FlashGrid offers HA database architecture for mission-critical applications that allows full control and flexibility to meet database and infrastructure requirements:

• Active-active or Fail-over database clustering using proven FlashGrid and Oracle clustering technologies.
• Full control of sizing, patching/updates, and database features. You have the root@ access.
• Portability between cloud providers.
• Ease of deployment similar to DBaaS.

Yes. Since 2017, AWS customers have been running Oracle RAC on Amazon EC2 using FlashGrid Cluster. AWS recommends FlashGrid Cluster for running Oracle RAC. The Multi-AZ capability of FlashGrid Cluster enables database uptime of 99.999% and fault-tolerance exceeding typical on-premises Oracle RAC deployments. The latest generations of EC2 instances, such as R6i and R7i, provide sufficient performance even for the largest Oracle RAC databases with capacities over 500 TB. For more information, watch this 1-minute explanation video.

No. Currently, it is not possible. However, you can run Oracle RAC on AWS using FlashGrid Cluster on EC2 instances. In some cases, this configuration provides other crucial advantages; for more information, see the Amazon RDS and FlashGrid Cluster comparison table.

Technically, yes, but there are multiple reasons why it is unpractical in most use cases. A more viable alternative is to run Oracle RAC on AWS’s native EC2 environment using FlashGrid Cluster. See this feature-by-feature comparison of the two solutions.

Yes. FlashGrid Cluster enables Oracle RAC on AWS Outposts in the same way as AWS regions. FlashGrid’s 24×7 support covers the infrastructure stack.

Yes. FlashGrid Cluster enables Oracle RAC in AWS Local Zones and AWS Dedicated Local Zones. FlashGrid’s 24×7 support covers the infrastructure stack.

Maximum uptime with zero RTO and RPO. FlashGrid Cluster for Oracle RAC on AWS enables active-active high availability with zero downtime patching Spreading the RAC database nodes across availability zones (Multi-AZ) protects against data center failures.

Yes. Those running single-instance databases on AWS also benefit from using FlashGrid Cluster by increasing database availability and mitigating the lack of control over computing and storage resources.

Use FlashGrid Cluster to deploy and run Oracle RAC in AWS, perform a lift-and-shift from on-prem, and migrate your existing data. In most cases, zero coding or refactoring is required. FlashGrid Launcher simplifies the process of configuring database clusters and enables repeatable, fully automated deployments in AWS within two hours or less.

Contact the FlashGrid team to access pre-sales technical consultations, customer system assessments, proof-of-concept support, and round-the-clock production support. In addition, we collaborate with a comprehensive network of partners that can support you further with technical implementation, data migration, and digital transformation initiatives.

The migration process is similar to migrating a database between two data centers. Depending on the size of the database and tolerable downtime, you can use one of the regular migration tools, such as RMAN backup/restore, export/import, or DataGuard replication. If required, FlashGrid can recommend a suitable partner with experience in complex migrations.

Testing performed at FlashGrid and by our customers demonstrated performance levels matching or exceeding that of high-end on-premises systems. See the Performance Considerations section in the whitepapers for AWS. Our engineers can help you analyze your application performance needs and size the database cluster accordingly – request a demo.

Oracle RAC and single-instance databases can be migrated from Oracle Exadata to AWS. FlashGrid Cluster enables the infrastructure capabilities required for running Oracle RAC and Failover HA databases on EC2. The EC2 infrastructure provides up to 224 cores per node, up to 10 GBPS of storage throughput, and up to 200 Gbit/s for each database node. This allows matching or even exceeding the performance capabilities of Oracle Exadata.

The main alternative to Oracle RAC on AWS is failover HA for Oracle databases. FlashGrid Cluster enables both Oracle RAC and Failover HA clustering on AWS. However, FlashGrid recommends Oracle RAC (with multi-AZ) for the most critical databases requiring uptimes of 99.99% or 99.999%.

FlashGrid Cluster by itself consumes a negligible amount of system resources. Compared to a single-instance database, a Real Application Cluster database has overhead for communication and data mirroring between the nodes. However, clustering adds CPU, memory, and disk resources that speed up parallel operations.

The FlashGrid architecture does not impose any strict limits on the database size. With 2 or 3 hyper-converged nodes, up to 300 TB is practical. 300+ TB database sizes can be supported with separate storage nodes. FlashGrid customers are running RAC databases on AWS ranging from 1 to 100s of TBs.

The FlashGrid architecture does not impose strict limits on the number of RAC nodes. In most cases, we recommend two or three nodes. To reduce network overhead, we recommend increasing the size of the nodes (up to 224 cores) before adding more nodes. 2+2 redundancy across two availability zones may be used for extra HA. Clusters with 4+ nodes are possible for extra-large capacities. For more details, please see the Typical Cluster Configurations in the Architecture overview.

Oracle Database versions 19c, 18c, 12.2, 12.1, and 11.2 are supported.

For database nodes, Oracle Linux 7 and 8 or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and 8. Application servers and other database clients can run on any operating system, including Linux and Windows.

Yes. For cloud deployments, FlashGrid Technical Support Services cover the entire infrastructure stack and are included in the Marketplace fees.

We have a comprehensive knowledge base, and we can guide you through the process step-by-step. Contact us to schedule a screen-sharing session with one of our engineers.

FlashGrid fees are billed by AWS through AWS Marketplace and consolidated into your monthly AWS invoice. The marketplace software fees include FlashGrid software license and technical 24/7 support.

FlashGrid does not replace or emulate any part of the RAC software stack. FlashGrid provides storage, network, and automation capabilities for running Oracle RAC in public clouds. In some cases, an affordable alternative to Oracle RAC could be Oracle Failover HA.

No. Oracle licenses and support must be purchased directly from Oracle.

Numerous enterprise organizations run Oracle Databases, including RAC, successfully in AWS. For expert advice on this matter, consult with an Oracle licensing advisor or begin by reading this insightful article from Palisade Compliance.

No, FlashGrid Cluster is compatible with these, as well as most backup and disaster recovery tools.

Asynchronous replication to another AWS region using Oracle Data Guard is typically the best solution for Oracle Database DR on AWS. For maximum availability, run identical Oracle RAC clusters, each with multi-AZ configuration, in both primary and secondary regions. For lower budgets and requirements, it may be sufficient to have a single Oracle RAC cluster spanning multiple AZs in the primary region and either replication to a single-instance database in the secondary region or regular database backups to the secondary region. FlashGrid Cluster with Oracle RAC in a multi-AZ configuration provides protection against outages localized to a single data center, such as loss of power, cooling, or storage access.

Oracle Database can technically run in almost any cloud, but because it often underpins the backend of mission-critical applications, a mature CSP (Cloud Service Provider) is the preferred choice for reliability. AWS and Azure are the top two most mature and enterprise-ready clouds to run Oracle Database. FlashGrid Cluster with Oracle RAC leverages the Multi-AZ capabilities of AWS and Azure to achieve maximum fault-tolerance and 99.999% database uptime SLA.

Yes. Among public clouds, AWS has the longest history of running enterprise-grade applications. Amazon RDS for Oracle and FlashGrid Cluster for Oracle RAC were available on AWS before Oracle introduced a DBaaS offering for their own cloud, OCI. Multiple availability zones in each AWS region coupled with FlashGrid Cluster and Oracle RAC enable high availability and fault tolerance exceeding a typical on-premises Oracle Database deployment.

Oracle Database is the #1 database management technology (DB-Engines rank), and it powers many of the world’s most critical operations. AWS customers can harness the combined power of AWS EC2, FlashGrid Cluster, and Oracle RAC or Oracle Failover HA to achieve uptimes as high as 99.999%.