Clustering with Linux : general considerations

[Eric SAUBIGNAC]

Bonjour,

I am rather qualified with HP-UX and MC/ServiceGuard, but really a newbee with Linux.

I have to make a decision in a Linux RH environment where I need to build a cluster with Oracle 10GR2, Oracle AS (Web) and JDE 8.12.

I have heard of RH Cluster Suite. As far as I know MC/ServiceGuards also works with Linux.

So I have some questions :

- MC/SG differences between features and configuration between HP-UX and Linux, limitations on Linux.
- Fundamental differences between MC/SG and RH cluster suite.
- What is your pesonnal appreciation of each solution : ease of configuring, managing, eficiency, ...

Unless it answers in an unencrypted way ;-), please avoid answers like "see this URL ...". Your personnal quote will be appreciate.

Regards

Eric

[Serviceguard for Linux · Accepted solution]

Here are a list of some of the differences between SG on Linux and HP UX. While I obviously believe SGLX is more reliable and has more features than RH Cluster Suite, I'm sure you want to hear from others.

Here is a list of differences from a presentation given in 2007.

Offering HP-UX Linux
DB2, Informix, Sybase, (ECMT) toolkits Yes No
PostgresSQL, Sendmail toolkits No Yes
Continentalclusters Yes No
Metrocluster (EVA, CA/XP, EMC SRDF) (HP-UX)
CLX (EVA, XP) (Linux) Yes Yes
Extended / Campus Cluster Yes Yes
Serviceguard Extension for RAC (SGeRAC) Yes No
VERITAS VxVM/CVM support Yes No
Integrity SCSI support Yes No
Serviceguard Extension for Faster Failover (SGeFF) Yes No

I know this table may be difficult to read because my attempt at doing columns don't line up, but editing on this site doesn't work well.

A few additional comments: Even when both have the same general features, the implementation is often different. This is because some features were built into the HP-UX operating system to support SG functions and on Linux we came as close as possible. Some features are not supported on Linux because there is not enough market demand yet.

Also, when you are actually managing an SGLX cluster, everything will seem familiar (same CLI, same SGMgr). The code base is the same with certain areas coded for HPUX specifics vs Linux specifics.

Hope this helps.

[Eric SAUBIGNAC]

Many thanks for you answer. I will quote at thread closing.

Has someone else some more informations around RH Cluster Suite ?

Eric

[Ivan Ferreira]

Cluster Suite may be suitable for your purposes. You don't need cluster suite for oracle RAC, and depending of your AS configuration, maybe you don't need either a failover sheme.

I don't know ServiceGuard but Cluster Suite works great for us. We use Piranha Load Balancer in one tier, Oracle Application Server without clustering in another tier, and the Oracle Database in failover mode with Cluster Suite in a third tier.

What I think that can go better with Red Hat is the "fencing" technologies. I really like SCSI reservations for fencing.

[Eric SAUBIGNAC]

Many thanks for you answers.

Just for the story, we will certainly work with Cluster Suite : It seems that ISV will support only this solution. Not because MC/SG is a bad solution, just because they have not tested and they never will.

So, new technology to learn and test. Nice :-)

Regards

Eric