Name
SORT_AREA_SIZE
Synopsis
Value: 6 * DB_BLOCK_SIZE - operating system dependent
Default: operating system dependent
Dynamic: ALTER SYSTEM DEFERRED, ALTER SESSION
Specifies the maximum amount, in bytes, of Program Global Area (PGA) memory to use for a sort. If Shared Server/MTS is enabled, the sort area is allocated from the SGA. After the sort is complete, and all that remains to do is to fetch the rows, the memory is released down to the size specified by SORT_AREA_RETAINED_SIZE. After the last row is fetched, all memory is freed. The memory is released back to the PGA, not to the operating system.
With Oracle9i, Oracle recommends that you use this parameter only for an instance configured with the Shared Server option. Otherwise, Oracle recommends that you use PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET instead.