Introduction to the Clustered Database Platform 280/3

This guide explains how to install and to configure the software products that make up the Clustered Database Platform 280/3 system. This integrated product provides the infrastructure for implementing an Oracle9i Real Application Cluster (RAC) with VERITAS Volume Manager.

While the hardware and software for your database platform is preinstalled at the factory, there are a few initialization procedures you need to perform to tailor the system to your specific environment.

This document is intended for system administrators who are familiar with the Solaris Operating Environment and with the following software: Solstice DiskSuite, Sun Management Center (Sun MC), Sun Enterprise Explorer, Sun StorEdge Component Manager, VERITAS Volume Manager (VxVM), and Sun Cluster software.

This chapter contains the following topics:

• Clustered Database Platform Overview
• Hardware Components
• Software Components
• Volume Management Products

For specific information about configuring disk sets, disk volumes, file systems, and data services, refer to the Sun Cluster 3.0 7/01 documentation.

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Clustered Database Platform Overview

The Clustered Platform 280/3 system is a self-sustained platform, integrated through the Sun Cluster technology, with shared, mirrored Fibre-Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) storage to support highly available applications. You can use this two-node cluster system to implement a highly available file server, web server, mail server, or an Oracle database server. Sun Cluster 3.0 provides global file systems, global devices, and scalable services. These features allow independent cluster nodes, running independent Solaris operating environment instances, to run distributed applications while providing client access through a single IP address.

FIGURE 1-1 is a basic block diagram of the system, which includes a two-node cluster with shared, mirrored storage, a terminal concentrator, and a management server. An Ethernet hub provides connection to the management server, terminal concentrator, and Sun StorEdge T3 arrays. The interfaces on both nodes are cabled to provide multiple cluster interconnects between nodes.

The management server is the repository for the operating environment, software, and patches. The management server provides access to the cluster console and functions as a JumpStart/Flash server (installation server) for the cluster nodes. For advanced system monitoring, the management server includes Sun Management Center software to monitor the cluster nodes.

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Note - This clustered platform only provides a basic clustered environment. You must install and configure your data services after you have customized and configured the system.

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The Clustered Database Platform 280/3 system does not have a monitor. You access the Clustered Platform using a system on the network that you provide (shown as your local system in FIGURE 1-1). The local system is used as a remote display to the management server. You do not need to dedicate any particular system as the local system.

 FIGURE 1-1 Cluster Platform 280/3 System Overview

Hardware Components

Your factory-integrated Clustered Platform 280/3 system includes the following hardware components:

• Consolidation expansion cabinet: One 72-inch Sun StorEdge expansion cabinet which includes two power sequencers, one front door option, one rear door, and one fan assembly
• Management server: One Netra T1 AC200 server configured with one 500 MHz UltraSPARC IIe CPU, 1-Gbyte of memory, two internal mirrored 18-Gbyte boot disks, and a DVD-ROM drive
• Terminal concentrator: One 8-port 10BASE-T terminal concentrator preinstalled in a Sun StorEdge expansion cabinet
• Cluster nodes: Two Sun Fire 280R servers, each with two 900-MHz UltraSPARC III CPUs, 2-Gbytes of memory, two mirrored 36-Gbyte boot disks, and a DVD-ROM drive
• Cluster node storage: Two Sun StorEdge T3 arrays, each with 1-Gbyte controller board cache and nine 36-Gbyte or 72.4-Gbyte disk drives
• Four internal PCI cards per node; two Quad FastEthernet PCI cards per node installed in PCI1 and PCI2 slots; two FC-AL PCI host adapter cards per node installed in PCI3 and PCI4 slots
• Two FC-AL StorEdge hubs, with three Gigabit Interface Converters (GBICs) installed in each hub, pre-cabled to the cluster nodes and to the Sun StorEdge T3 disk arrays
• One 3COM 12-port administrative hub
• All required mounting brackets, power cords, and cables.

Software Components

The Clustered Database Platform 280/3 system includes the following major software components on the management server:

• Solaris 8 10/01 Operating Environment with the appropriate patches
• Sun Cluster software console
• Sun Management Center 3.0 Update 4 with help desk
• Solstice DiskSuite 4.2.1 software
• Sun StorEdge Component Manager 2.2 software
• Sun Ray hardware server 1.3 software
• AnswerBook2 1.4.4 software
• Apache 1.3 server software
• Enterprise Services Explorer 3.5 software
• Flash server software

The following major software components to be installed on the cluster nodes:

• Solaris 8 10/01 Operating Environment with the appropriate patches
• Sun Cluster 3.0 12/01 software
• Solstice DiskSuite 4.2.1 or VERITAS Volume Manager 3.1.1 software¹
• Sun Management Center 3.0 Update 2 agent software
• Oracle9i Server Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, release 1, patch set 2

^{1 You must obtain two VERITAS license keys (one for each node) if you intend to use the VERITAS Volume Manager product on your Cluster Platform. You can obtain your VERITAS license and keys from Sun Microsystems, or from VERITAS Corporation. These license keys are not needed if you plan to use Solaris DiskSuite instead of VERITAS Volume Manager.}

Volume Management Products

The Clustered Database Platform 280/3 system is shipped with two volume management products: You choose, during the initial configuration, whether to use VERITAS Volume Manager 3.1.1 or Solstice Disk Suite 4.2.1 to mirror the data on the cluster nodes. Solstice Disk Suite software is used to mirror the boot disk on the management server.

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Note - You must obtain two license keys (one for each node) from VERITAS if you intend to use the VERITAS Volume Manager product on your Clustered Platform. These license keys are not needed if you plan to use Solaris DiskSuite instead of VERITAS Volume Manager.

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