2.3. Database Requirements

This section applies only to RHN Satellite Server with Stand-Alone Database as the requirements for the Embedded Database are included in the Satellite machine's hardware requirements. Red Hat supports RHN Satellite Server 5.0.0 installations in conjunction with Oracle 9i R2. The Stand-Alone Database must not run on the same server as the RHN Satellite Server.

A single 6 GB tablespace is recommended as more than sufficient for most installations. It is possible for many customers to function with a smaller tablespace. An experienced Oracle database administrator (DBA) will be necessary to assess sizing issues. The following formula should be used to determine the required size of your database:

For instance, an RHN Satellite Server containing 10 channels serving 10,000 systems would require 1.92 GB for its clients and 640 MB for its channels. If custom channels are to be established for testing and staging of packages, they must be included in this formula.

Keep in mind, the database storage needs may grow rapidly, depending upon the variance of the following factors:

Although you should be generous in your database sizing estimates, you must consider that size affects the time to conduct backups and adds load to other system resources. If the database is shared, its hardware and spacing are entirely dependent on what else is using it.

Additionally, block sizes must be a minimum of 8 KB for RHN Satellite Server to install properly.

The Oracle database should have a user assigned to RHN Satellite Server with full DDL and DML access to that user's default tablespace. The user needs standard connection information for the database at the time of installation.

The precise access levels required by the Oracle user are as follows:

Additional database requirements include:

The disk layout on the database machine is independent of the RHN Satellite Server and entirely up to the customer.