For a customer I had the privilege to investigate and implement a Logical standby Database. Primary side was a 6 Node RAC and the Standby side was scheduled to become a two Node RAC. The standby side was not meant as a Fail over solution but had to serve the purpose of an almost on-line Reporting environment to the customers ( in such a way also separating them from the production database). The requirements became quite a challenge in more than one aspect giving the facts that the project wanted to go live with it in the very next 2 weeks, that this was unknown territory for the complete team hmm and given the fact that the decision to change from a physical standby database to a logical one was one of the very last minute. I forgot who said it, but with respect I would like to quote the unknown creator of this following thought: .. but if things would always be easy you and I would be out of a job..