Introduction

In today's dynamic IT environment, IT leaders are constantly navigating the challenges of managing rising costs, ensuring data integrity, and building resilience against cyber threats. What if a combination of cost effective, proven technologies could help you address these challenges more effectively, without compromising performance or security?

We believe there's a powerful and practical synergy to explore: Oracle Linux KVM for virtualization, Veeam Backup & Replication for data protection, and Veeam Data Cloud Vault for secure, immutable offsite storage. Let's delve into why this combination warrants your consideration.

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Oracle Linux:?An Enterprise Grade Robust Operating System

Oracle Linux stands out as a secure, high-performance, and cost-effective operating system tailored for enterprise needs¡ªespecially for organisations running Oracle software or seeking robust support, zero-downtime patching, and cloud-native capabilities. Its integration with Oracle¡¯s ecosystem, combined with advanced automation, security, and support offerings, makes it a compelling choice for modern, mission-critical IT environments. It is also highly capable for non-Oracle workloads making it an attractive base to organisations that require leading features for databases as well as virtual machines for applications and other workloads. Why Enterprises Should Consider Oracle Linux

• Optimized for Oracle Workloads: Oracle Linux is specifically tuned for Oracle Database and applications, ensuring maximum performance, reliability, and seamless compatibility. Oracle¡¯s engineering teams rigorously test the OS with Oracle software, enabling faster troubleshooting and better integration than generic Linux distributions.
• Performance and Scalability: The Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel (UEK) delivers cutting-edge Linux innovations and optimizations for high-throughput, low-latency workloads. Linux is a very efficient and fast operating system, Oracle Linux is fast for all workloads, but has particular optimisations for the Oracle database.
• Zero-Downtime Patching: With Ksplice, Oracle Linux enables live kernel and critical user-space patching without requiring system reboots, minimizing downtime and improving security posture¡ªcrucial for mission-critical and 24/7 operations.
• Comprehensive Security and Compliance: Advanced security features include SELinux, secure boot, and compliance certifications (FIPS, Common Criteria). Automated, real-time patching and proactive vulnerability management help organizations meet stringent regulatory requirements.
• Integrated Virtualisation and Cloud-Native Tools: Oracle Linux includes the open-source KVM hypervisor, 'Oracle Linux Virtualization Manager' (OLVM), and CNCF-certified Kubernetes at no extra cost, supporting modern DevOps, containerisation, and hybrid/multi-cloud strategies.
• Automation and Management: Built-in automation tools (the Ansible-based AWX?open-source project) and Oracle OS Management Hub streamline patching, configuration, and monitoring, reducing administrative overhead and human error.
• Flexible Support and Lifecycle: Oracle offers 24/7 global support, extended lifecycle options (including lifetime sustaining support), and indemnification. Premier Support includes access to all updates, management tools, and virtualization features.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Oracle Linux is free to download, use, and distribute. Enterprises only pay for support if desired, and there are no licensing costs for the OS itself.
• Easy Migration and Compatibility: 100% application binary compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), making migration from CentOS or RHEL straightforward.

Oracle Linux KVM: A Modern Approach to Virtualization

The virtualization landscape is continually evolving, with many organizations seeking alternatives to rising costs and vendor lock-in. Oracle's strategic commitment to KVM signifies its role as a robust, open-source hypervisor. As Oracle's default hypervisor for both cloud and on-premises deployments ¨C including Oracle Database and RAC environments ¨C KVM offers compelling advantages.

Consider these key benefits of KVM, especially for Oracle users:

• Near-Native Performance & Scalability: KVM is designed to deliver performance that rivals bare-metal installations, providing the power and scalability demanding Oracle workloads require.
• Transparent & Predictable Licensing: Oracle Linux KVM, can be licenses by purchasing Oracle Premier Support which is currently based on licensing by physical CPU pairs, offering a more predictable and transparent financial model.
• Significant Oracle Licensing Considerations (Hard Partitioning): This is a crucial point for Oracle customers. KVM supports hard partitioning, which can lead to substantial reductions in Oracle software licensing costs by allowing precise control over CPU resource allocation for virtual machines.
• Seamless Cloud Integration: KVM facilitates easier workload migration between on-premises and cloud environments, providing greater flexibility for your infrastructure.
• Enhanced Security & Uptime: Built-in features like SE Linux, oVirt (that give many VMWARE-like features), Ksplice (for zero-downtime kernel patching), contribute to a highly secure and available environment.
• Any Database:?KVM?can be used for the Enterprise Database, with or without RAC, Standard Edition, MySQL?and PostgreSQL - its not just an Oracle database specific solution.

KVM is gaining traction across various industries due to its open-source flexibility, broad adoption, and effective integration with leading cloud and data centre solutions. Oracle refers to this as the 'Oracle Linux Virtualiizaton Manager'(OLVM) which is not to be confused with the older OVM (a Xen-based virtualisation product that can run on Windows, Unix &?Linux). A?lot of the OLVM?features are derived from the oVirt open source package that provide VMWARE-like features including:

• Integrated Management: OLVM manages hosts, storage, and network configuration in a unified manner, a capability originating from oVirt¡¯s comprehensive infrastructure management.
• Live Migration: Supports live migration of virtual machines and disks between hosts and storage without downtime, a key feature of oVirt.
• High Availability: Provides VM high availability in case of host failures, ensuring enterprise-grade reliability.
• Virtual Datacenter Management: Organises resources into clusters, storage domains, and networks, with support for various storage protocols (NFS, iSCSI, Fibre Channel, GlusterFS) and advanced network features like VLANs and SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualisation).
• Advanced VM Management: Includes snapshots, cloning, templates, cloud-init for automated VM provisioning, and multi-protocol VM access (SPICE, VNC, RDP).
• Security and Access Control: Implements role-based access control and secure communication between components.
• APIs and Automation: Offers REST APIs for integration and automation, enabling custom workflows and third-party tool integration.

This capability does make the use of Oracle Linux with OLVM?a viable alterative to VMWARE that is a fraction of the cost and a simple to understand licensing model. We have customers that use this solution to save significant costs.

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Veeam Backup & Replication: Comprehensive Data Protection

Reliable data protection is non-negotiable. Veeam, a recognised leader in data backup and recovery, now offers full, enterprise-grade support for Oracle Linux KVM environments. This expanded support means you can confidently protect your Oracle Database VMs with a trusted solution.

Veeam Backup & Replication provides:

• Agentless, Image-Level Backups: Achieve consistent and reliable protection for your VMs without the need to install agents within each guest operating system.
• Unified Management: Manage backups across diverse hypervisor platforms ¨C including KVM, VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, and Red Hat ¨C from a single, centralized console.
• Flexible & Rapid Recovery: Recover data precisely as needed, from full VM restores to granular file-level and even individual application-item recovery.
• Portable Backups: Benefit from portable backup formats that offer data freedom and simplify migrations.
• Operational Efficiency: Leverage automation, instant recovery capabilities, and reduced management overhead to streamline your backup operations.

Veeam's platform is designed to provide secure, scalable, and cost-effective backup and recovery across all workloads in hybrid cloud environments. In today's threat landscape, simply backing up data isn't enough; it needs to be protected from sophisticated attacks like ransomware. Veeam Data Cloud Vault addresses this by providing immutable, encrypted, and air-gapped cloud backup storage, seamlessly integrated with Veeam Backup & Replication.

Key advantages of Veeam Data Cloud Vault include:

• True Immutability: Backups cannot be altered or deleted within their defined retention period, offering a strong defence against ransomware, accidental deletion, and insider threats.
• Air-Gapped & Encrypted Security: Data Cloud Vault maintains a logical separation from your production environment, creating an "air gap" that isolates your backups. Data is encrypted both in transit and at rest, ensuring a high level of security.
• Simplicity & Predictable Costs: The service offers straightforward, per-terabyte pricing that covers storage, API calls, restores, and egress, helping to avoid hidden fees or billing surprises.
• Compliance & Data Sovereignty: It supports various compliance requirements, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA.
• Rapid Recovery: Facilitates quick restoration directly to cloud compute or back to on-premises environments, helping you meet demanding recovery time objectives (RTOs).?
• Zero Trust Architecture Alignment: This solution aligns with zero-trust principles and supports the widely recognized 3-2-1-1-0 rule for robust data protection (three copies, two media types, one copy offsite, one immutable, and zero errors).

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The Combined Value: A Resilient and Efficient Approach

When Oracle Linux KVM, Veeam Backup & Replication, and Veeam Data Cloud Vault are integrated, they offer more than just individual benefits. This combination creates a synergistic platform that enhances performance, optimizes costs, and strengthens your data resilience.

Here¡¯s a summary of how this integrated approach can benefit your IT strategy:

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Together, these technologies provide a level of resilience, agility, and peace of mind for your Oracle Database workloads that can be challenging to achieve with fragmented or legacy solutions.

Corvus IT: Your Partner for Implementation

At Corvus IT, we focus on helping organizations implement and optimize this powerful solution ¨C Oracle Linux KVM, Veeam Backup & Replication, and Veeam Data Cloud Vault ¨C tailored to your specific operational needs. Our services include:

• Assessment & Planning: Expert guidance.
• Implementation: Building and migrating your existing environments to KVM for optimal performance.
• Deployment & Configuration: Seamlessly integrate Veeam Backup & Replication and Veeam Data Cloud Vault for secure cloud backups.
• Ongoing Support: Providing proactive monitoring and continuous support to ensure smooth operations.

Conclusion: A Strategic Choice for Your Data

In today's demanding IT landscape, where cost-efficiency, robust security, and reliable data protection are paramount, the combined capabilities of Oracle Linux KVM, Veeam Backup & Replication, and Veeam Data Cloud Vault with immutable backups offer a compelling proposition. This represents not just an incremental improvement, but a significant step forward in how you manage and protect your critical Oracle databases and data.

Ready to Discuss Your Oracle Environment ?

If you're exploring ways to modernize, secure, and optimize your critical Oracle databases, we invite you to contact Corvus IT today for a no obligation discussion on how this solution could benefit your organisation.