Oracle Performance Tuning: Database Management Systems

by Mark Gurry, Peter Corrigan

Overview

The books in O'Reilly's Oracle series are authoritative — they tell the whole story about complex topics, ranging from performance tuning to the use of packages in PL/SQL to new technologies like Power Objects. And they're independent; they're alternatives for readers who need to know how products and features really work. They're packed with real-world advice and techniques from practitioners in the field, and they come with disks containing code you can use immediately in your own applications. O'Reilly is the alternative for Oracle people who need to solve problems — and solve them now. Performance tuning is crucial in any modern relational database management system. Too many organizations respond to Oracle performance problems by throwing money at these problems — by buying larger and more expensive computers or by hiring expert consultants. But there's a lot you can do on your own to increase dramatically the performance of your existing system. Whatever version of Oracle you're running — from Version 6 to Oracle8, proper tuning can save your organization a huge amount of money in additional equipment, extra memory, and hardware upgrades. The first edition of Oracle Performance Tuning became a classic for programmers, managers, database administrators, system administrators, and anyone who cares about improving the performance of an Oracle system. This second edition contains 400 pages of updated material updating on Oracle features, incorporating advice about disk striping and mirroring, RAID, client-server, distributed databases, MPPS, SMPs, and other architectures. It also includes chapters on parallel server, parallel query, backup and recovery, the Oracle Performance Pack, and more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781565922372
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/28/1996
Series:	Nutshell Handbooks
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	964
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 2.35(d)

About the Author

As a database administrator on a financial IMS project about eight years ago, Mark Gurry was asked to investigate his company's database direction for the next five years. The number of users was up to 950, the cost of maintaining the mainframes was huge, and he'd heard about relational databases and downsizing. After much investigation, he chose Oracle, and has stuck with the system ever since. He has worked as Manager of Computing and Network Services, senior database administrator, senior Oracle technical support, and other jobs. He now has a small consulting company called New Age Consultants. Mark has worked for many large organizations and is currently working for Telecom Australia, the largest computer site in Australia and one of the largest in the world. He has also spoken on tuning at Oracle user group meetings and has given internal tuning courses at several of his larger client sites. He has been a senior team member on award-winning systems that have been developed using Oracle.

Peter Corrigan runs a small consulting company in Australia called Gauntlet Computers and works as a senior database administrator and project leader developing Oracle applications and tuning systems. His speciality areas include client-server architecture and application downsizing, and he is the co-developer of the Rainbow Financial package, sold internationally. He is a frequent speaker on the topic of tuning and programming at the Oracle Asia Pacific user group conferences and the Victoria Oracle user's group.

Table of Contents

Preface
I. Overview
1. Introduction to Oracle Performance Tuning
2. What Causes Performance Problems?
II. Tuning for Managers and Planners
3. Planning and Managing the Tuning Process
4. Defining System Standards
III. Tuning for Designers and Analysts
5. Designing for Performance
IV. Tuning for Programmers
6. Tuning SQL
7. Tuning PL/SQL
8. Selecting a Locking Strategy
V. Tuning for Database Administrators
9. Tuning a New Database
10. Diagnostic and Tuning Tools
11. Monitoring and Tuning an Existing Database
12. Tuning Parallel Server
13. Tuning Parallel Query
14. Tuning Database Backup and Recovery
VI. Tuning for System Administrators
15. Tuning Long-Running Jobs
16. Tuning in the Client-Server Environment
17. Capacity Planning
VII: Appendixes
A. Summary of New Features
B. Hot Tuning Tips
C. Tuning Oracle Financials
D. Oracle Performance Pack
E. Tuning Oracle Forms 4.0 and 4.5
F. Tuning Case Studies
G. Dynamic Performance Tables
Index

Editorial Reviews

A guide to improving the performance of the Oracle relational database system. Addresses initial equipment and configuration decisions; how to get the best performance out of programs focusing on SQL, PL/SQL, and locking strategies; using memory and disk space efficiently; and long-running job, client-server environment, or system specific tuning. Additionally contains six appendixes containing summary material of relevance. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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