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Oracle Administrator Question & Answers

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1) State five duties of an Oracle DBA?

Duties of a DBA might include software and hardware installation, configuration
of new hardware and software, security, performance tunning, backup and recovery,
routine maintenance, trouble shooting and failure recovery.

2) What is the primary duty of the DBA?

The primary duty of the DBA is to protect the database and provide continuous
access to that data for the user community.

3) What is database?
Databse is a structure that stores information about multiple types of
entities, the attributes (or characteristics) of the entities, and the
relationships among the entities.

4) What is a database instance?

A database instance is a set of memory structure and background processes that
access a set of database files. The processes can be shared by all of the users.

5) What is differnece between DBMS and RDBMS?

DBMS is program that defines rules for data stroage and retrival,
RDBMS is special type of DBMS that stores the data in relational format as
described in the relational.

6) What are the componentsof an oracle instances?

Background process and memory structure

7) What are the components of sga?

Buffer cache, log buffer, shared pool, large pool, and java pool.

8) Why do you need pga?

It is a memory area used y oracle instance. it is requried to stroe session
specific informations.

9) What are the differents types of memory structure available in oracle?

Stroage Global Area (SGA) and Program Global Area(PGA)

10) What is database writer(DBWR)?

It writes changed data blocks from buffer cache to datafile.

11) When does DBWR write to the datafile?

When checkpoint occurs
When number of dirty blocks reaches a threshold
Every three seconds due to timeout
When serever process needs free space in buffer cache to read now blocks

11) What are the difference between clustered and a non-clustered index?
A clustered index is a special type of index that reorders the way records in
the table are physically stored. Therefore table can have only one clustered index.
The leaf nodes of a clustered index contain the data pages.
A Nonclustered index is a special type of index in which the logical order of
the index does not match the physical stored order of the rows on disk.
12) What is a Tablespace?
A database is divided into Logical Storage Unit called tablespace. A
tablespace is used to grouped related logical structures together.

13) Why use materialized view instead of a table?

Materialized views are basically used to increase query performance since it
contains results of a query. They should be used for reporting instead of a table
for a faster execution.

14) What are different Oracle database objects?

TABLES
VIEWS
INDEXES
SYNONYMS
SEQUENCES
TABLESPACES

15) What is schema?

A schema is collection of database objects of a user.

16) What are Roles?

Roles are named groups of related privileges that are granted to users or
other roles.

17) What are the dictionary tables used to monitor a database spaces ?
DBA_FREE_SPACE
DBA_SEGMENTS
DBA_DATA_FILES

18) Explain the difference between a data block, an extent and a segment?
A data block is the smallest unit of logical storage for a database object.
As objects grow they take chunks of additional storage that are composed of
contiguous data blocks. These groupings of contiguous data blocks are called
extents. All the extents that an object takes when grouped together are considered
the segment of the database object.

19) What command would you use to create a backup control file?
Alter database backup control file to trace.

20) What is difference between UNIQUE constraint and PRIMARY KEY constraint?
A column defined as UNIQUE can contain Nulls while a column defined as
PRIMARY KEY can't contain Nulls. A table can have only one primary keys.

21) What is a data segment?

Data segment are the physical areas within a database block in which the data
associated with tables and clusters are stored.

22) Name a tablespace, which is automatically created when you create a database?
The system tablespace is created automatically during database creation

23) Which flle is accessed first when you start an oracle database?
Parameter file, and spfile

24) What are the advantages of using spfile?

Its supportss dynamic changes in parameter values.
The changes in spfile can only be made by using in oracle statements.
Backup of spfile is possible throught RMAN.

25) How do you view parameter values when you are using pfile or spfile?
 Show parameter command from sql*plus and query v$paramter command view to see
values of the paqramters.

26) How can you convert spfile to pfile and pfile to spfile?
sql> create spfile from pfile;
sql> create pfile from spfile;

21) How can you backup the parameter files?

In Rman
RMAN> configure controlfile autobackup on;
IN Ran restore an spfile
RMAN> restore controfile from autobackup;

22) What happen alter a user process fails?

Pmon clean up the memory after user process fails

21) What is the difference between database and instance?

Database is a collection of data files that contain the information of
interest; whereas, instance is the combination of background processes and memory
structure.

22) What are the three types of files that make up an Oracle database?
Datafiles
Control files and
Redo log files.

23) What is the Oracle Enterprise manager?

The Oracle Enterprise Manager is the new graphical administration tool
designed to help the DBA manage one or more Oracle systems.

24) Name three Oracle Utilities?

The SQL*Loader
The Export utility and
The Import utility

25) What is the difference between PGA and SGA?

The basic difference between SGA and PGA is that PGA cannot be shared
between multiple processes, in the sense, that it is used only for requirements of
a particular process whereas the SGA is used for the whole instance and it is
shared.

26) What are the types of privileges?

System Privileges
Object Privileges

27) What is the difference between system and object privileges?

This statement when executed will display all the available system
privileges such as Create Session, Drop User, Alter Database and so on.

28) What is log switch?

A log switch is a point when loG WRiter (LGWR)fills one online redo log
group and writing to another.At every log switch a checkpoint,occurs.

29) What is Global Resource Directory (GRD)?

GRD is used by GES and GCS to maintain status of datefiles and cached blocks.
This process provides required information for cache fusion and maintains data
integrity.

30) What background process refreshes materialized views?

 The job queue

31) What is the Recovery Manager used for?

The Recovery Manager is used for backup and recovery. This product performs
these operations and maintains a catalog of previous backups.

32) What is the difference between an index cluster and a hash cluster?
An index cluster is a cluster that has an index on the cluster key,
Whereas the hash cluster uses a hashing function to access the cluster key.

33) What is a recovery catalog?

Recovery catalog is an inventory of the backup taken by RMAN for the
database.It is used to restore a physical backup, reconstruct it, and make it
available to the server.

34) What is load balancing?

Load balancing is a server process that monitors loading on all of the forms
servers. Each of the forms servers runs a load balancing client which keeps the
load balancing server apprised of its load.

35) What in Streams pool in Oracle 10g?

Streams pool is a part of System Global Area (SGA) from which memory for
streams is allocated if it is configured. It can be configured by specifying
initialization parameter STREAMS_POOL_SIZE.

36) Name the four types of segments?

Data
Index
Rollback
Temporary

37) What is a dedicated server process?

A dedicated server process has a one to one correlation between the user
process and the server process.
Each user process gets one server process.

38) What Oracle object is used for read consistency?

The rollback segments are used for read consistency.

39) What is RAC Cluster?

RAC Cluster is a database with a shared cache architecture that overcomes
the limitations of traditional shared nothing and shared disk approaches.
It is a key component of Oracle�s private cloud architecture.

40) What is the control file?

Control file is a file that contains all the information about the physical
structure of the database,such as the number of log files and their location.

41) What is the difference between incremental backup and differential backup?
Both, incremental and differential backup files that have been modified or
created after the previous backup. However, attributes are reset after the
incremental backup but after the differential backup.

42) Which files must be backed up?

Database files
Control files
Archived log files

43) What is the use of Oracle Cluster Registry(OCR)?

 OCR stores information about cluster resources and their configuration. The
CRS process uses that information to manage resources.

44) What are the different types of connection load balancing?

Server side load balancing
Client side load balancing

45) What is system change number?

SCN is an ID that Oracle generates for every transaction. It is recorded
with the corresponding change in a redo entry.

46) What is an SID?

The SID is the system identifier. This environment variable is used to
determine which database to connect to.

47) What is the difference between hot backup and cold backup?
Hot backup is taken when database is still online while cold backup is taken
when database is offline.
Database needs to be in the archive log mode for the hot backup but there is
no such requirement for the cold backup.

48) What Oracle object is used for recovery operations?

The redo log files and the archieve log files are used for database recovery.

49) What is the difference between hot backup and cold backup?
Hot backup is taken when database is still online while cold backup is taken
when database is offline.
Database needs to be in the archive log mode for the hot backup but there is
no such requirement for the cold backup.

50) What is SQL*Loader?

SQL*Loader is a tool to load data from file to a database table.

51) What are the components of SGA?

Buffer cache
Log buffer
Shared pool
Large pool
Java pool

52) What is a synonym?

A synonym is simply an alias to another object in the database. This object
can be a table, view, sequence or program unit.

53) What is archive log file?

Archive log file stores redo log information persistentiy. A redo log is
overwritten with time;therefore,archive log maintains that lost information.

54) What is a backup set?

Backup set is a logical grouping of backup files that are created when you
issue an RMAN backup command. It is RMAN�s name for a collection of files
associated with a backup. A backup set is composed of one or more backup pieces.

51) What does database tier consist of?

Database tier consists of Oracle database, which stores all the data. The
database server contains Oracle Home and data files.

52) What is an interconnect network?

An interconnect network is a network between nodes of a cluster. It uses
switches to ensure that only nodes can access this network, Generally, this is a
high speed connection.

53) What is a shared server process?

The shared server process handles more than one user process. The dispatcher
queues the job and the shared server process executes it.

54) What is the parameter file?

The parameter file is a file that contains additional command line
parameters.

55) What is rolling upgrade?

Rolling upgrade refers to the software upgrade while database is still
functional without bringing the database down for upgrade. This is the new feature
of Oracle 11g.

56) What is the difference between SPFILE and PFILE?

Oracle can use both SPFILE and PFILE as initialization parameter files.
SPFILE is a binary file while PFILE is a text file.
You can change the values in PFILE by directly editing it but those changes
would not take effect until the restart of the database.

57) What is RAC?

Real application cluster (RAC) is a clustering solution.
It ensures high availability for database application.
A RAC setup contaions at least two nodes for a database.
RAC provides high availability and load balancing through these nodes.

58) How do you control the maximum number of redo log files in a database?
The maximum number of redo log files can be controlled by the parameter
MAXLOGFILES.

59) What is the difference between a privilege and a role?

A privilege is the authority to perform a certain act or command.
A role is a collection of privileges and roles that can be assigned to a
user.

60) How many types of cloning are available?

Adclone
Rapidclone

61) What is LoGWRiter(LGWR)?

LGWR is the background process that writes redo information from redo log
buffers to the log files.

62) What is the difference between a temporary table space and a permanent table
space?
A temporary tablespace provides temporary storage during the processing of
database function, such as sorting; whereas
A permanent tablespace is used to store permanent database objects, such as
tables, partitions, indexes and clusters.

63) What is RMAN?

RMAN is an Oracle supplied tool or utility that can be used to manage backup
and recovery activities.

64) What is ACFS?

ACFS provides an Oracle Home shared file system or a general cluster file
system on ASM storage. It needs ASM Dynamic Volume Manager(ADVM) to communicate to
the operating system.

65) What are the disk components?

Data files
Redo Logs
Control files
Password files and
Parameter files
are the disk components.

66) What is a primary key?

A primary key is an attribute (or a collection of attributes) that uniquely
identifies each row in the table. In other words, each entity instance in a table
must be unique; and therefore, primary key is a way of ensuring this.
tains data types for attributes and indexes.

67) What is a foreign key?

A foreign key is an attribute in a child table that matches the primary key
value in the parent table.

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