Dean_Alomerovic
Posted February 23, 2011
The book is for Oracle professionals almost exclusively - the other RDBMS are not covered. I've found the book very useful to both developers and DBAs (I happened to be wearing both hats) in day to day activities. The authors have assumed you are already in the Oracle field. If you are not, then the material may often overwhelm you. Novices can find more suitable books out here for sure. By the time you are through the book, you'll be up several levels when it comes to writing better SQL or understanding better already written SQL. I give all 5 STARS to the authors of the book for the job done on demystifying SQL execution plans. The book shows and analyzes execution plans over and over again until they become your second nature. It took chapters 2 through 6 to build the necessary background and take readers to the very hart of execution plans. The rest of the book also uses the plans as the main tool for SQL characterization and performance analysis. Page 165 shows how to read an exec plan as a plain English narrative. In my experience, this is highly useful for: 1. Putting yourself in the shoes of Oracle Optimizer - think the way HE thinks. 2. Presenting in plain English the SQL execution problems to inquisitive but less-technical folks, from VPs and directors to functional users. My experience has thought me that being able to understand, interpret, assess and compare SQL execution plans is a great skill to have. Despite being a seasoned DBA (at least I'd like to think that way after having spent decades with Oracle), I've found plenty of new-to-me, hard to get and harder to verify useful info in the book, such as: a) Execution plans stability - why does my SQL performance suddenly deteriorates and how to control that? b) Histograms, bind variables, statistics, and exec plans - all are interrelated, but how - get ready for surprises. c) Transactions - Oracle isolation levels form default up and what are possibilities for tuning. d) Instrument your SQL code - Oracle RDBMS has done it for the world's benefit; you can do the same! e) Index partitioning and access paths - From Fast Full Scan to Virtual and Invisible Indexes, amazing stuff! f) Index/attribute cardinality and selectivity - cousins or in-laws? g) All about joins - Hash-joins through Anti-joins h) Analytic functions, Model clause - Cube, Rank and Spreadsheets, just to get you started. g) You are on SQL code quest - get your offense and defense lines in order - brief but very insightful.
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More About This Textbook
Overview
Pro Oracle SQL unlocks the power of SQL in the Oracle Database—one of the most potent SQL implementations on the market today. To master it requires a three-pronged approach: learn the language features, learn the supporting features that Oracle provides to help use the language effectively, and learn to think and work in sets.
Karen Morton and her team help you master powerful aspects of Oracle SQL not found in competing databases. You’ll learn analytic functions, the MODEL clause, and advanced grouping syntax—features thatwill helpin creating good queries for reporting and business intelligence applications. Pro Oracle SQL also helps you minimize parsing overhead, read execution plans, test for correct results, and exert control over SQL execution in your database. You’ll learn when to create indexes, how to verify that they make a difference, how to use SQL Profiles to optimize SQL in packaged applications, and much more. You’llalso understandhow SQL is optimized for working in sets, and that the key to getting accurate results lies in making sure that queries ask clear and precise questions.
What’s the bottom-line? Pro Oracle SQL helps you work at a truly professional level in Oracle dialect of SQL. You’ll master the language, the tools to work effectively with the language, and the right way to think about a problem in SQL. Pro Oracle SQL helps you rise above the crowd to provide stellar service in your chosen profession.
What you’ll learn
Who this book is for
Pro Oracle SQL is aimed at developers and database administrators who submit SQL for execution by an Oracle database. Readers should already know the basic four SQL statements, and be ready to learn deeply about Oracle’s specific implementation of the language, including Oracle-specific features and syntax. Readers should also want to learn about Oracle Database features such as analytic queries, the MODEL clause, and subquery refactoring that are designed to help developers and database administrators exert control over their SQL environment and its execution.
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Meet the Author
Karen Morton is a consultant and educator specializing in application optimization in both shoulder-to-shoulder consulting engagements and classroom settings. She is a Senior Technical Consultant for Enkitec.
For more than 20 years, Karen has worked in information technology. Starting as a mainframe programmer and developer, she has been a database administrator, a data architect and now is a researcher, educator and consultant. Having used Oracle since the early 90s, she began teaching others how to use Oracle over a decade ago.
Karen is a frequent speaker at conferences and user groups, an Oracle ACE, and a member of the OakTable network (an informal association of "Oracle scientists" that are well known throughout the Oracle community). She blogs at karenmorton.blogspot.com.
Robyn Sands is a software engineer for Cisco Systems, where she designs and develops embedded Oracle database products for Cisco customers. She has been working with Oracle since 1996, and has extensive experience in application development, large system implementations, and performance measurement. Robyn began her career in industrial and quality engineering, and has combined her prior education and experience with her love of data by searching for new ways to build database systems with consistent performance and minimal maintenance requirements. She is a member of the OakTable Network and co-author of two books on Oracle: Expert Oracle Practices and Pro Oracle SQL. Robyn occasionally posts random blog entries at http://adhdocddba.blogspot.com.
Jared Still is a senior database administratorat Radisys Corporation. Jared has been working with databases since 1988, and with Oracle in particular since 1994, beginning with Oracle version 7.0.13.During that time, he has participated in a wide range of database administrationtasks, as is the norm at smaller companies. Data modeling, database design, and overcoming Compulsive Tuning Disorder (CTD) have all been part of the job.As part of the CTD recovery process, he began learning how databases and Oracle in particular actually work.
The revelation was that well-performing databases and applications do not happen by accident, but by design. And "by design" means that you must understand how databases work, and how to make efficient use of the SQL language to create scalable applications and databases.Jared's goal for this book is to make it easier for developers and database administrators to understand and use advanced SQL syntax. There are many features that have been introduced since Oracle 8i, and yet they seem to be seldom used.This book should help rectify that.
Riyaj Shamsudeen is an industry-recognized RAC expert and performance tuning specialist with 19+ years of experience in implementing, using, and tuning RAC and Oracle products. He is an Oracle ACE Director and proud member of the OakTable network. Riyaj has co-authored many books about Oracle Database. He is an active blogger (at http://orainternals.wordpress.com) and frequent international speaker in major conferences such as UKOUG, HOTSOS, Open World, and RMOUG.
Kerry Osborne began working with Oracle (version 2) in 1982. He has worked as both a developer and a DBA. For the past several years he has been focused on understanding Oracle internals and solving performance problems. He is an OakTable member and an Oracle Ace Director.. Kerry is a frequent speaker at Oracle conferences. He is also a co-founder of Enkitec, an Oracle-focused consulting company headquartered in Dallas, Texas. He blogs at kerryosborne.oracle-guy.com.