Concepts of Database and Instance

An Oracle database server consists of a database and at least one database instance (commonly
referred to as simply an instance). Because an instance and a database are so closely connected, the
term Oracle database is sometimes used to refer to both instance and database. In the strictest sense
the terms have the following meanings:

 Database

A database is a set of files, located on disk, that store data. These files can exist independently
of a database instance.

 Database instance

An instance is a set of memory structures that manage database files. The instance consists of a
shared memory area, called the system global area (SGA), and a set of background processes.
An instance can exist independently of database files.

Figure 1-1 shows a database and its instance. For each user connection to the instance, the application
is run by a client process. Each client process is associated with its own server process. The server
process has its own private session memory, known as the program global area (PGA).
Figure 1-1 Oracle Instance and Database
A database can be considered from both a physical and logical perspective. Physical data is data
viewable at the operating system level. For example, operating system utilities such as the
Linux ls and ps can list database files and processes. Logical data such as a table is meaningful only for
the database. A SQL statement can list the tables in an Oracle database, but an operating system utility
cannot.

The database has physical structures and logical structures. Because the physical and logical
structures are separate, the physical storage of data can be managed without affecting access to logical
storage structures. For example, renaming a physical database file does not rename the tables whose
data is stored in this file.

Oracle 10g tuning tools

Oracle 10g was a major improvement in all areas of Oracle performance. The optimizer undertook a major
overhaul and the entire kernel was improved and PL/SQL performance was improved by over 20%.

 Oracle 10g Grid – RAC is enhanced for dynamic scalability with server blades.

 Completely reworked 10g Enterprise Manager (OEM)

 AWR and ASH tables incorporated into OEM Performance Pack and Diagnostic Pack options

 Automated Session History (ASH) materializes the Oracle Wait Interface over time
  Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM)

 Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) enhances STATSPACK

 SQLTuning Advisor

 SQLAccess Advisor

 Oracle 10g is the age of AWR and ASH, Oracle’s codification of their tuning approaches, and a
goldmine for the Oracle professional who wanted to analyze performance information.

In Oracle 10g release 2, we saw another major tuning improvement, mutexes. To improve cursor execution and
also hard parsing, a new memory serialization mechanism has been created in 10gR2. Using mutexes is faster,
uses less CPU and also allows significantly improved concurrency

Oracle 11g tuning tools

Here is a list of the major performance tuning new features of Oracle 11g:

 SQL Performance Analyzer – This is the codification of Oracle’s “holistic” approach, an empirical
technique whereby SQL is tuned in a real-world environment. Designed to testing silver bullet impact of
global changes (init.ora parameters, new indexes and materialized views, &c), SPA provides real-world
evidence of the performance impact of major changes.

 11g Compression – with a late start out of the gate (other DBMS tools have had compression for
decades), Oracle’s compression promises to improve the speed of full-scans operations (important to
batch jobs and data warehouses).

 SQL optimization improvements – The cost-based optimizer (CBO) is continuously evolving, and we
now see bind peeking fixed and extended optimizer statistics.

 Automatic Mem

 Concepts of Database and Instance

 An Oracle database server consists of a database and at least one database instance (commonly
referred to as simply an instance). Because an instance and a database are so closely connected,
the term Oracle database is sometimes used to refer to both instance and database. In the
strictest sense the terms have the following meanings:

 Database

 A database is a set of files, located on disk, that store data. These files can exist independently
of a database instance.

 Database instance

 An instance is a set of memory structures that manage database files. The instance consists of a
shared memory area, called the system global area (SGA), and a set of background processes.
 An instance can exist independently of database files.

 Figure 1-1 shows a database and its instance. For each user connection to the instance, the
application is run by a client process. Each client process is associated with its own server
process. The server process has its own private session memory, known as the program global
area (PGA).

 Figure 1-1 Oracle Instance and Database

 A database can be considered from both a physical and logical perspective. Physical data is data
viewable at the operating system level. For example, operating system utilities such as the
Linux ls and ps can list database files and processes. Logical data such as a table is meaningful
only for the database. A SQL statement can list the tables in an Oracle database, but an
operating system utility cannot.

 The database has physical structures and logical structures. Because the physical and logical
structures are separate, the physical storage of data can be managed without affecting access to
logical storage structures. For example, renaming a physical database file does not rename the
tables whose data is stored in this file.

 Oracle 10g tuning tools

 Oracle 10g was a major improvement in all areas of Oracle performance. The optimizer undertook a
major overhaul and the entire kernel was improved and PL/SQL performance was improved by over
20%.

 Oracle 10g Grid – RAC is enhanced for dynamic scalability with server blades.

 Completely reworked 10g Enterprise Manager (OEM)

 AWR and ASH tables incorporated into OEM Performance Pack and Diagnostic Pack options

 Automated Session History (ASH) materializes the Oracle Wait Interface over time

 Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM)

 Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) enhances STATSPACK

 SQLTuning Advisor

 SQLAccess Advisor

 Oracle 10g is the age of AWR and ASH, Oracle’s codification of their tuning approaches, and a
goldmine for the Oracle professional who wanted to analyze performance information.

 In Oracle 10g release 2, we saw another major tuning improvement, mutexes. To improve cursor
execution and also hard parsing, a new memory serialization mechanism has been created in 10gR2.
Using mutexes is faster, uses less CPU and also allows significantly improved concurrency

 Oracle 11g tuning tools

 Here is a list of the major performance tuning new features of Oracle 11g:

 SQL Performance Analyzer – This is the codification of Oracle’s “holistic” approach, an empirical
technique whereby SQL is tuned in a real-world environment. Designed to testing silver bullet impact of
global changes (init.ora parameters, new indexes and materialized views, &c), SPA provides real-world
evidence of the performance impact of major changes.

 11g Compression – with a late start out of the gate (other DBMS tools have had compression for
decades), Oracle’s compression promises to improve the speed of full-scans operations (important to
batch jobs and data warehouses).

 SQL optimization improvements – The cost-based optimizer (CBO) is continuously evolving, and we
now see bind peeking fixed and extended optimizer statistics.

 Automatic Mem

 Concepts of Database and Instance

 An Oracle database server consists of a database and at least one database instance (commonly
referred to as simply an instance). Because an instance and a database are so closely connected,
the term Oracle database is sometimes used to refer to both instance and database. In the
 strictest sense the terms have the following meanings:

 Database

 A database is a set of files, located on disk, that store data. These files can exist independently
of a database instance.

 Database instance

 An instance is a set of memory structures that manage database files. The instance consists of a
shared memory area, called the system global area (SGA), and a set of background processes.
An instance can exist independently of database files.

 Figure 1-1 shows a database and its instance. For each user connection to the instance, the
application is run by a client process. Each client process is associated with its own server
process. The server process has its own private session memory, known as the program global
area (PGA).

 Figure 1-1 Oracle Instance and Database

 A database can be considered from both a physical and logical perspective. Physical data is data
viewable at the operating system level. For example, operating system utilities such as the
Linux ls and ps can list database files and processes. Logical data such as a table is meaningful
only for the database. A SQL statement can list the tables in an Oracle database, but an
 operating system utility cannot.

 The database has physical structures and logical structures. Because the physical and logical
structures are separate, the physical storage of data can be managed without affecting access to
logical storage structures. For example, renaming a physical database file does not rename the
tables whose data is stored in this file.

 Oracle 10g tuning tools

 Oracle 10g was a major improvement in all areas of Oracle performance. The optimizer undertook a
major overhaul and the entire kernel was improved and PL/SQL performance was improved by over
20%.

 Oracle 10g Grid – RAC is enhanced for dynamic scalability with server blades.

 Completely reworked 10g Enterprise Manager (OEM)

 AWR and ASH tables incorporated into OEM Performance Pack and Diagnostic Pack options

 Automated Session History (ASH) materializes the Oracle Wait Interface over time

 Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM)

 Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) enhances STATSPACK

 SQLTuning Advisor

 SQLAccess Advisor

 Oracle 10g is the age of AWR and ASH, Oracle’s codification of their tuning approaches, and a
goldmine for the Oracle professional who wanted to analyze performance information.

 In Oracle 10g release 2, we saw another major tuning improvement, mutexes. To improve cursor
execution and also hard parsing, a new memory serialization mechanism has been created in 10gR2.
Using mutexes is faster, uses less CPU and also allows significantly improved concurrency

 Oracle 11g tuning tools

 Here is a list of the major performance tuning new features of Oracle 11g:

 SQL Performance Analyzer – This is the codification of Oracle’s “holistic” approach, an empirical
technique whereby SQL is tuned in a real-world environment. Designed to testing silver bullet impact of
global changes (init.ora parameters, new indexes and materialized views, &c), SPA provides real-world
evidence of the performance impact of major changes.

 11g Compression – with a late start out of the gate (other DBMS tools have had compression for
decades), Oracle’s compression promises to improve the speed of full-scans operations (important to
batch jobs and data warehouses).

 SQL optimization improvements – The cost-based optimizer (CBO) is continuously evolving, and we
 now see bind peeking fixed and extended optimizer statistics.

 Automatic Mem

 Concepts of Database and Instance

 An Oracle database server consists of a database and at least one database instance (commonly
referred to as simply an instance). Because an instance and a database are so closely connected,
the term Oracle database is sometimes used to refer to both instance and database. In the
strictest sense the terms have the following meanings:

 Database

 A database is a set of files, located on disk, that store data. These files can exist independently
of a database instance.

 Database instance

 An instance is a set of memory structures that manage database files. The instance consists of a
shared memory area, called the system global area (SGA), and a set of background processes.
An instance can exist independently of database files.

 Figure 1-1 shows a database and its instance. For each user connection to the instance, the
application is run by a client process. Each client process is associated with its own server
process. The server process has its own private session memory, known as the program global
area (PGA).

 Figure 1-1 Oracle Instance and Database



 A database can be considered from both a physical and logical perspective. Physical data is data
viewable at the operating system level. For example, operating system utilities such as the
Linux ls and ps can list database files and processes. Logical data such as a table is meaningful
only for the database. A SQL statement can list the tables in an Oracle database, but an
operating system utility cannot.

 The database has physical structures and logical structures. Because the physical and logical
structures are separate, the physical storage of data can be managed without affecting access to
logical storage structures. For example, renaming a physical database file does not rename the
tables whose data is stored in this file.

 Oracle 10g tuning tools

 Oracle 10g was a major improvement in all areas of Oracle performance. The optimizer undertook a
major overhaul and the entire kernel was improved and PL/SQL performance was improved by over
20%.

 Oracle 10g Grid – RAC is enhanced for dynamic scalability with server blades.

 Completely reworked 10g Enterprise Manager (OEM)

 AWR and ASH tables incorporated into OEM Performance Pack and Diagnostic Pack options
 Automated Session History (ASH) materializes the Oracle Wait Interface over time

 Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM)

 Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) enhances STATSPACK

 SQLTuning Advisor

 SQLAccess Advisor

 Oracle 10g is the age of AWR and ASH, Oracle’s codification of their tuning approaches, and a
goldmine for the Oracle professional who wanted to analyze performance information.

 In Oracle 10g release 2, we saw another major tuning improvement, mutexes. To improve cursor
execution and also hard parsing, a new memory serialization mechanism has been created in 10gR2.
Using mutexes is faster, uses less CPU and also allows significantly improved concurrency

 Oracle 11g tuning tools

 Here is a list of the major performance tuning new features of Oracle 11g:

 SQL Performance Analyzer – This is the codification of Oracle’s “holistic” approach, an empirical
technique whereby SQL is tuned in a real-world environment. Designed to testing silver bullet impact of
global changes (init.ora parameters, new indexes and materialized views, &c), SPA provides real-world
evidence of the performance impact of major changes.

 11g Compression – with a late start out of the gate (other DBMS tools have had compression for
decades), Oracle’s compression promises to improve the speed of full-scans operations (important to
batch jobs and data warehouses).

 SQL optimization improvements – The cost-based optimizer (CBO) is continuously evolving, and we
now see bind peeking fixed and extended optimizer statistics.

 Automatic Mem