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Shared Storage Planning for Oracle Grid Infrastructure and RAC: What You Need to Know

 

Shared Storage Planning for Oracle Grid Infrastructure and RAC: What You Need to Know

In the world of Oracle database management, choosing the right storage option for your Grid Infrastructure and Real Application Clusters (RAC) environment is crucial for performance, reliability, and manageability. Let's dive into the various storage technologies available and understand which ones are best suited for different components of your Oracle environment.

Understanding Your Storage Options

When planning your Oracle infrastructure, you'll encounter several storage options, each with its own strengths and limitations. The key components that need storage allocation include:

  • Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR) and Voting Disks
  • Grid Home
  • RAC Home
  • RAC Database Files
  • Oracle Recovery Files

Storage Technologies at a Glance

ASM (Automatic Storage Management) Oracle's ASM has long been the preferred storage management solution for database environments. It provides excellent performance and manageability for critical components.

ACFS (ASM Cluster File System) Built on top of ASM, ACFS extends storage capabilities to general-purpose files beyond just database files.

NFS (Network File System) This network-based file system offers flexibility and is widely supported across various components.

Raw Devices Direct access to storage devices without a file system layer - an older approach now largely deprecated.

Local File System Traditional file systems local to each server, with limitations for clustered environments.

The Compatibility Matrix

Here's how each storage option aligns with different Oracle components:

ASM

  • OCR and Voting Disks: ✅ Supported
  • Grid Home: ❌ Not supported
  • RAC Home: ❌ Not supported
  • RAC DB Files: ✅ Supported
  • Oracle Recovery Files: ✅ Supported

ACFS

  • OCR and Voting Disks: ❌ Not supported
  • Grid Home: ❌ Not supported
  • RAC Home: ✅ Supported
  • RAC DB Files: ✅ Supported (Oracle Database 12c Release 1 and later)
  • Oracle Recovery Files: ✅ Supported (Oracle Database 12c Release 1 and later)

NFS

  • OCR and Voting Disks: ✅ Supported (standalone clusters only)
  • Grid Home: ✅ Supported
  • RAC Home: ✅ Supported
  • RAC DB Files: ✅ Supported
  • Oracle Recovery Files: ✅ Supported

Raw Devices

  • All Components: ❌ Not supported

Local File System

  • OCR and Voting Disks: ❌ Not supported
  • Grid Home: ✅ Supported
  • RAC Home: ✅ Supported
  • RAC DB Files: ❌ Not supported
  • Oracle Recovery Files: ❌ Not supported

Making the Right Choice

When selecting storage for your Oracle environment, consider these recommendations:

  1. For Critical Database Components: ASM remains the gold standard for database files, recovery files, and cluster components like OCR and voting disks.

  2. For Application Files and General Storage: ACFS provides a good option for RAC homes and, in newer Oracle versions, can handle database files as well.

  3. For Flexibility: NFS offers the broadest compatibility but may not always deliver the same performance as purpose-built options like ASM.

  4. Important Note: If you're considering NFS for OCR and voting disks, remember this is only supported in standalone cluster configurations.

Best Practices

  • Implement redundancy for critical components like OCR and voting disks
  • Consider performance requirements when choosing between storage options
  • Plan for future growth and scalability in your storage architecture
  • Stay current with Oracle's recommendations, as supported configurations may change with new releases

By carefully planning your storage architecture with these considerations in mind, you'll build a robust foundation for your Oracle Grid Infrastructure and RAC environment that balances performance, reliability, and manageability.

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