Oracle brings clustering to Linux
Published: 05 Jun 2002 15:29 BST
Oracle on Wednesday boosted its support for the Linux operating system with a new version of its database software.
The software maker said that it has developed a version of its 9i database software that can run across multiple Linux servers in a configuration called clustering. Clustering allows businesses to harness multiple servers to run a very large database, so servers can share work or take over from each other if one fails.
As expected, Oracle also said Release 2 of Oracle 9i, a revamping of its flagship database software, is now available. In addition, the company shipped new versions of its application server software and development tools. The new version of the database includes more fluency in XML (Extensible Markup Language), a Web standard for exchanging information that is a cornerstone of Web services software development.
Oracle on Wednesday said it has developed the Linux clustering technology in conjunction with server hardware maker Dell and Linux distributor Red Hat. Dell has certified that its PowerEdge servers will run Red Hat Linux Advanced Server, a more robust version of the operating system, and Release 2 of Oracle's 9i database software.
Red Hat announced the debut of Linux Advanced Server earlier this year. It includes features designed for more powerful servers, such as clustering, faster communications and load balancing to share jobs efficiently among several servers.
Linux, a clone of the Unix operating system, hasn't yet acquired the ability to run on large multiprocessor systems with dozens of processors. Those high-end Unix servers are popular for tasks such as running gigantic databases used in Colgate-Palmolive's international sales and accounting operations, for example.
But Oracle, IBM and others are pushing ahead with technology that would spread a single database across a group of lesser servers. It's a movement well suited to companies such as Microsoft, Red Hat and Dell, which have little influence outside the realm of four-processor and eight-processor servers. IBM and Sun Microsystems, among others, have controlled the market for systems larger than those.
Oracle did not announce pricing for either Release 2 of Oracle 9i, or the new clustered systems.
Overall, Oracle is hoping to reignite its database sales. The company's dominance in the database market has eroded in the past year as a tough economy and stiff competition from IBM and Microsoft have slowed sales. IBM surpassed Oracle in overall sales in 2001, according to a Gartner study released last month.
News.com's Stephen Shankland and Wylie Wong contributed to this report.
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