Chapter 2 Creating and Controlling a Database

Summary

Oracle provides a comprehensive framework for you to monitor and manage your Oracle infrastructure. The Oracle Enterprise Management Framework provides a comprehensive set of integrated tools that allow you to perform your traditional tasks more easily and efficiently as well as effectively monitor the various components in the enterprise. This framework, which you can customize, allows for centralized management of your applications using a web-based interface.

The Oracle Enterprise Management Framework is divided into these functional areas:

[1] Managed targets

[1] Management Services

[1] Oracle Management Repository

[1] Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Grid Control

[1] Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Database Control

[1] Application Server Control

Managed targets can be administered using the Enterprise Manager. Examples of managed targets include databases, application servers, web servers, applications, and Oracle agents such as the Oracle Net listener and Oracle Connection Manager Listener.

The Oracle Management Service is a Java-based web component that is the actual interface you use to monitor and control managed targets within the Management Framework.

Configuration and monitoring information collected about managed targets is stored in an Oracle Management Repository. The repository is composed of two tablespaces in an Oracle database that contain information about administrators, targets, and applications that are managed within Enterprise Manager.

The Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Grid Control is a web-based user interface that communicates with and centrally manages all the components within the Oracle Enterprise. The Grid Control agent needs to be started when using this facility.

The Oracle Enterprise Manager 10g Database Control allows you to monitor and administer a single Oracle database instance or a single Real Application Cluster (RAC) environment. The Database Control agent needs to be started when using this facility.

The Application Server Control is a web-based component of Enterprise Manager used to monitor the Oracle Application Server 10g (9.0.4).

You can access and monitor the database using the Database Control facility. You can also interact with the database using the web-based iSQL*Plus facility. The iSQL*Plus server provides many of the same features found in the SQL*Plus command line and Windows utility but is accessed from within a web browser interface. To use the iSQL*Plus interface, you need to start the iSQL*Plus server.

You can use the Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) to create databases. You can choose from preexisting database definitions stored as XML templates or create a database definition from scratch. All aspects of the database, including database name, file location, sizing, and initialization parameter settings, are defined within the DBCA. You can create a database after completing the database definition, or you can save the definition as a template or series of scripts to be run at a later time. You can also use the DBCA to remove databases or add options to existing databases.

You can manage and create new template definitions using the DBCA interface. This is advantageous because it serves as a way to centrally manage all your database definitions. You can also create new databases from existing databases using the DBCA. This simplifies the cloning of databases.

Oracle uses parameter initialization files to store information about initialization parameters used when an Oracle instance starts. Oracle reads the parameter file to obtain information about how the Oracle instance should be sized and configured upon startup. The parameter file can be either a plain text file, commonly referred to as a PFILE, or a binary file that is referred to as a SPFILE. You can use the Database Control facility to change existing database parameters.

The database needs to be started in order for work to be done against it. You can start up the database in one of several modes: MOUNT, NOMOUNT, and OPEN. You can also start up the database with the RESTRICT option to restrict general access to the database. You can also start up a database using the FORCE option if other startup methods fail. You can start the database using a variety of interfaces, including the Database Control utility, SQL*Plus, and iSQL*Plus.

You can shut down the database using one of several options: NORMAL, TRANSACTIONAL, IMMEDIATE, and ABORT. NORMAL, TRANSACTIONAL, and IMMEDIATE are considered clean shutdowns because no recovery is necessary upon a subsequent startup. You can shut down the database using a variety of interfaces, including the Database Control utility, SQL*Plus, and iSQL*Plus.

The alert log contains information about certain activities and errors that occur within your database. The Alert log contains a chronological summary of these events. The alert log contains a wealth of information that you can use to diagnose system problems and review histories of activities that occurred on the system.

Exam Essentials

Define the Oracle Enterprise Management Framework. Describe what the Oracle Enterprise Management Framework is and the components of the framework. Understand how the components of the Management Framework communicate using agents.

Know how to start and stop Grid Control. Understand the commands necessary to start and stop the Grid Control. Be able to describe the circumstances in which the Grid Control is utilized in the Oracle enterprise.

Know how to start and stop the EM Database Control. Know the command necessary to start and stop the EM Database Control. Be able to describe the difference between the Database Control and the Grid Control and under what circumstances the Database Control is used in the Oracle enterprise.

Know how to start and stop the iSQL*Plus agent. You should understand how to stop and start the iSQL*Plus agent. The agent must be started in order to use the iSQL*Plus tool to interact with the database.

Understand how to login and interact with the database using iSQL*Plus. You need to understand how to connect to the database using the iSQL*Plus tool and how to enter and run commands using the tool.

Be able to create a database using the DBCA. Describe the steps involved in creating a database using the Oracle Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA). Understand how the DBCA uses templates to store information about databases and how templates are used by the DBCA to create databases. Be familiar with the various options available to you when creating an Oracle database using the DBCA.

Know how to delete a database using the DBCA. Understand how to use the DBCA tool to delete a database.

Know how to manage DBCA templates. Understand how to use the DBCA to manage templates and the various options available when creating new database templates. Understand what each option is and when it should be used.

Describe the database startup modes. Understand the various modes of database startup.

Understand what each database startup option is and when you might use the option.

Recognize how to start up an Oracle database. Understand how to use the database tools to start up an Oracle database.

Describe the shutdown database modes. Understand the various modes of database shutdown.

Understand what each database shutdown option is and when you might use the option.

Be able to shut down an Oracle database. Understand how to use the database tools to shut down an Oracle database.

Know how to manage the Oracle parameter file. Be able to identify the Oracle parameter file and the different types of parameter files. Also understand how you can change the parameter files.

View and understand the contents of the Oracle alert log. Be able to identify the Oracle alert log and the kinds of information Oracle writes to the alert log. Be able to identify the database initialization parameter that provides the location of the alert log.

Notes