Issue/Symptom/Question

How do I virtualize Oracle with PENTA?

Applies To

VMWare

Hyper-V

Oracle

Resolution/Fix/Answer

Based on other customer's experiences, here are items to consider:

1. Ensure low latency between host and storage for database files.
2. In VMWare set reserved memory for Oracle database VM for 100% of allocated virtual memory.
3. Consider licensing requirements for Oracle database
   1. For VMWare and Hyper-V - Oracle requires licensing all processor sockets within the cluster that runs VMs with Oracle database software
      1. It is possible to get a written exception from Oracle LMS/Sales to allow running virtualization software on a standalone server however that host must not be connected to the same storage volumes as the full cluster.
   2. For Oracle VM (a free virtualization platform similar to VMWare) - Oracle allows licensing by the virtual processor
4. Performance degradation risks with snapshots.  Don't keep VMWare snapshots of the database server around for any length of time.
5. When you P2V, ensure a clean shutdown of physical servers and databases.

If Penta involvement is needed during or after a P2V conversion, please coordinate ahead of time to ensure appropriate people are available. On-call rates may apply.

Due to the licensing costs and risks with virtualizing Oracle and based on #3 above, Penta recommends customers run standalone Oracle database servers to avoid any compliance risks.