ORACLE DATABASE

Many businesses use a Primary Database for their main work and a Standby Database (Active Data Guard) for reports and data backups. This keeps the primary system fast and clear of extra chores. In the past, checking the performance of these standby databases was difficult and required a lot of manual setup. With the new Oracle AI Database 26ai , that has changed. Performance tracking is now automatic and easy. The Old Way vs. The New Way Previously, setting up performance tracking (called AWR) on a standby database was a headache. The Old Challenges - Problems with the Old Method (UMF) Before the new 26ai update, database administrators had to use a system called Unified Management Framework (UMF) . It was difficult to use for several reasons: Too Much Manual Work: Admins had to manually link every single primary database to its standby database. If you had many databases, this took a long time and was easy to mess up. Constant Monitoring Needed: If the sy...

Starting with Oracle AI Database 26ai, Release Update 23.9 , Oracle introduced a new initialization parameter called ALERT_LOG_MAX_SIZE . This parameter gives DBAs more control over the size and management of the alert log - one of the most important diagnostic files in an Oracle environment. In this post, we’ll break down what the parameter does, how it behaves, and what you need to know before setting it in your database. What Is ALERT_LOG_MAX_SIZE? ALERT_LOG_MAX_SIZE specifies the maximum size of the XML alert log , expressed in bytes. It helps prevent the alert log from growing indefinitely and consuming unnecessary disk space. Property Description Parameter Type Big integer Syntax ALERT_LOG_MAX_SIZE = integer [K,M,G] Default Value 1000M Modifiable Yes (via ALTER SYSTEM) Modifiable in PDB No Range 0, and 50 MB up to OS-depe...

Effective transaction management is central to running a high‑performance, highly available Oracle Database environment. With Oracle Database 26AI, the database engine introduces enhanced capabilities that improve how blocked transactions are handled, how row‑level locks are controlled, and how long‑running or stalled sessions are recovered. This post provides a clear, DBA‑friendly overview of these features and how to use them in real environments. What Is a Transaction in Oracle? A transaction represents a logical, atomic unit of work that includes one or more SQL statements executed as a group. Oracle ensures that the entire group is either fully committed or fully rolled back , maintaining the classic ACID guarantees. This means your database always transitions from one consistent state to another. Transactions implicitly begin with the first executable SQL statement and end either when you issue a COMMIT, a ROLLBACK, or an implicit commit occurs (for example, during DDL op...

In the modern security landscape, authentication is no longer just about a simple login. As organizations move toward zero-trust architectures, the way we verify identities in the Oracle Database has evolved from legacy local accounts to sophisticated cloud identity integrations. Based on recent technical updates, here is a comprehensive look at the authentication methods available to secure your data. The Foundation: Classic Authentication Methods Oracle Database offers several primary authentication paths, each suited for different architectural needs: Username and Password:  This remains the most used form of authentication and works with almost any client. However, it is also the most frequent contributor to data breaches. Operating System (OS) Authentication:  Often called  OPS$ accounts , this method bases database login on the server OS login. While used by all databases, it is typically reserved for administrators connecting to the CDB. Notably, remote OS authenti...

  Hybrid Read-Only Mode , introduced in Oracle Database 23ai, solves the classic "Catch-22" where you need to perform maintenance (requiring Read-Write access) but want to prevent application users from changing data (requiring Read-Only access). For years, DBAs have faced a frustrating trade-off during maintenance windows. If you open a Pluggable Database (PDB) in READ WRITE mode, your application users (and their potentially messy DML) can interfere with your patching or schema upgrades. If you open it in READ ONLY mode, you can’t perform the very maintenance you planned. What is Hybrid Read-Only Mode? In this mode, the PDB's accessibility is determined by the user type : Common Users (CDB Level): Experience the PDB in READ WRITE mode. They can perform DDL, DML, and maintenance tasks. Local Users (PDB Level): Experience the PDB in READ ONLY mode. Even if they have the DBA role, they are restricted from making any changes. Implementing and Testing Hybrid Read-Only...