FAQ

1. What is RDBMS?
Ans.
Relational Data Base Management system is system software that stores and
manages access to data held in relational form, laid down by Dr.E.F.Codd

2. What is meant by integrity constraints?

Ans.
An integrity constraint is a rule that restricts the values for one or more columns in a
table.

3. Explain the difference between Primary key and unique key?

Ans.
Primary key.
1. It doesn’t allow NULL and DUPLICATE value
2. Table can have only one primary key
Unique Key.
1.It doesn’t allow DUPLICATE value but you can insert any no. of
NULL values
2. Table can have more than one Unique keys.

4. What are responsibilities of a DBA?

Ans.
1. Installing and upgrading the Oracle Server and application tools
2. Allocating system storage and planning future storage requirements for the
database system
3. Creating primary database storage structures (tablespaces) after application
developers have designed an application
4. Creating primary objects (tables, views, indexes) once application developers have
designed an application
5. Modifying the database structure, as necessary, from information given by
application developers
6. Enrolling users and maintaining system security
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.Maintaining archived data on tape
11.Backing up and restoring the database

5. What is SGA?
Ans.
System Global Area or Shared Global Area is a group of shared memory structures
that contain data and control information for one instance. If multiple users are
concurrently connected to the same instance, the data in the instance's SGA is
"shared" among the users.
6. What is instance?
Ans.
The combination of the SGA and the Oracle processes (Background Process) is
called an Oracle database instance. Instance will start in NOMOUNT stage.

7. What is DB buffer cache?

Ans.
The database buffer cache is a portion of the SGA that holds copies of the data blocks
read from data files. It will maintain two list Least-Recently-Used list (LRU) and
Most-Recently-Used list (MRU).

8. What is Redo log buffer?

Ans.
The redo log buffer is a circular buffer in the SGA that holds information about
changes made to the database. This information is stored in redo entries.

9. What is shared pool area?

Ans.
The shared pool is an area in the SGA that contains three major areas: library cache,
dictionary cache, and control structures.

10. What are parameters will affect the SGA?

Ans.
DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS, DB_BLOCK_SIZE, SHARED_POOL_SIZE, and
LOG_BUFFERS

11. What will be there in Private SQL area?

Ans.
A private SQL area is a memory area that contains data such as bind information and
runtime buffers. A private SQL area has a persistent area and a runtime area.

12. What is data dictionary?

Ans.
The data dictionary is a collection of database tables and views containing reference
information about the database, its structures, and its users. It will maintain the
following information
a). Names of all tables and views in the database
b) Names and data types of columns in database tables
c) Privileges of all Oracle users

13. What is time out?

Ans.
User has waited too long for a resource.

14. What are DBWR, LGWR, PMON, SMON, RECO, CKPT, Dnnn and ARCH?
Ans.
 DBWR - Database Writer process or Dirty Buffer Writer (DBWR) writes DB
buffers to datafiles

LGWR - Log Writer process (LGWR) writes the redo log buffer to a redo log file
on disk

PMON – Process Monitor (PMON) performs process recovery when a user process
fails. PMON is responsible for cleaning up the cache and freeing resources (Lock)

SMON - System Monitor process (SMON) performs instance recovery at instance

start up. SMON is also responsible for cleaning up temporary segments; it also
coalesces contiguous free extents to make larger blocks. In a Parallel Server
environment, SMON performs instance recovery for a failed CPU or instance.

RECO - Recoverer process (RECO) is a process used with the distributed option that
Automatically resolves failures involving distributed transactions and resolves in-
doubt transactions also.

CKPT - When a checkpoint occurs, Oracle must update the header of all data files to
highest SCN to indicate the checkpoint.
Dnnn - Dispatcher processes allow user processes to share a limited number of server
processes.
ARCH - Archiver process (ARCH) copies online redo log files to a designated storage
device once they become full. ARCH is present only when the redo log is used in
ARCHIVELOG mode and automatic archiving is enabled.

15. What is checkpoint?

Ans.
When a checkpoint occurs, Oracle must update the headers of all datafiles to indicate
the checkpoint. If you are not enabled CKPT using CHECKPOINT_PROCESS, this
job is performed by LGWR, in oracle 8 CKPT by default enabled.

16. Is checkpoint optional? Then which one will take care of ckpt is not present?
Ans.
Yes. Checkpoint is optional. If you are not enabled CKPT using
CHECKPOINT_PROCESS=TRUE, this job is performed by LGWR

17. Which background process you can have more than in an instance?
Ans.
Dnnn. You can create multiple dispatcher processes for a single database instance.

18. When the data buffer will be flushed into respective files?
Ans.
1. When ever dirty list gets filled.
2. When ever checkpoint is taking place.
19. What is parameter file?
Ans.
The parameter file is a text file that contains a list of parameters and a value for each
parameter. This file will read in the NOMOUNT stage. The default parameter file
name is INITORCL.ORA (ORCL is SID).

20. Which parameter can’t be changed after the init file has been set?
Ans.
DB_BLOCK_SIZE. If you want change the block size you have to recreate the
database.

21. Explain the steps involved in creating new database?

Ans.
a) Create the parameter file say INITTEST.ORA made the needful changes
b) Set SID say oracle_sid = TEST
c) Create a password file using ORAPWD utility.
d) Go to SVRMGR tool startup the database in NOMOUNT stage
e) Execute the script CREATE DATABASE… which already prepared by DBA.
f) After created the database, run two scripts CATALOG.SQL and CATPROC.sql to
create data dictionary views and PL/sql packages.

22. What is the physical layout of the database?

Ans.
One or More Data files, Two or more Log files and one or more Control files.

23. What is the logical layout of the database?

Ans.
Tablespaces (Collection of Segments called Tablespace.)
Segments (Collection of may or may not contiguous Extents called
Segments.)
Extents (Collection of contiguous Blocks called Extents.)
Blocks (Collection of one or more row pieces called Blocks.)

24. What is content of control file?

Ans.
Datafile and logfile information (v$datafile & v$log)
Database and Instance information (v$instance & v$database)
Checkpoint information
Loghistory, Tablespace and Archive information.(V$log_history, dba_tablespaces &
v$archive)

25. What is PGA?

Ans.
Program Global Area (PGA) is a memory buffer that contains data and control
information for a server process. A PGA is created by Oracle when a server process is
started.
26. What is tablespace and how to create it?
Ans.
A database is divided into one or more logical storage units called tablespaces.
A database administrator can create new tablespaces, add and remove datafiles from
tablespaces, set and alter default segment storage settings for segments created in a
tablespace, make a tablespace read-only or writeable, make a tablespace temporary or
permanent, and drop tablespaces.
Syntax to create tablespce:
SVRMGR> CREATE TABLESPACE <TS.NAME> DATAFILE ‘DATA FILE
NAME WITH PATH’ SIZE 100M;(size can be in terms of kb,mb,gb and etc).

27. What are the different types of segments?

Ans.
a) Data segments (tables and cluster)
b) Index segments(Index)
c) Rollback segments
d) Temporary segments
e) Bootstrap segments.

28. How to create rollback segment?

Ans.
SVRMGR>CREATE ROLLBACK SEGMENT <RBS NAME> TABLESPACE <TS
NAME> STORAGE
(INITIAL 2
MINEXTENTS 121
MAXEXTENTS 10240
NEXT 10240
PCT_INCREASE 0);

29. What is OPTIMAL parameter and SHRINK?

Ans.
Shrink:
Using this parameter, you can manually decrease the size of a rollback
segment in Alter statement
Eg.
The following statement shrinks rollback segment RBS1 to 100K:
ALTER ROLLBACK SEGMENT rbs1 SHRINK TO 100K;
Optimal:
Using this parameter, you can decrease the size of a rollback segment
Automatically. This parameter you can specify either Create or Alter statement for
rollback segments.
Eg.
The following statement shrinks rollback segment RBS1 to 50K
automatically whenever free extents coming down less than 50k:
ALTER ROLLBACK SEGMENT rbs1 storage (OPTIMAL 100K);
30. Explain the functionality of rollback segments?
Ans.
1. Rolling back Old Values
2. Providing read consistency and
3. Instance recovery

31. Why temporary segment?

Ans.
When processing queries with ORDER BY, DISTINCT, GROUP BY, UNION, and
INTERSECT clause and creating index, oracle requires temporary workspace for
intermediate stages of SQL statement processing. Oracle automatically allocates this
disk space called a temporary segment.

32. When to bring the rollback segment offline?

Ans.
i) When you want to take a tablespace offline and the tablespace contains
rollback segments. You cannot take a tablespace offline if it contains rollback
segments that transactions are currently using. To prevent associated rollback
segments from being used, you can take them offline before taking the tablespace
offline.
ii). You want to drop a rollback segment, but cannot because transactions are
currently using it. To prevent the rollback segment from being used, you can take it
offline before dropping it.
Syntax.
ALTER ROLLBACK SEGMENT user_rs_2 OFFLINE;
Note: You cannot take the SYSTEM rollback segment offline.

33. What is deferred rollback segment?

Ans.
Deferred rollback segments are rollback segments that were created to hold
rollback entries for tablespaces taken offline until the tablespaces are brought back
online.

34. What is pending offline?

Ans.
If you try to take a rollback segment offline that contains rollback data for active
transactions (local, remote, or distributed), Oracle makes the rollback segment
unavailable to future transactions and the rollback segment's status in the
view V$ROLLSTAT is PENDING OFFLINE.

35. What is private and public rollback segments?

Ans.
A private rollback segment is acquired explicitly by an instance when the
instance opens the database.
 A Public rollback segments form a pool of rollback segments that any instance
requiring a rollback segment can use.

36. What is rollback and rolling forward?

Ans.
Rollback :
Undo the uncommitted transactions.
Rolling forward:
While performing Instance recovery rolling forward will take place for
making rollback segments with committed and uncommitted transactions.

37. When system tablespace and system rollback segment will be made offline?
Ans.
System tablespace and system rollback segments can’t make offline. Because system
transactions and data dictionary views will take place in the system rollback segments
and system tablespaces.

38. How the extents will grow?

Ans.
The extents will grow based on the storage parameters like next and pctincrease i.e.
Next (next*(pctincrease/100)).

39. What is the default value of the growth of tablespace?

Ans.
10+(10*(50/100)) k because default value of next=10k,pctincrease=50%

40. What is row migration and row chaining?

Ans.
Row migration is, If a row in a data block is updated, so that the overall row length
increases and the block's free space has been completely filled, the data for the entire
row is migrated to a new data block, assuming the entire row can fit in a new block.
Row chaining is Oracle stores the data for the row in a chain of data blocks (one or
more) reserved for that segment. Row chaining most often occurs with large rows.

41. What is pctused and pctfree?

Ans.
PCTUSED - After a data block becomes full, as determined by PCTFREE, Oracle
does not consider the block for the insertion of new rows until the percentage of the
block being used falls below the parameter PCTUSED.

PCTFREE parameter is used to set the percentage of a block to be reserved (kept

free) for possible updates to rows that already are contained in that block.
42. What is freelist?
Ans.
Specifies the number of free lists for each of the free list groups for the table,
cluster, or index. The default and minimum value for this parameter is 1, meaning that
each free list group contains one free list.

43. What are maxdatafiles, maxlogfiles and maxloghistory?

Ans.
Maxdatafiles - Specifies the maximum number of data files that can ever be created
for the database.
Maxlogfiles - Specifies the maximum number of redo log file groups that can ever
be created for the database.
Maxloghistory - Specifies the maximum number of archived redo log files for
automatic media recovery.

44. What is log sequence number?

Ans.
Oracle assigns new log sequence number every time that a log switch occurs and
LGWR begins writing to it.

45. What is SCN?

Ans.
Whenever a transaction is committed, LGWR writes the transaction's redo entries
from the redo log buffer of the SGA to an online redo log file, and a system change
number (SCN) is assigned to identify the redo entries for each committed transaction.

46. What is log switch and when it will happen?

Ans.
The point at which Oracle ends writing to one online redo log file and begins writing
to another is called a log switch.
A log switch always occurs when the current online redoes log file is completely
filled and writing must continue to the next online redo log file.

47. How to switch logfile manually?

Ans.
SVRMGR>ALTER SYSTEM SWITCH LOGFILE;

48. What is mirroring?

Ans.
Oracle provides the capability to mirroring an instance's online redo log files to
safeguard against damage to its online redo log files. With mirroring online redo log
files, LGWR concurrently writes the same redo log information to multiple identical
online redo log files.
49. What is paging and swapping?
Ans.
Paging: Moving part of the program out of memory.
Swapping: Moving complete program out of memory.

50. What is snapshot?

Ans.
A snapshot is a table that contains the results of a query of one or more tables or
views, often located on a remote database. Simply you can say Image of table.

51. What is snapshot refresh?

Ans.
Because a snapshot's master tables can be modified, the data in a snapshot must
occasionally be updated to ensure that the snapshot accurately reflects the data
currently in its master tables. The process of updating a snapshot for this purpose
is called snapshot refresh.
You can use the FAST or COMPLETE options of the REFRESH clause to specify the
refresh mode.

52. What is the error no ORA-1555?

Ans.
Snapshot tool old. (Rollback segment too small)

53. When do you get the error ORA-1555?

Ans.
This can happen when the database has many transactions that are changing data, then
committing or rolling back. The rollback data can be overwritten if the rollback
segments are too small for the number and size of the changes being made.

54. What are the different kinds of locks?

Ans.
General types are exclusive locks and share locks. But further classifications are
row level and table level.

55. What is dead lock?

Ans.
A deadlock is a situation that can occur in multi-user systems that prevents some
transactions from continuing work. A deadlock can occur when two or more users are
waiting for data locked by each other.

56. What is two phase commit?

Ans.
Prepare phase and commit phase.
The prepare/commit mechanism guarantees that the nodes participating in a
distributed transaction either all commit or all roll back the transaction, thus
maintaining the integrity of the global database.
57. What is striping of database?
Ans.
Striping" is the practice of dividing a large table's data into small portions and
storing these portions in separate datafiles on separate disks. This permits multiple
processes to access different portions of the table concurrently without disk
contention.

58. How to create user?

Ans.
SVRMGR> CREATE USER <uname>
IDENTIFIED BY <p.word>
DEFAULT TABLESPACE cases_ts
QUOTA 10M ON cases_ts;

59. Explain the role of connect, resource and dba privileges.

Ans.
Connect, resource and dba are default roles which are created by oracle automatically.
Connect role having privileges : ALTER SESSION
CREATE CLUSTER
CREATE DATABASE LINK
CREATE SEQUENCE
CREATE SESSION
CREATE SYNONYM
CREATE TABLE and
CREATE VIEW
Recourse role’s privileges : CREATE CLUSTER
CREATE PROCEDURE
CREATE SEQUENCE
CREATE TABLE and CREATE TRIGGER
Dba role’s privileges. : All systems privileges WITH ADMIN OPTION .

60. What are the types of privileges?

Ans.
Object privileges and System privileges.

61. What is role and how to create a role

Ans.
A role is a set of privileges that can be granted to users or to other roles.
Syntax.
SVRMGR> CREATE ROLE <R.NAME> IDENTIFIED BY <P.WORD>;
62. On what privileges, with admin option can’t be given.
Ans.
Object privileges. Because with admin option only for system privileges.

63. What is cascading effect?

Ans.
If you revoke an object privilege from a user who has granted the privilege to
other users or roles, Oracle7 also revokes the privilege from the grantees.

64. What is auditing?

Ans.
Auditing keeps track of operations performed by database users. Audit record
containing this information like user performing the operation, type of operation,
object involved in the operation, date and time of the operation.

65. What is object audit, how to enable it and where will you see the result?
Ans.
To audit all successful and unsuccessful DELETE statements on the EMP table,
BY SESSION (the default value), enter the following statement:
AUDIT DELETE ON emp;

SELECT * FROM sys.dba_obj_audit_opts;

66. What is statement audit, how to enable it and where will you see the result?
Ans.
To audit all successful and unsuccessful connections to and disconnection
from the database BY SESSION (the default and only value for this option), enter the
following statement:
AUDIT SESSION BY Scott, lori;

SELECT * FROM sys.dba_stmt_audit_opts;

67. What is privilege audit, how to enable it and where will you see the result?
Ans.
To audit all unsuccessful SELECT, INSERT, and DELETE statements on all
tables and unsuccessful uses of the EXECUTE ANY PROCEDURE system privilege,
by all database users, BY ACCESS, enter the following statement:
AUDIT SELECT TABLE, INSERT TABLE, DELETE TABLE,
EXECUTE ANY PROCEDURE BY ACCESS WHENEVER NOT SUCCESSFUL;

SELECT * FROM sys.dba_priv_audit_opts;

68. What is the initparameter to be enabled before auditing?

Ans.
Audit_trail=true
69. Where all the audit information will be stored?
Ans.
AUD$ table

70. What is the function of archivelog?

Ans.
When you run a database in ARCHIVELOG mode, the archiving of the online
redo log is enabled. Information in a database control file indicates that a group of
filled online redo log files cannot be used by LGWR until the group is archived.

71. How to change from noarchivelog to archivelog? Explain all the steps.
Ans.
ALTER DATABASE ARCHIVELOG;
Steps:
a. Shut down the database instance.
b. Start up a new instance and mount but do not open the database.
c. In mount Stage say ALTER DATABASE ARCHIVELOG;
d. Open the database;

72. How to change from archivelog to noarchivelog? Explain all the steps.
Ans.
ALTER DATABASE NOARCHIVELOG;
Steps:
e. Shut down the database instance.
f. Start up a new instance and mount but do not open the database.
g. In mount Stage say ALTER DATABASE NOARCHIVELOG;
h. Open the database;

73. How to enable automatic archiving?

Ans.
To enable automatic archiving of filled groups each time an instance is started,
include the LOG_ARCHIVE_START parameter, set to TRUE, in the database's
parameter file:
LOG_ARCHIVE_START=TRUE

74. How to view the status of archivelog?

Ans.
ARCHIVE LOG LIST;

75. What is startup nomount and mount?

Ans.
STARTUP NOMOUNT - You might want to start an instance without mounting a
database; this is usually the case only during database creation.
STARTUP MOUNT - You might want to start an instance and mount a database,
but not open the database because you want to perform renaming datafiles, Adding
, dropping, or renaming redo log files, enabling and disabling redo log archiving
 options, performing full database recovery operations.

76. What is startup restricted?

Ans.
You might want to start an instance, and mount and open a database in restricted
mode so that the database is available only to administrative personnel who are
all having restricted session privilege (not general database users).

77. What is startup force?

Ans.
You can usually solve the problem by starting a new instance (and optionally
mounting and opening the database) using startup force. A database instance should
not be forced to start unless you are faced instance startup problem.

78. How to open the database after mounting is over?

Ans.
SVRMGR> ALTER DATABASE OPEN;

79. What is normal shutdown?

Ans.
SVRMGR>SHUTDOWN;
Normal database shutdown proceeds with the following conditions:
a). No new connections are allowed after the statement is issued.
b). Before the database is shut down, Oracle7 waits for all currently connected
Users to disconnect from the database.
c). The next startup of the database will not require any instance recovery
Procedures.

80. What is shutdown immediate?

Ans.
SVRMGR>SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE;
Immediate database shutdown proceeds with the following conditions:
a). Current client SQL statements being processed by Oracle7 are terminated
Immediately.
b). Any uncommitted transactions are rolled back.
c). Oracle7 does not wait for users currently connected to the database to
Disconnect; Oracle7 implicitly rolls back active transactions and
Disconnects all connected users.

81. What is shutdown abort?

Ans.
Aborting an instance shuts down a database and yields the following results:
a). Current client SQL statements being processed by Oracle7 are immediately
Terminated.
b). Uncommitted transactions are not rolled back.
c). Oracle7 does not wait for users currently connected to the database to
 Disconnect; Oracle7 implicitly disconnects all connected users.
d). It’s require instance recovery when restart the database.

82. What is user_dump_dest?

Ans.
The pathname for a directory where the server will write debugging user trace
files on behalf of a user process.

83. What is dedicated architecture and MTS?

Ans.
Dedicated server - The separate server process created on behalf of each user is a
dedicated server process
MTS - The multi-threaded server configuration eliminates the need for a dedicated
server process for each connection. A single server process may provide service to
more than one connections.

84. What is SQL*NET?

Ans.
SQL*Net is Oracle Corporation's latest remote data access software. It enables both
client-server and server-server communications across any network. With SQL*Net,
databases and their applications can reside on different computers and communicate
as peer applications.

85. What are MRU and LRU?

Ans.
MRU - Most Recently used list
LRU - Least Recently used list

86. What cache hit and cache miss?

Ans.
Fetching data block data buffer cache – cache hit
Fetching data from physical disk – cache miss

87. What is Rowid?

Ans.
ROWID is a pseudocolumn that returns a row's address. ROWID values
contain Information necessary to locate a row:
Which data block in the data file?
Which row in the data block (first row is 0)
Which data file (first file is 1)
ROWID value uniquely identifies a row in the database. However, rows in
different tables that are stored together in the same cluster can have the same
ROWID.
88. What is the importance of backup?
Ans.
Backups of the database's datafiles and control files are absolutely necessary as
part of the strategy to safeguard data against potential media failures that can damage
these files.

89. What are the kinds of backups?

Ans.
Physical backup – Online backup (Hot) and Offline (Cold) backup
Logical backup - Complete, cumulative and incremental backup using export utility.

90. How do you take the backup of control file. Why do you have to take that?
Ans.
SVRMGR> ALTER DATABASE BACKUP CONTROL FILE TO TRACE;
Because a control file keeps track of the associated database's physical file
structure, a backup of a database's control file should be made every time a
structural change is made to the database.

91. What is mean by logical backup?

Ans.
If you use Export to backup, all data must be exported in a logically consistent
way so that the backup reflects a single point in time. No one should make changes to
the database while the Export takes place. Ideally, you should run the database in
restricted mode while you export the data, so no regular users can access the data.

92. What is online and offline backups?

Ans.
Online Backup:
Online backups are taken while the database is Open. Before you make an
online backup, you must do begin and end backup of tablespace. Online backups
allow you to back up all or part of the database while it is running.
Offline Backup:
Offline backups are taken while the database is shut down. Before you make
an offline backup, you must therefore shutdown server.

93. What is hot backup, when do you take it and how do you take it? Explain the steps.
Ans.
Online or HOT backups allow you to back up all or part of the database while it is
running.
Syntax
ALTER TABLESPACE <Tablespace name> BEGIN BACKUP;

.... Operating system commands to copy datafiles...

.... Copy completed...

ALTER TABLESPACE < Tablespace name>END BACKUP;

94. What is cold backup, when do you take it and how do you take it? Explain the steps.
Ans.
Offline or COLD backups are taken while the database is shut down. Before you
make an offline backup, you must therefore shutdown server.
Steps.
SVRMGR> Shutdown
SVRMGR> ! (goto o/s level)
C:\……….> Copy all the files
C:\……….>exit (back to svrmgr tool)
SVRMGR>startup

95. What is export? Where it will be stored?

Ans.
Using EXP tool extract the object definitions and table data from an Oracle
database and store them in an Oracle-binary format export file that is located typically
on tape or on disk. Export files can be used to transfer data between databases that are
on machines not connected via a network or as backups in addition to normal backup
procedures. Default export file name is EXPDAT.DMP

96. What are the kinds of export?

Ans.
Database, User and Table

97. What is import and how do you import?

Ans.
Import extracts the objects from an Export file and puts them into a Database.
Using IMP tool in o/s level.

98. What is import option Ignore and Destroy?

Ans.
Ignore: Specifies how object creation errors should be handled. Specifying
IGNORE=Y causes Import to overlook object creation errors when attempting to
create database objects.
Destroy: Specifies whether the existing data files making up the database should be
reused. That is, the DESTROY option specifies that IMPORT should include the
reuse option in the datafile clause of the CREATE TABLESPACE command.

99. What happens when you issue begin backup and end backup?
Ans.
When you say begin backup, checkpoint will take place to update the highest
SCN in the respective Tablespace’s datafile header after that datafile header will be
frozen.
When you say end backup, datafile header frozen will be released.
Checkpoint will not take place.
100.What is recovery?
Ans.
If hardware, software, network, process, or system failure affects the
operation of a database system, you must usually recover the databases and return to
normal operations as quickly as possible.

101.What are the types of recovery?

Ans.
Complete media recovery, Incomplete media recovery and Instance
Recovery.

106. What will you do when you lost in both archivelog and noarchivelog mode
a) Datafile (with and without backup)
b) Log file (with and without backup)
c) Control file (with and without backup)
Ans.
………

107.What is point in time recovery?

Ans.
Recovering the database to the particular point in time using this syntax.
RECOVER DATABASE UNTIL TIME;
Statement to begin time-based recovery. The time is always specified using the
following format, delimited by single quotation marks: 'YYYY-MM-DD:HH24:MI:SS'.

108.What is media recovery?

Ans.
Media recovery restores a database's datafiles to the most recent point-in-time
before disk failure, and includes the committed data in memory that was lost due to
failure

109.What is complete and incomplete media recovery?

Ans.
Complete: Complete media recovery recovers all lost changes; no work is lost.
Complete media recovery is possible only if all necessary redo logs (online and archived)
are available.
Different types of complete media recovery are available, depending on the files
that are damaged and the availability of the database that is required during recovery
operations.
i. Closed Database Recovery
j. Open Database-Offline Tablespace Recovery
k. Open Database-Offline Tablespace-Individual Datafile Recovery
In complete: In complete media recovery is performed to reconstruct the
damaged database to a transaction consistent state before the media failure or user error.
There are different types of incomplete media recovery that might be used,
depending on the situation that requires incomplete media recovery:
 i. cancel-based
j. time-based
k. Change-based incomplete recovery.

110.What is tablespace recovery and how do you that?

Ans.
TABLESPACE recovery performs media recovery on all datafiles in the
tablespaces listed. To translate the tablespace names into datafile names, the database
must be mounted and open. The tablespaces must be offline to perform the recovery.
Syntax. : SVRMGR> RECOVER TABLESPACE <name>;

111.What is database recovery and how do you that?

Ans.
DATABASE recovery performs media recovery on all online datafiles that require
redo to be applied. If all instances were cleanly shutdown, and no backups were restored,
RECOVER DATABASE indicates a no recovery required error.
Syntax : SVRMGR>Recover database;(In mount stage)

112.Why should you tune the system?

Ans.
To achieve performance targets of response time, throughput, and constraints
you must tune analysis, design, and implementation.

113.What are the levels of tuning?

Ans.
a) Design Level
b) Application level
c) Memory Level
d) I/O level
e) Contention level
114.What is optimizer and it’s types?
Ans.
The optimizer's behavior when choosing an optimization approach and goal
for a SQL statement is affected by these factors:
The OPTIMIZER_MODE initialization parameter
Statistics in the data dictionary
The OPTIMIZER_GOAL parameter of the ALTER SESSION command
Hints in the statement
Types : CHOOSE, COST and RULE.
115.What is the optimizer hint?
Ans.
Hints are suggestions that you give the optimizer for optimizing a SQL statement.
Hints allow you to make decisions usually made by the optimizer. You can use hints to
specify;
The optimization approach for a SQL statement
The goal of the cost-based approach for a SQL statement
The access path for a table accessed by the statement
The join order for a join statement
A join operation in a join statement

116.What is rule based approach?

Ans.
This value causes the optimizer to choose the rule-based approach for all SQL
statements issued to the instance regardless of the presence of statistics.
When you set RULE based optimizer mode, Oracle will never worry about
COST (means resource or I/O cost). It will search the records through the Access paths.
Oracle maintains 15 access paths for each search. Among these paths, Oracle tries to
apply the least rank of the path as possible.

117.What is cost based approach?

Ans.
This value causes the optimizer to use the cost-based approach for all SQL
statements in the session regardless of the presence of statistics and to optimize with a
goal of best throughput (minimum resource usage to complete the entire statement).

118.Explain the difference between rule based and cost based approach.
Ans.
……….
119.List the access paths.
Ans.
1. Single row returned by ROWID
2. Single row returned by CLUSTER join
3 Single row returned by hash cluster join, with unique or primary key
4 Single row returned by unique or primary key
5. Cluster join
6. Hash cluster key
7. Indexed cluster key
8. Composite index
9. Single-column index
10 Bound range search on indexed column
11.Unbound range search on indexed column.
12.Sort merge join
13. MAX or MIN of indexed column
14.ORDER BY on indexed column
15. Full table scans.
120.When will you create index? Up to what extend it is worth to index.
Ans.
As a general guideline, you should create indexes on tables that are often queried
for less than 2% or 4% of the table's rows. This value may be higher in situations where
all data can be retrieved from an index, or where the indexed columns can be used for
joining to other tables.

121.What is cluster and how do you create it?

Ans.
Clusters are an optional method of storing table data. A cluster is a group of
tables that share the same data blocks because they share common columns and are often
used together.
Syntax.
CREATE CLUSTER <name>(dno NUMBER(2) );

122.What is Hash cluster and how do you create it?

Ans.
In a hash cluster, Oracle stores together rows that have the same hash key value.
The hash value for a row is the value returned by the cluster's hash function. When you
create a hash cluster, you can either specify a hash function or use the Oracle internal
hash function. Hash values are not actually stored in the cluster, although cluster key
values are stored for every row in the cluster.
Using HASHKEYS and HASHKEYS parameter in syntax we can create Hash
cluster.

123.What is Explain plan. Why is used and what type of result you will get?
Ans.
EXPLAIN PLAN is a SQL statement that lists the access path determined by the
query optimizer.
The EXPLAIN PLAN command displays the execution plan chosen by the Oracle
optimizer for SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE statements. A statement's
execution plan is the sequence of operations that Oracle performs to execute the
statement. By examining the execution plan, you can see exactly how Oracle executes
your SQL statement. The result will be store in PLAN_TABLE.

124.What is TKPROF. Why is used and what type of result you will get?
Ans.
You can run the TKPROF program to format the contents of the trace file and
place the output into a readable output file.
TKPROF output includes the following information:
. The text of the SQL statement
. The SQL trace statistics in tabular form
. The number of library cache misses for the parsing and execution of the
statement
. The user initially parsing the statement
. The execution plan generated by EXPLAIN PLAN
125.What is SQL tuning?
Ans.
System designers and application developers must understand Oracle's query
processing mechanism to write effective SQL statements. Tune the SQL statements to
achieve the fastest results.

126.Explain CPU tuning?

Ans.
Establish appropriate expectations for the amount of CPU your system should be
using. You can then distinguish whether there is insufficient CPU available, or your
system is consuming too much CPU. You can tune the CPU in two areas
i. Checking System CPU Utilization
ii. Checking oracle CPU Utilization

127.Explain I/O tuning?

Ans.
Disk I/O tends to reduce the performance of many software applications. So, we
have to tune the I/O like
i. Distributing data so that I/O is distributed, thus avoiding disk contention
ii. Storing data in data blocks for best access
iii. Creating extents large enough for your data so as to avoid dynamic extension
of tables, which would hurt high-volume OLTP applications .
v iv. Evaluating the use of raw devices.
v
128.Explain contention tuning?
Ans.
Concurrent processing by multiple Oracle users may create contention for Oracle
resources. Contention may cause processes to wait until resources are available. To tune
the contention, you must take care to reduce the following kinds of contention:
Block contention
Shared pool contention
Lock contention
Latch contention
Rollback contention and etc.

129.What is the use of ANALYZE command?

Ans.
Purpose of the Analyze command.
. To collect statistics about the object used by the optimizer and store them in the
data dictionary
. To delete statistics about the object from the data dictionary
. To validate the structure of the object
. To identify migrated and chained rows of the table or cluster
130.How do you tune database buffer cache?
Ans.
SELECT NAME, VALUE FROM V$SYSSTAT WHERE NAME IN
(‘DB BLOCK GETS’,’CONSISTENT GETS’,’PHYSICAL READS’);
HR=(1-physical reads/(db_block_gets+consistent_gets’))*100
Where HR=Hit ratio
If HR is <70% we need to increase db_block_buffers.
Using X$kcbrbh and X$kcbcbh views, we can tune the value of
db_block_buffers.

131.How do you tune Data dictionary cache?

Ans.
SELECT (SUM (GETS-GETMISSES-USAGE-FIXED)/SUM (GETS))*100
HITRATIO FROM V$ROWCACHE;
If HitRatio<95% we have to increase the shared_pool_size.

132.How do you tune Library cache?

Ans.
SELECT (SUM (PINS-RELOADS)/SUM (PINS)) HITRATIO FROM
V$LIBRARYCACHE;
HitRatio should near to 1 if more than one means we need to increase
shared_pool_size.

133.What do you see in library cache?

Ans.
The library cache contains shared SQL area and Pvt. sql area.

134.How do you tune rollback segments?

Ans.
SELECT CLASS, SUM (COUNT) FROM V$WAITSTAT WHERE CLASS IN
(‘SYSTEM UNDO HEADER’,’SYSTEM UNDO BLOCK’,’UNDO
BLOCK’,’UNDO HEADER’) GROUP BY CLASS;
SELECT SUM (VALUE) FROM V$SYSSTAT WHERE NAME IN ('DB BLOCK
GETS',‘CONSISTENT GETS');
If the number of waits for class BLOCK is greater than 1% of the total number of
requests, you should consider increasing size of the rollback segments to reduce
contention.
If the number of waits for class HEADER is greater than 1% of the total number
of requests, you should consider creating more rollback segments to reduce
contention.

135.What is the use of V$waitstat?

Ans.
Contention for rollback segments is reflected by contention for buffers that
contain rollback segment blocks. You can determine whether contention for rollback
segments is reducing performance by checking the dynamic performance table
V$WAITSTAT.

136.What is the use of X$KCBRBH and X$KCBCBH?

Ans.
X$KCBRBH Table : The virtual table SYS.X$KCBRBH contains statistics that
estimate the performance of a larger cache. Each row in the table reflects the relative
performance value of adding a buffer to the cache.
X$KCBCBH Table: The virtual table SYS.X$KCBCBH contains the statistics
that estimate the performance of a smaller cache. The X$KCBCBH table is similar in
structure to the X$KCBRBH table.
The collection of statistics in the X$KCBCBH table is controlled by the
initialization parameter DB_BLOCK_LRU_STATISTICS.

137.How do you reduce network traffic?

Ans.
i. Tuning ARRAYSIZE parameter
ii. Tuning PL/SQL
iii. Choosing explicit cursor
iv. Running long running jobs in server ends.
v. Enlarging packet size
vi. Reducing Network delays

138.What are the system bottlenecks that affect the server’s performance?
Ans.
i. Memory
ii. Disk I/O and controllers
iii. CPU
iv. Network

139.What are UTLBSTAT and UTLESTAT?

Ans.
They allow you to take a snapshot of how the database is performing. They
provide information that may help you to identify problems and give you guidance about
what needs tuning.
UTLBSTAT tells oracle to start writing system statistics into table.
UTLESTAT stops this writing and displays the report in REPORT.TXT file.
Keep in mind that the statistics that these scripts provide are system-wide, but only
the interval between UTLBSTAT and UTLESTAT.

140.What are OLTP and DSS?

Ans.
OLTP: Online transaction processing (OLTP) applications are high-throughput,
insert/update intensive systems. These systems are characterized by constantly growing
large volumes of data that several hundred users access concurrently. Typical OLTP
applications are airline reservation systems, large order-entry applications, and banking
applications. The key goals of an OLTP system are availability, speed, concurrency, and
recoverability.
DSS: Decision Support System (DSS) applications are best response time, distill
large amounts of information into understandable reports. Typically, decision support
applications perform queries on the large amount of data gathered from OLTP
applications. Decision-makers in an organization use these applications to determine what
strategies the organization should take, based on the available information
The key goals of a decision support system are speed, accuracy, and availability.

141.What is db link?
Ans.
A database link is an object in the local database that allows you to access objects
on a remote database or to mount a secondary database in read-only mode.

142.What is Normalization?
Ans.
Normalization is basic to designing a high-performance system. It is the process
of breaking down all items to their lowest level, making sure that each piece of data can
be uniquely identified and is not duplicated.

143.What is De-normalization?
Ans.
In the real world, a world in which performance may be more important than
abstract perfection, you may find that you need to compromise your commitment to
normalize and be flexible about dealing with real data, for that you may need to embrace
the necessary evil of denormalization.

144.When do de-normalize?
And.
There are number of situations in which you may improve performance by
denormalizing your data. If you find that your application is performing repetitive SQL
table joins and sort/merges on large tables, you may be able to avoid reducing the need
for these operations if you denormalize some part of your database.

145.What are database triggers?

Ans.
A database trigger is a stored PL/SQL block that is associated with a table. Oracle
automatically executes a trigger when a specified SQL statement is issued against the
table.
146.How many database triggers available in oracle V7.x and V8.x?
Ans.
In oracle 7.x only 12 types of triggers, but in oracle 8.x 14 types of triggers i.e. 12
database triggers plus two instead of triggers.
147.In one table how many database triggers can be invoked in V7.x and V8.x?
Ans.
In oracle 7.x a table can have 12 triggers maximum, but in oracle 8.x any number of
triggers can in be invoked to a table.

148.What is parallel server?

Ans.
A database can be access through more than one instance. Parallel processing
divides a large task into many smaller tasks, and executes the smaller tasks concurrently
on several nodes. As a result, the larger task completes more quickly.

149.What is disk array?

Ans.
Redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID) can offer significant advantages in
their failure resilience features. They also permit striping to be quite easily achieved, but
do not appear to provide any significant performance advantage.

150.What is parallel query?

Ans.
With the parallel query feature, multiple processes can work together
simultaneously to process a single SQL statement. This capability is called parallel query
processing. By dividing the work necessary to process a statement among multiple server
processes, the Oracle Server can process the statement more quickly than if only a single
server process processed it.

151.What is Sql*loader?
Ans.
SQL*Loader moves data from external files into tables in an Oracle database.
SQL*Loader loads data in a variety of formats, performs filtering and loads multiple
tables simultaneously.
SQL*Loader can:
. Load data from multiple datafiles of different file types
. Handle fixed-format, delimited-format, and variable-length records
. Manipulate data fields with SQL functions before inserting the data into
database columns
. Load multiple tables during the same run, loading selected rows into each table
. Load data from disk or tape
. Provide thorough error reporting capabilities, so you can easily adjust and load
all records

152.What is remote transaction?

Ans.
A remote transaction is a transaction that contains one or more remote statements,
all of which reference the same remote node.
153.What is DDBMS?
Ans.
Distributed Database Management Systems.
A distributed database system appears to a user as a single server but is, in fact, a
set of two or more servers. The data on each server can be simultaneously accessed and
modified via a network. Each server in the distributed system is controlled by its local
database administrator (DBA), and each server cooperates to maintain the consistency of
the global database.

154.What is SQL?
Ans.
Structured Query Language (SQL), pronounced "sequel," is the set of commands
that all programs and users must use to access data within the Oracle database.

155.What are DDL, DML, TCL and DCL?

Ans.
DDL – Data Definition Language; Create, Alter, Drop and Truncate.
DML – Data Manipulation Language; Insert, Update and Delete.
TCL - Transaction Control Language; Commit, Rollback and Savepoint
DCL - Data Control Language; Grant and Revoke.

156.What is Savepoint?
Ans.
To identify a point in a transaction to which you can later roll back.

157.What is truncate command?

Ans.
To remove all rows from a table or cluster and reset the STORAGE parameters to
the values when the table or cluster was created.

158.What is PL/sql?
Ans.
PL/SQL (Procedural Language/SQL) is set of procedural capabilities that extend
the power of traditional SQL. PL/sql statements can be combined with traditional SQL in
variety of SQL products to increase the ease of application programming, and
considerably overall system performance.
Block Structure:
Declare
<Local declaration>
Begin
<Statements>
Exception
<Error handler>
End;
159.What is stored procedure and stored function?
Ans. doubt
Procedure: A procedure is a subprogram that performs a specific action. It will not
return value as like function.

Function: A function is a subprogram that computes a value. Functions and

procedures are structured alike, except that functions have a RETURN clause.

160.What is ODBC?
Ans.
Open Database Connectivity.
A standard protocol for accessing Relational Database around sql.

161.What is referential integrity constraint?

Ans.
A referential integrity constraint designates a column or combination of columns
as a foreign key and establishes a relationship between that foreign key and a specified
primary or unique key, called the referenced key. In this relationship, the table containing
the foreign key is called the child table and the table containing the referenced key is
called the parent table.

162.What is high water mark and how would you see the HWM value?
Ans.
The high water mark indicates the amount of used space. You cannot release space
below the high water mark (even if there is no data in the space you wish to deallocate).
You can use the DBMS_SPACE package, which contains a procedure
(UNUSED_SPACE) that returns information about the position of the high water mark
and the amount of unused space in a segment.

163.What is stand by database?

Ans.
A standby database maintains a duplicate, or standby copy of your primary
database and provides continued primary database availability in the event of a disaster
(when all media is destroyed at your production site).
A standby database is constantly in recovery mode. If a disaster occurs, you can
take the standby database out of recovery mode and activate it for online use. Once you
activate your standby database, you cannot return it to standby recovery mode unless you
re-create it as another standby database.

164.What are the new DBA related features in Oracle 8.0?

Ans.
. Table partitions
. Multithreads server can now support more than 10,000 users.
. You can now perform parallel inserts, updates, and deletes.
. Index only table (for index segments)
. Long tablespace (to store long columns separately)
 . No Begin/End backup operation required for hot backups.
. Full dynamic INIT.ORA system configuration
. New Rowid format (Increased from 6 bytes to 10 bytes)
. Char data type size increased from 255 to 2000 bytes
. Varchar data type size increased from 2000 to 4000 bytes.
. A table size increased from 255 to 1000 columns.
. New Object-Oriented support.
. Unrecoverable SQL*LOADER data loading.

165.What is VLDB?
Ans.
Very Large Data Base. Databases are very large indeed, with several thousand
users and hundreds of Gigabytes of storage.

166.What is a partition?
Ans.
A table can split in to more than one logical pieces as partitions, to improve the
I/O performance.

167.In one table how many partitions can be created?

Ans.
A table can have maximum 65,000 partitions.

168.What is DBVERIFY?
Ans.
DB_VERIFY is an external command-line utility that performs a physical data
structure integrity check on an offline database. It can be used against backup files and
online files. You use DB_VERIFY primarily when you need to insure that a backup
database (or datafile) is valid before it is restored or as a diagnostic aid when you have
encountered data corruption problems.

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