Oracle Exadata Survival Guide

Oracle Exadata Survival Guide

by David Fitzjarrell, Mary Mikell Spence
Released November 2013
Publisher(s): Apress
ISBN: 9781430260103

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Book description

Oracle Exadata Survival Guide is a hands-on guide for busy Oracle database administrators who are migrating their skill sets to Oracle's Exadata database appliance. The book covers the concepts behind Exadata, and the available configurations for features such as smart scans, storage indexes, Smart Flash Cache, hybrid columnar compression, and more. You'll learn about performance metrics and execution plans, and how to optimize SQL running in Oracle's powerful, new environment. The authors also cover migration from other servers.

Oracle Exadata is fast becoming the standard for large installations such as those running data warehouse, business intelligence, and large-scale OLTP systems. Exadata is like no other platform, and is new ground even for experienced Oracle database administrators. The Oracle Exadata Survival Guide helps you navigate the ins and outs of this new platform, de-mystifying this amazing appliance and its exceptional performance. The book takes a highly practical approach, not diving too deeply into the details, but giving you just the right depth of information to quickly transfer your skills to Oracle's important new platform.

  • Helps transfer your skills to the platform of the future

  • Covers the important ground without going too deep

  • Takes a practical and hands-on approach to everyday tasks

    • What you'll learn

  • Learn the components and basic architecture of an Exadata machine

  • Reduce data transfer overhead by processing queries in the storage layer

  • Examine and take action on Exadata-specific performance metrics

  • Deploy Hybrid Columnar Compression to reduce storage and I/O needs

  • Create worry-free migrations from existing databases into Exadata

  • Understand and address issues specific to ERP migrations

    • Who this book is for

    Oracle Exadata Survival Guide is for the busy enterprise Oracle DBA who has suddenly been thrust into the Exadata arena. Readers should have a sound grasp of traditional Oracle database administration, and be prepared to learn new aspects that are specific to the Exadata appliance.

    Table of contents

    1. Title Page
    2. Dedication
    3. Contents at a Glance
    4. Contents
    5. About the Authors
    6. About the Technical Reviewer
    7. Acknowledgments
    8. Introduction
    9. CHAPTER 1: Exadata Basics
      1. What Is Exadata?
      2. Available Configurations
      3. Storage
      4. Smart Flash Cache
      5. Even More Storage
      6. Things to Know
    10. CHAPTER 2: Smart Scans and Offloading
      1. Smart Scans
      2. Plans and Metrics
      3. Smart Scan Optimizations
      4. Column Projection
      5. Predicate Filtering
      6. Basic Joins
      7. Offloading Functions
      8. Virtual Columns
      9. Things to Know
    11. CHAPTER 3: Storage Indexes
      1. An Index That Isn’t
      2. Don’t Look Here
      3. I Used It
      4. Or Maybe I Didn’t
      5. Execution Plan Doesn’t Know
      6. The More, the Merrier
      7. NULLs
      8. Needing to “Rebuild”
      9. Things to Know
    12. CHAPTER 4: Smart Flash Cache
      1. Flash Me
      2. How It Works
      3. Logging We Will Go
      4. It’s a Disk
      5. Monitoring
      6. What a Performer
      7. Things to Know
    13. CHAPTER 5: Parallel Query
      1. Getting into the Queue
      2. Old School
      3. The New Method
      4. Control Issues
      5. Necessary Settings
      6. My Friend Auto
      7. Do It in Memory
      8. Things to Know
    14. CHAPTER 6: Compression
      1. How Can I Compress Thee
      2. The Nuts and Bolts of HCC
      3. Performance
      4. Ratios—What to Expect
      5. Things to Know
    15. CHAPTER 7: Exadata Cell Wait Events
      1. Available Nowhere Else
      2. Triggering Events
      3. User I/O Events
      4. System I/O Events
      5. Idle Class/Other Class
      6. Things to Know
    16. CHAPTER 8: Measuring Performance
      1. Measure Twice, Cut Once
      2. Smart Scans, Again
      3. Performance Counters and Metrics
      4. Things to Know
    17. CHAPTER 9: Storage Cell Monitoring
      1. Talking to the Storage Cells
      2. What’s in a Name?
      3. Monitoring Basics
      4. Things to Know
    18. CHAPTER 10: Monitoring Exadata
      1. The Database Layer
      2. Are We There Yet?
      3. The Storage Cells
      4. Things to Know
    19. CHAPTER 11: Storage Reconfiguration
      1. I Wish We Had More…
      2. Redistributing the Wealth
      3. Things to Know
    20. CHAPTER 12: Migrating Databases to Exadata
      1. Getting Physical
      2. That’s Logical
      3. Things to Know
    21. CHAPTER 13: ERP Setup—a Practical Guide
      1. Cloning the Oracle Home
      2. The SCAN Listener
      3. Creating a Database
      4. Setting Up the Listener
      5. Data Migration
      6. Environment Configuration
      7. Setting the Environment
      8. “My Oracle Support” Notes
      9. Things to Know
    22. CHAPTER 14: Final Thoughts
      1. You’ve Come Far, Pilgrim
      2. To DMA or Not to DMA
      3. What You Don’t Know, You Can Look Up
      4. Things to Know
    23. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Oracle Exadata Survival Guide
    • Author(s): David Fitzjarrell, Mary Mikell Spence
    • Release date: November 2013
    • Publisher(s): Apress
    • ISBN: 9781430260103