At Hotsos Symposium 2009 (March 8-12, 2009 in Dallas), I’ll be presenting “Avoiding Common RAC Problems”. The abstract is available online.

In the IOUG DBA/Clustering track at Collaborate 2009 (May 3-7, 2009 in Orlando), I’ll be presenting 3 sessions. They are listed below:

1. “Avoiding Common RAC Problems” – RAC doesn’t work for everyone in every situation, that’s a fact. However, in many cases, RAC can work and work well if configured and used properly. Some issues are caused by simple misconfiguration, others are more complex like application-related logic issues that only surface in RAC environments. There are some issues that appear with a relatively high frequency and many of them can be fixed without knowledge of internals. Specifically, this session will review common issues in the areas of networking, storage, people, applications, and testing, examining the issues and their solutions.
2. “Troubleshooting Oracle Clusterware” – Installing RAC is something that typically happens very few times in the life of a database or project. However, dissecting the installation process can be very instructive when learning how RAC works and how the multiple components work together to support a complex, multi-instance database.This session will review a RAC installation from start to finish. We’ll examine the OS prerequisites, network setup, kernel parameters, Clusterware prerequisites, Clusterware installation, ASM considerations, ASM installation and configuration, and finally RDBMS installation and configuration. We’ll also discuss options for patching these installations and provide recommendations on ways to keep this environment stable and manageable as it grows.
3. “Installing RAC From The Ground Up” – Oracle Clusterware is present in all Oracle RAC configurations, but it is often overlooked as a managed piece of software. Since it isn’t a database, many DBAs aren’t familiar with its function or techniques for troubleshooting its behaviors.To better understand and be ready for troubleshooting this relatively new software, we start by examining its components and their purposes. An understanding of how each piece fits together will better enable DBAs to quickly identify the most likely source of problems in the stack. Familiarity with the proper operating system and Oracle tools enables DBAs to reveal the right information at the right times to debug the Clusterware components and processes.Finally, adding a troubleshooting process to the sometimes overwhelming stack of software that makes up a RAC cluster can be the key to combining knowledge of Clusterware architecture and processes with the proper tools to quickly identify the right resolution to most issues. Clusterware has ability to reboot servers without warning and sometimes the reasons for its actions are not easily identified. With so much power to affect overall availability, the Clusterware is a critical component and it is important to understand its troubleshooting just as thoroughly as the database layer troubleshooting.

We also recently received word that we’ll be holding a 1/2-day hands on session for RAC at Collaborate on Thursday morning. Stay tuned for more details on the RAC SIG website!

Finally, I have also had one presentation accepted for the ODTUG Kaleidoscope conference (June 21-25, 2009 in Monterey, CA). That session is titled “DBA-speak for Developers”.

1. “DBA-speak for Developers”: The most common problem between DBA and Development teams is a lack of communication. When communication breaks down, it is common for a “Us vs. Them” mentality to develop. DBAs are sometimes guilty of using “DBA-speak” terms that are intended for other DBAs to understand, but Developers aren’t always DBA-speak literate. Developers, on the other hand, have many languages as well: Java, PHP, Ruby, and Perl, to name a few. In this technical session, we will focus on helping Developers by translating some of the most common things that their DBAs may say into something that the common Developer can better understand. We’ll no doubt have some fun trying to make sense of the madness that is the Oracle DBA, but we’ll also dig in to the real phrases Developers are likely to hear. Attendees are also invited to bring their own DBA-speak phrases for translation as well.

Looking ahead, I’m highly anticipating Oracle Open World (October 11-15, 2009 – San Francisco) and Miracle Oracle Open World (October?, 2009, near Copenhagen, Denmark). These are both great events (one very large, one small) with tons of great information and great people to meet and talk with at every turn.

So, if you’re at any of these events, please do look me up. I’m on the schedule for many events and enjoy meeting new faces, fellow RAC SIGers, and anyone interested in a chat about RAC, clustering, storage, or scuba diving!

On a more immediate note, I’ll be attending the RMOUG conference next week in Denver. This has got to be one of the best buys around for two days of great sessions by some wonderful experts. The networking opportunities are top-notch as well with the event being a relatively small event and the people (like Debra Lilley, Cary Millsap, Kevin Closson, Mogens Nørgaard, and Tim Gorman, to name a few) very personable. If you’re going, I’ll enjoy seeing you there! If you’re not…put it on your calendar for next year. Even with budget cuts, this is still an affordable event!

Last night, I attended the opening session which included a technical presentation from Toon Koppelaars called “The Helsinki Declaration.” The session discusses the trend of the last 6-8 years where we’ve seen less use of database features and fatter middle tier applications. His plea was that we reverse the trend and return to using the database features (that customers pay a lot of money for) and shrink the middle tier bloat. This, Toon contends, will make more maintainable, more optimized applications overall. Forget about “database independent applications” since that necessitates using the database for little more than a spreadsheet. Toon encourages the use of Oracle Application Express (APEX) which promotes putting almost all application components in the database. I’m not sure I see that APEX is the best tool for every job, but I do see a lot of opportunities for APEX in the coming years and think it certainly could replace Oracle Forms once APEX matures.

My Day 1 included presentations from Martin Jensen (Oracle), Cary Millsap (Method R), Tanel Poder (PoderC), Carel-Jan Engel (DBA!lert), and Graham Wood (Oracle). In making my choices, I had to miss presentations by Karen Morton (Method R), Jozé Senegacnic (one of my house mates), Anjo Kolk (Miracle Benelux), and James Morle (Scale Abilities, and another of my house mates). You’d think that with only 3 rooms to choose from at each time slot, it’d be relatively easy to choose a session to attend, but it’s impossible. As James put it just a moment ago, “There’s no fluff at this conference.” How true.

While it is a long trip to get here from Chicago, even just this first day of presentations is worth the trip. The networking opportunities are abundant and I prioritize this event higher than many others that I could attend closer to home. If you spend any of your time developing on or managing or consulting with Oracle environments, I would be willing to bet that you’ll get more out of these 2.5 days than you would out of most 4- or 5-day conference events. Most importantly, you will have opportunities to make contacts that remain intact for years to come.

Tonight is the Gala Dinner and Beach Party in the fun and interesting Lalandia water park facilities. I hope that I remember to get to sleep as I’m sure that some won’t and the program starts tomorrow at 9:30am!

Unfortunately, while I brought the USB cable for my camera, I don’t have the proper drivers or software on my laptop, so pictures will have to wait until I get home.