Can we have multiple Oracle databases per Server?

[irshad]

Hi,

I know in Microsoft SQL Server we can have multiple "databases" on the same SQL "Server".

Is this possible in Oracle?
I am using Oracle 8.1.5 on Solaris 8.

Thanks, (sorry for the dumb question, I am new to this)
Irshad Ahmed

 

[karluk]

In a word "yes". Use database assistant to create as many databases as your server will support. Of course you will need sufficient memory and disk space, and enough idle CPU to handle the extra load on the system.

 

[irshad]

Hi karluk,

Thank you.
What is database assistant? Is it a command-line program or a GUI? (I am using Oracle 8i on Sun Solaris 8)

Thanks,
Irshad

 

[ljspop]

irshad -

Keep in mind that "databases" in SQLServer is kind of equivalent
to Schemas in Oracle. (although interestingly Microsoft says they
are kind of equivalent to tablespaces?). You can have multiple
schemas on one database within Oracle, just as you would have
multiple databases on one SQLServer. Confused yet?

There are articles on both Oracle's and Microsoft's tech sites about
migrating to the authors product from the competitors. If you had
to read just one, I'd read Oracle's, but it is kinda fun to compare the
the two.

If you wanted to keep applications seperated so that maintenance
and so forth on one instance did not effect the other, than it might
make sense to run multiple instances on one server. IMHO it would
make more sense in that case to run multiple instances on different
servers.

Good luck,

Bob

 

[raygg]

You can also have multiple installations of multiple versions of Oracle each with multiple databases, all on the same server. For example, I have a test server with Oracle 8.0.4, 8.0.5, and 8.0.6 all on the same machine. When you do this, set up a folder d:\Oracle and then separate homes for each D:\oracle\ora804, d:\oracle\ora805 etc. to kewep the versions straight. For each installation - I have set up at least one database. The tricky part is that you have to use the listener and other utilities from the most recent version of Oracle (in this case the 8.0.6 version). I also have another server with an 8.0.5 and an 8.1.6 installation on the same machine - again - use the listener from the most recent version. Disable the other one. Also if you do want to use multiple listeners - you must give unique names to each listener and keep a list of these names handy when you shut down and start up listeners using LSNRCTL.