Stephen F. Austin State University Deploys New Database System to Support 8 Times More Users -- Campus Technology

Stephen F. Austin State University Deploys New Database System to Support 8 Times More Users

By Leila Meyer
07/11/13

Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in Texas has implemented a new database system to improve the reliability of its registration and student information systems.

The university had been using a combination of solutions from multiple vendors, but the system was unreliable and lacked scalability. System updates were complex in the multi-vendor environment, and the university's systems and database administration teams often had to work overtime on nights and weekends to address performance issues.

To solve the problems, the university opted to upgrade to Oracle Exadata Database Machine with an Oracle Exadata quarter rack to support its enterprise resource planning (ERP) and student information systems (SIS) and another quarter rack to support its new disaster recovery data center.

The university can now support up to 2,000 concurrent users on its ERP and SIS systems, eight times more than its legacy system. The system also has fewer bottlenecks, less downtime, and response times between three and 10 seconds, so students can register for classes faster, according to Oracle.

The new system has also reduced staff overtime and simplified the update process because the IT team can now patch the operating system, switches, storage, and database at one time, according to a news release from Oracle.

The university worked with Oracle and PSI to install the Exadata Database Machine in five weeks. The implementation didn't require any application changes, and the university's database administrators were able to use their existing skills and expertise with the new system, according to Oracle.

The university is also using Oracle WebLogic Server Enterprise Edition to support its SIS and Oracle Enterprise Manager to monitor, tune, and diagnose database performance issues.

Stephen F. Austin State University is an independent public university serving 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students in Nacogdoches, TX.

Further information about Oracle Exadata Database Machine can be found at oracle.com.

About the Author

Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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