Why Azure is a Great Cloud Destination for Oracle Applications?

Microsoft and Oracle together enable the user to migrate and run critical workloads across Microsoft Azure and Oracle cloud infrastructure, seamlessly.

In this article we’ll cover:

1. Benefits of Oracle on Azure
2. Solutions to run Oracle applications and databases on Azure
3. Steps to Creating Oracle Azure Database
4. Free POC and the LogicEra advantage

Benefits of Oracle on Azure

Oracle is known for its wide range of database applications and services, which can be set up in the Azure cloud. Broadly the benefits of this setup include cloud-based high availability and scalability, Azure backup and recovery, and Azure’s native features for hybrid infrastructure.

Here’s what makes Azure a great destination for cloud applications:

• Application Support – All Oracle applications are supported and can be run in Azure, including Oracle Retail, PeopleSoft, E-Business Suite, and Weblogic Server.
• Availability – Oracle Database can be hosted in multiple availability zones, making them highly available.
• Scalability – Azure allows to scale of storage and compute resources as required to adapt to changing workloads.
• Flexibility – It allows you to derive insights from your distributed data estate across on-prem, Azure, and Oracle cloud infrastructure. Azure supports hybrid infrastructure with Oracle Cloud and with on-premises resources through Azure Stack. This enables you to configure the greatest flexibility for your workloads and data.
• Backup — you can back up databases directly or use RMAN. Azure also offers the ability to write RMAN backups to blob storage for added loss protection.
• Recovery – Azure is compatible with Data Guard, enabling you to set up a failover database for disaster recovery. You can also activate Data Guard Far Sync to ensure that your failover remains consistent with your production database.
• Technologically Advanced – enables you to take advantage of Azure services and implement AI and IoT for business today.

Solutions to run Oracle applications and databases on Azure

Azure offers a number of options for running Oracle applications and databases in Azure, including how the databases are hosted and supporting solutions that help in managing and supporting the deployments.

1. Database and Application Hosting

Offers several options to choose from both application and the database.

2. Oracle DB on Azure Infra

Using the Oracle Linux images from the marketplace is the simplest way to host databases. It is available for the following databases: 12.1, 12.2, and 18.3 enterprise editions. Or, a non-Oracle Linux image or a custom image can also be used. Custom images allow two options, one: creating an image in Azure from scratch, and two: uploading an image from the existing on-prem environment. Irrespective of the image in use, Oracle Automated Storage (ASM) can be added, which allows the user to attach and manage multiple storage disks for databases.

3. Oracle applications on Azure infrastructure

On the lines of database images, multiple Oracle operating system images are available in the Marketplace. Oracle WebLogic Server 12.1.2 and Oracle Linux with the Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) 6.8 – 7.6 are the most frequently used ones.

4. Support Solutions

Following the deployment of the database and applications, it’s time to start adding support solutions to the environment. Support solutions ensure high availability, data recovery, and backups

5. High-availability solutions

Azure availability zones, by default, offer high availability support. During the deployment, you are given the option to deploy across multiple zones for redundancy and distribution of workloads. For the regions without availability zones, one can use availability sets. Another method to increase availability is by utilizing the tools created by Oracle for example Sharding is a data tier architecture enabling you to partition data across databases and provide fault isolation and tolerance, similarly, GoldenGate is a software that enables real-time data integration and replication in cloud and hybrid environments.

6. Oracle disaster recovery solutions

Built-in data guard utility which is included in Oracle databases is the best option for disaster recovery. It enables the users to create standby database copies which you can failover if required. Data Guard also comes with a fast-start failover (FSFO) option for improved recovery time. To improve your protections and ensure zero data loss, you can combine this utility with a Far Sync instance. Far Sync instances are remote instances that accept redo from your primary databases and pass it on to your copies. When using this option, you should set up your Far Sync instance in a separate availability zone if possible. You can also consider using the Maximum Availability feature for real-time synchronization to the Far Sync instance.

7. Oracle backup solutions

When backing up your databases in Azure, you can either use Azure native options or Oracle utilities. The Azure native option is Azure Backup, which can be used with multiple Azure services. This service also enables you to automate and manage backups. The Oracle alternative is Recovery Manager (RMAN). This is a built-in feature of Oracle databases that enables you to backup, restore, and recover databases. You can use this utility in combination with Azure Blob Fuse for greater resiliency. Blob Fuse enables you to mount a Blob Storage account to your database instance. You can then write your RMAN backups to this account.

Steps to create your first Azure Oracle database

Creating an Azure Oracle database is a simple process. The most used method to deploy Oracle on Azure is to create a virtual machine with a pre-installed database. Oracle provides numerous virtual machines with multiple database options.

Below is a step-by-step guide. Prerequisites are that you should have an Azure account with billing configured. In case you don’t have an account, you can create an account with a free trial for demo purposes.

Build a Virtual Machine

Open Azure Management Portal and log in. Select ‘Compute’ from the menu (bottom). Select Compute > Virtual Machines > From Gallery.

Select the Oracle software

In the gallery section of the preconfigured virtual machine, select the appropriate Oracle software from the list, click the arrow and continue.

Configure the machine

Configure your machine by giving it a name, selecting the size, and providing a username and password. Post configuration settings, click on the arrow to move to the next step.

Select Mode

Specify the DNS name that’ll be used to connect your virtual machine, and select the storage and data center. Proceed further with the arrow. Check the box to complete the virtual machine wizard.

Connect to your new machine

Wait for a few minutes for the machine to provision and it’ll be ready to use. Once it’s ready, select it from the list connected with your username and password chosen in step 3. Finally, you’ll be able to connect your new virtual machine running the Oracle software through a remote desktop.

When deciding to run Oracle on Azure, there are a variety of prerequisites where LogicEra can help with your Oracle cloud infrastructure, this includes how the database is hosted and surrounding solutions that help in managing and supporting the deployments.

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The LogicEra Advantage

LogicEra is a Microsoft cloud solution provider helping companies with Azure database migration, and cloud migration, DevOps services across UAE and UK. Helping enterprises stay a step ahead in their cloud migration journey.

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