The Oracle Database provides a comprehensive set of availability and scalability features. The availability of those features, however, differs between versions and database editions (e.g. Standard and Enterprise Edition). This presentation reviews and discusses some of these capabilities across different versions and editions, on-premises and in the Oracle Cloud, including the recent change in support for Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) in the Oracle Standard Edition (SE)2.

1. Copyright © 2019, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
Markus Michalewicz, Senior Director of Product Management,
Database High Availability & Scalability Solutions, ST Development
July 2, 2019
Markus.Michalewicz@oracle.com
@OracleRACpm
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markusmichalewicz
http://www.slideshare.net/MarkusMichalewicz

2. Safe Harbor Statement
The preceding is intended to outline our general product direction. It is intended for
information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract. It is not a
commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon
in making purchasing decisions. The development, release, and timing of any features or
functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.
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3. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
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4. Oracle Database Editions
ORACLE DATABASE EE ORACLE DATABASE SE2
ORACLE DATABASE
PERSONAL EDITION
ORACLE DATABASE XE
Target High-volume online
transaction processing (OLTP)
applications, query-intensive
data warehouses.
Small business, workgroup
and web applications
Development Development
CPU Limits 1 CPU to Unlimited 2 CPU Sockets N/A 2 Cores
Memory Limits Unlimited* Unlimited* Unlimited* 2GB SGA
Storage Limits Unlimited* Unlimited* Unlimited* 12GB Storage
Database Options All options can be licensed None All options available minus
RAC and Diagnostic and
Tuning Pack
All options available minus
Data Guard & RAC
Licensed By Core Socket Named User Free
Platform Support Linux, Windows, Solaris, AIX,
HP-UX
Linux, Windows, Solaris, AIX,
HP-UX
Windows and Linux Windows and Linux
* Limited by underlying operating system
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5. Oracle Database Express Edition
“Capacity limited EE Test Edition”
Oracle Database Standard Edition
“Sound Single Instance
Foundation”
Oracle Database Enterprise
Edition
“All Inclusive + Options”
Oracle Grows with Business Demands
Export /
Import
Upgrade
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6. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
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7. High Availability – A Definition
High Availability (HA) [Computer System] The ability of a system to perform its function
continuously (without interruption) for a significantly longer period of time than the reliabilities of
its individual components would suggest.
High availability is most often achieved through failure tolerance. High availability is not an easily
quantifiable term. Both the bounds of a system that is called highly available and the degree to
which its availability is extraordinary must be clearly understood on a case-by-case basis.
Failure Tolerance [Computer System]: The ability of a system to continue to perform its function
(possibly at a reduced performance level) when one or more of its components has failed.
(https://www.snia.org/education/dictionary/f#failure_tolerance)
https://www.snia.org/education/dictionary
This definition does not
consider planned
maintenance per se…
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8. Copyright © 2019, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. |
High Availability – A Lot of Features
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/dblic/Licensing-Information.html#GUID-0F9EB85D-4610-4EDF-89C2-4916A0E7AC87
Note 2:
Excerpt only
Note 1:
Any database solution on
the market has an HA
solution / story
8

9. Production Site Active Standby Site
101010101010101010101RAC / RAC One
Flashback
Edition Based
Redefinition
GoldenGate
Active
Data Guard
Recovery
Appliance
Sharding
Global
Data Services
Backup
Scalability
High Availability
Zero Downtime
Zero Data Loss
Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA)
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10. MAA Reference Architectures
Meet Downtime (RTO) and Data Loss (RPO) SLAs
Downtime&DataLoss
BRONZE Single Instance + Backup Dev, Test, Prod
SILVER HA Clustering + Backup Prod/Departmental
GOLD HA Clustering + Disaster Recovery + Backup Mission Critical
PLATINUM Zero Data Loss & Zero Downtime Extreme Critical
MAA Reference
Architectures Topology Suitable Databases
Addresses SLAs for Data Loss and Downtime during Planned & Unplanned Outages
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11. Single
Instance
Database
Database
Files
Bronze : Single Instance Database with Backups
Low Cost MAA Solution for customers that can tolerate longer recovery times or outages
Replicated
backup
Bronze
Summary
• Single instance database
with auto-restart capabilities
• MAA backup and restore best practices
• Restore from backup to resume service
following unrecoverable outages
Features • Oracle Restart Capabilities
• Multitenant Database with PDB features
• Online Maintenance
• Corruption Protection
• Flashback Technologies
• Recovery Manager (RMAN)
• Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance
Primary
Datacenter
Remote
Datacenter
Local
backup
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12. Online Operations
DBMS_REDEFINITION allows you to reorganize and redefine tables online
• Add/drop/rename/reorder columns
• Switch physical storage structures
• Reorganize & transform data while online
Additional Benefits of using DBMS_REDEFINITION
• Fault Tolerant (resume at point of failure) and track changes to enable fast rollback to prior definition
• Entire redefinition process runs without acquiring Exclusive DDL lock
• Monitor reorganization using V$online_redef
Online Redefinition Improvements
Source
Table
Update
Tracking
TransformCopy
Table
Transform
Updates
Result
Table
Continuous
Queries &
Updates
Store
Updates
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13. Validation, Detection and Repair in Memory, during I/O and on Disk
Data Corruption Protection for Oracle Databases
• DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM, DB_BLOCK_CHECKING
– Compute checksum on change and catches corruptions in memory
– Validate checksum on read and update (DETECTION)
– Prevents corrupted block to be written to disk (PREVENTION)
– Recover using good data block and redo (REPAIR)
• Automatic Storage Management
– Data Corruption or I/O error triggers repair (DETECTION/REPAIR)
– Reads extent copies for good copy (PREVENTION of ERROR)
– Good writes can correct existing corruptions (REPAIR)
Bad
SCN
Good
SCN
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14. Rewind Button for the Oracle Databases
Flashback Technologies
• Fast point-in-time recovery (PITR)
without expensive restore operation
• Error investigation
– View data as of previous point in time
• Error correction
– Back-out a transaction
– Incorrect table updates
– Rewind the entire database
@T2 Col-1 Col-.. Col-n
Row-1 tom 1234 vp
Row-2 ben 8834 vp
Row-3 charlie 9837 vp
Row-n tom 8793 vp
@T1 Col-1 Col-.. Col-n
Row-1 abby 1234 officer
Row-2 ben 8834 mgr
Row-3 Charlie 9837 officer
Row-n tom 8793 vp Wrong
Update
Flashback
Table
DB @ T1 DB @ T2
Batch
Update
Flashback
Database
Wrong Update
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15. Online Operation, Block-level Recovery & Flashback
Are not part of Standard Edition
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16. High Availability Features Available in Standard Edition
Oracle Fail Safe
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/ntqrf/deprecation-of-oracle-fail-safe.html#GUID-FB1CB9F6-F520-4772-9DBF-24CD70D0D628
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17. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
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18. Features Across Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/
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19. Features Across Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/
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20. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
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21. Scalability – A Few Features
https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/dblic/Licensing-Information.html#GUID-0F9EB85D-4610-4EDF-89C2-4916A0E7AC87
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22. RAC /
RAC One
Database
Database
Files Local
backup
Silver : Active/Active Database Clustering
Replicated
backup
Silver
Summary
• RAC or RAC One with remote backups
• Fast Instance failovers for planned/unplanned outages
• Backups replicated to remote site for DR
• Restore from backup to resume service following
unrecoverable outages
Features • Multitenant
• Online Maintenance
• Flashback Technologies
• Corruption Protection
• Recovery Manager (RMAN)
• Recovery Appliance or Cloud Backup
• Real Application Cluster / RAC One
• Application Checklist for Continuous Service
Primary
Datacenter
Remote
Datacenter
R
R
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23. Planned Maintenance is Considered as part of MAA
Rolling Patching on the other hand is not part of Standard Edition
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24. Oracle RAC 19c with Standard Edition (SE) 2
– Support Update
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25. Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) in SE2 De-Support
• Effective with Oracle Database 19c
• Oracle RAC in Standard Edition 2 (SE2)
• will not be supported anymore.
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26. Long Expected Development
• SE2 Socket requirements are hard to meet as hardware evolves.
• SE Oracle RAC has seen diminishing demand with increased high
availability requirements, as SE does not provide the full set of HA
capabilities available in the Oracle Database Enterprise Edition.
• A migration to (the Autonomous Database in the) Oracle Cloud is an
attractive upgrade path for customers – financially and functionally.
• Autonomous Database provides EE features at a compelling conversion rate.
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27. Time to Act
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Oracle 18
Oracle 11.2 EXTENDED
EXTENDEDOracle 12.1
12.2.0.1
Paid Extended SupportPremier Support Waived Extended Support
Oracle Database 12c customers can maintain their current SE2 RAC environments
until at least end of 2020; Oracle Database 18c can be used until mid 2021.
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28. 1. Convert SE(2) Oracle RAC databases to Single Instance
prior to upgrading to Oracle Database 19c.
2. Upgrade SE(2) Oracle RAC to Oracle Enterprise Edition
prior to upgrading to Oracle Database 19c.
3. Move your SE(2) Oracle RAC Database to the Oracle Cloud
Benefit from SE2 BYOL conversion and functional enhancements on the Oracle Cloud
• http://oracle.com/goto/move
Upgrade Paths
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29. Move SE Oracle RAC to the Autonomous Database
• Convert your SE Oracle RAC Databases into an Autonomous Database
• BYOL:
– Conversion Ratios for Oracle Database Standard Edition , Oracle Database Standard, Oracle
Database Standard Edition 2 (Oracle Database Standard Edition Programs):
– For 1-8 OCPUs of Oracle Autonomous Transaction Processing Cloud: For each supported Processor License of Oracle
Database Standard Edition Programs (where a Processor is defined as equivalent o an occupied socket), you may activate up
to 4 OCPUs of the BYOL Cloud Service.
– For 1-8 OCPUs of Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud, for each supported Processor License of Oracle Database
Standard Edition Programs (where a Processor is defined as equivalent to an occupied socket), You may activate up to 4
OCPUs of the BYOL Cloud Service.
– http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/contracts/paas-iaas-universal-credits-3940775.pdf
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30. For full management, better availability and scalability out of the box
Use Autonomous Database for SE Oracle RAC Databases
• SE does not provide all of the HA capabilities available in the Oracle Database
• Autonomous Database
– uses a RAC-enabled Oracle Enterprise Edition by default
– includes an availabilitypromise based on a MAA-compliant setup
• https://www.oracle.com/database/autonomous-database/think-autonomous.html
– SLA guarantees 99.995% reliability and availability,
which minimizes costly planned and unplanned downtime to less than 30 minutes a year.
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31. Real Application Clusters (RAC) 19c
for the Autonomous Database
MarkusMichalewicz,
SeniorDirectorDatabaseHighAvailability
andScalabilityProductManagement
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https://www.slideshare.net/MarkusMichalewicz/or
acle-rac19c-the-basis-for-the-autonomous-database

32. • Oracle Database Licensing Guide:
– https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/dblic/Licensing-
Information.html#GUID-0F9EB85D-4610-4EDF-89C2-4916A0E7AC87
• My Oracle Support 2504078.1 –
– “Desupport of Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC)
with Oracle Database Standard Edition 19c”
More Information
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33. Alternatives to Consider
1. Failover Clusters can be an alternative to Oracle RAC for certain implementations.
– Database failover can be implemented based on Oracle Clusterware and other clusters.
• Note that after a conversion from SE(2) RAC, your database will still use the Grid Infrastructure stack.
2. Disaster Recovery has traditionally not been provided with Oracle Standard Edition.
– Third party vendors provide alternatives.
• Those alternatives can be used instead of and in addition to a database cluster.
3. General “support rule for failover”:
– The database does not ”care” who or what started it;
– I.E. no failover cluster / DR certification required.
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34. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions
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35. Licensing Guide
Features across editions
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36. Features Across Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/
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37. Features Across Editions and Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/ BETA
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38. Features Across Editions and Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/ BETA
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39. Features Across Editions and Versions
https://apex.oracle.com/database-features/ BETA
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40. Oracle Database Availability & Scalability
Across Versions and Editions – Conclusion
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41. 1. Full High Availability and Maximum Availability Architectures (MAA) require EE.
2. Oracle Cloud-based database CS deployments are based on MAA standards.
3. The Autonomous Database is an attractive alternative for SE2 RAC-based workload.
Summary and Conclusion
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