Physical Database Limits

Item Type of Limit Limit Value

Database Block Size Minimum 2048 bytes;
must be a multiple of operating system
physical block size
Maximum Operating system dependent;
never more than 32 KB

Database Blocks Minimum in initial 2 blocks

extent of
a segment.

Maximum per datafile Platform dependent;

typically 222-1 blocks

Controlfiles Number of control files 1 minimum; 2 or more (on separate devices) strongly
recommended

Size of a control file Dependent on operating system and database creation

options; maximum of 20,000 x (database block size)

Database files Maximum per tablespace Operating system dependent; usually 1022
Maximum per database 65533
May be less on some operating systems
Limited also by size of database blocks and by the DB_
FILES initialization parameter for a particular instance.

Database extents Maximum 2 GB, regardless of the maximum file size allowed by
the operating system

Database file size Maximum Operating system dependent. Limited by maximum

operating system file size; typically 222 or 4M Blocks.

MAXEXTENTS Default value Derived from tablespace default storage or DB_BLOCK_

SIZE initialization parameter
 Maximum Unlimited

Redo Log Files Maximum number of Limited by value of LOG_FILES initialization parameter
logfiles or MAXLOGFILES parameter in the CREATE DATABASE
statement

Control file can be resized to allow more entries;

ultimately an operating system limit

Maximum number of Unlimited

logfiles per group

Redo Log File Size Minimum size 50 KB

Maximum size Operating system limit; typically 2 GB

Tablespaces Maximum number per 64 K

database Number of tablespaces cannot exceed the number of
database files, as each tablespace must include at least
one file

Logical Database Limits

Item Type of Limit Limit Value

GROUP BY clause Maximum length The GROUP BY expression and all of the
nondistinct aggregates functions (for example,
SUM, AVG) must fit within a single database
block.

Indexes Maximum per table Unlimited

total size of indexed column 75% of the database block size minus some
overhead

Columns Per table 1000 columns maximum

Per index (or clustered index) 32 columns maximum
Per bitmapped index 30 columns maximum
Constraints Maximum per column Unlimited
Subqueries Maximum levels of subqueries Unlimited in the FROM clause of the top-level
in a SQL statement query query
255 subqueries in the WHERE clause

Partitions Maximum length of linear 4 KB - overhead

partitioning key

Maximum number of columns 16 columns

in partition key

Maximum number of partitions 64 K-1 partitions

allowed per table or index

Rollback Segments Maximum number per database No limit; limited within a session by the MAX_
ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS initialization parameter

Rows Maximum number per table Unlimited

SQL Statement Length Maximum length of statements 64 K maximum; particular tools may impose
lower limits

Stored Packages Maximum size PL/SQL and Developer/2000 may have limits
on the size of stored procedures they can call
The limits typically range from 2000 to 3000
lines of code.
See Also: Your PL/SQL or Developer/2000
documentation for details

Trigger Cascade Limit Maximum value Operating system-dependent, typically 32

Users and Roles Maximum 2,147,483,638

Tables Maximum per clustered tabls 32 tables

Maximum per database Unlimited
Process and Runtime Limits

Item Type of Limit Limit Value

Instances per database Maximum number of OPS Operating system-dependent
instances per database

Locks Row-level Unlimited

Distributed Lock Manag er Operating system dependent

SGA size Maximum value Operating system-dependent; typically 2 to 4

GB for 32-bit operating systems, and > 4 GB
for 64-bit operating systems

Advanced Queuing Maximum per instance 10

Processes

Job Queue Processes Maximum per instance 1000

I/O Slave Processes Maximum per background 15

process (DBWR, LGWR, etc)

Maximum per Backup session 15

Sessions Maximum per instance 32K; limited by thePROCESSESandSESSIONS

initialization parameters

LCK Processes Maximum per instance 10

Shared Servers Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set by the
PROCESSES and SESSIONS initialization
parameters, for instance

Dispatchers Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES

and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance
Parallel Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES
Execution Slaves and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance

Backup Sessions Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES
and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance
Logical Database Limits

Item Type of Limit

GROUP BY clause Maximum length

Indexes Maximum per table

total size of indexed column

Columns Per table

Per index (or clustered index)
Per bitmapped index

Constraints Maximum per column

Subqueries Maximum levels of subqueries
in a SQL statement query

Partitions Maximum length of linear

partitioning key

Maximum number of columns

in partition key

Maximum number of partitions

allowed per table or index

Rollback Segments Maximum number per database

Rows Maximum number per table

SQL Statement Length Maximum length of statements

Stored Packages Maximum size

Trigger Cascade Limit Maximum value

Users and Roles Maximum

Tables Maximum per clustered tabls

Maximum per database

Limit Value
The GROUP BY expression and all of the
nondistinct aggregates functions (for example,
SUM, AVG) must fit within a single database
block.

Unlimited
75% of the database block size minus some
overhead

1000 columns maximum

32 columns maximum
30 columns maximum

Unlimited
Unlimited in the FROM clause of the top-level
query
255 subqueries in the WHERE clause

4 KB - overhead

16 columns

64 K-1 partitions

No limit; limited within a session by the MAX_

ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS initialization parameter

Unlimited

64 K maximum; particular tools may impose

lower limits

PL/SQL and Developer/2000 may have limits

on the size of stored procedures they can call
The limits typically range from 2000 to 3000
lines of code.
See Also: Your PL/SQL or Developer/2000
documentation for details

Operating system-dependent, typically 32

2,147,483,638

32 tables

Unlimited
Process and Runtime Limits

Item Type of Limit

Instances per database Maximum number of OPS
instances per database

Locks Row-level

Distributed Lock Manag

SGA size Maximum value

Advanced Queuing Maximum per instance

Processes

Job Queue Processes Maximum per instance

I/O Slave Processes Maximum per background

process (DBWR, LGWR, etc)

Maximum per Backup session

Sessions Maximum per instance

LCK Processes Maximum per instance

Shared Servers Maximum per instance

Dispatchers Maximum per instance

Parallel Maximum per instance

Execution Slaves

Backup Sessions Maximum per instance

Limit Value
Operating system-dependent

Unlimited

er Operating system dependent

Operating system-dependent; typically 2 to 4

GB for 32-bit operating systems, and > 4 GB
for 64-bit operating systems

10

1000

15

15

32K; limited by thePROCESSESandSESSIONS

initialization parameters

10

Unlimited within constraints set by the

PROCESSES and SESSIONS initialization
parameters, for instance

Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES

and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance

Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES

and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance

Unlimited within constraints set byPROCESSES

and SESSIONS initialization parameters, for
instance