oracle 10g HPUX VXFS to Linux Ext3

[SYSTEM]

My customer is migrating there database (oracle 10G) from HPUX 11iv3 VXFS FS to Redhat Linux ext3. For this they suggest they need to convert the files to ext3 format.

Customer is using NFS mount of HPUX11iv3 NFS (v3) to mount on Linux server and use oracle RMAN utility to convert the data.

Questions:

1) This process seems to be very slow due to NFS, Customer need to transfer around 6 TB of data. Has anybody faced this problem before?

2) Anyone aware about an HP utility to convert HPUX VXFS filesystem to Linux EXT3 for oracle data?

[SYSTEM]

There is no utility that I'm aware of to convert from VxFS to ext3. Using NFS for this is notoriously slow. I would rather use multiple streams of remote shell (ssh if you need the security and have the CPU power) with tar.

You do not need to convert the files. What you need is to convert from big-endian data (HP-UX) to little-endian data (Linux on x86_64) in the files that contain the Oracle tablespaces. Your best options for this are cross platform transportable tablespaces (XTTS, an Oracle 10g or later feature) or work with the HP Smooth Transition Method.

[SYSTEM]

without forgetting that some data type are not “transportable”…

[SYSTEM]

In addition to the methods offered, another route worth investigating might be the Veritas’ Cross-Platform Data Sharing capability. If the VxVM volumes are of the “cdsdisk” type (vs “hpdisk”), you can explore the use of “fscdsconv” to swap the byte ordering. If the disks are not in CDS form, you can use the “vxcdsconvert” utility to switch the formats . . .

I don’t know all the particulars offhand in terms of disk layout version requirements, licensing, etc., but it’s worth a look I’d say. I believe an entire Administration Guide exists that talks to the processes involved.

[SYSTEM]

To use the parallelism option whilst running the convert datafile command, this option may help speed up things.

Also check storage area permissions closely on this type of tasks....it can still work, but will take 10x longer if storage is not "owned' fully by Oracle.

[SYSTEM]

If the Disks are over a SAN, and it it’s possible to present those to the Linux system, veritas has an option CDS (Cross-platform Data Sharing).
This option allows to move/present those Volumes between different operating systems.
If they did create those disk/volumes with this option enable, otherwise they can convert it at origin to CDS.
This will require some Veritas Licenses if they are not present, but at least at the linux server (You can also check to get temporary/evaluation licenses).
And the installation of the Veritas Storage Fundation on the linux server. To be used only for the migration, then it can be removed since the conversion to ext3 can be done when performing the RMAN for the required Migration (Endian).
This way you do not have to move the data over the Lan.
Still need RMAN to convert Endian, but this will be over local storage.