Each new release of Oracle brings new tools and techniques for performance optimization, but it is a formidable challenge to create tools that can identify and correct database bottlenecks for every possible situation. I run a large remote DBA operation, monitoring and tuning mission-critical databases around the globe. With such a large base of experience, I am in a unique position to see hundreds of systems in action and understand the best approaches to achieving optimal performance.
Drawing upon my vast experience base, I will attempt to present the unvarnished truth about which Oracle tuning tools and techniques are the most effective. Oracle Corporation is a cheerleader for their product, saying that all of their features are wonderful; however, they are not always forthcoming about the risks and rewards of using new tools and techniques. For example, back in the last days of Oracle 7, word came forth from Oracle Corporation that the rule-based optimizer (RBO) was being removed from Oracle 8, and all shops must move quickly to adopt the cost-based optimizer (CBO).
The CBO was not quite ready for primetime, much to the consternation of those shops who had attempted to migrate to it back in Oracle 8. Even in 11g, we still see improvements to the CBO, and despite dire warnings that the RBO will disappear, RULE hints appear in hundreds of Oracle’s own internal SQL statements.
Read on for more facts about the evolution of Oracle’s tuning tools and techniques:
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Inside Oracle Fully Automated SQL Tuning
