Two-node cluster over Oracle 9i

My S/W architecture has one database server (Oracle 9i), one application (SybaseEA) and Business Object and Web Intelligence. The vendor says the application doesn't support clustering. I am trying to deploy via port (switch) level mirroring. How do I perform the same task on database level?

a) SAN -- how do I have failover
b) DAS -- two servers attached to two DAS for failover

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It sounds as though you want to build a two-node cluster on top of Oracle 9i. This is actually one of the most common uses for clusters and clustering software. The architecture for such a cluster requires a minimum of three networks on each node, and a mirrored set of disks connected by either SAN or DAS. You could use NAS, but doing so would add a level of complexity that I would advise against.

Each node must be on two dedicated private networks for cluster heartbeats. Each node must also have one port (or more) on the public network so that database clients can reach them. The nodes must also be attached to shared storage over two ports. Ideally, the storage will be mirrored between a pair of disk arrays, so that there is no single point of failure.

The final piece you'll need is some sort of cluster management software. You did not specify the OS that your applications run on, but in general, you'll be well-served by using Veritas Cluster Server (recently acquired by Symantec) or the clustering software sold by your platform vendor.

This was first published in July 2005

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