Delivering scalable and resilient hybrid-cloud infrastructure for the AG Barr Oracle Database estate

Owing to an existing partnership with Swisslog, the independent software vendor re-engaged Xynomix to support another client; AG Barr. The task? To design a solution that provided a future-proofed approach for the beverage manufacturer’s Oracle estate.

Client

AG Barr (via Swisslog)

Industry

Manufacturing & Production

Services

Hybrid-Cloud
Hardware Refresh
Disaster Recovery

Technologies

Oracle Database
Oracle Database Appliance
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Background

AG Barr were running Oracle Standard Edition RAC on a stretch ASM cluster. Based on this set up, Xynomix were given the challenge of engineering a fault-tolerant system. There also needed to be zero-data-loss at the database level, and the ability to scale in line with the operational needs of the customer.

Proposed Solution

To achieve this Xynomix recommended a hybrid cloud solution for Oracle Backup, massively reducing the need for onsite tape technology. This was complemented by Oracle Database Appliance (ODA). These options allowed for growth, with tremendous improvements in performance and scalability.

Limitations of Standard Edition

AG Barr had total control of their Oracle licencing and elected to move to Enterprise Edition of Oracle Database. This permits the ability to utilise all the features of the Oracle Enterprise Edition Database, including Oracle Data Guard.

Upgrading Oracle Licence

As Oracle Standard Edition RAC isn’t supported from 19c, the decision was taken to upgrade the licence to Enterprise Edition. Subsequently, this facilitated the utilisation of Oracle Data Guard to enable a configuration for zero data loss.

One of the key features of the ODA is the pay-as-you-grow licence model. This scalable scenario enabled the client to upgrade; removing Standard Edition limitations whilst gaining better features and database options. This solution maximised functionality with only a minimal uplift to Oracle licence cost.

Utilising Cloud for Backups

The solution also included the Oracle Backup to the Cloud, where the ODA utilises the cloud as its tape (storage) device. This removed the need for additional hardware and ensures in the event of recovery, that the backups are always available. There was also an additional bonus of being able to convert the backups into running “Database As A Service” (DBaaS), this provides further protection in the event of a disaster recovery scenario.

The Outcome

In summary, this is a Highly Available (HA), fault-tolerant and scalable solution. Oracle Data Guard (Maximum Availability feature) provides zero data loss at the Database level, less complicated hardware footprint and back up to the cloud with a DBaaS option in the event of a Disaster Recovery (DR) requirement. This results in a saving of 38% against a traditional x86 hardware solution.

Need Database Support?

If your organisation requires assistance with hybrid-cloud infrastructure, or you want to maximise database functionality through licencing, contact Xynomix today!

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