Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions to facilitate the management and/or automation of various database tasks, in particular system tasks. Merely by way of example, some embodiments provide methods systems and/or software products that can facilitate automation of such tasks. In accordance with certain embodiments, a maintenance window may be defined. The maintenance window can provide an opportunity for system tasks (and/or other tasks, especially those that consume significant database resources) to execute without significantly impacting the usability of the database. In particular embodiments, a maintenance window may be defined to coincide with a period of relatively low user activity. In some cases, a maintenance window may be implemented in conjunction with a job scheduler and/or a resource manager.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions to allow more sophisticated management of the relationship between a database and its clients (which can be, inter alia, end users, business applications, etc.). Merely by way of example, some embodiments can facilitate the management of work requests in a database, as well as the management of the quality-of-service in a database system. In some embodiments, an identification handle may be assigned to a database work request. A database management application can use the identification handle to identify the work request, as well, perhaps, as any related work requests. The identification handle may also identify the database (and/or an instance thereof) and/or a clustered database node, and the identification handle may be transmitted to a mid-tier application, e.g., to notify the mid-tier about the processing of the work request, changes in quality-of service, server availability, etc.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions to allow more sophisticated management of the relationship between a database and its clients (which can be, inter alia, end users, business applications, etc.). Merely by way of example, some embodiments can facilitate the management of work requests in a database, as well as the management of the quality-of-service in a database system. In some embodiments, an identification handle may be assigned to a database work request. A database management application can use the identification handle to identify the work request, as well, perhaps, as any related work requests. The identification handle may also identify the database (and/or an instance thereof) and/or a clustered database node, and the identification handle may be transmitted to a mid-tier application, e.g., to notify the mid-tier about the processing of the work request, changes in quality-of service, server availability, etc.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions that can offer a consistent framework for tools that assist in the configuration, tuning, and/or troubleshooting of a database and/or an RDBMS. Merely by way of example, one set of embodiments provides a software framework for an advisor component of a database and/or RDBMS. In accordance with some embodiments, the framework might specify a common data model for such advisor components. The data model can include, merely by way of example, a set of one or more findings (which might, in some cases, describe the result of an analysis of a circumstance in the database, RDBMS, and/or a mid-tier application used with the database) and/or a set of one or more recommendations (which might provide suggestions for addressing the circumstance). In particular embodiments. In particular embodiments, the data model might include a set of on or more rationales, which can explain the recommendations.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the invention provide solutions to facilitate the management and/or automation of various database tasks, in particular system tasks. Merely by way of example, some embodiments provide methods systems and/or software products that can facilitate automation of such tasks. In accordance with certain embodiments, a maintenance window may be defined. The maintenance window can provide an opportunity for system tasks (and/or other tasks, especially those that consume significant database resources) to execute without significantly impacting the usability of the database. In particular embodiments, a maintenance window may be defined to coincide with a period of relatively low user activity. In some cases, a maintenance window may be implemented in conjunction with a job scheduler and/or a resource manager.

Abstract: A computer readable medium storing a database query language statement tuning base in a tuning base memory location is disclosed. The tuning base includes tuning information for one or more query language statements. The tuning information for each statement includes one or more tuning actions for the statement, and a signature to allow an optimizer to identify the one or more tuning actions for the statement.

Abstract: Systems and methods to define and store performance baselines. A baseline may be defined as a pair of snapshots, each snapshot containing the same set of statistics and having a timestamp value associated therewith. The present invention allows for the designation, automatically or manually, of statistics collected over a certain period of time to be stored and used for comparison. Baselines may be used, for example, to manually or automatically compare with current system performance, compare difference-difference values and set thresholds to monitor current system performance.

Abstract: A self-managing workload repository (AWR) infrastructure useful for a database server to collect and manage selected sets of important system performance statistics. Based on a schedule, the AWR runs automatically to collect data about the operation of the database system, and stores the data that it captures into the database. The AWR is advantageously designed to be lightweight and to self manage its use of storage space so as to avoid ending up with a repository of performance data that is larger than the database that it is capturing data about. The AWR is configured to automatically capture snapshots of statistics data on a periodic basis as well as purge stale data on a periodic basis. Both the frequency of the statistics data capture and length of time for which data is kept is adjustable. Manual snapshots and purging may also be performed. The AWR captured data allows for both system level and user level analysis to be automatically performed without unduly impacting system performance, e.g.

Abstract: An intelligent database infrastructure wherein the management of all database components is performed by and within the database itself by integrating management of various components with a central management control. Each individual database component, as well as the central management control, is self-managing. A central management control module integrates and interacts with the various database components. The database is configured to automatically tune to varying workloads and configurations, correct or alert about bad conditions, and advise on ways to improve overall system performance.

Abstract: A method and system of reclaiming storage space in data storage systems is disclosed. In one embodiment, a high water mark of a data container is adjusted after data in the data container is compacted. As a result, unused space in the data container can be reclaimed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for debugging a software program is provided that is non-intrusive and allows multiple persons to debug concurrently in view private sessions. In one example, a method includes preserving a memory state of a portion of a software program, such as a database system. A second software program is compiled and dynamically linked, and which when executed, would normally cause modification to targeted data in the preserved portion of the software program. The second software program is executed by making a copy of the targeted data in the preserved portion of the software program. The copy is modified to generate a modified copy of the targeted data without modifying the data that is in the preserved portion of the software program. In subsequent accesses, the user that issued that executed the second software program accesses the modified copy whenever the user would have otherwise accessed the corresponding preserved portion.

Abstract: A pluggable tablespace is enabled by logically partitioning a database into a set of tablespaces and storing all of the tablespaces disk pointers in tablespace-relative format. A pluggable set of tablespaces is unplugged by generating the associated metadata, and making a binary copy of the tablespaces. The pluggable set of tablespaces is plugged into a target database by making the pluggable set accessible to the target database and incorporating the associated metadata, without patching any of the disk pointers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for debugging a software program is provided. In one example, a method includes preserving consecutive snapshots of a group of shared memory structures that contain data and control information of the software, such as a database system. A first snapshot may be taken immediately prior to the occurrence of an error, and a second snapshot taken after the occurrence of the error. The consecutive snapshots are compared to each other to determine what memory structures and data are affected by the error.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for debugging a software program is provided that is non-intrusive and allows multiple persons to debug concurrently in view private sessions. In one example, a method includes preserving a memory state of a portion of a software program, such as a database system. A debug command is received that, when executed, would normally cause modification to targeted data in the preserved portion of the software program. The command is executed by making a copy of the targeted data in the preserved portion of the software program. The copy is modified to generate a modified copy of the targeted data without modifying the data that is in the preserved portion of the software program. In subsequent accesses, the user that issued the debug command accesses the modified copy whenever the user would have otherwise accessed the corresponding preserved portion.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method of debugging a software program comprises preserving a memory state of a portion of the software program, such as a database system. The memory state is preserved when a failure event is detected in the software program. The preserved memory state portion of the software program is extracted and stored in a storage medium for deferred analysis. Normal database operations are resumed as soon as the memory state is preserved. The deferred analysis is performed by starting a new database instance corresponding to the preserved memory state portion and using the new database instance to extract information for high-level debugging of the software program. Thus, where downtime of a software program must be kept to a minimum, the present invention provides techniques for performing quick diagnostics of the software program.

Abstract: Provided are mechanisms that may be used to support efficient exportation of user data stored in a database system. According to an aspect of the present invention, a database system is configured to store data for users in separate repositories referred to as tablespaces. To store data in this manner, a database system may be configured in variety of ways.

Abstract: A database or some portion thereof is partitioned into ownership groups. Each ownership group is assigned one or more database servers as owners of the ownership group. The database servers that are assigned as owners of an ownership group are treated as the owners of all data items that belong to the ownership group. That is, they are allowed to directly access the data items within the ownership group, while other database servers are not allowed to directly access those data items. A mechanism is provided for transitioning ownership of a data item. Ownership is transferred by disabling access to the data item, waiting for all transactions that have made changes to the data item to either commit or abort, changing data that indicates ownership of the data item from a first owner to a second owner, and enabling access to the data item.

Abstract: A database containing datafiles is partitioned into a set of tablespaces. Every disk pointer pointing to a data item in a datafile refers to a tablespace-relative file number for the datafile. Data pointed to by a tablespace-relative disk pointer is retrieved by first checking the cache, and upon a cache miss, the tablespace-relative file number is translated into an absolute file number according to a latch-free look up technique.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for using undo/redo logging to perform asynchronous updates of parity and data pages in a redundant array data storage system is disclosed. The computer-implemented apparatus includes, 1) a redundant array data storage system having a plurality of data pages and a corresponding parity page residing therein, each page of the plurality of data pages and the parity page containing version information indicating a version of content in the page, 2) a memory-resident plurality of data pages corresponding to the plurality of data pages residing in the redundant array data storage system, 3) a data log retaining modification information defining any differences between content of the memory-resident plurality of data pages and content of the plurality of data pages residing in the redundant array data storage system, and 4) control logic for deferring modification of the parity page following modification of one of the plurality of data pages.

Abstract: A pluggable tablespace is enabled by logically partitioning a database into a set of tablespaces and storing all of the tablespaces disk pointers in tablespace-relative format. A pluggable set of tablespaces is unplugged by exporting the associated metadata, and making a binary copy of the tablespaces. The pluggable set of tablespaces is plugged into a target database by making the pluggable set accessible to the target database and importing the associated metadata, without patching any of the disk pointers.