To begin with you need to apply for the program which basically means writing down a detailed project plan including all participants, features you plan on testing and a time schedule for the testing project as well as a commitment to give your first born applications over to Oracle at the conclusion of the test (well, not really, but they do ask how soon you will be releasing a product using the new release.) You must also sign waivers and promises not to discuss anything about the features you test without approval signed in blood from Oracle’s lawyers. 

Once you are approved, they allow you to download the software, then the real fun begins. Oddly, it seems the least tested part of the beta is always the loader. In my test an important part was the upgrade from 10 to 11, unfortunately, the upgrade for the CRS (from 10 to 10.2) failed and I ended up rebuilding my test database and the migration testing will have to wait. I then created a 200 gigabyte TPCH database and commenced testing. Of course I found some issues and reported them. Some required upgrade to dump 4, then dump 5 of the software, of course then the SRs from the dump 3 requested additional testing on dump 3…oops. It also seems there is no internal upgrade from dump to dump (boy did they name those correctly!) so at the end of the “load this dump” and “load that dump” I ended up with a 200 gig, non-functional database...oh well, it only took three days to build it. Luckily I took an export before I started upgrading (see, I do learn some things.)

Finally, the 64 bit version was released and I then had to standup the two 64 bit servers that had been waiting patiently in the garage. This involved unpacking the servers, lugging them into my office, loading RedHat on them and bringing my old disk array back from retirement for the 32 bit servers to play with. Of course plugging in all this equipment to one 20 amp line tripped the circuit so I had to run a heavy duty extension cord into the room for a separate circuit. Once everything was up and humming the room temperature soon reached close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was off to Lowes to get a portable air conditioner (a DeLonghi Pinqunio 15,000 btu) and rigging it to exhaust outside. Note that duct tape will not work on a warm exhaust pipe from a portable air conditioner, the adhesive gets warm and gooey rather than sticky, however, a flexible, self adhesive ace bandage worked tops. 

Did I mention the trip to Fryes to get more Ethernet cables, GigE cards for the 32 bit servers to allow use for the Network block devices and GigE switches? I then discovered that you need to get the clustering option to get full network block device support and that the old server I had intended to use as the NBD server may not like GigE cards…so it was off to Ebay again and I found a NexStor 8f fibre channel array chassis (sans disk drives) and put in a bid…I got it for 1 cent plus $50 shipping. I have several 18g fibre channel drives and found 5-74g fibre channel drives on Ebay for about $80 (with shipping) so I will probably not do the NBD configuration I described in my last blog, but will instead have both 32 bit and 64 bit clusters running on (albeit old) NexStor fibre channel arrays (an 8f and a 18f.)

Unfortunately time has also marched past my NexStor 18f fibre channel array and the fibre channel cards (LC) in the new servers where not able to work with it, the final straw was the LSI connectCom cards (HSSDC) I had used in the 32 bit testing where not compatible with the new DELL servers so I had to go on Ebay and buy some QLA2200’s with HSSDC copper type connectors (about $120 with shipping), more delays of course.  After loading the Redhat 4.0 ES release that had just been sent me a couple of weeks ago, I find that the kernel has to be at a level that is only available as a download. After 3 hours of downloading the ISO images and burning the CDs I am finally loading the proper OS version on to the servers. Maybe I’ll have my 64 bit RAC cluster up by this afternoon…right. 

From somewhere in beta land, single handedly supporting Georgia Power…this is Mike Ault signing off.