle database. It is a combination of Sun-supplied hardware and exadata storage software.
What components make up the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server Hardware?
The storage server is a highly optimized configuration of an Intel-based server, with:
- 2 quad-core Intel Xeon E5540 (2.53GHz) processors 24GB memory
- 4X96 GB Sun Aura Smart Flash Accelerator F20 PCU cards
- Disk Controller HBA with 512MB Battery Backed Write Cache
- InfiniBand Connectivity Dual-Port QDR (40Gb) InfiniBand Host Channel Adapter
- Power Supplies - Dual-redundant, hot-swappable
- Remote Management Sun Embedded Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM)
- Disk Drives 12 x 600 GB 15,000 RPM SAS.
It comes with all the software, Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software and Oracle Enterprise Linux, pre-installed and can be installed in a standard 19-inch rack.Capable of delivering up to 1.5 GB/sec bandwidth when processing uncompressed user data.
Is there an entry level version of Exadata available for testing and development?
Yes, The Database Machine Basic System is an entry level configuration which consists of one Database server and one Storage server.
Please refer to Sun Oracle Database Machine Datasheet for more details.
Can the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Sever hardware or software be modified or customized?
No, customizing or modifying the Sun Exadata Server Hardware or the Oracle Exadata Server Software is not supported. In addition, customers cannot install additional software on the Exadata Storage Servers. If a customer modifies, customizes, or installs additional software on the Exadata Storage Server, then the Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software cannot be supported.
What is the Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software?
The Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software is the software component of the Oracle Exadata Storage Server that provides enhanced storage services, like IO resource management, and Smart Scan off-load functionality.
What is the relative performance of the Sun Oracle Database Machine models?
Please refer to the Sun Oracle Database Machine Datasheet for detailed information.
What performance improvements are attributed to the Exadata Storage Server Smart Flash Cache?
The Exadata Storage Server Smart Flash Cache breaks the random I/O bottleneck by increasing IOPS by up to 20X and doubles the user data scan bandwidth.
What is the size of the Exadata Storage Server Smart Flash Cache per cell?
Each Exadata cell comes with 384 GB Smart Flash cache.
The Flash technology used in the Exadata Smart Flash Cache has an endurance of 100,000 write/erase cycles. Does this limit the expected life of the Flash for write intensive applications?
No, there are sophisticated "wear leveling" techniques implemented in the Flash controller hardware to rotate the write/erase cycles among all the blocks on the device by remapping data on often-written blocks to blocks that are written less frequently. The goal of this approach is to get the entire device to wear at approximately the same rate.
Using these advanced techniques, it is possible to write 25TB/day to Flash per Exadata Storage Server, (or 350TB/day per Database Machine Full Rack), for 5 years and still not exhaust the limit of 100,000 write/erase cycles per block.
Can the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Sever hardware or software be modified or customized?
No, customizing or modifying the Sun Exadata Server Hardware or the Oracle Exadata Server Software is not supported. In addition, customers cannot install additional software on the Exadata Storage Servers. If a customer modifies, customizes, or installs additional software on the Exadata Storage Server, then the Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software cannot be supported.
Is my database application or database tool certified for use with Oracle Database when I use Exadata storage?
All features of the Oracle database operate and behave exactly the same with or without Exadata storage including: RAC, Data Guard, Streams, RMAN, Optimizer, Partitioning, etc.Methodology and tools for performance tuning of the Oracle Database remain the same. Exadata is transparent to SQL and all Database applications.No modification of SQL or database applications is required to get the performance advantages Exadata delivers.Users and database administrators leverage their existing knowledge of the Oracle Database and use the same tools they are currently familiar with.
What application certification is required before deploying an application, (i.e. Peoplesoft, Siebel, Retail, EBS or other), on a Database Machine or Exadata Storage Server?
No certification is required to run applications on the Database Machine or Exadata.
Implementers must ensure that the application is certified and tested for the database release used on the Database Machine. If the application works with the Database Machine database release, (Enterprise Edition 11g R2 for Exadata V2) than it will work on Exadata and the Database Machine - just faster.
What versions of the Oracle Database support the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server?
The Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server requires the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition version 11.2 and higher. It also requires the Oracle ASM Instance version 11.2 and higher.
Is the Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software preinstalled on the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server Hardware?
Yes. however the Oracle Storage Server software must be licensed.
Will Oracle continue to support traditional non-Exadata storage products?
Yes. Oracle will continue to support the Oracle database on traditional non-Exadata storage products.
Can the Oracle Database use Exadata Storage simultaneously with traditional non-Exadata storage products?
Yes, databases can be concurrently deployed on Exadata storage and non-Exadata storage. Tablespaces can exist on Exadata storage, non-Exadata storage, or a combination of the two, and this is transparent to database applications. However, Exadata smart scans will only work if the tablespace(s), being queried, reside entirely on Exadata storage.
How do I migrate my Oracle Database to Exadata Storage?
Migration to Exadata is a straightforward process and is done using any of the tools or techniques available to move the data to a new system. This includes: RMAN, Data Pump, Data Guard, etc.
For more information on the best practices for migration to Exadata storage, please refer to the whitepaper at (See 'Migration to Exadata').
What InfiniBand protocol is used by the Exadata Storage Servers to communicate with the Oracle Database?
The Zero-loss Zero-copy Datagram Protocol (ZDP) protocol is used to communicate between the Exadata storage servers and the Oracle Database. It is based on the Reliable Datagram Sockets (RDS) version 3 (OFED version 1.3.1).
Oracle's InfiniBand interconnect protocol uses DMA, (Direct Memory Access) to ensure very low CPU overhead by directly moving data from the wire to database buffers with no extra data copies being made.
Why are you using InfiniBand rather than Ethernet?
The InfiniBand is significantly faster than traditional LAN or Fiber Channel connectivity. That bandwidth is required to deliver the optimum performance for the product.
What is the function of the Ethernet switch with the Database Machine?
The Cisco 4948 Ethernet switch is provided to ease deployment and management of the Database Machine. It is used to isolate the management and administrative traffic from user client traffic.
Can I use Optical cables with the Sun Datacenter 36-port Managed QDR InfiniBand switch?
Yes, you can use 4X QDR InfiniBand optical cables with QSFP connectors with the Sun Datacenter 36-port Managed QDR InfiniBand switch. These cables have been validated for lengths up to 50m.
What is the maximum length of the 4X DDR InfiniBand Copper cables that I can use with the Sun Datacenter 36-port Managed QDR InfiniBand switches?
You use 1m, 2m, 3m, and 5m 4X QDR InfiniBand Passive Copper Cables with QSFP connectors. If you require longer cables, then we recommend that you use 4X QDR InfiniBand Optical cables. (up to 50m).
What is the minimum number of Exadata storage servers needed in a RAC environment?
If you are using Real Application Clusters (RAC) for the database servers and are using Exadata storage servers for the Oracle Clusterware OCR and voting device, a minimum of 3 Exadata storage servers.
What are the considerations when setting up Stretch Clusters with Database Machines?
Stretch Clusters may be set up with Database Machines but there are a number of considerations:
- The distance between the clusters is limited by InfiniBand wire length (currently 50 meters for Exadata V2).
- An ASM failure group should be created at each site and the Exadata disks should be added to the local failure group. This ensures that mirroring of data files will occur across the two sites and not within each site. (There must be enough free disk space at each site to allow for recovery of a failed disk and/or a failed cell).
- A third failure group of type 'quorum' failure group should be created on separate shared storage (such as an NFS filer) to hold the third copy of the cluster voting disk.
Triple mirroring of critical files like online and archive logs will also require a third failure group to be set up.
- Since there are two failure groups for the main data files, ASM will keep 2 copies of disk group metadata rather than 3 for a normal redundancy disk group.
- ASM Preferred Read should not be used in this configuration. Since the cluster is a maximum of 50 meters apart, (due to InfiniBand cable restrictions), local and remote latencies are equal and this adds complexity without a benefit.
When should I use EHCC?
EHCC is a storage savings technology that is used by two distinct features: Warehouse Compression, which is optimized for data warehousing environments that primarily use scan-oriented queries to access data, and Archive Compression, which is designed for data archiving purposes where historical data needs to remain online but is not frequently accessed.
EHCC should only be used for data that is infrequently updated. Each row that is updated will be moved to a less compressed format. OLTP compression maintains the same compression even if it is updated.
When should I purchase the Advanced Compression Option on Exadata?
The Advanced Compression Option includes several storage saving features including: OLTP Table compression, SecureFiles Compression and Deduplication, RMAN compression, Data Pump compression, and Data Guard Network Transport compression. EHCC does not require an Advanced Compression Option license. A common reason for purchasing the Advanced Compression Option is because data is loaded into your system using conventional DML operations, such as INSERT and UPDATE. OLTP Table compression, a feature of the Advanced Compression Option, is the feature that compresses data loaded using conventional DML operations. EHCC compresses data that is loaded using direct path inserts.
(It is important to understand that OLTP compression provides full row level locking for updates and EHCC does not).
Can I use EHCC on a non-Exadata system?
No, EHCC is a feature of Exadata V2.
How does EHCC impact storage?
EHCC is a storage savings technology used by two features: Warehouse Compression and Archive Compression. These features reduce the amount of storage required to store the data in your database. The amount of storage savings depends on which EHCC feature you use and the characteristics of your data. The average storage savings, measured using compression ratios, for Warehouse Compression is 10x (10:1). For Archive Compression, customers have seen storage savings up to 50x (50:1), while the average savings is 15x (15:1).
Is there a way to estimate the storage savings for EHCC?
Yes, a compression advisor is included in Oracle Database 11g Release 2. The compression advisor is a PL/SQL package named DBMS_COMPRESSION that can estimate the EHCC storage savings for individual tables or partitions. The compression advisor can be run on Oracle Database 11g Release 2 on non-Exadata platforms to help estimate storage savings for customers that don't have immediate access to Exadata.
How does EHCC impact performance?
EHCC not only delivers storage savings but can also increase query performance. The improvement in performance comes from the reduction in I/O as a result of the storage savings. For example, a table that achieves a 10x (10:1) compression ratio will typically see a 10x (10:1) reduction in I/O for scan-oriented queries. Compressing and decompressing the data may moderately increase CPU utilization.
In addition to enhanced query performance, the performance of backups will run much faster and more economically because the amount of data backed up will be dramatically reduced and when Data Guard is used, it becomes much faster because direct loads generate much less redo.
How can EHCC and the Advanced Compression Option be used together to manage data in large tables?
In large tables, it can be beneficial to partition data based on timestamps to separate data into different partitions. This allows you to apply different compression features on different partitions based on the access patterns to that data. For example, if a single large table holds all sales orders in an OLTP database, that table could be partitioned by order date. The most recent data could be compressed using OLTP Table compression (an Advanced Compression Option feature), older data that is mostly queried could be compressed with Warehouse Compression (an Exadata Hybrid Columnar Compression feature), and finally the oldest data that is rarely accessed could be compressed with Archive Compression (an Exadata Hybrid Columnar Compression feature).
What high availability features are available in the Exadata solution?
Hot swappable disks, ASM mirroring protects against disk failures and cell failures, redundant power supplies, queries continue operating after disk failure, Using ASM, (Automatic Storage Management), Exadata storage can be configured to provide mirroring or double mirroring which single or double mirrors the data across the Exadata storage servers. It can handle the failure of a single disk or an entire Exadata storage server.
What are the power and cooling requirements for the Sun Exadata storage and Oracle Database Machine hardware?
Please refer to the Sun Oracle Database Machine Datasheet for detailed information.
Where do I get more information on Exadata storage?
You can find more information on the Exadata Storage technology at: http://www.oracle.com/exadata.
What is the Sun Oracle Database Machine?
The Sun Oracle Database Machine is a complete pre-optimized and pre-configured bundle of software, servers, and storage, built for large-scale data warehousing. Built upon the Oracle Database, Oracle Exadata technology and hardware from Sun, the Database Machine delivers breakthrough performance for IO-intensive data warehouses and virtually unlimited scalability.
What additional software can be installed on the database servers in an Oracle Database Machine?
For optimal performance only the Database software should be installed on database servers.While any software may be installed on these servers, best practices recommend only agent software be installed in addition to the database, (i.e. backup or system management).
Can the Database Machine hardware be modified or customized? For example, can I add more Ethernet Cards or Fibre Channel HBAs?
The Sun Oracle Database Machine hardware cannot be modified or customized. There is one exception to this. The only hardware modification to the Database Machine that is allowed is with respect to the "administrative" 48-port Cisco 4948 Gigabit Ethernet switch included in the Database Machine. The customer may choose to:
a) Replace the Gigabit Ethernet switch, at their own expense, with an equivalent 1U 48-port Gigabit Ethernet switch that conforms to their internal datacenter network standards. This replacement must be performed by the customer after delivery of the Database Machine at their expense and labor. If the customer chooses to make this change, Sun and Oracle cannot make or assist with this change given the numerous possible scenarios involved and because it is not scoped as part of the standard installation. The customer must supply the replacement hardware and make or arrange for this change through other means.
b) Remove the CAT5 cables connected to the Cisco 4948 Ethernet switch and connect them to the customer's network through an external switch or patch panel. The customer must perform these changes at their expense and labor. In this case, the Cisco 4948 Ethernet switch in the rack can be turned off and left unconnected to the data center network.
Will there be new versions of the HP Oracle Exadata Storage Server or HP Oracle Database Machine based on the G6 version from HP?
No, there will no new hardware based on the newer HP server versions. However, the software on the existing systems can be upgraded to Oracle Database 11g release 2 and the new version of the Exadata Storage Server Software. There are many new features in these two pieces of software that make this upgrade valuable to do.
What are the consequences of making Database Machine hardware modifications, beyond swapping the 48-port Cisco 4948 Ethernet switch?
Modifications to the Exadata Storage Server Hardware or Software are not supported. If the customer modifies the Exadata Storage Server Hardware in any way or installs any additional software on the Exadata Storage Servers, then the Exadata Storage Server Software can not be supported.
If the customer modifies the Database Servers in a Database Machine, for instance adding an additional card, then the Database Machine becomes a Custom Exadata Configuration. It will be similar to the case, where the customer purchased the Database Servers on their own and built their own Exadata based configuration. In this case, the customer is responsible for obtaining the hardware support for the Database Servers from Sun and the hardware vendor of the additional hardware. The customer will be responsible for all the driver, firmware, and BIOS compatibility issues. Customer can continue to receive support directly from Oracle for the Oracle Database Software, Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software and Hardware and Oracle Enterprise Linux.
In addition, if these hardware modifications are made prior to the ACS installation, then the standard ACS installation will not apply. The customer must work with ACS to arrange for a custom installation at an additional cost.
Will we allow a multi-racking from HP Oracle generation and Sun Oracle generation?
Yes, we will support the inter-connecting of one or more HP based Database Machines with one or more Sun based Database Machines. However, this would be a custom engagement requiring the purchase of additional CX4-to-QSFP InfiniBand cables, InfinBand switches and the purchase of an inter-rack cabling service. In addition, all the software versions on both the machines must be identical.
Do I need to license the Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software? What is the licensing model?
Yes. Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software license is needed in order to take full advantage of Oracle Exadata storage. Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software is licensed per Disk. For example, you will need 12 'Disks' of Exadata Storage Server Software for each unit of the Sun Exadata Storage Server Hardware. These Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software licenses can be bought as a perpetual license or a term license. These licenses are transferable to other Exadata Storage Server Hardware units.
Will Oracle continue to accept orders for the HP Oracle Database Machine?
We have some refurbished systems available for sale for those customers that would prefer to add additional HP hardware to their current configuration.
Is it possible to purchase the Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server or Database Machine without the Smart Flash cache?
No.
Patches and upgrades will be delivered via Metalink.
Who provides support for the Sun Oracle Exadata products?
Oracle manages the overall support process and is the single point of contact for support of Exadata cells and Database Machines
- Hardware
- Software
- Oracle Enterprise Linux
- Database & Options
- Oracle Exadata Storage Software
- Other Oracle software programs
Customer reports issues to Oracle Support
- Oracle Support will triage problem
- If a hardware issue is suspected, Oracle will coordinate with Sun to have appropriate hardware resources assigned and dispatched as required
- If a software issue is suspected Oracle will resolve it
Is hardware support bundled with Exadata products?
Oracle is the first point of contact for all hardware and software issues related to the Exadata Storage Server and Sun Oracle Database Machine, and will manage the problem through to resolution. Oracle will work with Sun to provide hardware support for the Exadata Storage Server Hardware and the Sun Oracle Database Machine.
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