1. Oracle/DB migration at the Québec Government
Presented by:
Karen Ann Plourde
David Kreuter
Enterprise Connections Webcast

2. The beginning of the project
Identifying the potential for the client :
Databases
WebSphere Application Server (WAS)
WAS/Portal + LWWCM
Firewalls
TAM & LDAP
EDGE servers
Identifying the most cost efficient project – Oracle/DB
Reduction of the number of licences
Success stories
Easy conversion (data transfer; unload/reload)

3. Intangibles Backup/restore : mainframe strategy
Disaster Recovery : mainframe stability with an external provider
Virtualization
Cloning
Performance (I/O) for Oracle
Security
Resource sharing
IPL pack
Linux Kernel
Oracle executables
Golden images
Partitioning (EAL 5 security level)
On demand

4. Intangibles Flexibility of the solution Cloning and deployment engine
Creating/Installation a new server
Linux : 30 min
SUN, AIX, Windows : between 1 week and 3 months (if RFP needed)
Cloning/Installation an Oracle/DB instance
Under z/VM-Linux : min
Under SUN : h
Adjustments to the cloning engine for a new service (ex. WAS) :
Within 2 weeks

5. Business case The cost of the software and hardware
The business case is a comparison between the server environment (Intel, SUN, …) and the System z environment
The business case is based on
The cost of the software and hardware
The effort of installation and deployment
Training needed
Expertise needed (consultants)
All efforts needed for migration were transferred to future projects. All projects must be approved by the board of directors. (NOT included in the business case)
The DGTIC’s theory is (a migration is mandatory) :
Migrating from SUN to pSeries » Migrating from Sun to System z
Overall, the cost of the software and hardware is reduced by 30%. Every extra instance will help to reduce the cost.

6. Business case
The Oracle/DB migration project will break even within two years.
Within the first two phases of the project (Oracle/DB and WAS), the mainframe will be repaid within three years. It was very important to build the business case around a worst case scenario. It can only be better, not worse.
The business case doesn’t consider the following :
Electricity
Floor space
Air conditioning
UPS
... All of which are favourable with System z ...

7. Project status Installation of z9-EC (5 IFLs) 5 LPARs Oracle/DB WAS
TAM & LDAP
Service zone
Lab zone
40 internal networks (vswitch)
z/VM v5r2.0
Novell SUSE Linux SLES 8 & 9
Oracle/DB 9i & 10g
RACF, Dirmaint, RSCS, …
Velocity Software tools (performance)
Cloning & deployment engine development

8. Project status Oracle/DB (9i & 10g) migration Golden images for
SuSE 8 & Oracle/DB 9i
SuSE 9 & Oracle/DB 10g
165 instances prepared (or created directly on the z9-EC) on the z/VM-Linux environment:
One or two instances per server.
60 databases fully migrated
100+ with database, waiting for activation
»190 instances by the end of this year
Over 200 new instances planned per year for the next few years
12 instances in production as part of the government portal.
Early 2007 another 5 instances will be in production
For the first migrations (» 60), on average
1 migration per day (20-25 databases per month)

9. How we guaranteed client isolation: winning hearts and minds …
Challenges:
Groups supporting physical servers wary of large box virtualization.
Introduced (- or reintroduced -) S/370 through to zSeries concepts emphasizing guaranteed isolation:
Privacy on the box while still sharing resources
Virtual storage since 1970
Virtualization of CPU, I/O, storage and networks
Securing resources through the operating system and RACF
Password and rules based authorizations
Separation of systems and security tasks by staff in different departments
z/VM: over 35 years of virtualizing!

10. And Winning those hearts and minds through training …
Over 200 person days of training to staff:
Mainframe Systems programmers
Unix administrators
Security officers
Network administrators
Architects
Analysts
Training sessions with lectures and labs:
Architecture seminar
z/VM Systems Workshop
Linux on the Mainframe Workshop
z/VM Networking and Security Workshop
Briefings for team leaders and management
Summary presentations to executives

11. z/VM: Excellence in Virtualization
Combined with LPARs z/VM (CP) provides great virtualization.
CMS may be old (mature) but:
Powerful scripting languages with REXX and PIPELINES
Cloning
File and data management
Excellent products and services based on CMS:
Configuration and directory management
Scheduling jobs
Strong rules based security with VM RACF.
Many tools and products provided for automation tasks.
Brilliant physical and virtual networking with:
Hipersocket
OSA devices
Guest Lan
Vswitch

12. Linux: Excellence in systems and applications
Highly reliable and stable code.
Vendor distributions provide known service stream.
Excellent administration tools.
Robust and wide range of networking services built in:
TCPIP
File and data management
Great platform for launching internet enabled applications:
ORACLE
Websphere
TAM/LDAP

13. z/VM and linux on the mainframe: a powerful combination at the DGTIC
Open source software on the mainframe provides the stability of z/VM with the ability to run modern applications.
Service being offered to many government ministries and agencies.
The word is out that z/VM and linux on the mainframe is a good place to host your applications:
Internal government s and announcments from the project office promoting z/VM and linux on the mainframe solution.
Rapid growth is forecasted:
and the DGTIC is ready to keep up with the demand.

14. Lessons learned: Volume 1
Acceptance of virtual servers quicker than expected.
Grew to 100+ Oracle servers ahead of plan.
Fully tasked personnel (big shoulders):
Confirmed our expectation that 2 linux administrators can support all virtual linux servers.
100:1 ratio of linux virtual machines to administrator
2 z/VM systems programmers supporting 5 LPARs:
New to z/VM
Mentored by consultant
z/VM support will be integrated into MVS group by year end 2007
Less than fully tasked personnel (arms and legs):
Security administrator
Network programming

15. Lessons learned: Volume 2
Big win early win with successful disaster recovery
Adminstration and reporting on centralized servers is excellent.
Full knowledge of where and what the servers are up to.
Lots of new documentation and procedures integral part of project.
Lots of training required
Require a lot of z/VM paging space.
Core memory of 32 gigabytes, 2 gigabytes of expanded storage, and 50 gigabytes of DASD paging space.

16. Oracle Lessons Learned
Mostly business as usual for the DBAs:
Use SSH client or “X” windows (no 3270 usage)
DBAs comment on rapid performance of I/O
DB loading faster than in other platforms.
Benign ignorance of the virtual machine
Linux adminstration performed by linux sysadmin.
z/VM administration performed by VM sysprogs.
Rapid creation of new databases in virtual machines for testing, acceptance, and production.
Initial install was difficult but once incorporated into cloning methods subsequent installs quick and easy.
Almost all client needs satisfied with ORACLE cloned image.
~ 2% require some degree of customizing.

17. Software Technologies and Processes
Capitalizing on z/VM virtual network technology
Linux replication mantra: « install once clone often »
Creating the z/VM « valise »
Responding to the Challenge: Guaranteeing Client Isolation
Transcending Technical Cultures