DBA Interview Questions

1. What is Log Switch? – The point at which ORACLE ends writing to one
online redo log file and begins writing to another is called a log switch.

2. What is On-line Redo Log? – The On-line Redo Log is a set of tow or
more on-line redo files that record all committed changes made to the
database. Whenever a transaction is committed, the corresponding redo
entries temporarily stores in redo log buffers of the SGA are written to an
on-line redo log file by the background process LGWR. The on-line redo log
files are used in cyclical fashion.

3. Which parameter specified in the DEFAULT STORAGE clause of

CREATE TABLESPACE cannot be altered after creating the
tablespace? – All the default storage parameters defined for the
tablespace can be changed using the ALTER TABLESPACE command. When
objects are created their INITIAL and MINEXTENS values cannot be
changed.

4. What are the steps involved in Database Startup? – Start an instance,

Mount the Database and Open the Database.

5. What are the steps involved in Instance Recovery? – Rolling forward

to recover data that has not been recorded in data files, yet has been
recorded in the on-line redo log, including the contents of rollback
segments. Rolling back transactions that have been explicitly rolled back or
have not been committed as indicated by the rollback segments
regenerated in step a. Releasing any resources (locks) held by transactions
in process at the time of the failure. Resolving any pending distributed
transactions undergoing a two-phase commit at the time of the instance
failure.

6. Can Full Backup be performed when the database is open? – No.

7. What are the different modes of mounting a Database with the

Parallel Server? – Exclusive Mode If the first instance that mounts a
database does so in exclusive mode, only that Instance can mount the
database. Parallel Mode If the first instance that mounts a database is
started in parallel mode, other instances that are started in parallel mode
can also mount the database.

8. What are the advantages of operating a database in ARCHIVELOG

 mode over operating it in NO ARCHIVELOG mode? – Complete
database recovery from disk failure is possible only in ARCHIVELOG mode.
Online database backup is possible only in ARCHIVELOG mode.

9. What are the steps involved in Database Shutdown? – Close the

Database, Dismount the Database and Shutdown the Instance.

10.What is Archived Redo Log? – Archived Redo Log consists of Redo Log
files that have archived before being reused.

11.What is Restricted Mode of Instance Startup? – An instance can be

started in (or later altered to be in) restricted mode so that when the
database is open connections are limited only to those whose user accounts
have been granted the RESTRICTED SESSION system privilege.

12.What is Partial Backup? – A Partial Backup is any operating system

backup short of a full backup, taken while the database is open or shut
down.

13.What is Mirrored on-line Redo Log? – A mirrored on-line redo log

consists of copies of on-line redo log files physically located on separate
disks, changes made to one member of the group are made to all
members.

14.What is Full Backup? – A full backup is an operating system backup of all

data files, on- line redo log files and control file that constitute ORACLE
database and the parameter.

15.Can a View based on another View? – Yes.

16.Can a Tablespace hold objects from different Schemes? – Yes.

17.Can objects of the same Schema reside in different tablespaces? –

Yes.

18.What is the use of Control File? – When an instance of an ORACLE

database is started, its control file is used to identify the database and redo
log files that must be opened for database operation to proceed. It is also
used in database recovery.

19.Do View contain Data? – Views do not contain or store data.

20.What are the Referential actions supported by FOREIGN KEY

integrity constraint? – UPDATE and DELETE Restrict – A referential
 integrity rule that disallows the update or deletion of referenced data.
DELETE Cascade – When a referenced row is deleted all associated
dependent rows are deleted.

21.What are the type of Synonyms? – There are two types of Synonyms
Private and Public

22.What is a Redo Log? – The set of Redo Log files YSDATE,UID,USER or

USERENV SQL functions, or the pseudo columns LEVEL or ROWNUM.

23.What is an Index Segment? – Each Index has an Index segment that

stores all of its data.

24.Explain the relationship among Database, Tablespace and Data

file.? – Each databases logically divided into one or more tablespaces one
or more data files are explicitly created for each tablespace

25.What are the different type of Segments? – Data Segment, Index

Segment, Rollback Segment and Temporary Segment.

26.What are Clusters? – Clusters are groups of one or more tables physically
stores together to share common columns and are often used together.

27.What is an Integrity Constrains? – An integrity constraint is a

declarative way to define a business rule for a column of a table.

28.What is an Index? – An Index is an optional structure associated with a

table to have direct access to rows, which can be created to increase the
performance of data retrieval. Index can be created on one or more
columns of a table.

29.What is an Extent? – An Extent is a specific number of contiguous data

blocks, obtained in a single allocation, and used to store a specific type of
information.

30.What is a View? – A view is a virtual table. Every view has a Query

attached to it. (The Query is a SELECT statement that identifies the
columns and rows of the table(s) the view uses.)

31.What is Table? – A table is the basic unit of data storage in an ORACLE

database. The tables of a database hold all of the user accessible data.
Table data is stored in rows and columns.

32.What is a Synonym? – A synonym is an alias for a table, view, sequence

 or program unit.

33.What is a Sequence? – A sequence generates a serial list of unique

numbers for numerical columns of a database’s tables.

34.What is a Segment? – A segment is a set of extents allocated for a

certain logical structure.

35.What is schema? – A schema is collection of database objects of a User.

36.Describe Referential Integrity? – A rule defined on a column (or set of

columns) in one table that allows the insert or update of a row only if the
value for the column or set of columns (the dependent value) matches a
value in a column of a related table (the referenced value). It also specifies
the type of data manipulation allowed on referenced data and the action to
be performed on dependent data as a result of any action on referenced
data.

37.What is Hash Cluster? – A row is stored in a hash cluster based on the

result of applying a hash function to the row’s cluster key value.
All rows with the same hash key value are stores together on disk.

38.What is a Private Synonyms? – A Private Synonyms can be accessed

only by the owner.

39.What is Database Link? – A database link is a named object that

describes a “path”
from one database to another.

40.What is a Tablespace? – A database is divided into Logical Storage Unit

called tablespaces. A tablespace is used to grouped related logical
structures together

41.What is Rollback Segment? – A Database contains one or more Rollback

Segments to temporarily store “undo”
information.

42.What are the Characteristics of Data Files? – A data file can be

associated with only one database. Once created a data file can’t
change size. One or more data files form a logical unit of database storage
called a tablespace.

43.How to define Data Block size? – A data block size is specified for each
ORACLE database when the database is created. A database users and
allocated free database space in ORACLE datablocks. Block size is specified
in INIT.ORA file and can’t be changed latter.
44.What does a Control file Contain? – A Control file records the physical
structure of the database. It contains the following information. Database
Name Names and locations of a database’s files and redolog files.
Time stamp of database creation.

45.What is difference between UNIQUE constraint and PRIMARY KEY

constraint? – A column defined as UNIQUE can contain Nulls while a
column defined as PRIMARY KEY can’t contain Nulls. 47.What is
Index Cluster? - A Cluster with an index on the Cluster Key 48.When does a
Transaction end? - When it is committed or Rollbacked.

46.What is the effect of setting the value “ALL_ROWS”

for OPTIMIZER_GOAL parameter of the ALTER SESSION command?
– What are the factors that affect OPTIMIZER in choosing an Optimization
approach? - Answer The OPTIMIZER_MODE initialization parameter
Statistics in the Data Dictionary the OPTIMIZER_GOAL parameter of the
ALTER SESSION command hints in the statement.

47.What is the effect of setting the value “CHOOSE”

for
OPTIMIZER_GOAL, parameter of the ALTER SESSION Command? –
The Optimizer chooses Cost_based approach and optimizes with the goal of
best throughput if statistics for atleast one of the tables accessed by the
SQL statement exist in the data dictionary. Otherwise the OPTIMIZER
chooses RULE_based approach.

48.What is the function of Optimizer? – The goal of the optimizer is to

choose the most efficient way to execute a SQL statement.

49.What is Execution Plan? – The combinations of the steps the optimizer

chooses to execute a statement is called an execution plan.

50.What are the different approaches used by Optimizer in choosing

an execution plan? – Rule-based and Cost-based.

51.What does ROLLBACK do? – ROLLBACK retracts any of the changes

resulting from the SQL statements in the transaction.

52.What is SAVE POINT? – For long transactions that contain many SQL
statements, intermediate markers or savepoints can be declared which can
be used to divide a transaction into smaller parts. This allows the option of
later rolling back all work performed from the current point in the
transaction to a declared savepoint within the transaction.

53.What are the values that can be specified for OPTIMIZER MODE
 Parameter? – COST and RULE.

54.What is COST-based approach to optimization? – Considering

available access paths and determining the most efficient execution plan
based on statistics in the data dictionary for the tables accessed by the
statement and their associated clusters and indexes.

55.What does COMMIT do? – COMMIT makes permanent the changes

resulting from all SQL statements in the transaction. The changes made by
the SQL statements of a transaction become visible to other user sessions
transactions that start only after transaction is committed.

56.What is RULE-based approach to optimization? – Choosing an

executing plan based on the access paths available and the ranks of these
access paths.

57.What are the values that can be specified for OPTIMIZER_GOAL

parameter of the ALTER SESSION Command? –
CHOOSE,ALL_ROWS,FIRST_ROWS and RULE.

58.Define Transaction? – A Transaction is a logical unit of work that

comprises one or more SQL statements executed by a single user.

59.What is Read-Only Transaction? – A Read-Only transaction ensures that

the results of each query executed in the transaction are consistent with
respect to the same point in time.

60.What is a deadlock? – Explain . Two processes waiting to update the

rows of a table which are locked by the other process then deadlock arises.
In a database environment this will often happen because of not issuing
proper row lock commands. Poor design of front-end application may cause
this situation and the performance of server will reduce drastically. These
locks will be released automatically when a commit/rollback operation
performed or any one of this processes being killed externally.

61.What is a Schema? – The set of objects owned by user account is called

the schema.

62.What is a cluster Key? – The related columns of the tables are called the
cluster key. The cluster key is indexed using a cluster index and its value is
stored only once for multiple tables in the cluster.

63.What is Parallel Server? – Multiple instances accessing the same

database (Only In Multi-CPU environments)
64.What are the basic element of Base configuration of an oracle
Database? – It consists of one or more data files. one or more control
files. two or more redo log files. The Database contains multiple
users/schemas one or more rollback segments one or more tablespaces
Data dictionary tables User objects (table, indexes, views etc.,) The server
that access the database consists of SGA (Database buffer, Dictionary
Cache Buffers, Redo log buffers, Shared SQL pool) SMON (System MONito)
PMON (Process MONitor) LGWR (LoG Write) DBWR (Data Base Write) ARCH
(ARCHiver) CKPT (Check Point) RECO Dispatcher User Process with
associated PGS

65.What is clusters? – Group of tables physically stored together because

they share common columns and are often used together is called Cluster.

66.What is an Index? – How it is implemented in Oracle Database? - An

index is a database structure used by the server to have direct access of a
row in a table. An index is automatically created when a unique of primary
key constraint clause is specified in create table command (Ver 7.0)

67.What is a Database instance? – Explain A database instance (Server) is

a set of memory structure and background processes that access a set of
database files. The process can be shared by all users. The memory
structure that are used to store most queried data from database. This
helps up to improve database performance by decreasing the amount of I/
O performed against data file.

68.What is the use of ANALYZE command? – To perform one of these

function on an index, table, or cluster: – To collect statistics about object
used by the optimizer and store them in the data dictionary. – To delete
statistics about the object used by object from the data dictionary. – To
validate the structure of the object.. – To identify migrated and chained
rows off the table or cluster.

69.What is default tablespace? – The Tablespace to contain schema objects

created without specifying a tablespace name.

70.What are the system resources that can be controlled through

Profile? – The number of concurrent sessions the user can establish the
CPU processing time available to the user’s session the CPU
processing time available to a single call to ORACLE made by a SQL
statement the amount of logical I/O available to the user’s session
the amount of logical I/O available to a single call to ORACLE made by a
SQL statement the allowed amount of idle time for the user’s
 session the allowed amount of connect time for the user’s session.

71.What is Tablespace Quota? – The collective amount of disk space

available to the objects in a schema on a particular tablespace.

72.What are the different Levels of Auditing? – Statement Auditing,

Privilege Auditing and Object Auditing.

73.What is Statement Auditing? – Statement auditing is the auditing of the

powerful system privileges without regard to specifically named objects

74.What are the database administrators utilities available? – SQL *

DBA – This allows DBA to monitor and control an ORACLE database. SQL *
Loader – It loads data from standard operating system files (Flat files) into
ORACLE database tables. Export (EXP) and Import (imp) utilities allow you
to move existing data in ORACLE format to and from ORACLE database.

75.How can you enable automatic archiving? – Shut the database Backup
the database Modify/Include LOG_ARCHIVE_START_TRUE in init.ora file.
Start up the database.

76.What are roles? – How can we implement roles? - Roles are the easiest
way to grant and manage common privileges needed by different groups of
database users. Creating roles and assigning provides to roles. Assign each
role to group of users. This will simplify the job of assigning privileges to
individual users.

77.What are Roles? – Roles are named groups of related privileges that are
granted to users or other roles.

78.What are the use of Roles? – REDUCED GRANTING OF PRIVILEGES –

Rather than explicitly granting the same set of privileges to many users a
database administrator can grant the privileges for a group of related users
granted to a role and then grant only the role to each member of the
group. DYNAMIC PRIVILEGE MANAGEMENT – When the privileges of a
group must change, only the privileges of the role need to be modified. The
security domains of all users granted the group’s role
automatically reflect the changes made to the role. SELECTIVE
AVAILABILITY OF PRIVILEGES – The roles granted to a user can be
selectively enable (available for use) or disabled (not available for use).
This allows specific control of a user’s privileges in any given
situation. APPLICATION AWARENESS – A database application can be
designed to automatically enable and disable selective roles when a user
attempts to use the application.
79.What is Privilege Auditing? – Privilege auditing is the auditing of the use
of powerful system privileges without regard to specifically named objects.

80.What is Object Auditing? – Object auditing is the auditing of accesses to

specific schema objects without regard to user.

81.What is Auditing? – Monitoring of user access to aid in the investigation

of database use.

82.What are the responsibilities of a Database Administrator?

1.Installing and upgrading the Oracle Server and application tools.

2.Allocating system storage and planning future storage

requirements for the database system.

3.Managing primary database structures (tablespaces)

4.Managing primary objects (table, views, indexes)

5.Enrolling users and maintaining system security.

6.Ensuring compliance with Oracle license agreement

7.Controlling and monitoring user access to the database.

8.Monitoring and optimizing the performance of the database.

9.Planning for backup and recovery of database information.

10.Maintain archived data on tape

11.Backing up and restoring the database.

12.Contacting Oracle Corporation for technical support.

83.What is a trace file and how is it created? – Each server and

background process can write an associated trace file. When an internal
error is detected by a process or user process, it dumps information about
the error to its trace. This can be used for tuning the database.

84.What is a profile? – Each database user is assigned a Profile that

specifies limitations on various system resources available to the user.

85.How will you enforce security using stored procedures? – DonÃ

 ¢â‚¬â„¢t grant user access directly to tables within the application. Instead
grant the ability to access the procedures that access the tables. When
procedure executed it will execute the privilege of procedures owner. Users
cannot access tables except via the procedure.

86.What are the dictionary tables used to monitor a database spaces?

– DBA_FREE_SPACE DBA_SEGMENTS DBA_DATA_FILES.

87.What are the roles and user accounts created automatically with
the database? – DBA – role Contains all database system privileges. SYS
user account – The DBA role will be assigned to this account. All of the
base tables and views for the database’s dictionary are store in
this schema and are manipulated only by ORACLE. SYSTEM user account –
It has all the system privileges for the database and additional tables and
views that display administrative information and internal tables and views
used by oracle tools are created using this username.

88.What are the minimum parameters should exist in the parameter

file (init.ora)? – DB NAME – Must set to a text string of no more than 8
characters and it will be stored inside the datafiles, redo log files and
control files and control file while database creation. DB_DOMAIN – It is
string that specifies the network domain where the database is created.
The global database name is identified by setting these parameters
(DB_NAME & DB_DOMAIN) CONTORL FILES – List of control filenames of
the database. If name is not mentioned then default name will be used.
DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS – To determine the no of buffers in the buffer cache
in SGA. PROCESSES – To determine number of operating system processes
that can be connected to ORACLE concurrently. The value should be 5
(background process) and additional 1 for each user.
ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS – List of rollback segments an ORACLE instance
acquires at database startup. Also optionally
LICENSE_MAX_SESSIONS,LICENSE_SESSION_WARNING and
LICENSE_MAX_USERS.

89.How can we specify the Archived log file name format and
destination? – By setting the following values in init.ora file.
LOG_ARCHIVE_FORMAT = arch %S/s/T/tarc (%S – Log sequence number
and is zero left padded, %s – Log sequence number not padded. %T –
Thread number left-zero- padded and %t – Thread number not padded).
The file name created is arch 0001 are if %S is used. LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST
= path.

90.What is user Account in Oracle database? – An user account is not a

 physical structure in Database but it is having important relationship to the
objects in the database and will be having certain privileges. 95. When will
the data in the snapshot log be used? - We must be able to create a after
row trigger on table (i.e., it should be not be already available) After giving
table privileges. We cannot specify snapshot log name because oracle uses
the name of the master table in the name of the database objects that
support its snapshot log. The master table name should be less than or
equal to 23 characters. (The table name created will be MLOGS_tablename,
and trigger name will be TLOGS name).

91.What dynamic data replication? – Updating or Inserting records in

remote database through database triggers. It may fail if remote database
is having any problem.

92.What is Two-Phase Commit? – Two-phase commit is mechanism that

guarantees a distributed transaction either commits on all involved nodes
or rolls back on all involved nodes to maintain data consistency across the
global distributed database. It has two phase, a Prepare Phase and a
Commit Phase.

93.How can you Enforce Referential Integrity in snapshots? – Time the

references to occur when master tables are not in use. Peform the
reference the manually immdiately locking the master tables. We can join
tables in snopshots by creating a complex snapshots that will based on the
master tables.

94.What is a SQL * NET? – SQL *NET is ORACLE’s mechanism for

interfacing with the communication protocols used by the networks that
facilitate distributed processing and distributed databases. It is used in
Clint-Server and Server-Server communications.

95.What is a SNAPSHOT? – Snapshots are read-only copies of a master

table located on a remote node which is periodically refreshed to reflect
changes made to the master table.

96.What is the mechanism provided by ORACLE for table replication? –

Snapshots and SNAPSHOT LOGs

97.What is snapshots? – Snapshot is an object used to dynamically replicate

data between distribute database at specified time intervals. In ver 7.0
they are read only.

98.What are the various type of snapshots? – Simple and Complex.

99.Describe two phases of Two-phase commit? – Prepare phase – The
global coordinator (initiating node) ask a participants to prepare (to
promise to commit or rollback the transaction, even if there is a failure)
Commit – Phase – If all participants respond to the coordinator that they
are prepared, the coordinator asks all nodes to commit the transaction, if
all participants cannot prepare, the coordinator asks all nodes to roll back
the transaction.

100.What is snapshot log? – It is a table that maintains a record of

modifications to the master table in a snapshot. It is stored in the same
database as master table and is only available for simple snapshots. It
should be created before creating snapshots.

101.What are the benefits of distributed options in databases? –

Database on other servers can be updated and those transactions can be
grouped together with others in a logical unit. Database uses a two phase
commit.

102.What are the options available to refresh snapshots? – COMPLETE –

Tables are completely regenerated using the snapshots query and the
master tables every time the snapshot referenced. FAST – If simple
snapshot used then a snapshot log can be used to send the changes to the
snapshot tables. FORCE – Default value. If possible it performs a FAST
refresh; Otherwise it will perform a complete refresh.

103.What is a SNAPSHOT LOG? – A snapshot log is a table in the master

database that is associated with the master table. ORACLE uses a snapshot
log to track the rows that have been updated in the master table. Snapshot
logs are used in updating the snapshots based on the master table.

104.What is Distributed database? – A distributed database is a network of

databases managed by multiple database servers that appears to a user as
single logical database. The data of all databases in the distributed
database can be simultaneously accessed and modified.

105.How can we reduce the network traffic? – Replication of data in

distributed environment. – Using snapshots to replicate data. – Using
remote procedure calls.

106.Differentiate simple and complex, snapshots? – A simple snapshot is

based on a query thaat does not contains GROUP BY clauses, CONNECT BY
clauses, JOINs, sub-query or snapshot of operations. – A complex
snapshots contain at least any one of the above.
107.What are the Built-ins used for sending Parameters to forms? – You
can pass parameter values to a form when an application executes the
call_form, New_form, Open_form or Run_product.

108.Can you have more than one content canvas view attached with a
window? – Yes. Each window you create must have at least one content
canvas view assigned to it. You can also create a window that has
manipulated content canvas view. At run time only one of the content
canvas views assign to a window is displayed at a time.

109.
110.