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Network Administration Solutions
Are you an IT Manager, Network Administrator or Database Administrator? Feeling a bit overwhelmed managing your Network?
Before you and your enterprise decide to undertake the complicated task of redesigning your network, ask yourself the following questions:
- What applications you are running or planning to run on your network? OLTP, DSS or Hybrid?
- Is it a mission critical application running 24 x 7 x 365?
- Do your clients access a centralized database or have distributed computing?
- Are you using client/server or web-enabled applications?
- Are you using single or multiple protocols?
- Do you expect future growth of your Network?
- Do you frequently add clients and servers to your Network?
- Do you anticipate frequent updates?
- Do you need to secure your Network?
- Are you using Network-monitoring tools?
- What architecture do you want to be using? This will depend on the number of users, locations, servers and transactions, among other things.
To help you along the way, here are few tips to help you plan your IT Infrastructure.
If you have a small network…
A small network is one that has roughly 10 to 20 computers connected to a Database Server at a single site (Local Area Network). This is also a good low budget option. So where do you start?
- Create a simple TCP/IP based network using Cat5/Cat6 cabling based network connected in star topology using 12/24 port Hub/Ethernet Switch.
- Install Oracle Standard Edition.
- Consider connecting to the Oracle Server using either the Local naming or Host naming method.
If it’s medium-sized…
Medium sized networks typically have around 100 computers that are connected to one centrally located database for data processing and capturing, and one or two small sized databases in remote locations. In general, there will be a Local Area Network in a central location and separate Local Area Networks in the branches.
- Create a simple TCP/IP based network using Cat5/Cat6 cabling based network connected in star topology using 12/24 port Hub/Ethernet switch.
- Consider using only switches at corporate office
- Consider having fiber backbone in case you are connecting multiple locations in a building or campus covering large distances.
- Install Oracle Standard Edition at the branches and Oracle Enterprise Edition at the corporate office.
- Consider connecting to the Oracle server using either the Local naming or Host naming method.
- If you have more than 50 to 60 users connected to the server, implement MTS (Multithreaded Server) at the corporate office.
- Consider implementing Oracle Fail Safe for mission critical application.
Or it’s large and complex
A Large Network typically has over 150 computers that are connected to either centrally located databases or distributed databases installed at your corporate office. It also accesses/updates from branches located in remote places. The network uses multiple protocols, looking for high availability, high performance and high security.
- Create high-speed Local Area Network by having structured cabling networking in the corporate office building. Fiber optic cabling should be the backbone of the network, but to allow for horizontal connectivity Cat5/Cat6 will be required,
- The topology for horizontal cabling should generally be star, but you can consider implementing an FDDI ring for backbone connectivity.
- Use high speed Ethernet Switches instead of Hubs.
- Consider having a Fiber backbone if you are connecting multiple locations in a campus covering large distances.
- Consider having Wide Area Network using leased lines or VSAT.
- Install either Oracle Standard or Enterprise Edition at the branches and Oracle Enterprise Edition at the corporate office.
- Depending upon the complexity of the network, consider implementing Oracle Names or Connection Manager for logging onto the databases.
- Implement MTS (Multithreaded Server) at the corporate office.
- Implementing Oracle Clustering technology using a Standby or Replication Server, or, in the case of a mission critical application, Oracle Fail Safe.
- If you plan to have thousands of users connecting to your system, and you require both high availability and high performance, consider implementing Real Application Clusters available in Oracle 9i.
- Use Network-monitoring tools to manage your network.
Still feel a bit overwhelmed?
Don’t worry, call STL. Let us worry about networking needs, so you don’t have to. For further information, please contact our Support Manager, either by telephone on 7122971/2/3, or by email at support@stl-horizon.com
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