Solaris package installation for Oracle server

From: Paul B. Henson (henson@acm.org)
Date: Mon Mar 03 2008 - 13:53:59 EST


We are deploying Oracle 10g, and I opened a support request with Oracle to
try and clarify some of the package dependencies.

Oracle support indicates they do not provide an explicit list of
dependencies, and assume Oracle is being installed on top of a default full
OEM installation of Solaris.

Generally, for a server, I try to install the minimum number of packages
required for the functionality necessary. I consider this good security
practice and a basic system administrator task.

Not only does Oracle not supply an explicit list of dependencies necessary
for their software, they claim that the average system administrator does
not want to secure their system via minimization, and prefers to work from
a default installation rather than a customized minimal install.

I can't imagine running a production enterprise server with all the
packages installed via the full OEM option, it includes everything but the
kitchen sink 8-/.

I'd like to see what the consensus is among Solaris system administrators
on package installation, I would greatly appreciate it if you could reply
to the following questions:

1) In general, when deploying a Solaris server, do you do a full OEM
install, or do you do a custom install including only those packages that
you actually need for the server's purpose?

2) If you support Oracle software, in that specific case do you do a full
OEM install or a custom install?

3) If the answer to question 2 is a full OEM install, would you prefer a
custom install with a minimal number of packages if Oracle made it easier
to know what the dependencies were?

4) If you have an active Oracle support contract, and prefer to install a
minimal number of packages, would you be willing to open a support request
referencing mine to help convince Oracle to provide a better list of
dependencies?

Thanks much...

-- 
Paul B. Henson  |  (909) 979-6361  |  http://www.csupomona.edu/~henson/
Operating Systems and Network Analyst  |  henson@csupomona.edu
California State Polytechnic University  |  Pomona CA 91768
_______________________________________________
sunmanagers mailing list
sunmanagers@sunmanagers.org
http://www.sunmanagers.org/mailman/listinfo/sunmanagers


This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.7 : Wed Apr 09 2008 - 23:42:49 EDT