Introduction

My name is Kevin Miles and I work for Oracle Advanced Customer Services, where I provide support for the Oracle Database, Application Server, and Development tools (Forms, Reports, etc.). I've been working with Oracle products for over 10 years now (since Oracle 7.3.4), mostly on Unix platforms.

I found a need to have my own test systems so that I could reproduce customer test cases, go through the process of applying patches, and generally having "real-world" experience with the products instead of just "book smarts". I am also keen on pursuing certifications and I want to have a test system where I can practice thoroughly before writing the exams. I also plan to install the Oracle E-Business Suite R12 and the Oracle Secure Enterprise Search products in this system at a later date.

I created this blog because I am hoping to be able to document the creation of this test system to have as a reference to myself, share with others, and hopefully receive feedback. This is probably one of hundreds of blogs on Oracle, and to be honest, I am not sure there will be anything unique or ground-breaking, but let's just see...

Please feel free to comment on anything you read herein.