Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!apple!olivea!orc!bu.edu!mirror!frog!barr
From: barr@frog.UUCP (Chris Barr)
Newsgroups: comp.databases
Subject: Re: Oracle & Number of Users
Summary: heavy usage: 6 users max in 16 meg
Keywords: oracle users performance
Message-ID: <18383@frog.UUCP>
Date: 31 Aug 90 23:04:00 GMT
References: <2399@mic.UUCP>
Organization: Charles River Data Systems
Lines: 23

In article <2399@mic.UUCP>, gary@mic.UUCP (Gary Lewin) writes:
> It is my understanding that on a 33 mhz, caching UN*X system with 16
> megs of ram, up to 16 users could run Oracle at once.  At least
> according to people at Oracle.
> 
> 1)  How many simultaneous users are <REALLY> able to use the above
>     system with little or no performance degradation?

In our experience, sql*forms applications which open many cursors can 
                                                -----------------
eat up the 15 meg (1 meg is lost on DOS architecture motherboards running
Unix) with only 6 users.  However, we've also run 20 users, with each
using very, very few open cursors.  The performance hit is in paging 
to disk.

The math for calculating processes' memory consumption is pretty 
straightforward, with input from ps commands showing text (shared) 
and data sizes.

It's easy to recommend a 486 system, which at least will have the 
option of upgrading to support > 16 Meg.  The vast majority of '386 
motherboards have an AT architecture that won't go above 16; a few 
go to 24 or 40.