NetApp for Oracle Databas

Why choose NetApp solutions for your Oracle deployments

Oracle on Oracle is often regarded as the gold standard for database operations – and it is certainly high performing. But there are credible alternatives to Oracle hardware that are worth investigating.

This is particularly true for businesses who are already committed to the NetApp ecosystem. As well as offering comparable Oracle performance, NetApp hardware usage extends far beyond ‘just’ database operations.

Here are some additional factors to consider:

Exceptional performance

NetApp all-flash arrays (AFA) are built on NVMe and fibre channel technologies to deliver exceptional performance – and the six-nines (99.9999%) uptime your mission-critical operations require. Running Oracle on NetApp increases database response times by as much as 12x.

There are also benefits in the event of a system failure too. Data recovery on an AFA can be completed as much as 98% faster during a system outage than from a traditional disk-based array.

Increased efficiency

As existing NetApp users will be aware, ONTAP can automatically allocate workloads and data to the most appropriate storage location. Line of business Oracle databases are almost certainly best suited to local AFAs, but archive data sets can be migrated to a low-cost cloud service where appropriate. An automated transfer is seamless, reducing management overheads for your infrastructure team as well as the total cost of ownership.

Familiar ONTAP management

Choosing NetApp for Oracle database operations is a smart strategic move for businesses already invested in that ecosystem. Leveraging existing ONTAP skills will help to accelerate infrastructure deployment. And any learning curve will be minimal, allowing your team to focus on database operations and development and maximising return on investment.

Future-proofed infrastructure

NetApp AFAs are designed with the future in mind, simplifying the process of cloud migration where appropriate. In addition to FlexPod storage servers, the product range also includes Cloud Volumes for Oracle which allows your business to take full advantage of hybrid cloud operations.

With NetApp, you have the option of running Oracle databases on-premises, in the cloud, or a combination of the two. As connectivity improves and latency decreases, an easy transition path to cloud-only operations is made available. Importantly, this also provides virtually infinite scalability as your data stores continue to grow.

Cloud volumes also support containerisation technologies. You can use them to build next-generation microservices and to deliver the service-oriented IT infrastructure your business needs to support DevOps and digital transformation programs.

Speak to a NetApp specialist

Oracle on NetApp is highly performant, making it a more than viable proposition – and for many businesses makes more sense than Oracle on Oracle. For organisations committed to Oracle as their database engine of choice, NetApp offers clear future-proofing and the opportunity to build a best-of-breed storage infrastructure that will not limit strategic choices in future.

To learn more about running Oracle on NetApp and what it may mean for your business, please get in touch.

NetApp all-flash

Optimise Oracle Workloads with NetApp all-flash Solutions

When it comes to choosing infrastructure to support your line-of-business Oracle databases, Oracle hardware seems the logical choice. But faced by evolving computing needs and shrinking IT budgets what are the alternatives. NetApp all-flash solutions provide a more than viable option to Oracle hardware – well worth considering as you plan the next phase of your infrastructure lifecycle.

Best in class performance

The headline benefit of NetApp all-flash technology is its superior performance. Capable of performing up to 1 million IOPS with latency of about 100 microseconds, NetApp systems are the fastest available – up to 20 times faster than traditional storage. With end-to-end flash arrays and NVMe, these scalable all-flash systems are capable of halving application response times. No other database platform – including Oracle – comes close in terms of performance.

Increasing flexibility and growth options

The hybrid infrastructure operating model solves several problems about latency and security – but the integration between on- and off-premise systems could be improved. NetApp brings the power and flexibility of cloud into the local data centre. The ONTAP data management software bundled with NetApp flash arrays allows you to dynamically allocate your database workloads for maximum performance-cost benefits. This includes pushing lower priority data to cheaper cloud storage to maintain local capacity. NetApp solutions also integrate neatly with Oracle management tools, greatly simplifying administration. Application-integrated workflows can be automated; you can provision and prototype with a single mouse-click in as little as eight seconds. NetApp all flash arrays are also ideal for rapid development and prototyping. FlexClone technology makes it possible to clone large data volumes in seconds. A thin provisioning mechanism means that the data records or files aren’t actually cloned until accessed or used, helping to constrain the physical storage requirements for your test applications.

Consistent and stable operations

NetApp all flash arrays have been engineered to deliver consistently high performance for database operations. They are also extremely reliable averaging just 31.5 seconds pause time per year – that’s 99.9999% availability. This reliability is essential for mission-critical Oracle workloads. Oracle database owners also benefit from SnapShot and SnapMirror technologies that automatically replicate data to prevent loss. Further protection is available using FlexClone to transfer databases to an active disaster recovery site – including the cloud. As well as databases operating at the core, data is protected at the core and in the cloud too.

Streamlined operations and cost savings

Customers using NetApp for Oracle report some significant benefits: fewer components, greater return on investment and a lower total cost of ownership. Estimates suggest time and effort savings of up to 90% compared with their existing solutions. By blurring the boundaries between on-premise and cloud, NetApp arrays make it easy to migrate workloads to wherever they are best suited. This helps to overcome issues of local capacity and avoid the need for costly investment in redundant physical storage.

A worthy alternative option

Thanks to its high performance and reliability, NetApp all flash storage is a credible platform for your most critical Oracle database applications. Factor in the integrated suite of ONTAP management apps and it is easy to see why NetApp users are able to realise such significant returns on their investments.

Useful Links

White Paper: Optimise Oracle Workloads with NetApp Solutions

cloud-connected storage

Is cloud-connected storage your path to the future?

The hybrid cloud infrastructure model has become the platform of choice for most businesses for two reasons.

First, questions about security and sovereignty means that some operations are best retained in-house to maintain compliance.

Second, time sensitive operations, particularly operations that rely on real-time processing, need to be kept on-premise. Latency between local data centre and the cloud could prevent timely processing.

Time to blur the boundaries

Despite best efforts, current hybrid models emphasise the disconnect between on-premise and cloud. The number of applications and operations being run locally may have decreased, but the CTO must still deploy sufficient processing and storage capacity for those that remain.

This is where the choice of on-premises technology platform becomes crucial. Ideally you want to eliminate the barrier between local and hosted resources to create a seamless, unified platform on which to build.

One choice would be NetApp AFF storage. The ultra-low latency all flash arrays are powered by ONTAP, NetApp’s comprehensive management and configuration system providing cloud-connected storage.

Included in ONTAP is the FabricPool technology which allows you to connect various public and private cloud services directly to your on-site infrastructure. This forms the basis of your seamless hybrid cloud.

Time to get smart

A unified platform is just the start of a future-ready infrastructure, however. FabricPool goes further, using intelligent rules and analysis to automate data and workload allocation.

Mission-critical applications requiring the very highest levels of performance are retained in-house, using the NVMe flash to minimise latency. FabricPool then re-allocates other workloads to off-site cloud platforms to help balance performance and cost.

Embracing the multi-cloud future

Despite the best efforts of cloud providers, CTOs have been keen to avoid the trap of vendor lock-in. The ability to move workloads between providers cost effectively is important for future proofing and flexibility, driving a more towards multi-cloud deployments.

Best-of-breed infrastructure can be costly to set-up and maintain, mainly because the relevant skills are in such high demand. As a result, many of the cost-control opportunities of multi-cloud operations are lost through increased staffing and administration costs.

Again, NetApp AFF technology can help you build a multi-tier storage strategy. FabricPool analysis will identify and categorise workloads, moving data to the most appropriate cloud platform automatically. Shifting ‘cold data’ to a hosted archive service will help to reduce per-terabyte storage costs and free up valuable high-performance local capacity. Extra sensitive data can be piped to lower-cost private cloud storage if preferred too.

Cloud-connection will be key to the future

The beauty of cloud platforms is the flexibility they offer. With almost infinite scalability, your business is free to rapidly grow its systems without capital investment.

But while some workloads remain tied to the local data centre, there is no reason similar scalability cannot be deployed on premise. Choosing all-flash arrays with the ability to join on-off-site platforms offers exceptional processing speed and the option to extend into the cloud whenever required.

While the hybrid cloud model remains default, CTOs should pay close attention to their choice of on-premise systems. Cloud-connected storage offers valuable strategic opportunities – and a way to bridge the on/off-premise divide seamlessly.

Useful Links

White Paper: Optimise Oracle Workloads with NetApp Solutions