Cluster Topologies and Storage Configurations

This section describes commonly-used cluster topologies, along with the storage configuration used to support the topologies.

Basic Shared Storage Cluster

In this configuration, a single cluster shares access to a storage device, typically over a SAN. An application can only be started on a node with access to the required storage. For example, in a multi-node cluster, any node designated to run a specific database instance must have access to the storage where the database's tablespaces, redo logs, control files, etc., are stored. Shared disk architecture is also the easiest to implement and maintain. When a node or application fails, all data required to start on another node is stored on the shared disk.

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Shared Disk Architecture for Basic Cluster