Opensource solutions

I was thinking of opensource solutions which will help us to reduce liscense cost.Just googled in and found out few major solutions

1.Database

MySQL
PostgreSQL
MaxDB
Firebird
Ingres

2.Operating Systems

Linux (Redhat,Fedora)
ubuntu
FreeBsd
openbsd

3.Personal Computing

Haiku

4.Virtualisation

Citrix xenserver
sun virtualbox

5. Webserver

Apache

6. Storage

Openfiler
FreeNAS

7. Development

PHP
JAVA

Oracle's Virtualization

We were using vmware and other virtualization softwares,oracle has come up with one named oracle VM.
The following is explanation of oracle VM in Oracles FAQ
What is Oracle VM?
Oracle VM is server virtualization software which fully supports both Oracle and non-Oracleapplications. Oracle VM offers scalable, low-cost server virtualization that is three times more efficientthan existing server virtualization products from other vendors. Oracle has also announcedcertification of key Oracle products including Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware, OracleApplications, and Oracle Real Application Clusters with Oracle VM.

Its free Now!!!!

Oracle VM software is free to download.

Guest Opertaing system supported by Orcale VM are as below:
Oracle Enterprise Linux 4 and 5;• RHEL3, RHEL4 and RHEL5;• Windows 2008 SP1, Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP Pro, and Windows 2000are supported on hardware virtualization (Intel VT or AMD-V) capable hardware;• Oracle VM offers paravirtualized Windows drivers for Windows Server 2008, Windows Server2003, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.

Metalink id 464754.1, Lists Certified Software on Oracle VM .

VM for 11i/R12:

Oracle apps 11.5.10.2 & R12 are also supported in oracle VM.But RAC,DMZ and shared APPL_TOP is not yet tested.It concludes we can have single node apps installation on linux /windows platform with Orcale VM.

What else we can expect from oracle on its virtualization?
Oracle will increase its guest O/S support ,the next shuould be sun solaris .Also it has recently acquired "Virtual Iron",so more to come from virtual iron & suns freeware "VirtualBox" poducts.
To know more about Virtual box : http://www.virtualbox.org/
To read more about virtualization,please check in to:
http://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/virtualization/index.htm

Oracle Not certified with vmware/citrix xenserver

Oracle Products are not certified to run on Citrix XenServer Enterprise Edition Xen Hypervisors /VMware ESX Server (Ref : Metalink id 417770.1)

Testing Tool for oracle applications

Oracle Has many automated tools for Apps

adpatch for patching
adclone.pl for cloning
adautocfg for configuration changes.
EM/OAM for Monitoring

So is there is anything for Testing?Yes it is ...OATS

OATS (Oracle Application Testing Suite)
Oracle Application Testing Suite is for functional and load/stress testing of Web Applications & Web Services . Before this oracle has provided set of winrunner & QTP starter kit as patches.To read more Refer to metalink id 239746.1.

Latest release of OATS is 9.0 and its available for download from OTN.OATS has been made as a keycomponent of 10gEnterprise Manger.
If not OATS we can also use opensource "Selenium" for e-biz testing.To read more about selenium Please visit http://seleniumhq.org/

One Shop for RAC

The following Metalink Note has a good starter kit for RAC installation

RAC Assurance Support Team: RAC Starter Kit and Best Practices (Generic) -810394.1

Startup Normal

Hello Readers.....
Welcome To the blog apps4dba.This blog mainly discuss about oracle,Application server and apps w.r.to a DBA.

First post :

Key skills required for DBA's in present Market
RAC
ASM
Dataguard
Backup and recovery
Upgradation/Migration

Key skills required For Apps DBA in present Market

Patching
Cloning
Integrating Apps with 10GAS
upgradation/Migration
Will comeup with more technical posts .............