Using the IBM System Storage N Series with Databases

Book description

This IBM® Redbooks® publication discusses how to optimize the IBM System Storage™ N series products with some of the major commercially available databases available to customers today. Topics include installation, performance, monitoring, and management when using the IBM System Storage N series with IBM DB2® , Microsoft® SQL, and Oracle® . We also cover best practices and tips for using the IBM System Storage N series with these major database applications.

Table of contents

  1. Notices
    1. Trademarks
  2. Preface
    1. The team that wrote this IBM Redbooks publication
    2. Become a published author
    3. Comments welcome
  3. Part 1: Introduction to the IBM System Storage N series
  4. Chapter 1: Using IBM System Storage N series and databases
    1. 1.1: The IBM System Storage N series models
      1. Comparison of the IBM System Storage N series Gateway with the IBM System Storage N series
      2. IBM System Storage N series A models hardware quick reference
      3. IBM System Storage N series G Models hardware quick reference
      4. N series product A& G models hardware quick reference
    2. 1.2: Standard software features
    3. 1.3: Optional software
    4. 1.4: Software quick reference
    5. 1.5: IBM System Storage N series A models
      1. IBM System Storage N3700 A10 and A20 introduction
      2. N5200, N5300, N5500 & 5600 Models A10 and A20 storage systems
      3. IBM System Storage N series 7000 models A10 and A20
    6. 1.6: IBM System Storage N series gateways
      1. IBM N5200, N5300, N5500, and N5600 Gateway models
      2. IBM Gateway models N7600 and N7800
    7. 1.7: LUN sizing for Gateways
    8. 1.8: Interoperability between Gateway G and A models
  5. Chapter 2: Introduction to Data ONTAP
    1. 2.1: What is Data ONTAP
      1. The network interface driver
      2. The RAID manager
      3. The Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL) file system
      4. File system consistency and Non-Volatile RAM
    2. 2.2: Snapshots and SnapRestore
      1. IBM System Storage N series Snapshots
      2. Other storage system’s Snapshots
      3. SnapRestore
    3. 2.3: Continuous Availability and disaster recovery
      1. SnapMirror
      2. SnapVault
    4. 2.4: Managing storage
      1. Aggregates and RAID Groups
      2. Introducing FlexVols
      3. Cloning FlexVols with FlexClone
  6. Part 2: Introduction to enterprise databases
  7. Chapter 3: Introduction to IBM DB2 Universal Database
    1. 3.1: DB2 Universal Database editions
    2. 3.2: The universal database
      1. Universal access
      2. Universal application
      3. Universal extensibility
      4. Universal scalability
      5. Universal reliability
      6. Universal management
    3. 3.3: The DB2 query optimizer
    4. 3.4: DB2 utilities
      1. Data movement utilities
      2. Data maintenance utilities
      3. Other utilities
    5. 3.5: DB2 terminology and concepts
      1. Installing DB2
      2. Instances
      3. Databases
      4. Buffer pools
      5. Table spaces
      6. Containers
      7. Characteristics that affect tablespace performance
      8. Registry and performance-related environment variables
      9. Backup and recovery using N series
      10. Recovery logs
      11. The recovery history file
  8. Chapter 4: Introduction to the Oracle Database
    1. 4.1: Oracle Database architecture
      1. Memory structures
      2. Logical storage structures
      3. Physical storage structures
      4. Processes
      5. Administration tools (1/2)
      6. Administration tools (2/2)
  9. Chapter 5: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server
    1. 5.1: Database Architecture
      1. Logical database components
      2. Physical database architecture
  10. Part 3: Using N series and MSSQL
  11. Chapter 6: Preparing IBM System Storage N series for MS Windows & MSSQL
    1. 6.1: Joining Active Directory
      1. Preparing for CIFS shares
      2. Select a user account
    2. 6.2: Active Directory
      1. Should Active Directory be in mixed or native Mode?
      2. IBM System Storage N series
      3. Precreating a computer object
      4. Creating the computer object
      5. Running CIFS setup with the N series product
    3. 6.3: Why is it necessary to join an IBM System Storage N series to Active Directory
    4. 6.4: Troubleshooting the domain-joining process
      1. DNS
      2. Time synchronization
      3. Active Directory replication
    5. 6.5: Device Discovery
    6. 6.6: SnapDrive set up
      1. Creating disk with iSCSI management
    7. 6.7: Conclusion
  12. Chapter 7: Managing Microsoft SQL Server with IBM System Storage N series
    1. 7.1: Managing MSSQL with the N series product
    2. 7.2: SnapManager
    3. 7.3: SnapDrive
    4. 7.4: SMSQL, SnapDrive, and SQL Server 2000
    5. 7.5: Accelerated test and development with rapid cloning
  13. Chapter 8: High Availability with MSSQL and N series
    1. 8.1: Backup and restore databases
      1. Backup databases
      2. Restore databases (1/2)
      3. Restore databases (2/2)
      4. Backup and restore best practices
    2. 8.2: Mirroring
      1. SnapMirror software operation
      2. Disaster recovery breaking the mirror
      3. Resyncing the Mirror
      4. Conclusions
    3. 8.3: About Snapshots and SQL Server
  14. Chapter 9: Microsoft SQL Server diagnostics and monitoring with IBM System Storage N series
    1. 9.1: Determining whether you have a problem
    2. 9.2: Checklist of services that must be active
      1. MSSQLServer error log
      2. SnapManager
      3. Event Viewer
    3. 9.3: MSSQLServer Monitoring Server Performance and Activity
      1. Choosing a Monitoring Tool
    4. 9.4: IBM System Storage N series Management Tools
  15. Part 4: Using the N series with IBM DB2
  16. Chapter 10: Design considerations and set up with DB2 and IBM System Storage N series
    1. 10.1: DB2 and the N series product design considerations
      1. Designing a database with recovery in mind
      2. Tablespace management
    2. 10.2: Creating a sample database on the N series product in an NAS environment
      1. Configuring the IBM System Storage N series
      2. Configuration and Management
      3. Accessing the volumes on the database server
      4. Creating the sample database on the mounts
    3. 10.3: Creating a sample database on N series in a SAN environment
      1. Configuring AIX Host for FCP
      2. Setting up LUNs on N series
      3. Accessing the LUNs on the database server
      4. Creating the sample database on the LUNs
  17. Chapter 11: DB2 Continuous Availability with IBM System Storage N series
    1. 11.1: Disk redundancy
    2. 11.2: Backup and recovery
      1. How Snapshots work with DB2
    3. 11.3: Setting up Snapshots with DB2
      1. System names and assumptions
      2. Separate data from transaction logs files on N series
      3. Overview of DB2 UDB components for backup and recovery
      4. Backing up a DB2 UDB database using Snapshot technology
      5. Accessing N series from the database server
    4. 11.4: Conclusion
  18. Chapter 12: Cloning a DB2 UDB database in the IBM System Storage N series environment
    1. 12.1: Selecting a database server to access the cloned database
      1. Selecting the production database server and database
      2. Select a database server with a different DB2 UDB version
      3. Select a non production server without DB2 UDB installed
    2. 12.2: Clone an offline database on the same storage system
      1. Bring the source database offline
      2. Create Snapshot copies of the database FlexVol volumes
      3. Start the source database
      4. Clone the FlexVol volumes
      5. Create an export entry for the clone volume
      6. Mount the clone volumes
      7. Configuring the cloned database
      8. Catalog the source database if necessary
      9. Verify the database
    3. 12.3: Clone an online database on the same storage system
      1. Bring the database into a consistent state-suspend writes
      2. Create Snapshot copies of the database FlexVol volumes
      3. Resume normal database operations-resume writes
      4. Clone the FlexVol volumes
      5. Create NFS export entries for the cloned volumes
      6. Mount the cloned volumes
      7. Configuring the cloned database
      8. Verify the database
    4. 12.4: Cloning an offline database to a remote storage system
      1. Configuring SnapMirror
      2. Initializing SnapMirror
      3. Create clones of the FlexVol volumes
      4. Creating NFS export entries for the cloned volumes.
      5. Mounting the clone volumes
      6. Configuring the cloned database
      7. Cataloging the source database
      8. Verifying the cloned database
    5. 12.5: Cloning an online database to a remote storage system
      1. Configuring and initialize SnapMirror
      2. Bring the source database into a consistent state-suspend writes
      3. Creating Snapshot copies of the FlexVol volumes
      4. Resuming normal database operations-resume writes
      5. Updating the SnapMirror destination
      6. Creating clone volumes using Snapshot copies
      7. Creating NFS export entries for the cloned volumes
      8. Mounting the cloned volumes
      9. Configuring the cloned database
      10. Verifying the cloned database
  19. Chapter 13: DB2 and N series performance considerations
    1. 13.1: General performance guidelines
    2. 13.2: IBM System Storage N series and DB2 tuning
    3. 13.3: db2_parallel_io
    4. 13.4: A word about db2empfa
    5. 13.5: Quick-start tips for general DB2 performance tuning
  20. Chapter 14: DB2 and AIX diagnostics and performance monitoring
    1. 14.1: The DB2 Database System Monitor
      1. The snapshot monitor
      2. Event monitors
    2. 14.2: Operating system monitoring tools
      1. topas
      2. vmstat
      3. iostat
    3. 14.3: IBM System Storage N series monitoring tools
    4. 14.4: Performance factors
    5. 14.5: The Performance toolchest
      1. Performance and monitoring
  21. Part 5: Using IBM System Storage N series with Oracle
  22. Chapter 15: Backup, restore, and disaster recovery of Oracle using N series
    1. 15.1: How to back up data from N series
      1. Creating online backups using Snapshot copies
      2. Recovering individual files from a Snapshot copy
      3. Recovering data using SnapRestore
      4. Backup and recovery best practices
      5. SnapManager for Oracle-Backup and recovery best practices
      6. SnapManager for Oracle-Automatic Storage Management-based backup and restore
      7. SnapManager for Oracle-RMAN based backup and restore
      8. SnapManager for Oracle-cloning
  23. Chapter 16: NFS performance tuning for N series and Oracle Database
    1. 16.1: Introduction
    2. 16.2: Focus on OLTP Workloads
    3. 16.3: Deploying databases with IBM System Storage N series and NFS
      1. Network Attached Storage versus Storage Area Networks
      2. NAS Protocols
      3. Why NFS
      4. Database I/O Patterns
    4. 16.4: Tuning a Linux, N series product, Oracle environment
      1. Oracle tuning
    5. 16.5: Linux NFS client performance
      1. Identifying Kernel Releases
      2. Choosing a Network Transport Protocol
      3. Linux-Kernel Patches
      4. Enlarging a client's Transport Socket Buffers
      5. Other TCP enhancements
      6. Linux networking-Gigabit Ethernet Network Adapters
      7. Linux networking-jumbo frames with GbE
      8. Special mount options
      9. IBM System Storage N series tuning
      10. Volume layout
      11. Placement of Oracle home directory
      12. Placement of Oracle data and log Files
      13. NFS settings
      14. Volume options
  24. Chapter 17: IBM Storage System N series best practice guidelines for Oracle
    1. 17.1: IBM System Storage N series system configuration
      1. IBM System Storage N series settings
      2. Ethernet-Gigabit Ethernet, auto negotiation, and Full Duplex
    2. 17.2: Volume, aggregate setup and options
      1. Databases
      2. Aggregates and FlexVol volumes or traditional volumes
      3. Volume Size
      4. Recommended volumes for Oracle Database files and logfiles
      5. Oracle Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) on the N series product
      6. Oracle home location
      7. Best Practices for control and log files on N series
    3. 17.3: RAID Group Size
      1. RAID-DP
    4. 17.4: Snapshot and SnapRestore
    5. 17.5: Snap Reserve
    6. 17.6: The N series storage system options
      1. The minra option
      2. File access time update
      3. NFS settings
    7. 17.7: Operating systems
      1. Linux recommended versions
      2. Linux OS settings
    8. 17.8: Oracle Database settings
      1. DISK_ASYNCH_IO
      2. DB_FILE_MULTIBLOCK_READ_COUNT
      3. DB_BLOCK_SIZE
      4. DBWR_IO_SLAVES and DB_WRITER_PROCESSES
      5. DB_BLOCK_LRU_LATCHES
  25. Related publications
    1. IBM Redbooks publications
    2. Other publications
    3. Online resources
    4. How to get IBM Redbooks publications
    5. Help from IBM
  26. Index (1/2)
  27. Index (2/2)
  28. Back cover

Product information

  • Title: Using the IBM System Storage N Series with Databases
  • Author(s): Alex Osuna, Arthur Li, Sanjay Adhikary, Roger E. Sanders, Mika Nikolopoulou
  • Release date: August 2007
  • Publisher(s): IBM Redbooks
  • ISBN: None