On 12/16/06, Dhimant Patel <drp4kri@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Gurus, This seems very common issue but I am confronted with a requirement where we need to have 24x7 availability, no exceptions. There is no way we can have staging server (for patch testing before deploying on the production.) and we need to accommodate software upgrades without a planned downtime.
You *might* just possibly be able to upgrade your own in-house written software without downtime. You *cannot* maintain Oracle software without downtime - 11g promises the actual shipping of 'rolling upgrades' just about 1/2 a decade after Larry first mentioned them. Until then (and it would be a brave person who relied on that particular feature in it's first release) then you cannot achieve 24*7 without either 1) redefining 24*7 to 100% availability within service hours. or possibly 2) never upgrading any part of the system again. Both options 1 and 2 are perfectly acceptable and professional approaches of course. I'm also wondering how shops having 24x7 availability addresses such issues?
Since I'm focused solely on Oracle, I'm not aware if any database server allow patching/upgrading without bringing down the server? Is any mainstream database server offer such solution? Thanks, DP.
-- Niall Litchfield Oracle DBA http://www.orawin.info