EMC on Friday introduced reference architectures and best practices for use of its storage technology with virtualization within Oracle database environments.

The validated approach to virtualization promises more predictable results and a higher return on investment in using EMC's tiered storage platform with VMware's VSphere 4 virtual machine management software and Oracle VM.

Among the touted benefits of EMC's approach is consolidation of infrastructure for virtual Oracle environments that include EMC's Symmetrix V-Max, Clariion and Celerra networked storage platforms and combinations of enterprise flash drives, fibre-channel and SATA drives.

In addition, EMC is offering what it believes is optimized use of tiered storage in virtual Oracle environments through non-disruptive virtual LUN migration, as well as virtual provisioning. LUN, short for logical unit number, is a unique identifier given to each device that share the same SCSI bus. A virtual LUN within a Clariion array makes it possible to migrate data without bringing applications down, according to EMC.

Finally, EMC says its approach simplifies disaster recovery through the combination of VMware's vCenter Site Recovery Manager and EMC's replication software.

The need for best practices in deployment of EMC, Oracle, and VMware stem from customers wanting to use virtualization to gain IT efficiencies within an information infrastructure, EMC said.

"EMC understands this desire and continues to invest in reference architectures and best practices that enable customers to accelerate virtualizing their mission-critical applications like Oracle to take advantage of the cost benefits this provides," Todd Pavone, VP of Global Solutions at EMC, said in a statement.

EMC plans to demonstrate its "Proven Solutions for Oracle" at the database vendor's Open World user conference in San Francisco, Oct. 11-15.

InformationWeek's Informed CIO series lays out five questions to ask about unified virtualization. Download the report here (registration required).