Oracle is releasing the underlying code to software it developed to
allow databases to be better managed on clusters of Linux
servers
Robert Shimp, vice-president of database marketing at Oracle, said
the company would be making the source code for its new Clustered
File System designed for its Oracle9i Real Application Clusters
(RAC) available to users.
The release available tomorrow (Wednesday) will be an early test
version of the software for developers. Shimp said a production
version of the software is due for release in October.
"It's the first time that we've offered source code from Oracle to
the Linux community," he said.
Available with Oracle9i Database Release 2, the software is
designed to allow the management of data across large numbers of
connected server and storage systems. This type of software ensures
that data remains consistent even though many users are modifying
files on the hardware at the same time.
The source code for the Oracle Cluster File System is being made
available under the GNU/General Public Licence, the same software
licence that covers the Linux operating system. In theory, Oracle's
RAC technology could eventually be embedded within the Linux
kernel.
Shrimp said, "We think that probably the best thing for the Linux
community is to have a robust open source technology; that way the
Linux operating system will become more and more enterprise
ready."
Oracle is not alone in offering a clustered file system that is
designed to ease the management of database software running on
clusters of Linux servers. IBM has its own version of the
technology called Control Center that ships with its DB2 Enterprise
Extended Edition database software. IBM said it planned to
demonstrate at LinuxWorld a 40-node Linux cluster running DB2 that
makes use of Control Center.
The source code for the Oracle Clustered File System will be
available on the
Oracle
Technology Network Web site.