Parallel Database Technology

SUMMARY 
   Parallel relational database management system, MPP technology for commercial and scientific data
   processing, parallel database system performance evaluation, integration of data processing intensive
   and CPU intensive applications, parallel database superserver, high bandwidth network access,
   multimedia server.

PARTICIPANTS 
   Northeast Parallel Architectures Center 
   Oracle Corporation 

KEY CONTACTS 
   Marek Podgorny, podgorny@npac.syr.edu, (315) 443-4879

IMPACT 
   Powerful database server integrating transaction processing and decision support. Unprecedented
   processing power and storage capacity outside of the mainframe realm open new possibilities for
   interactive applications with high data processing demands. Integration with high bandwidth wide area
   network offers a testbed for innovative distributed applications. Attractive platform for network
   multimedia applications, including video on demand. In NPAC environment, together with other
   resources, Parallel Server offers a distributed, heterogenous platform for the development of applications
   demanding both high CPU power and complex, time-consuming data processing.

DESCRIPTION 
   The currently funded project includes parallel database technology evaluation for the purpose of military
   applications. In the course of the project we have analyzed performance of the hardware and software
   components of the Parallel Oracle Server installed on the nCUBE2 MPP platform.

   We carried out a detailed analysis of the I/O subsystem performance, including a study of its scalability
   and of its impact on the overall performance of the parallel server. In addition, we implemented a number
   of parallel data query operations on top of Oracle Parallel Server v.6.2 to investigate the limits of the
   technology and to evaluate the potential of the upcoming Parallel Server v.7.1 which will support parallel
   execution of the decision support type queries.

   The current configuration of the server includes a 64 processor array with 2GB of RAM, 32 I/O nodes
   with SCSI controllers forming a scalable parallel I/O subsystem, 0.2 TB on-line disk space, and
   additional I/O nodes for control and networking. The server runs Oracle RDBMS v. 7.0.13. The server is
   currently being integrated with the high bandwidth NPAC LAN and with the ATM-based New York
   State NYNET wide area network. A number of commercial and military/dual-use applications are
   currently under discussion with the InfoMall partners, including fraud detection, imagery on demand,
   real-time news video server, GIS applications, and real-time market analysis.

   Further plans for development of the parallel database technology in NPAC include beta testing of the
   IBM SP1 version of the Oracle Parallel Server and integration of a number Oracle tools, including their
   text retrieval system, with the Parallel Server.