Oracle Database on Windows: Best Practices and Future Directions

2. Oracle Database on Windows: Best Practices and Future Directions Alex Keh Principal Product Manager, Server Technologies, Oracle

3. Agenda • Supported Operating Systems • Oracle Database 11g: New Features • Database Architecture • Best Practices for 32-bit Windows • Active Directory

4. Best Price/Performance on Windows • #1 TPC-C Price/Performance amongst all platforms • Oracle Database 11g on Windows • …And Oracle has the #1 TPC-C Performance also TPC-C by Price/Performance 11g SQL 2005 Highest Ranking Benchmark 1st 3rd Price/tpmC $0.73 $0.84 tpmC 102,454 82,774 Publication Date 9/12/07 3/27/07 As of 5/12/08: HP ProLiant ML350G5, 102,454 tpmC, $.73/tpmC available 12/31/07. HP Integrity Superdome Server, 4,092,799 tpmC, $2.93 tpmC, available 8/6/07 (#1 TPC-C performance). Source: Transaction Processing Performance Council (TPC) www.tpc.org

5. <Insert Picture Here> Windows Operating Systems Supported

6. Windows 32-bit Platform Support Planned – Latest DB patchset available at the time TBD – To be determined. Will be announced later.

7. Windows 64-bit Platform Support Planned – Latest DB patchset available at the time TBD – To be determined. Will be announced later.

8. <Insert Picture Here> Oracle Database on Windows Architecture

9. SGA contains DB buffers, log buffers shared pool, other memory allocations Oracle process SGA 3GB or 8TB total Each thread consists of PGA, stack, other memory allocations Background and foreground threads Code Architecture: Thread Model

10. Database Architecture • Thread model • Not a straight port of Oracle’s process architecture • 3GB (32-bit) or 8TB (64-bit) maximum memory per database instance • VLM support allows more than 3GB on 32-bit • Runs as a Windows service process • No limits on memory, connections, resources except those imposed by the operating system

11. Oracle Enhancements for Windows Server 2003 • Large Page support • For instances with large memory requirements, large page support can improve performance • Set Registry parameter ORA_LPENABLE to 1 • 32-bit – 4KB default – 2MB • Itanium – 8KB default – 16MB • x64 – 8KB default – 2MB • NUMA support for memory/scheduling • Database intelligently allocates memory and schedules threads based on node configuration • Best Practice: For NUMA on AMD patch to a minimum 10.2.0.2 P5

12. <Insert Picture Here> Best Practices for 32-bit Windows

13. 32-bit Memory Best Practices • Increase addressable memory available to the Oracle process by adding /3GB switch to boot.ini file: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server" /fastdetect /3GB • Reboot server to enable • Must monitor kernel memory closely to prevent instability of operating system • See Metalink Notes 46001.1 and 297498.1 • See Microsoft KB article 297812

14. Monitoring Memory • Key Items to Monitor for Memory Usage: • Perfmon - Virtual Bytes for oracle.exe to see total memory used by the process • Total Pool Non-Paged Bytes – Memory Counter • If grows close to 128MB, operating system instability will occur • If this grows too high, look for memory leaks • Free System Page Table Entries (PTE’s) – Memory Counter • Should never fall below 7500 or so • /USERVA=2560 switch in boot.ini will help prevent this

15. Using ORASTACK • Each thread within Oracle process is provided 1 MB reserved stack space • Reduce to 500 KB without consequence on most systems: C:\ orastack tnslsnr.exe 500000 C:\ orastack oracle.exe 500000 • Be sure to run on BOTH tnslsnr.exe and oracle.exe • Stop processes before running Orastack • If you apply a patch, you must re-run Orastack • Make sure to test your system to be sure 500 KB is OK • See Metalink Note 46001.1 for more information

16. Rest of RAM Windows Server 2003 Memory Limits (32-bit) Standard Edition: 4GB Enterprise Edition: 32GB Datacenter Edition: 64GB For O/S, other apps SGA 3GB database threads/ memory Code 32-bit: VLM Support

17. Memory from AWE calls used for DB buffers only. The amount of AWE memory allocated equals db_block_size times db_block_buffers. Oracle operating system process. Normally limited to 3GB of address space. With VLM, Oracle can get up to 12GB of database buffers. 32-bit: VLM Support Extended memory available for DB buffers via AWE calls Rest of RAM For O/S, other apps Window on DB buffers in AWE mem SGA minus DB buffers 3GB Code

18. Implementing AWE • Use AWE with Oracle by adding initialization parameter USE_INDIRECT_DATA_BUFFERS • Use DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS instead of DB_CACHE_SIZE • With AWE, database buffer cache can be increased up to roughly 12 GB • Default value for AWE_WINDOW_MEMORY is 1 GB • See Metalink Note 225349.1 for more information

19. Best Practices for 32-Bit Memory • Use Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) to monitor cache hit ratios and shared_pool stats, etc. Make sure that values are not too high • When implementing AWE be aware that using AWE disables Automatic Memory Management features (SGA_TARGET cannot be used when USE_INDIRECT_DATA_BUFFERS is set).

20. Memory Best Practices • 11g: Use MEMORY_TARGET for automatic management of combined SGA and PGA • 10g and earlier: • Control SGA Memory by using SGA_TARGET parameter • Control PGA Memory by using PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET parameter

21. <Insert Picture Here> Active Directory Integration

22. Net Names Management • Store and resolve Net names through Active Directory • Eliminate tnsnames.ora on clients • Centralize configuration, reduce administration • Authenticated connection to Active Directory (11g) • Enhanced tools support for storing Net naming • AD Users and Computers • Oracle DB Configuration Assistant, Net Configuration Assistant and Net Manager

23. Single Sign-On

24. Windows Native Authentication • Enabled by default and can work across systems • Windows user logon credentials used for database authentication • Authentication protocol (Kerberos or NTLM) negotiated based on OS and Domain Controller • Authorization can be granted through Windows group membership • Pre-defined Windows groups for DBAs and Operators • Uses Oracle External Users and External Roles mechanisms • Oracle Administration Assistant can be used to manage user authentication and role authorization • Independent of Database Registration and Name Resolution feature

25. Kerberos Authentication • Integrated with Microsoft Key Distribution Center (MSKDC) • Supports heterogeneous systems • A Windows client can connect to a non-Windows server and vice versa • Uses External User mechanisms in Database • Can also be supported with Enterprise User Security • EE and ASO (Advanced Security Option) feature

26. <Insert Picture Here> Oracle Database 11g: New Features

27. Active Directory and Windows Security • Database Registration and Name Resolution • Support authenticated connection to Active Directory using OS authentication • Kerberos Authentication • Stronger encryption algorithms (DES3, AES, RC4) • Support default encryption type supported by MS KDC • Use DNS Domain Name as Kerberos REALM name by default • Kerberos authentication to Oracle database in a MS cross-domain setup • Removal of 30 character limit on the Kerberos user name

28. Oracle VSS Writer • Oracle Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writer is transparently integrated with Windows VSS • Oracle writer installed automatically with Oracle DB • Automatic online point-in-time copy of Oracle database using VSS requestor • Simple backup and recovery procedure • Offload backup and reporting to another server using transportable snapshots • Integrated with Recovery Manager (RMAN) and Flash Recovery area • Intelligent post restore operations on restored files • E.g. file recovery, instance startup in mount/nomount mode after creating necessary directories • Automatic deletion of archive logs that are shadow copied by VSS framework

29. Direct NFS Client on Windows • Network Attached Storage (NAS) use Network File System (NFS) • Oracle Database 11g allow direct Windows NFS v3 access • Part of DB kernel in Oracle Disk Manager library • Common Oracle NFS interface for potentially all host platforms and NFS servers • Tailored for the specific I/O patterns that Oracle uses • Bypasses a lot of software layers in OS • Specially useful for Windows as Kernel NFS is not natively supported on Windows • Benefits: faster performance, easier manageability, simplified tuning, and better diagnostics

30. Direct NFS • Linear scalability of direct NFS can be achieved with inexpensive NICs • Does not require expensive switches which support link aggregation…Oracle does load balancing rather relying on a switch • Parallel network paths – More NICs – more bandwidth • Direct NFS is a good solution from low to high end database servers

31. Grid Control for Microsoft Servers Systematic way to extend system coverage • Key Benefit: Centralize Management • Enable GC to monitor and manage new components • Windows Host Management • MOM Connector • Microsoft plug-ins: • Exchange • SQL Server • Active Directory • .NET Framework • IIS

32. More Information • Windows Server Center • http://otn.oracle.com/windows • Windows and .NET Blog • http://cshay.blogspot.com/ • For more questions • alex.keh@oracle.com

33. 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 remain at the sole discretion of Oracle.