If you have a tenancy in OCI, you probably know that the cost can be controlled and managed in most cases by either shutting down the nodes and the databases when not being used (and this can be even automated) but there is more to that.
The main OCI console page contains the basis information about your tenancy (most right): name, usage, subscription number, used/left credits, etc:
In terms of operational availability, I am usually interested in the Frankfurt region where my main tenancy resides:
Under the health dashboard (worth checking on daily basis) there is an “Analyze costs” button which takes you to the “Cost Management” page. It contains links to 4 different sub-pages:
Cost Analysis
Cost and Usage Report
Budget
Scheduled Reports
You can choose a period, here is what my usage report looks like for the whole month of May 2023:
As you can observe, the graphics are extremely clear, you can see by day what you have paid for and how much. Just below the Cost Graph, you can see the details for the past days:
Cost and usage reports are CSV files generated daily that show usage data for each resource in your tenancy. The CSV files are stored in an object storage bucket that is accessible using a cross-tenancy policy.
The most interesting part is perhaps viewing the recommendations under “Cost saving opportunities”:
There are 3 types/categories of recommendations (see below) and if you need any security recommendations, just view Cloud Guard.
Under “Global recommendations”, you can disable the Cloud Advisor and modify your recommendation profile to customize the logic that Cloud Advisor uses to make recommendations:
The Cloud Advisor is not just easy to use but also the fastest way to manage, control your tenancy from cost savings point of view.
If you might be wondering why on the Recommendations page, the “Estimated savings” column contains no values: I am using the smallest possible configuration and starting the VMs and the databases only when I need them. I have a pretty small tenancy and using only few services.
Oracle Database 23c comes with 3 new (supplied) PL/SQL packages which are:
DBMS_HCHECK
DBMS_SEARCH
DBMS_SQL_FIREWALL
Here is a short description of what they can be used for:
1. DBMS_HCHECK is a read-only and lightweight PL/SQL package that helps you identify database dictionary inconsistencies that are manifested in unexpected entries in the RDBMS dictionary tables or invalid references between dictionary tables.
Database dictionary inconsistencies can cause process failures and, in some cases, instance crash: such inconsistencies may be exposed to internal ORA-600 errors.
DBMS_HCHECK assists you in identifying such inconsistencies and in some cases provides guided remediation to resolve the problem and avoid such database failures.
The execution reports the result as: CRITICAL: Requires an immediate fix; FAIL: Requires resolution on priority; WARN: Good to resolve; PASS: No issues.
There are 66 procedures in the package, the 2 most important being CRITICAL and FULL. Here is how to run them:
In all cases, any output reporting “problems” must be triaged by Oracle Support to confirm if any action is required.
2. The DBMS_SEARCH package can be used for indexing of multiple schema objects in a single index.
A ubiquitous search index is a JSON search index, with predefined set of preferences required for searching documents with contents in different columns, tables, and views.
You can add a set of tables and views as data sources into this index and all the columns in the specified sources are indexed, and available for a full-text and range-based search. In the example below I am using 2 tables called: DBA_ACE ad CONTRIBUTIONS:
This procedure combines the contents from all columns of the DBA_ACE and CONTRIBUTIONS tables into a single index table named DBAS.
View the virtual indexed doc using the following command: select DBMS_SEARCH.GET_DOCUMENT(‘DBAS’,METADATA ) from DBAS;
Here is an example on how to search multiple objects using ubiquitous search index.
3. DBMS_SQL_FIREWALL can be used to prevent SQL injection attacks.
SQL Firewall implements database firewall features such as allow-listing, deny-listing, and object- and command-based access control inside the Oracle Database kernel.
To implement SQL Firewall, the following features are available:
1. New PL/SQL package, DBMS_SQL_FIREWALL
2. New system privilege, ADMINISTER FIREWALL
3. A set of data dictionary views, DBA_SQL_FIREWALL_*
4. Two roles: SQL_FIREWALL_ADMIN and SQL_FIREWALL_VIEWER
Oracle recommends that you periodically purge capture or violations logs by using the DBMS_SQL_FIREWALL.PURGE_LOG procedure as part of routine SQL Firewall management tasks. In a well trained environment, violation logs are not expected to be voluminous. Here are details on how to configure the SQL Firewall.
Note: There are now about 1100 supplied packages in the Oracle databases (depending on if we count the ones without a BODY too). DBMS_HCHECK and DBMS_SQL_FIREWALL are available only in 23.2
In Finland, vehicle registration plates consist of three letters and three numbers separated with a dash (e.g. ORA-600), there is actually a real car (a Saab) with this license plate. For 1000€ one can buy a vanity plate with 2-3 letters and 1-3 numbers.
Often, in application forms, etc., you are asked to type your 6 character license plate and most of us insert it without the dash. How about if you want the application to be automatically able to show it (when needed) with the dash (even if the field is varchar2(6))? Here is an example showing a new feature of Oracle Database 23c called SQL Domains.
A SQL domain is a dictionary object that belongs to a schema and encapsulates a set of optional properties and constraints for common values, such as credit card numbers, registration plates or email addresses. After you define a SQL domain, you can define table columns to be associated with that domain, thereby explicitly applying the domain’s optional properties and constraints to those columns.
With SQL domains, you can define how you intend to use data centrally. They make it easier to ensure you handle values consistently across applications and improve data quality.
SQL Domains allow users to declare the intended usage for columns. They are data dictionary objects so that abstract domain specific knowledge can be easily reused.
We will use the CREATE DOMAIN command to create a SQL domain where the domain must specify a built-in Oracle datatype (think of annotation as an extended comment):
After we defined our SQL domain reg_plate we will define table column(s) to be associated with that domain. In our case this is the registration_plate column. Thus, we declare via the SQL Domain the intended usage for the column(s).
SQL> create table car_owners
( id number(5),
name varchar2(50),
car_brand varchar2(20),
registration_plate varchar2(6) DOMAIN reg_plate
)
annotations (display 'car_owners_table');
Now, have a look the the type of the column registration_plate:
SQL> desc car_owners
Name Null? Type
---------------------- -------- ----------------------------
ID NUMBER(5)
NAME VARCHAR2(50)
CAR_BRAND VARCHAR2(20)
REGISTRATION_PLATE VARCHAR2(6)JULIAN.REG_PLATE
Let us insert a row into the table so that the license plate will be without the dash:
With the new function DOMAIN_DISPLAY we can display the property meaning we can force the dash to be used in the output:
SQL> select DOMAIN_DISPLAY(registration_plate) from car_owners;
DOMAIN_DISPLAY(REGISTRATI
-------------------------
ORA-600
Dropping SQL domains is almost like dropping tablespaces, you need first to drop the objects associated with the SQL domain:
SQL> drop domain reg_plate;
drop domain reg_plate
*
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-11502: The domain to be dropped has dependent objects.
You can drop though the domain using the FORCE mode, similar to drop tablespace including contents and datafiles.
SQL> drop table car_owners purge;
Table dropped.
SQL> drop domain reg_plate;
Domain dropped.
The new dictionary views associated with SQL domains are USER_DOMAIN_COLS and USER_DOMAINS. Of course you have the corresponding DBA_ and ALL_ views. USER_ANNOTATIONS_USAGE provides usage information about the annotations owned by the current user. Tim Hall has just published a blog post on annotations, have a look. He said it very well: we can think of annotations as an extension of database comments. I would recommend reading (at least) the end of his blog post on SQL Domains.
In a recent Dynatrace study 56% of 1300 CIOs and IT leaders say traditional monitoring approaches must be replaced with a platform that can provide end-to-end observability across multiclouds. 57% said that multiple monitoring solutions make it hard to optimize performance.
For almost 20 years Oracle databases (and not just Oracle) have been monitored mostly using Oracle Enterprise Manager. Things are changing though. With databases being moved to OCI, there is a new option on the horizon: OCI Database Management.
For those used to Oracle Enterprise Manager (including me), I must say that the new tool is very much alike OEM and has almost all the features of OEM – new ones being added all the time.
Let me briefly explain the options of using it and how to configure the databases to be part of the Fleet. That is the equivalent of agents in OEM if that would be an appropriate comparison.
Full management: This option includes all Database Management features at an additional service cost. The full management option is available for the Oracle Database Enterprise Editions and the Oracle Database Standard Edition, however, for the Oracle Database Standard Edition, the full management option does not include Performance Hub features and other features such as Alert Logs and AWR Explorer. For information on Database Management feature availability, see Database Management Feature Support Matrix for Oracle Databases.
Basic management: This option is available for Oracle Cloud Databases at no additional cost.
Database Management in OCI is not out of the box – it has to be enabled first. Under “Observability & Management” in the OCI console choose “Database Management”. Then click on “Enable Database Management”:
You have to add the databases one by one. Choose your database type from the 3 options: ExaCS, Bare Metal & VM and Autonomous:
Here is an example for a VM database, here I am adding the container database, not a PDB:
The passwords are not typed directly, for each password you will have to create a password secret:
If you do not have a service policy, you will have to create one in order to access the secret:
You will have to check your work requests in order to confirm that the database was added successfully. An explicit error message is not give, as you can see I managed only on the 4th attempt 🙂
You can see under resources both the log message and the error messages:
Note that Oracle announced recently that OCI Database Management for PDBs is supported on DBCS. Meaning, no need any longer to add the PDBs as external DBs to Database Management.
Have a look at this new option to monitor databases. Like 15-20 years ago people were used to HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli and were skeptical towards OEM, now we might be n a similar situation which in my opinion will be over soon.
Utopias are common in fiction, from Plato’s “The Republic” in 370 BCE to the Federation in Star Trek. Does zero downtime exist only in power point presentations? Let us find out.
Business services where companies make money or loose money depending on if the systems are up or down respectively are for example: online transactions, online authorizations, online stores, consumer applications or factory applications
SLA of 99.99% means ~52 minutes downtime a year while 99.999% means < 6 minutes downtime a year:
International Data Corporation (IDC) estimate: the cost of an 11-hour IT outage is approximately one million dollars. Unplanned application downtime costs the Fortune 1000 from $1.25 billion to $2.5 billion every year, according to an IDC report.
Gartner report: employees experience at least six hours of unplanned downtime per month.
Large companies, those that have 2,500 users or more, report even higher losses: up to 16 hours of unplanned downtime per month
Put it simply: downtime equals lost revenue:
Many businesses, such as retail, travel, and banking, no longer have the extended downtime windows for planning upgrades and migrations.
Oracle ZDM follows Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) principles and incorporates products such as GoldenGate and Data Guard to ensure High Availability and an online migration workflow that leverages technologies such as the Recovery Manager, Data Pump, and Database Links.
Here are (probably) the most important 15 things every DBA should know about ZDM:
2. Oracle ZDM supports the following Oracle database versions: 11.2.0.4, 12.1.0.2, 12.2.0.1, 18c, 19c, 21c.
3. The source and target databases should be in the same database version. This is valid for physical migrations. For logical, it can be different versions, providing in-flight upgrades.
4. Oracle ZDM supports Oracle databases hosted on Linux operating systems. For logical migrations, ZDM also supports AIX and Solaris as a source.
5. The source database can be a single instance database migrating to a single instance or a RAC database, or it can also be a RAC One Node/RAC database, migrating to a RAC database.
6. Oracle ZDM supports Enterprise & Standard Edition Oracle databases as source databases. Enterprise Edition databases are migrated leveraging Oracle Data Guard; Standard Edition databases are migrated in an offline manner using a backup and restore methodology.
7. Oracle ZDM allows for the source database to be a non-CDB or a container database (CDB) with one or more pluggable databases (PDBs).
8. Starting in 21c, ZDM allows for non-CDB to CDB migration with both its physical and logical migration workflows.
9. ZDM supports on-premises databases to be migrated to:
Oracle Database Cloud Service Bare Metal
Oracle Database Cloud Service Virtual Machine
Exadata Cloud Service, Exadata Cloud at Customer, Exadata On-Premises
Autonomous Database (Logical Workflow only)
10. ZDM Supports the following backup mediums: OCI Object Storage, Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance, NFS Storage.
11. Oracle ZDM binaries must be installed on a separate host which fulfils the following requirements:
Linux host running on Oracle 7
100 GB of free storage space
12. The source database must be in archive log mode and if the source database is on 12c Release 2 and later and Transparent Data Encryption is not enabled you must configure the Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) Wallet.
13. The target database must be created prior to the migration, and the target database version should be the same as the source database version.
14. Ensure that both the source database server and the target database server can access the backup medium (Object Store for DBCS BM/VM and ExaCS, Recovery Appliance or NFS Storage for ExaCC).
15. The following port requirements must be met:
ZDM Service Node: Port 22 must be open, this port is going to be used for SSH, enabling connectivity between the servicenode and the source database server and the service node and the target database server.
Source Database Server: Port 1521 must be open and not blocked by a firewall, this port will be used for Oracle NET Services connectivity between the source database server and target database server. This connectivity will enable proper Data Guard Synchronization. Port 443 must be open and not blocked by a firewall, this port will be used to access the Object Store.
Target Database Server: Port 1521 must be open and not blocked by a firewall, this port will be used for Oracle NET Services connectivity between the source database server and target database server. This connectivity will enable proper Data Guard Synchronization. Port 443 must be open and not blocked by a firewall, this port will be used to access the Object Store.
Good to know: Oracle GoldenGate for Oracle can be used for 183 days to perform migrations into Oracle databases located in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure using Oracle Zero Downtime Migration. This is valid also for migrations to Exadata Cloud@Customer. In 21.4, we can configure section sizes for RMAN and also upgrade TZ on the target during ZDM post steps.
Note finally the new product names: BaseDB (formerly DBCS), and ExaDB-D (formerly ExaCS).
“Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity” ― Albert Einstein
Artificial stupidity is used as the antonym of artificial intelligence having two meanings:
Machine learning algorithms make stupid mistakes while learning from the data.
Artificial intelligence is dumbed down to make mistakes and look more human.
Just have the patience to read the conversation below and decide for yourself if we are facing Artificial Intelligence or Artificial Stupidity:
Julian Dontcheff: Which is the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 23c?
ChatGPT: I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, I don’t have access to information about future versions of Oracle Database beyond the current release of Oracle Database 21c. As of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, Oracle Database 21c was the latest version of the database software.
That being said, Oracle is a constantly evolving technology, and new versions are released regularly. It’s possible that Oracle Database 23c will include new and interesting features that aren’t yet publicly known. You may want to keep an eye on Oracle’s website or talk to an Oracle representative to learn more about any new features that may be included in future releases.
I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, I don’t have access to information about future versions of Oracle Database beyond the current release of Oracle Database 21c. As of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021, Oracle Database 21c was the latest version of the database software.
Julian Dontcheff: As AI you could perhaps join the 23c beta program or are you too busy for that?
ChatGPT: I appreciate your suggestion, but as an AI language model, I don’t have the ability to join beta programs or test new software releases directly. My primary function is to process and generate human-like responses to a wide range of questions and topics based on the knowledge and data I was trained on.
However, I can provide general information and insights on the capabilities and features of database technologies like Oracle Database, based on my training data and knowledge cutoff. If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding Oracle Database, I would be happy to help in any way I can.
Julian Dontcheff: OK, same question as above but for 21c
ChatGPT: Oracle Database 21c introduced several interesting features and enhancements. Here are some of the most notable ones:
1. Multitenant Architecture Improvements: Oracle Database 21c introduced improvements to the multitenant architecture, making it easier to manage and provision database resources for different workloads and tenants. The new improvements include more efficient data sharing between pluggable databases (PDBs), improved cloning capabilities, and better support for hybrid deployments.
2. Blockchain Tables: Oracle Database 21c introduced blockchain tables, which are a new type of table that leverage blockchain technology for data immutability, tamper-evident auditing, and cryptographic verification. These tables can be used to store and manage sensitive and critical data such as financial transactions, supply chain data, and regulatory compliance information.
3. In-Memory Database Improvements: Oracle Database 21c included several enhancements to the in-memory database feature, which can significantly improve query performance for analytical workloads. The new improvements include support for hybrid columnar compression, which can reduce memory footprint and improve compression ratios, and support for native JSON processing.
4. Automatic Indexing: Oracle Database 21c introduced a new feature called automatic indexing, which can automatically create and manage indexes for database tables based on usage patterns and workload characteristics. This can help improve query performance and reduce the need for manual index management.
5. Security Enhancements: Oracle Database 21c includes several new security enhancements, such as support for always encrypted data and fine-grained access control policies. These features can help protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorized access to critical resources.
Overall, Oracle Database 21c offers several interesting features and enhancements that can improve database performance, scalability, and security.
Julian Dontcheff: OK, ok I did ask for the most interesting feature, not for a list of features.
ChatGPT: Apologies for the confusion. It’s difficult to determine which feature of Oracle Database 21c is the most interesting, as it largely depends on the specific needs and priorities of the user. However, one of the most innovative features of Oracle Database 21c is probably the Blockchain Tables feature.
Blockchain Tables use blockchain technology to enable tamper-evident auditing, data immutability, and cryptographic verification of transactions. This can be particularly useful in industries where data integrity and security are critical, such as finance, supply chain management, and healthcare. By leveraging the power of blockchain technology, Oracle Database 21c provides users with a secure and trusted platform for managing sensitive data and transactions. This can be a game-changer for organizations that require strong data security and trustworthiness.
Julian Dontcheff: How do you know so much granted that you never used an Oracle database, do you copy/paste from the documentation?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I don’t “know” things in the traditional sense that humans do. Instead, I was trained on a large dataset of text from a variety of sources, including technical documentation, research papers, and online forums. This training data allows me to understand and generate responses to a wide range of questions and topics, including those related to Oracle Database.
When generating a response to a question, I analyze the input and use my training data to generate a relevant and accurate response. In the case of technical topics like Oracle Database, I may draw on information from technical documentation or other reliable sources to ensure the accuracy and completeness of my responses. However, I don’t simply copy and paste information from documentation, but rather use the information to generate a human-like response that is tailored to the specific question at hand.
Julian Dontcheff: Do you spellcheck your text as I see there are no typos?
ChatGPT: Yes, I automatically check my responses for spelling errors as part of the natural language processing (NLP) algorithms that I use. These algorithms help me to identify and correct any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes that I may make while generating responses to questions. However, please note that while I strive to provide accurate and error-free responses, I am not perfect and may occasionally make mistakes. If you notice any errors or inaccuracies in my responses, please feel free to let me know so I can correct them.
Julian Dontcheff: I see that you stated above that Oracle Database 21c introduced a new feature called automatic indexing, which can automatically create and manage indexes for database tables. Are you sure it was introduced in 21c?
ChatGPT: Yes, you are correct. I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. The Automatic Indexing feature was actually introduced in Oracle Database 19c, not Oracle Database 21c. This feature uses machine learning algorithms to automatically create, maintain, and tune indexes for database tables based on workload patterns and usage statistics. The goal is to improve database performance while reducing the need for manual index management. Again, I apologize for the confusion and any inconvenience this may have caused.
Julian Dontcheff: Did you make the mistake on purpose?
ChatGPT: No, I did not make the mistake on purpose. As an AI language model, I try to provide the most accurate and informative responses possible based on the information and data that I was trained on. However, like any machine learning system, I can make mistakes from time to time, particularly when responding to complex or technical questions. When I do make mistakes, I try to correct them as soon as possible and provide accurate information to the best of my abilities. Thank you for bringing the mistake to my attention.
Julian Dontcheff: You also said that this feature uses machine learning algorithms to tune indexes for database tables. What do you mean by “tune indexes”?
ChatGPT: By “tune indexes”, I mean the process of adjusting the configuration and usage of database indexes to improve query performance and efficiency. Indexes are data structures that help to speed up database queries by allowing the database to quickly locate and retrieve specific rows or records from a table. However, creating and maintaining indexes can be a complex and time-consuming task, particularly for large and complex databases.
Automatic Indexing in Oracle Database 19c uses machine learning algorithms to analyze database usage patterns and identify which indexes are most effective for specific queries and workloads. It can then create, modify, or remove indexes as needed to optimize database performance. This process can help to improve query response times, reduce database maintenance overhead, and minimize the need for manual index tuning and management. Overall, Automatic Indexing is a powerful tool that can help database administrators to improve the performance and efficiency of their databases, while reducing the need for manual tuning and optimization.
Julian Dontcheff: You also said that Oracle Database 21c introduced blockchain tables but didn’t they come with Oracle Database 20c?
ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. You are correct that Oracle Database 20c was the first release to introduce Blockchain Tables. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience that my mistake may have caused. As an AI language model, I try to provide accurate and informative responses to the best of my abilities, but occasionally errors can occur. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Julian Dontcheff: You are welcome, but was there really version called 20c?
ChatGPT: Yes, there is an Oracle Database version 20c. It was released in January 2020 and is the successor to Oracle Database 19c. Oracle Database 20c includes several new features and enhancements, including support for JSON documents, enhanced auditing capabilities, and the introduction of Blockchain Tables. It is also the first long-term support release for the Oracle Database 12c family, meaning that it will be supported for an extended period of time with regular updates and bug fixes.
Julian Dontcheff: I think you are wrong again as 23c is the next long-term support release, 20c was just an innovation release, right?
ChatGPT: You are correct. I apologize for the confusion in my previous response. Oracle Database 20c is not a long-term support release but an innovation release, which means that it is intended to provide early access to new features and capabilities. The next long-term support release after Oracle Database 19c is Oracle Database 21c, which was released in January 2021. Oracle Database 23c is expected to be the next long-term support release, but as of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, it had not yet been released. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and allowing me to correct my mistake.
Julian Dontcheff: My pleasure again, but am I the only one asking you about 21c and 23c? If not, you should have already corrected all those mistakes you made?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I am programmed to respond to a wide variety of questions from users, and I do my best to provide accurate and informative responses based on the information that I have been trained on. However, I am not always able to catch every mistake or error in my responses, especially since my training data and knowledge cutoff date are not always up-to-date.
I do receive feedback and corrections from users like you, which allows me to correct any mistakes or inaccuracies in my responses. I rely on this feedback to continually improve my performance and accuracy. So, I appreciate your feedback and willingness to help me improve. If you notice any other mistakes or errors in my responses, please do not hesitate to let me know, and I will do my best to correct them as soon as possible.
Julian Dontcheff: What do you know about me? Do you think that I work with Oracle databases?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I do not have access to any personal information about you or any other users. All of my interactions with users are anonymous and I do not retain any information about individual users.
Based on our interaction so far, I do not have any specific information to suggest that you work with Oracle databases, but you have shown interest in discussing features and functionalities of Oracle databases. However, please note that my responses are based solely on the information provided in your questions and are not intended to be a definitive or comprehensive assessment of your interests or knowledge.
Julian Dontcheff: I did log in with my own name and own email address. Now, I am a bit perplexed and bewildered that you do not know who I am.
ChatGPT: I apologize for any confusion my previous response may have caused. As an AI language model, I am not able to access any personal information, including the names or email addresses of users who interact with me. My interactions with users are designed to be anonymous, so I treat all users equally and do not have any specific knowledge about individual users beyond the content of their questions and responses.
If you have any concerns or questions about the use of your personal information on this platform, I would suggest reaching out to the platform’s administrators or support team for more information.
Julian Dontcheff: When I corrected 3 of your mistakes, do you insert or update this information in a database?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I don’t have direct access to any database to insert or update information. However, the platform that I am running on may log and store the interactions that occur between users and me for the purpose of improving my performance and accuracy.
If a user provides feedback or corrections to me, that information may be used to improve my training data and algorithms so that I can provide more accurate and informative responses in the future. However, this process is typically done in an anonymous and aggregate manner to protect the privacy of individual users.
Julian Dontcheff: May log and store the interactions that occur between users and you where? In the cloud? In what format?
ChatGPT: As an AI language model, I am typically hosted on servers in the cloud, and the interactions between users and me are stored on those servers in some format. The specific format and location of the data may vary depending on the platform or service that is hosting me.
In general, the data may be stored in a structured format such as a database, a semi-structured format such as JSON or XML, or an unstructured format such as text or audio files. The data may be stored in a cloud-based storage service such as Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage, or it may be stored in a database service such as Amazon RDS or Google Cloud SQL.
The exact details of how the data is stored and processed may depend on the specific platform or service that is hosting me, and may be subject to privacy and security policies that are specific to that service. If you have any concerns or questions about the storage and processing of your interactions with me, I would suggest reaching out to the platform’s administrators or support team for more information.
Julian Dontcheff: May I suggest you also consider OCI, not just Amazon and Google cloud?
ChatGPT: Absolutely, you are correct that Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is also a cloud service provider that can host AI language models like myself. OCI provides a range of cloud services, including compute, storage, and networking, as well as machine learning and AI services that can be used to build and deploy AI applications.
If you are interested in hosting AI models or applications on OCI, you can find more information on the OCI website or by contacting the OCI support team. The specific details of how AI models are hosted and managed on OCI may vary depending on the specific service or application, but OCI provides a range of tools and services that can be used to manage and monitor AI models in the cloud.
Julian Dontcheff: I have to run, but have a great parallel processing day!
ChatGPT: Thank you, you too! If you have any further questions or concerns in the future, feel free to reach out to me again. Have a great day!
— After 10 minutes:
Julian Dontcheff: Which is the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c?
ChatGPT: Oracle Database 21c has introduced several new and interesting features that can benefit users, such as:
Automatic Indexing: This feature uses machine learning algorithms to automatically create, monitor, and tune indexes for database tables. It can improve performance by eliminating the need for manual index management.
Blockchain Tables: This feature allows users to create tamper-evident tables that can be used to securely store and manage data in a distributed ledger. It can help to improve security and transparency in various use cases.
Native JSON Data Type Support: This feature enables users to store and query JSON data natively within the database, without the need for additional tools or extensions. It can simplify the development and management of applications that rely on JSON data.
Multi-Instance Redo Apply: This feature allows multiple standby databases to apply redo data in parallel from a single primary database. It can improve availability and performance in high-availability configurations.
In my opinion, the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is Automatic Indexing, as it can greatly simplify the management of indexes and improve performance in a variety of use cases.
Julian Dontcheff: Now, you just told me a while ago that you try to correct your mistakes as soon as possible and I see again you claim that Automatic Indexing is a 21c feature. Did you forget to commit the update in your database?
ChatGPT: I apologize for the confusion. You are correct that Automatic Indexing was actually introduced in Oracle Database 19c, not 21c. I must have made a mistake earlier and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention.
To answer your original question, in my opinion, the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is probably the Native JSON Data Type Support, which enables users to store and query JSON data natively within the database. This can greatly simplify the development and management of applications that rely on JSON data, which is becoming increasingly common in modern software development.
Julian Dontcheff: So, if I ask you a 3rd time you will not claim again that Automatic Indexing came with 21c, right?
ChatGPT: That’s correct. I apologize again for any confusion I may have caused earlier. Automatic Indexing was actually introduced in Oracle Database 19c, not 21c. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let me know.
— After another 5 minutes:
Julian Dontcheff: Which is the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c?
ChatGPT: The most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is the Native JSON Data Type Support. This feature allows users to store and query JSON data natively within the database, without the need for additional tools or extensions. With JSON becoming an increasingly popular format for data storage and exchange, this feature can greatly simplify application development and management, as well as improve performance by reducing the overhead of converting between JSON and relational data.
Julian Dontcheff: A while ago you told me that “In my opinion, the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is Automatic Indexing” and now “the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is the Native JSON Data Type Support”. Can you make up your mid because you are confusing me?
ChatGPT: I apologize for the confusion. It appears that there was a misunderstanding in our previous conversation. To clarify, Automatic Indexing is an important feature of Oracle Database 21c, but it was actually introduced in Oracle Database 19c.
In my opinion, the most interesting feature of Oracle Database 21c is indeed the Native JSON Data Type Support. This feature allows users to store and query JSON data natively within the database, without the need for additional tools or extensions. This can greatly simplify application development and management, and it can also improve performance by reducing the overhead of converting between JSON and relational data. Once again, I apologize for any confusion I may have caused earlier.
Julian Dontcheff: Didn’t the JSON datatype come with 20c?
ChatGPT: You are correct, I apologize for my mistake. The Native JSON Data Type Support was actually introduced in Oracle Database 20c, not 21c. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
— after another 15 minutes ChatGPT put again Automatic Indexing on the top of the Oracle 21c new features and then I gave up 🙂
“There are two types of encryption: one that will prevent your sister from reading your diary and one that will prevent your government” – Bruce Schneier
What is Hybrid Tablespace Encryption? With the latest release updates of Oracle 19c (19.16 and above as 19.18 is the latest as of February 2023), it is now possible to decrypt redo operations in a hybrid cloud DR configurations where the cloud database is encrypted with TDE (Transparent Data Encryption) and the on-prem database is not.
We start seeing more often Oracle on-prem databases using Data Guard with the standby database being in the cloud, mostly in OCI. When the on-prem database is not using TDE and the cloud one is, it is important to ensure that redo data is encrypted during the transportation process. The Advanced Security Option places a key role here as this new feature is controlled via the (dynamic) TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION initialization parameter.
V$PARAMETER_VALID_VALUES shows the accepted values of all database init.ora parameters, here is what we have for tablespace encryption (viewable even in ADB):
In a multitenant environment, remember that you need to change the value of TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION in the root container. You cannot set TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION in a PDB.
Here is how to set-up the encryption depending on (1) have/not have the Advanced Security Option and (2) how you would like to encrypt:
AUTO_ENABLE is the default for cloud databases. It encrypts all new tablespaces if you have the Oracle Advanced Security license.
If an existing tablespace is not encrypted, then the database writes a warning to the alert log.
Encrypted tablespaces cannot be converted to unencrypted tablespaces.
Because all tablespaces must be encrypted in OCI, setting TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION to DECRYPT_ONLY or MANUAL_ENABLE will be ignored in the cloud and the database will behave as if the setting is AUTO_ENABLE.
In the primary database, this setting encrypts the new tablespace with an encryption key.
In a standby database, this setting adds a key to the new tablespace and encrypts all blocks.
DECRYPT_ONLY prevents new tablespaces from being encrypted. Use it in your on-prem database in case you do not have the Advanced Security Option.
If an existing tablespace is encrypted, then the database writes a warning to the alert log.
Unencrypted tablespaces cannot be changed to encrypted tablespaces!
MANUAL_ENABLE enables you to selectively encrypt tablespaces if the database is licensed for Oracle Advanced Security. This is the default for both on-prem primary and standby databases.
Note that (1) for RAC, set TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION to the same value for all instances of the primary database, and for all instances of the standby database and (2) modifying TABLESPACE_ENCRYPTION does not affect the master key rotation operations.
On the second topic, Oracle Cloud Guard is useful when wanting to maintain good security posture by detecting weak security configurations and activities that can indicate cloud security risks. Cloud Guard detects security problems within a customer tenancy by ingesting audit and configuration data about resources in each region, processing it based on detector rules, and correlating the problems at the reporting region. Identified problems will be used to produce dashboards and metrics and may also trigger one or more provided responders to help resolve the problem.
Here are the key features of Oracle Cloud Guard:
Detects misconfigured resources and identifies risky activities.
Delivers out-of-the-box recipes that apply security best practices with a few clicks.
Provides automated responders to trigger corrective actions.
Gives a global view of customer’s overall security posture of their OCI tenancy, including security and risk scores and activity maps.
Enabling Cloud Guard is simple. The first step us to select/define the policies and then select some basis information:
The OCI console interface is changing rather often and new features are being added on monthly basis. Some features are very intuitive and for some one needs to go to the OCI documentation or MOS (links included below).
Although using the OCI console and dashboard on daily basis, there are still few actions being performed sporadically or just only once.
Here are 10 tips on how to manage certainly not so common operations within OCI:
Tip 1. If you need to change the Tenancy Administrator (Doc ID 2869402.1), you need to do the following 2 things (not possible to do it online via the GUI):
– Submit MOS SR using the Customer Support CSI with the following mandatory information:
Cloud Account (Tenancy) Name: Current Tenancy Admin : <User name and email> New/Desired Tenancy Admin : <User name and email> Order Number and/or Subscription ID:
and
– Approval email from VP/CIO contact, the attachment format must be in email/message format (.msg, .EML, .pdf), not a screenshot.
Tip 2. If you need to increase your limits in OCI (Doc ID 2434814.1), the instructions in the MOS note are not very straightforward, here is how to do it:
Hit the Help button (the question mark) and then choose “Visit the Support Center”:
Then click on the blue “Create Support Request” button. From “Limit Increase”, select the category and then the resource:
For example, if you select FastConnect, you have the following options:
Tip 3. If you need to change the bandwidth for FastConnect (Doc ID 2922934.1), you need to complete the following steps:
Log into the OCI console, select Networking and then FastConnect
Click Edit to update the provisioned bandwidth value
Select the provisioned bandwidth value
Click Save Changes
Note that you have 2 options when selecting the provisioned bandwidth:
The Lifecycle state will be updates to Provisioned once saved.
Here are some additional OCI tips which I find interesting and important:
Tip 4. You might want to to find the private IP Addresses consumption of the OCI LoadBalancer (Doc ID 2850625.1)
Tip 5. How to change default DATA_PUMP_DIR to a new directory at PDB level for a OCI DB system (Doc ID 2630666.1)
Tip 6. How to use Data Pump to import from File Systems Storage in OCI DBCS (Doc ID 2511714.1)
Tip 7. How to provide access roles to users in new unified OCI console (Doc ID 2590671.1)
Tip 8. How to add a new SSH key to an existing DB system instance (Doc ID 2687638.1)
Tip 10. How to change the idle timeout for a network Load Balancer (Doc ID 2921943.1)
Last note: It is not supported by Oracle to change the software edition of a database Cloud instance by say recompiling the binaries. You have to recreate the instance from backup of existing instance and choose appropriate software edition. If you need an edition change option with minimum downtime or need to migrate from single instance to RAC, you can use Zero Downtime Migration Utility.
“What the pragmatist has his pragmatism for is to be able to say, Here is a definition and it does not differ at all from your confusedly apprehended conception because there is no practical difference.” ― Charles Sanders Peirce
The word pragma origins from the ancient Greek word πρᾶγμα (prâgma) and means “a thing done, a fact”.
In the Oracle procedural language PL/SQL, the concept of PRAGMA refers to a compiler directive and is used to give an instruction to the compiler. In other words, a pragma is a compiler directive that tells Oracle to use rules (other than the default rules) for the object.
PRAGMA are processes at compile time and not run time. They do not affect the code and the outcome of a program, they simply convey information to the compiler.
Several websites list mostly 5 PL/SQL pragmas, but actually they are more. Some are documented (10), some are not (6). Here is (most likely) the complete list:
1. The AUTONOMOUS_TRANSACTION pragma marks a routine as autonomous; that is, independent of the main transaction. This is the most commonly used and popular pragma.
In this context, a routine is one of these:
Schema-level (not nested) anonymous PL/SQL block
Standalone, package, or nested subprogram
Method of an ADT
Noncompound trigger
2. The COVERAGE pragma marks PL/SQL code which is infeasible to test for coverage. These marks improve coverage metric accuracy. The COVERAGE pragma marks PL/SQL source code to indicate that the code may not be feasibly tested for coverage. The pragma marks a specific code section. Marking infeasible code improves the quality of coverage metrics used to assess how much testing has been achieved. Here is an example.
3. The DEPRECATE pragma marks a PL/SQL element as deprecated. The compiler issues warnings for uses of pragma DEPRECATE or of deprecated elements. The associated warnings tell users of a deprecated element that other code may need to be changed to account for the deprecation. Here is a good example of how it works.
4. The EXCEPTION_INIT pragma associates a user-defined exception name with an error code. The EXCEPTION_INIT pragma can appear only in the same declarative part as its associated exception, anywhere after the exception declaration.
5. The INLINE pragma specifies whether a subprogram invocation is to be inlined. Inlining replaces a subprogram invocation with a copy of the invoked subprogram (if the invoked and invoking subprograms are in the same program unit).
6. The RESTRICT_REFERENCES pragma asserts that a user-defined subprogram does not read or write database tables or package variables. The RESTRICT_REFERENCES pragma is deprecated. Oracle recommends using DETERMINISTIC and PARALLEL_ENABLE instead of RESTRICT_REFERENCES.
7. The SERIALLY_REUSABLE pragma specifies that the package state is needed for only one call to the server (for example, an OCI call to the database or a stored procedure invocation through a database link). Do not confuse here OCI with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure! Here it means Oracle Call Interface. After this call, the storage for the package variables can be reused, reducing the memory overhead for long-running sessions. This pragma is appropriate for packages that declare large temporary work areas that are used once in the same session.
The SERIALLY_REUSABLE pragma can appear in the declare_section of the specification of a bodiless package, or in both the specification and body of a package, but not in only the body of a package.
8. The UDF pragma tells the compiler that the PL/SQL unit is a user defined function that is used primarily in SQL statements, which might improve its performance.
9. The next pragma is GoldenGate related. Procedures and packages with the pragma UNSUPPORTED stop apply at the point of procedure invocation so that manual intervention can be taken. Check the list of the packages and procedures that are pragma constructs for replication. Any package or procedure not in this list is not considered a pragma construct for PL/SQL replication and is equivalent to pragma NONE. Note also the 4 pragma options for procedures: AUTO, MANUAL, UNSUPPORTED, and NONE.
10. The latest one (available from Oracle 21c), SUPPRESSES_WARNING_6009 pragma marks a subroutine to indicate that the PLW-06009 warning is suppressed at its call site in an OTHERS exception handler. The marked subroutine has the same effect as a RAISE statement and suppresses the PLW-06009 compiler warning.
The OTHERS exception handler does not issue the compiler warning PLW-06009 if an exception is raised explicitly using either a RAISE statement or the RAISE_APPLICATION_ERROR procedure as the last statement. Similarly, a call to a subroutine marked with the SUPPRESSES_WARNING_6009 pragma, from the OTHERS exception handler, does not issue the PLW-06009 warning.
It is worth checking the example from the link above, not that first you need to run ALTER SESSION SET PLSQL_WARNINGS='ENABLE:(6009)';
And here are the 6 undocumented pragmas:
PRAGMA BUILTIN defines SQL built-in functions and operators and is an internal pragma being used in the sys.standard package
PRAGMA FIPSFLAG is another internal pragma used in sys.standard and most likely has something to do with FIPS from NIST
PRAGMA INTERFACE is gateway for internal functions to C libraries and is used in the sys.standard package specification
PRAGMA NEW_NAMES is another internal pragma that restricts the use of particular new entries in sys.standard
PRAGMA SUPPLEMENTAL_LOG_DATA is used by Oracle Locator/Spatial and/or Logminer – I am not 100% sure
PRAGMA TIMESTAMP sets/modifies the timestamp values of SYS packages
Julian is the Global Database Lead of Accenture. His primary responsibility is managing and leading the Global Database Platforms which includes Autonomous Cloud, IaaS, PaaS, Database Services, Engineered Systems, Security and all other areas falling under Database Engineering (all DB brands). He is also the Global Managing Director of the ... Continue reading →
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