Question : Level of Support for Oracle Technologies

Hello,

In implementing a non-vanilla Oracle technology the support overhead to maintain the given database can increase significantly.  Many times this level of support is not known until a given technology is already in place.  I'd like to get a better handle on the TRUE level of support associated with most of the popular Oracle technologies.  At least at a high level.

BASELINE DATABASE (starting point - for purposes of this post)
* A single instance Oracle database created using DBCA.
* Four redo log groups with 2 member files each.
* The database is in archive log mode.
* Traditional RMAN backups to disk are used.
* Role: OLTP to very modest DSS.
* The database role is implemented via a few user schema.

TYPES OF ADDED OVERHEAD (if a given technology is implemented)
1. Standard maintenance tasks are considerably harder.
    Example tasks: resizing tablespaces, adding and changing redo log files; changing the location of control, data, redo or archive log files; managing user accounts, OraNet management etc.
2. Routine Oracle patches require special considerations and\or actions.
3. RMAN backups require special considerations and\or actions.
4. RMAN restore\recover operations require special considerations and\or actions.
5. Disaster recovery options are negatively affected.
6. There is a jump in the number of required Oracle QC checks (daily\weekly\quarterly etc.).
7. There are added specialized routine maintenance tasks as a result of the new technology.
8. A novice DBA could not support it.
9. Specialized training is required to ideally support it.

QUESTION
Given the criteria\baseline set, what types of added support or negative phenomena for the below have you had to contend with as a result of implementing them?

* Advanced Security
* ASM
* Data Guard
* Database Vault
* Label Security
* OLAP
* Oracle Grid Control
* Oracle Text
* Paritioning
* Streams
* RAC

I am looking to draw from any production experience you have with these and share it with the Oracle community.  This is wide open.  Please feel free to make any related comments.

Thanks,

Michael

Answer : Level of Support for Oracle Technologies

Oracle is a very adaptive set of products (via adding different features and special installations and architecture). The instalations have its own flavour and they are different even the same product is installed on different OS.

E.g.
- installations on Windows and Unix deffer significantly
- added overhead is knowledge of the concrete OS
- National Language Support adds new chalenge to the DBA tasks

Normally most DBAs can freely install Data Guard.
Other technologies need special training and many experiments.
RMAN is complex and hard to maintain product and needs special attention and more education plus experiments.