TWO-MINUTE DRILL

1.1 Position the Oracle Product Family

- The Oracle database stores and manages access to user data
- The Oracle Applications Server runs applications that connect users to the database
- Oracle Enterprise Manager is a tool for managing databases, application servers, and if desired, the entire computing environment

1.2 Explain Relational Structures

- Data must be normalized into two-dimensional tables
- Tables are linked through primary and foreign keys
- Entity-relationship diagrams represent the tables graphically

1.3 Understand the SQL Language

- SQL is a set-oriented language
- The DML command are: SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and MERGE
- The DDL commands are: CREATE, ALTER, DROP, RENAME, TRUNCATE and COMMENT
- The DCL commands are: GRANT and REVOKE
- The TCL command are: COMMIT, ROLLBACK and SAVEPOINT

1.4 Appreciate the DBA's Role

- Sizing applications and server hardware
- Oracle software installation and maintenance
- Database physical design
- Monitoring and tuning performance
- Assisting developers with application design and tuning SQL
- Liaising with vendors, end users, developers, senior management, and other support groups
- Backup, restore and recovery
- User and security management

2.1 Describe the Single-Instance Architecture

- An Oracle server is an instance connected to a database
- An instance is a block of shared memory and a set of background processes
- A database is a set of files on disk
- A user session is a user process connected to a server process

2.2 Explain the Memory Structures

- The instance shared memory is the system global area (SGA)
- A session's private memory is its program global area (PGA)
- The SGA consists of a number of substructures, some of which are required (database buffer cache, log buffer, shared pool) and some of which
are optional (large pool, Java pool, Streams pool)
- The SGA structures can be dynamically resized and automatically managed, with the exception of the log buffer

2.3 Describe the Process Structures

- Session server processes are launched on demand when users connect
- Background server processes are launched at instance startup and persist until shutdown
- Server processes read from the database and background processes write to the database
- Some background processes will always be present (SMON, PMON, DBWn, LGWR, CKPT, MMON), while others will run depending on
what options have been enabled

2.4 Summarize the Storage Structures

- There are three required file types if a database: he controlfile, the online redo log files, and the datafiles
- The controlfile stores integrity information and pointers to the rest of the database
- The online redo logs store recent change vectors applied to the database
- External files include the parameter file, the password file, archive redo logs, and the log and trace files
- Logical data storage (segments), is abstracted from physical data storage (datafiles) by tablespaces
- A tablespace can consist of multiple datafiles
- Segments consist of multiple extents, which consist of multiple Oracle blocks, which consist of multiple operating system blocks
- A segment can have extents in several datafiles

3.1 Identify the Tools for Administering an Oracle Database:

- Installation: the OUI
- Database creation and upgrade: DBCA, DBUA
- For issuing ad hoc SQL: SQL*Plus, SQL Developer
- Backup: RMAN, Oracle Secure Backup
- Network administration: Oracle Net Manager, Oracle Net Configuration Assistant
- Data load and unload utilities: Datapump, SQL*Loader
- Management: Oracle Enterprise Manager, Database Control, Grid Control

3.2 Plan an Oracle Database Installation:

- Hardware requirements:
- Disk Space
- Main memory
 - Swap space
- Temporary space
- Graphics terminal
- Operating system requirements:
- Certified version
- Necessary packages
- Kernel settings
OFA: an appropriate directory for the Oracle Base

3.3 Install the Oracle Software by Using the Oracle Universal Installer (OUI):
- Use a suitable operating system account
- Set necessary environment variables (Linux, Unix)
- Provide access to the root account (Linux, Unix)
- Make either an interactive or silent install

4.1 Create a Database by Using the Database Configuration Assistant:

- A database can be created with DBCA or from the SQL*Plus command line
- The DBCA can create a database from nothing or from a saved template
- The DBCA and SQL*Plus can delete a database
- An instance must be created before the database can be created
- Any options not selected at creation time can be added later

5.1 Describe the Stages of Database Startup and Shutdown:

- The stages are NOMOUNT, MOUNT, OPEN
- NOMOUNT mode requires a parameter file
- MOUNT mode requires the controlfile
- OPEN mode requires the datafiles and online redo log files

5.2 Set Database Initialization Parameters

- Static parameters cannot be changed without a shutdown/startup
- Other parameters can be changed dynamically, for the instance or a session
- Parameters can be seen in the dynamic performance views V$PARAMETER and V$SPPARAMETER

5.3 Use the Alert Log and Trace Files

- The alert log is a continuous stream of messages regarding critical operations
- Trace files are generated by background processes, usually when they hit errors

5.4 Use Data Dictionary and Dynamic Performance Views

- The dynamic performance views are populated from the instance or the controlfile
- The data dictionary views are populated from the data dictionary
- Dynamic performance views accumulate values through the lifetime of the instance, and are reinitialized at startup
- Data dictionary views show information that persists across shutdown and startup
- Both the data dictionary views and the dynamic performance views are published through synonyms

6.1 Configure and Manage the Oracle Network

- The server-side files are the listener.ora and (optionally) sqlnet.ora files
- The client-side files are the tnsnames.ora and (optionally) sqlnet.ora files
- The Oracle Net files are in ORACLE_HOME/network/admin, or in whatever directory the TNS_ADMIN variable points to
- Name resolution can be local (with tnsnames.ora file) or central (with a LDAP directory)
- Easy Connect does not need any name resolution
- One listener can listen for many databases
- Many listeners can connect to one database
- Instance registration with listeners can be static (by coding details in the listener.ora file) or dynamic (by the PMON process updating the
listener)
- Each user process has a persistent connection to its dedicated server process

6.2 Use the Oracle Shared Server Architecture

- User processes connect to dispatchers; these connections are persistent
- All dispatchers place requests on a common queue
- Shared server processes dequeue requests from the common queue
- Each dispatcher has its own response queue
- Shared server processes place results onto the appropriate dispatcher's response queue
- The dispatchers fetch results back to the appropriate user process
- Shared server is configured with (as a minimum) two instance parameters: DISPATCHERS and SHARED_SERVERS

7.1 Understand Tablespaces and Datafiles

- One tablespace can be many datafiles
- One tablespace can have many segments
- One segment is one or more extents
- One extent is many consecutive blocks, in one datafiles
- One Oracle block should be one or more operating system blocks
- The Oracle block is the granularity of database I/OFA

7.2 Create and Manage Tablespaces

- SMALLFILE tablespace can have many datafiles, but BIGFILE tablespace can have only one
- Tablespaces default to local extent management, automatic segment space management, but not to a uniform extent size
- OMF datafiles are automatically named, initially 100MB, and can autoextend without limit
- A tablespace that contains segments cannot be dropped, unless an INCLUDING DATAFILES clause is specified.
- Tablespaces can be online or offline, read-write or read-only
- Tablespaces can store three types of objects: permanent objects, temporary objects and undo segments.

7.3 Manage Space in Tablespaces

- Local extent management tracks extent allocation with bitmaps in each datafiles
- The UNIFORM SIZE clause when creating a tablespace forces all extents to be the same size
- The AUTOALLOCATE clause lets Oracle determine the next extent size, which is based on how many extents are being allocated to a segment
- Automatic segment space management tracks the free space in each block of an extent using bitmaps
- It is possible to convert a tablespace from dictionary extent management to local extent management, but not from freelist segment
management to automatic management

8.1 Create and Manage Database User Accounts

- User connects to a user account, which is connected to a schema
- All users must be authenticated before they can connect
- A user must have a quota on a tablespace before it can create any objects
- A user who owns objects cannot be dropped, unless the CASCADE keyword is used

8.2 Grant and Revoke Privileges

- By default, a user can do nothing. It cant even log on
- Direct privileges are always enabled
- A revocation of a system privilege dos not cascade; a revocation of an object privilege does

8.3 Create and Manage Roles

- Roles are no schema objects
- Roles can contain both system and object privileges, and other roles
- A role can be enabled or disabled for a session

8.4 Create and Manage Profiles

- Profiles can manage passwords and resource limits
- Password limits are always enforced; resource limits are dependent on an instance parameter
- Every user has a profile, by default the DEFAULT profile

9.1 Create and Modify Tables

- Tables are schema objects, sharing a namespace with views and synonyms
- After creation, column definitions can be added, dropped, or modified

9.2 Manage Constraints

- Constraints can be defined at table creation time, or added later
- A primary key is functionally equivalent to unique plus not null
- A unique constraint does not stop insertion of many null values
- Foreign key constraints define the relationships between tables

9.3 Create Indexes

- Indexes are required for enforcing unique and primary constraints
- NULLs are not included in B*Tree indexes but are included in bitmap indexes
- B*Tree indexes can be unique or non-unique, which determines whether they can accept duplicate key values
- B*Tree indexes are suitable for high cardinality columns, bitmap indexes for low cardinality columns
- Bitmap indexes can be compound, function based, or descending; B*Tree can also be unique, compressed, and reverse key.

9.4 Create and Use Temporary Tables:

- Rows in a temporary table are visible only to the session that inserted them
- DML on temporary tables does not generate redo
- Temporary tables exist only in session's PGA or in temporary segments
- A temporary table can keep rows for the duration of a session or a transaction, depending on how it was created

10.1 Manage Data Using DML

- All DML commands generate undo and redo
- Redo protects all changes to segments - undo segments, as well as data segments
- Server processes read from datafiles; DBWn writes to datafiles

10.2 Identify and Administer PL/SQL Objects

- Anonymous PL/SQL is stored on the client, stored PL/SQL in the data dictionary
- Procedures and functions can be packaged; triggers cannot be packaged
- PL/SQL code can call SQL code

10.3 Monitor and Resolve Locking Conflicts

- The default level of locking is row level
- Locks are required for all DML commands and are optional for SELECT
- A DML statement requires shared locks on the objects involved and exclusive locks on the rows involved
- A DDL locks requires an exclusive lock on the object it affects
- Deadlocks are resolved automatically

11.1 Explain the Purpose of Undo

- All DML statements generate undo data
- Undo data is used for transaction rollback and isolation and to provide read consistency, and also for flashback queries
- Automatic undo management using undo segments is the default with release 11g

11.2 Understand How Transactions Generate Undo

- Undo data will always be kept until the transaction that generated it completes with a COMMIT or a ROLLBACK. This is active undo.
- Undo data will be retained for a period after it become inactive to satisfy any read consistency requirements of long running queries. This is
unexpired undo.
- Undo data that is no longer needed for read consistency and may be overwritten at any time as space in undo segments is reused. This is
expired undo.

11.3 Manage Undo

- An instance will use undo segments in one nominated undo tablespace
- More undo tablespaces may exist, but only one will be used at a time
- The undo tablespace should be large enough to take into account the maximum rate of undo generation and the longest running query
- Undo tablespace datafiles are datafiles like any others

12.1 Database Security and Principle of Least Privilege

- Everything not specifically permitted should be forbidden
- The DBA and the system administrator should not be the same person
- Privileges granted to the PUBLIC role must be monitored
- Security-critical instance parameters must be monitors and cannot be changed without restarting the instance

12.2 Work with Standard Database Auditing

- Database auditing can be oriented towards privileges, commands, or objects
- Audit records can be directed toward a database table or the operating system
- Database audit records are stored in the SYS>AUD$ data dictionary table
- FGA can be directed toward particular rows and columns
- Auditing can also be implemented with database triggers

13.1 Use and Manage Optimizer Statistics

- Object statistics are gathered automatically, unless STATISTICS_LEVEL is BASIC
- Object statistics are not maintained in real time
- The AWR stores a history of object statistics; the current statistics are stored in the data dictionary

13.2 Use and Manage the Automatic Workload Repository

- By default, snapshots are taken every hour and stored for eight days
- Additional snapshots can be taken on demand
- Snapshots can be preserved indefinitely if nominated for a baseline
- MMON is responsible for creating snapshots and launching the ADDM
- The AWR consists of tables (and related objects) in the SYSMAN schema, in the SYSAUX tablespace

13.3 Use the Advisory Framework

- The ADDM runs automatically whenever a snapshot os taken, and manually on demand
- ADDM reports will give advice directly and may recommend running other advisors
- By default, the SQL Tuning Advisor and the Segment Advisor will run automatically in the maintenance windows
- Setting STATISTICS_LEVEL to BASIC will disable gathering snapshots and running the advisors

13.4 Manage Alerts and Thresholds

- Stateful alerts must be configured with thresholds
- If a stateful alert is raised, it will remain until the situation is cleared; stateless reports are reported and do not need to be cleared
- Thresholds are stored in the AWR
- It is the MMON background process that raises an alert, and (usually) Enterprise Manager that reports it

14.1 Use Automatic Memory Management

- Automatic Shared Memory Management can be enabled with the parameter SGA_TARGET
- Automatic PGA Management can be enabled with the parameter PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET
- Automatic Memory Management can be enabled with the parameter MEMORY_TARGET

14.2 Use Memory Advisor

- There are advisors for PGA, SGA, and total memory usage
- The advisors can be accessed by querying dynamic performance views, or through Enterprise Manager

14.3 Troubleshoot Invalid and Unusable Objects

- Procedural objects will become invalid if the object on which they depend are changed
- Indexes will become unusable if their table is moved
- Oracle will attempt to recompile invalid procedural object automatically
- Unusable indexes must be rebuilt manually
- Oracle will not attempt to use an unusable index, so there will be no errors

15.1 Identify Types of Failure That can Occur in an Oracle Database

- Instance failure results in automatic instance recovery on the next startup
- Session failures are managed automatically by the PMON process
- User errors can be reversed using a number of techniques
- Recovering from media failures requires use of backups and archive logs

15.2 Describe Ways to Tune Instance Recovery

- Instance recovery is automatic and unstoppable
- Instance recovery applies change vectors from the online redo log files, since the last incremental checkpoint position
- The time taken for instance recovery is dependent on the amount of redo to be applied, and the number of I/O on datafiles needed to apply it.
- The FAST_START_MTTR_TARGET parameter sets a maximum time for recovery, using a self-tuning mechanism
- If FAST_START_MTTR_TARGET is set, it will also enable the checkpoint auto-tuning process to reduce recovery time further

15.3 Identify the Importance of Checkpoints, Redo Log Files, and Archived Log Files
- Full checkpoints occur only on orderly shutdown or on demand
- Partial checkpoints occur automatically when necessary
- Incremental checkpoints advance the point in the redo stream from which recovery must begin after an instance failure
- The redo log consists of the disk structures for storing change vector. The online log is essential for instance recovery
- The archive log consists of copies of online log file members, created as they are files. These are essential for datafile recovery after media
failure

15.4 Overview of Flash Recovery Area

- The flash recovery area is configured with the instance parameters DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST and DB_RECOVERY_FILE_DEST_SIZE
- The flash recovery area is a default destination fir all recovery-related files

15.5 Configure ARCHIVELOG Mode

- In archivelog mode, an online log file member cannot be overwritten until it has been archived
- Archive processes start automatically when archivelog mode is enabled
- The mode can only be changed when the database is mounted

16.1 Create Consistent Database Backups

- A consistent backup is one made after the database has been shut down
- A user-managed consistent backup has three steps: copy the online redo log files, copy the controlfiles, copy the datafiles
- A server-managed consistent backup has also three steps: mount the database, back up the controlfile, back up the datafiles
- RMAN will never back up online log files or tempfiles

16.2 Back up your Database Without Shutting It Down

- A user-managed open backup has three steps: archive the online redo log files, ALTER DATABASE BACKUP CONTROLFILE TO..., copy
the datafiles, while their tablespace is in backup mode
- A server-managed open backup has also three steps: archive online redo log files, back up the controlfile, back up the datafiles, without the
need to enable backup mode

16.3 Create Incremental Backups

- User-managed backups cannot be incremental, but server-managed backups can be
- The starting point for an incremental strategy must be an incremental level 0 backup. A full backup cannot be used
- The incremental levels are 0, 1, or cumulative
- Incremental backups can be made in archivelog or noarchivelog mode

16.4 Automate Database Backups

- User- or server-managed backup jobs can be scheduled with the operating system scheduler
- The Enterprise Manager job system can schedule server-managed backups of all types

16.5 Manage Backups, View Backup Reports, and Monitor the Flash Recovery Area
- Server-managed backups are recorded in a repository, in the target database's controlfile
- The repository can be checked with reality with the CROSSCHECK command, and modified if necessary
- User-managed backups can be recorded in the repository and thus brought under RMAN control by using the CATALOG command
- If backing up to the flash recovery area, its usage must be monitored

17.1 Overview of Data Recovery Advisor

- The ADR is a set of files in the DIAGNOSTIC_DEST directory
- The DRA can repair damage to datafiles and controlfile, and replace missing log file groups
- Restore and recovery of the controlfile or a critical datafile can be done only in mount mode
- Restore and recovery of a non-critical datafile can be done while the database is open

17.2 Use Dara Recovery Advisor to Perform Recovery (Controlfile, Redo Log file, and Datafile)
- Failures must be listed before they can be advised upon
- The DRA can be accessed through the RMAN executable or with Enterprise Manager
- The DRA is available in all modes: in nomount mode it can repair the controlfile, in mount mode or open mode it can repair datafiles

18.1 Describe and Use Methods to Move Data (Directory Objects, SQL*Loader, External Tables)
- Directory objects map an Oracle directory to an operating system directory
- Directory objects are owned by SYS, and read or write permissions can be granted to users
- SQL*Loader is a client-server tool that works over normal database sessions
- SQL*Loader control file read a wide variety of formats, if configures correctly
- External tables in the ORACLE_LOADER format can be queries from within the database as though they were normal heap tables
- It is not possible to perform DML on external tables, but they can be created and populated by Data Pump using CREATE TABLE... AS
SELECT...

18.2 Explain the General Architecture of Oracle Data Pump

- Data Pump uses server-side processes; the client tools manage jobs, they do not execute them
- Data Pump will always use direct path, unless the complexity of the objects precludes this

18.3 Use Data Pump Export and Import to Move Data Between Oracle Databases
- A Data Pump dump file can only bee read by Data Pump
- The network mode of Data Pump copies data between databases without staging it on disk
- Data Pump always reads and writes Oracle directories; it is not aware of the operating system directory structure

19.1 Use the Enterprise Manager Support Workbench

- Database Control can connect to MetaLink and identify lists of advised patches
- The Support Workbench can classify errors into named problems, each consisting of one or more incidents
- Diagnostic information is stored on files in the ADR, located by default in the ORACLE_BASE
- All diagnostic information in the ADR relevant to a problem can be packaged for transmission to Oracle Support Services

19.2 Manage Patches

- Interim patches fix one problem
- CPUs are bundled patches, often including security fixes
- Patch sets raise the level of the product
- The Opatch utility installs patches, and updates the inventory