RAID10._FiileData_Storage.

I have question on RAID 10 array.

I have a physical dell server runing ESX VMware with 8 local physical disks (300 GB each)
configure as RAID 10 array.
The VM is red hat linux.

I assume that means there are 2 pairs of 4 disks since each disk is mirrored.

Oracle recommends having seprate disks for:

1) oracle system software
2) database files
3) flash recovery and backup files.

If all disks are configured as RAID 10 does not this mean that the every file will be striped against all 4 disks
and I can't really have one location for system software or backup files.

sam15Asked: 2012-09-04

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LVL 82

slightwv (䄆 Netminder) Commented: 2012-09-04

>>I assume that means there are 2 pairs of 4 disks since each disk is mirrored.

Not necessarily. It depends on how the sys admin set it up. You need a minimum of 4 disks. It depends on how they bound them together.

>>and I can't really have one location for system software or backup files.

See above: It depends.

sam15Author Commented: 2012-09-04

Well, normally in RAID 10 each disk has 1 mirror disk so if one goes bad the other is used.
see picture in this link nad many other links show the same

http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/08/raid-levels-tutorial/

http://www.hdd-tool.com/raid/raid-10-as-raid-01.htm

But let us say they have 2 pairs of 4 drives in the array, how can you install oracle software on one disk. The RAID 10 striping is going to split it anyway behind the scenes.

If I want to go with oracle recommendation for oracle software, I assume i need to set one disk as RAID 1 (no striping - only mirror).

is this accurate?

LVL 131

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE Fellow)VMware and Virtualization ConsultantCommented: 2012-09-04

In answer you cannot install Oracle on a physical disk.

You can only install Oracle in a Virtual Machine which will be stored on a datastore which is RAID 10.

Duplicate Question to this really:-

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Database/Oracle/Q_27850883.html

The recommandation that Oracle makes is for Physical Servers ONLY.

You are installing to a virtual server, and this does not apply, or if it was implemented, it would not be performance efficient for the virtual machines.

The Current Linux VM is stiped across all four disks, so the Oracle application will also be stripped across all four disks.

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LVL 82

slightwv (䄆 Netminder) Commented: 2012-09-04

I've seen your series of questions on this topic. I think you are way over thinking the setup.

"oracle recommendation for oracle software" is just that: a recommendation. There is no hard and fast rule on the setup.

If you remember in your other questsion, for a 15 gig database, I suggested RAID 5 for all files. RAID 10 can still require some downtime to recover from a failed disk. It depends on your array.