sybex ocp oracle 10g administration ii study guide

OCP:
Oracle 10g
Administration II
Study Guide
Doug Stuns
Tim Buterbaugh
Bob Bryla
SYBEX®

OCP:

Oracle 10

g


Administration II

Study Guide

4368FM.fm Page i Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

4368FM.fm Page ii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

San Francisco • London

OCP:

Oracle 10

g

™


Administration II

Study Guide

Doug Stuns
Tim Buterbaugh
Bob Bryla

4368FM.fm Page iii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Publisher: Neil Edde
Acquisitions and Developmental Editor: Jeff Kellum
Production Editor: Mae Lum
Technical Editors: Ashok Hanumanth, Robert Wahl
Copyeditor: Sarah Lemaire
Compositor: Laurie Stewart, Happenstance Type-O-Rama
Graphic Illustrator: Jeffrey Wilson, Happenstance Type-O-Rama
CD Coordinator: Dan Mummert
CD Technician: Kevin Ly
Proofreaders: James Brook, Nancy Riddiough
Indexer: Jack Lewis
Book Designer: Bill Gibson, Judy Fung
Cover Designer: Archer Design
Cover Photographer: Photodisc and Victor Arre
Copyright © 2005 SYBEX Inc., 1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501. World rights reserved. No
part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but

not limited to photocopy, photograph, magnetic, or other record, without the prior agreement and written per-
mission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Card Number: 2004094993
ISBN: 0-7821-4368-7
SYBEX and the SYBEX logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SYBEX Inc. in the United States
and/or other countries.
Screen reproductions produced with FullShot 99. FullShot 99 © 1991-1999 Inbit Incorporated. All rights
reserved. FullShot is a trademark of Inbit Incorporated.
The CD interface was created using Macromedia Director, COPYRIGHT 1994, 1997-1999 Macromedia Inc. For
more information on Macromedia and Macromedia Director, visit



.
Internet screen shot(s) using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation.
SYBEX is an independent entity from Oracle Corporation and is not affiliated with Oracle Corporation in any
manner. This publication may be used in assisting students to prepare for an Oracle Certified Professional exam.
Neither Oracle Corporation nor SYBEX warrants that use of this publication will ensure passing the relevant
exam. Oracle is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Oracle Corporation in the United States and/or
other countries.
TRADEMARKS: SYBEX has attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from
descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer.
The author and publisher have made their best efforts to prepare this book, and the content is based upon final
release software whenever possible. Portions of the manuscript may be based upon pre-release versions supplied
by software manufacturer(s). The author and the publisher make no representation or warranties of any kind
with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein and accept no liability of any kind including
but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of
any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from this book.
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

4368FM.fm Page iv Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

To Our Valued Readers:
Thank you for looking to Sybex for your Oracle 10

g

exam prep needs. The OCP certification
is designed to validate knowledge of advanced database administration tasks and an under-
standing of the Oracle database architecture and how its components work and interact with
one another. With Oracle continuing to lead the database market, pursuit of the OCP desig-
nation is a worthy and wise endeavor.
We at Sybex are proud of the reputation we’ve established for providing Oracle certification
candidates with the practical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the highly compet-
itive IT marketplace. It has always been Sybex’s mission to teach individuals how to utilize
technologies in the real world, not to simply feed them answers to test questions. Just as Oracle
is committed to establishing measurable standards for certifying database professionals,
Sybex is committed to providing those professionals with the means of acquiring the skills
and knowledge they need to meet those standards.
As always, your feedback is important to us. If you believe you’ve identified an error in the
book, please send a detailed e-mail to



. And if you have general com-
ments or suggestions, feel free to drop me a line directly at

. At Sybex, we’re
continually striving to meet the needs of individuals preparing for certification exams.
Good luck in pursuit of your Oracle certification!
Neil Edde
Publisher—Certification
Sybex, Inc.

4368FM.fm Page v Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Software License Agreement: Terms and Conditions

The media and/or any online materials accompanying
this book that are available now or in the future con-
tain programs and/or text files (the “Software”) to be
used in connection with the book. SYBEX hereby
grants to you a license to use the Software, subject to
the terms that follow. Your purchase, acceptance, or
use of the Software will constitute your acceptance of
such terms.
The Software compilation is the property of SYBEX
unless otherwise indicated and is protected by copy-
right to SYBEX or other copyright owner(s) as indi-
cated in the media files (the “Owner(s)”). You are
hereby granted a single-user license to use the Software
for your personal, noncommercial use only. You may
not reproduce, sell, distribute, publish, circulate, or
commercially exploit the Software, or any portion
thereof, without the written consent of SYBEX and the
specific copyright owner(s) of any component software
included on this media.

In the event that the Software or components include
specific license requirements or end-user agreements,
statements of condition, disclaimers, limitations or
warranties (“End-User License”), those End-User
Licenses supersede the terms and conditions herein as
to that particular Software component. Your purchase,
acceptance, or use of the Software will constitute your
acceptance of such End-User Licenses.
By purchase, use or acceptance of the Software you fur-
ther agree to comply with all export laws and regulations
of the United States as such laws and regulations may
exist from time to time.

Software Support

Components of the supplemental Software and any
offers associated with them may be supported by the
specific Owner(s) of that material, but they are not sup-
ported by SYBEX. Information regarding any available
support may be obtained from the Owner(s) using the
information provided in the appropriate read.me files or
listed elsewhere on the media.
Should the manufacturer(s) or other Owner(s) cease to
offer support or decline to honor any offer, SYBEX
bears no responsibility. This notice concerning support
for the Software is provided for your information only.
SYBEX is not the agent or principal of the Owner(s),
and SYBEX is in no way responsible for providing any
support for the Software, nor is it liable or responsible
for any support provided, or not provided, by the

Owner(s).

Warranty

SYBEX warrants the enclosed media to be free of phys-
ical defects for a period of ninety (90) days after pur-
chase. The Software is not available from SYBEX in any
other form or media than that enclosed herein or posted
to

www.sybex.com

. If you discover a defect in the media
during this warranty period, you may obtain a replace-
ment of identical format at no charge by sending the
defective media, postage prepaid, with proof of pur-
chase to:
SYBEX Inc.
Product Support Department
1151 Marina Village Parkway
Alameda, CA 94501
Web:



After the 90-day period, you can obtain replacement
media of identical format by sending us the defective
disk, proof of purchase, and a check or money order for
$10, payable to SYBEX.

Disclaimer

SYBEX makes no warranty or representation, either
expressed or implied, with respect to the Software or its
contents, quality, performance, merchantability, or fit-
ness for a particular purpose. In no event will SYBEX,
its distributors, or dealers be liable to you or any other
party for direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequen-
tial, or other damages arising out of the use of or inabil-
ity to use the Software or its contents even if advised of
the possibility of such damage. In the event that the Soft-
ware includes an online update feature, SYBEX further
disclaims any obligation to provide this feature for any
specific duration other than the initial posting.
The exclusion of implied warranties is not permitted by
some states. Therefore, the above exclusion may not
apply to you. This warranty provides you with specific
legal rights; there may be other rights that you may have
that vary from state to state. The pricing of the book
with the Software by SYBEX reflects the allocation of
risk and limitations on liability contained in this agree-
ment of Terms and Conditions.

Shareware Distribution

This Software may contain various programs that are
distributed as shareware. Copyright laws apply to both
shareware and ordinary commercial software, and the
copyright Owner(s) retains all rights. If you try a share-
ware program and continue using it, you are expected to

register it. Individual programs differ on details of trial
periods, registration, and payment. Please observe the
requirements stated in appropriate files.

Copy Protection

The Software in whole or in part may or may not be
copy-protected or encrypted. However, in all cases,
reselling or redistributing these files without authoriza-
tion is expressly forbidden except as specifically pro-
vided for by the Owner(s) therein.

4368FM.fm Page vi Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

To Cathy, Brant, and Brea.
—Doug Stuns
To Jeaneanne and Gillian, the ladies that I love—and to Arren, Brandon, and
Nicholas, who help me watch over them.
—Tim Buterbaugh
To MC, CM, CR, ES—y’all rock.
—Bob Bryla

4368FM.fm Page vii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Acknowledgments

First, I want say what a blessing it was to be able to write this book. I am very thankful for
the time and privilege. I am truly thankful to the Lord, my savior, for making this all possible.
Thanks to Mae and Jeff for direction and guidance throughout the writing of this book.
Sarah, your edits and suggestions greatly improved this book and made my job much easier.

Thanks to Ashok Hanumanth and Robert Wahl for the technical edits and reviews, which
enhanced the quality of this writing—greatly.
Finally, I want to thank my wife Cathy, my son Brant, and my daughter Brea for allowing
me the time to work on this book. It has been greatly appreciated.
—Doug Stuns
I would like to thank the following people, without whom I would not have been able to
accomplish this:
To Jeff Kellum and Mae Lum at Sybex, for giving me a chance (and being patient with me)
as a new author. To Matt Weishan for recommending me to Sybex. To Matt Hall, Gary Brite,
Barry Trout, Jerry Dennington, and Mark Moehling for helping me in my DBA career, and in
my life. To Barry Heck and Steve Kell, two of the smartest DBAs I know, for answering all of
my stupid questions. But above all, to my wife and kids, for remembering who I was when I
came out from behind the laptop.
—Tim Buterbaugh
This book wouldn’t be possible without the love and support from my family throughout the
long nights and weekends when I still managed to find time to help the kids with their home-
work before bedtime. I loved every minute of it.
Thanks also to my professional colleagues, both past and present, who provided me with
inspiration, support, and guidance and who pushed me a little further to take a risk now and
then, starting with that math teacher in high school, whose name eludes me at the moment, who
introduced me to computers on a DEC PDP-8 with a teletype and a paper tape reader.
—Bob Bryla

4368FM.fm Page viii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Contents at a Glance

Introduction xix
Assessment Test xxxi

Chapter 1

Configuring Recovery Manager 1

Chapter 2

Using Recovery Manager 37

Chapter 3

Recovering From Non-Critical Losses 85

Chapter 4

Database Recovery 107

Chapter 5

Understanding the Flashback Database 163

Chapter 6

Recovering from User Errors 195

Chapter 7

Handling Block Corruption 225

Chapter 8

Understanding Automatic Database Management 257

Chapter 9

Understanding Automatic Storage Management 327

Chapter 10

Understanding Globalization Support 367

Chapter 11

Managing Resources 427

Chapter 12

Using the Scheduler to Automate Tasks 477

Chapter 13

Monitoring and Managing Storage 523

Chapter 14

Securing the Oracle Listener, Diagnostic Sources,
and Memory 597

Glossary

649

Index 669

4368FM.fm Page ix Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

4368FM.fm Page x Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Contents

Introduction xix
Assessment Test xxxi

Chapter 1 Configuring Recovery Manager 1

Exploring the Features and Components of RMAN 2
RMAN Usage Considerations 4
RMAN Repository and Control Files 6
RMAN Using the Recovery Catalog 7
Starting and Connecting to RMAN 13
Describing Media Management Layer 17
Describing Channel Allocation 17
Parameters and Persistent Settings for RMAN 20
Configuring RMAN Settings with Enterprise Manager 24
Describing Retention Policies 27
Configuring the Control File Autobackup 29
Summary 30
Exam Essentials 30
Review Questions 31
Answers to Review Questions 35

Chapter 2 Using Recovery Manager 37

RMAN Commands 38
Backup Sets and Image Copies 45
Creating Backup Sets 45
Creating Image Copies 47
Compressed Backups 50
Full and Incremental Backups 52
Parallelization of Backup Sets 55
Backup Options 61
Enabling and Disabling Block Change Tracking 64
Managing Backups with Enterprise Manager 66
Monitoring RMAN Backups 69
Using

LIST

Commands 71
Using

REPORT

Commands 73
Working Examples Using RMAN 75
Enabling

ARCHIVELOG

Mode 75
Using RMAN to Back Up Archived Redo Logs 76

Scheduling a Backup Job 76

4368FM.fm Page xi Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

xii

Contents

Summary 77
Exam Essentials 78
Review Questions 79
Answers to Review Questions 83

Chapter 3 Recovering From Non-Critical Losses 85

An Overview of Non-Critical Files 86
Creating a New Temporary Tablespace 87
Starting the Database with a Missing Tempfile 89
Altering the Default Temporary Tablespace for a Database 90
Re-creating Redo Log Files 90
Recovering an Index Tablespace 92
Re-creating Indexes 93
Recovering Read-Only Tablespaces 94
Re-creating the Password File 97
Summary 99
Exam Essentials 99
Review Questions 101
Answers to Review Questions 105

Chapter 4 Database Recovery 107

Understanding the Restore and Recovery Process 108
Server-Managed Recovery 109
User-Managed Recovery 112
Recovering Control Files 114
Recovering a Control File Autobackup 115
Re-creating a Control File 120
Performing an Incomplete Recovery 129
RMAN Incomplete Recovery 130
Performing User-Managed Incomplete Recovery 135
Database Recovery Using Enterprise Manager 139
Performing a Recovery after a

RESETLOGS

Operation 146
Summary 154
Exam Essentials 155
Review Questions 156
Answers to Review Questions 160

Chapter 5 Understanding the Flashback Database 163

An Overview of Flashback Technologies 164
An Overview of the Flashback Database 165
Managing the Flash Recovery Area with Recovery Manager 167
Configuring the Flash Recovery Area 168

4368FM.fm Page xii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Contents

xiii

Using the Flash Recovery Area 168
Backing Up the Flash Recovery Area 171
Configuring the Flashback Database 172
Using the Flashback Database with RMAN 173
Monitoring the Flashback Database 175
Using the Flashback Database with Enterprise Manager 177
Configuring the Flashback Database with EM 177
Using the Flashback Database with EM 179
Monitoring the Flashback Database with EM 186
Summary 187
Exam Essentials 187
Review Questions 188
Answers to Review Questions 192

Chapter 6 Recovering from User Errors 195

An Overview of Flashback Technologies 196
Using Flashback Drop 197
Understanding the Recycle Bin 198
Limitations on Flashback Drop and the Recycle Bin 203
Using EM to Perform Flashback Dropped Tables 204
Using Flashback Versions Query 209
Using Flashback Transaction Query 213
Using Flashback Table 215
Summary 217
Exam Essentials 218

Review Questions 219
Answers to Review Questions 223

Chapter 7 Handling Block Corruption 225

An Overview of Block Corruption 226
Block Corruption Symptoms 226
Using Various Methods to Detect and Resolve Corruption 228
Using the ANALYZE Utility 229
Using the DBVERIFY Utility 229
Using

DB_BLOCK_CHECKING 232

Using the

DBMS_REPAIR

Package 233
Block Media Recovery 243
Summary 245
Exam Essentials 245
Review Questions 246
Answers to Review Questions 253

4368FM.fm Page xiii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

xiv

Contents

Chapter 8 Understanding Automatic Database Management 257

Using the Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) 259
AWR Statistics Collection Facility 259
Workload Repository 262
Active Session History 264
AWR Snapshots 266
AWR Baselines 269
Using AWR Views 270
Using AWR Reports 272
Managing Server-Generated Alerts 274
Threshold and Non-Threshold Alerts 275
Default Alerts 275
An Overview of the Alert Process 275
Using Enterprise Manager to Configure Thresholds 276
Setting Thresholds through PL/SQL 279
Viewing Server Alerts 281
Using Automatic Routine
Administration Tasks 281
Automatic Statistics Collection 282
Understanding the Advisory Framework 294
An Overview of the Advisors 295
Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM) 300
SQL Tuning Advisor 304
Summary 319
Exam Essentials 320
Review Questions 321
Answers to Review Questions 325

Chapter 9 Understanding Automatic Storage Management 327

Introducing the ASM Architecture 328
Understanding an ASM Instance 330
Creating an ASM Instance 330
Connecting to an ASM Instance 332
Starting Up and Shutting Down an ASM Instance 333
Defining ASM Initialization Parameters 334
Categorizing ASM Dynamic Performance Views 335
Using ASM Filenames 336
Fully Qualified Names 336
Numeric Names 337
Alias Names 337
Alias with Template Names 337
Incomplete Names 338
Incomplete Names with Template 338

4368FM.fm Page xiv Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Contents

xv

Understanding ASM File Types and Templates 338
Administering ASM Disk Groups 341
Understanding Disk Group Architecture 341
Understanding Failure Groups and Disk Group Mirroring 341
Understanding Disk Group Dynamic Rebalancing 342
Creating and Deleting Disk Groups 342
Altering Disk Groups 346

Using EM Database Control with ASM Disk Groups 355
Using RMAN to Perform Database Migration to ASM 357
Summary 357
Exam Essentials 358
Review Questions 360
Answers to Review Questions 365

Chapter 10 Understanding Globalization Support 367

An Overview of Globalization Support 368
Globalization Support Features 369
Globalization Support Architecture 370
Supporting Multilingual Applications 372
Using Unicode in a Multilingual Database 374
Using NLS Parameters 376
Setting NLS Parameters 376
Prioritizing NLS Parameters 388
Using NLS Views 391
Using Datetime Datatypes 395

DATE

Datatype

395
TIMESTAMP

Datatype

400

TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE

Datatype

401
TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE

Datatype

402

Using Linguistic Sorts and Searches 403
An Overview of Text Sorting 403
Using Linguistic Sort Parameters 406
Linguistic Sort Types 412
Searching Linguistic Strings 416
Summary 417
Exam Essentials 418
Review Questions 419
Answers to Review Questions 424

Chapter 11 Managing Resources 427

An Overview of the Database
Resource Manager 429
Working with the Pending Area 429
Creating a Pending Area 430

4368FM.fm Page xv Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

xvi

Contents

Validating Changes 430
Submitting the Pending Area 431
Clearing the Pending Area 432
Resource Consumer Groups 432
Managing Resource Consumer Groups 433
Resource Plans 443
Creating Simple Resource Plans 444
Creating Complex Resource Plans 447
Creating Resource Sub-Plans 448
Modifying Resource Plans 449
Deleting Resource Plans 450
Resource Plan Directives 450
Creating Resource Plan Directives 451
Putting the Pieces Together 460
Creating the Elements 460
Summary 469
Exam Essentials 470
Review Questions 471
Answers to Review Questions 475

Chapter 12 Using the Scheduler to Automate Tasks 477

Scheduler Overview 478
Scheduler Architecture 479
The Job Table 480
The Job Coordinator 480

The Job Slave Processes 480
RAC Considerations 481
Common Administration Tools 481
Using the

ENABLE

Procedure 482
Using the

DISABLE

Procedure 483
Setting Attributes 485
Using Scheduler Jobs 487
Creating Jobs 487
Copying Jobs 492
Running Jobs 493
Stopping Jobs 494
Dropping Jobs 494
Using Job Classes 495
Job Class Parameters 495
Creating Job Classes 496
Dropping Job Classes 497

4368FM.fm Page xvi Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Contents

xvii

Using Scheduler Programs 497
Program Attributes 497
Creating Programs 498
Dropping Programs 500
Using Schedules 500
Schedule Attributes 501
Creating Schedules 501
Setting Repeat Intervals 502
Testing Repeat Intervals 504
Using Scheduler Windows 507
Creating Windows 507
Opening and Closing Windows 508
Window Logging 509
Purging Logs 511
Using Scheduler Views 511
Summary 513
Exam Essentials 514
Review Questions 516
Answers to Review Questions 521

Chapter 13 Monitoring and Managing Storage 523

Monitoring Tablespace Storage 525
Space Usage Monitoring 525
Editing Thresholds with Enterprise Manager
Database Control 526
Using

DBMS_SERVER_ALERT

532
Using Segment Management Tools 536
Segment Shrink 536
Segment Advisor 542
Index Space Monitoring 556
Understanding Special Table Types 559
Index-Organized Tables 559
Clustered Tables 563
Using Miscellaneous Space Management Tools 570
Controlling Undo Space 570
Controlling Redo Log File Space 572
Leveraging Resumable Space Allocation 583
An Overview of Resumable Space Allocation 583
Using Resumable Space Allocation 584

DBMS_RESUMABLE

Package

585

Using the

AFTER SUSPEND

System Event 586
Resumable Space Allocation Data Dictionary Views 586

4368FM.fm Page xvii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

xviii

Contents

Summary 587
Exam Essentials 588
Review Questions 589
Answers to Review Questions 594

Chapter 14 Securing the Oracle Listener, Diagnostic
Sources, and Memory 597

Securing the Oracle Listener 598
An Overview of the TNS Listener 599
Managing the Listener Remotely 600
Setting the Listener Password 601
Controlling Database Access 604
Using Listener Logging 606
Removing Unneeded External Procedure Services 608
Creating a Separate Listener for External Procedures 611
Diagnostic Sources 615
Using the Oracle Alert Log 616
Using Server-Generated Alerts 625
Using Oracle Trace Files 628
Automatic Memory Management 630
Oracle Memory Usage 631
Summary 639
Exam Essentials 640
Review Questions 642

Answers to Review Questions 647

Glossary

649

Index 669

4368FM.fm Page xviii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:17 AM

Introduction

There is high demand for professionals in the information technology (IT) industry, and Oracle
certifications are the hottest credential in the database world. You have made the right decision
to pursue your Oracle certification, because achieving your Oracle certification will give you a
distinct advantage in this highly competitive market.
Most readers should already be familiar with Oracle and do not need an introduction to the
Oracle database world. For those who aren’t familiar with the company, Oracle, founded in 1977,
sold the first commercial relational database and is now the world’s leading database company
and second-largest independent software company, with revenues of more than $10 billion, serv-
ing more than 145 countries.
Oracle databases are the de



facto standard for large Internet sites, and Oracle advertisers are
boastful but honest when they proclaim, “The Internet Runs on Oracle.” Almost all big Internet
sites run Oracle databases. Oracle’s penetration of the database market runs deep and is not
limited to dot-com implementations. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) application suites,
data warehouses, and custom applications at many companies rely on Oracle. The demand for

DBA resources remains higher than others during weak economic times.
This book is intended to help you pass the Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration II Exam,
which will establish your credentials as an Oracle Certified Professional (OCP). The OCP cer-
tification is a prerequisite for obtaining an Oracle Certified Master (OCM) certification. Using
this book and a practice database, you can learn the necessary skills to pass the 1Z0-043 Oracle
Database 10

g

: Administration II exam.

Why Become Oracle Certified?

The number one reason to become an OCP is to gain more visibility and greater access to the
industry’s most challenging opportunities. Oracle certification is the best way to demonstrate
your knowledge and skills in Oracle database systems.
Certification is proof of your knowledge and shows that you have the skills required to support
Oracle core products. The Oracle certification program can help a company to identify proven
performers who have demonstrated their skills and who can support the company’s investment
in Oracle technology. It demonstrates that you have a solid understanding of your job role and the
Oracle products used in that role.
OCPs are among the best paid in the IT industry. Salary surveys consistently show the OCP
certification to yield higher salaries than other certifications, including Microsoft, Novell, and
Cisco.
So whether you are beginning your career, changing your career, or looking to secure your
position as a DBA, this book is for you!

4368Intro.fm Page xix Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM

xx

Introduction

Oracle Certifications

Oracle certifications follow a track that is oriented toward a job role. These are database admin-
istration, application developer, and web application server administrator tracks. Within each
track, Oracle has a multi-tiered certification program.
Within the administration track there are three tiers:


The first tier is the Oracle 10

g

Certified Associate (OCA). To obtain OCA certification, you
must pass the 1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration I exam in a proctored setting.


The second tier is the Oracle 10

g

Certified Professional (OCP), which builds on and requires
OCA certification. To obtain OCP certification, you must attend an approved Oracle Uni-
versity hands-on class and pass the 1Z0-043 Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration II exam in
a proctored setting.


The third and highest tier is the Oracle 10

g

Certified Master (OCM), which builds on and
requires OCP certification. To obtain OCM certification, you must attend advanced-level
classes and take a two-day, hands-on practical exam.
The material in this book addresses only the Administration II exam. Other Sybex books—
which can be found at



—can help students new to the DBA world
prepare for the OCA exam 1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration I. You can also get
information on the Oracle upgrade exam, Oracle Database 10

g

: New Features for Adminis-
trators (exam 1Z0-040).

See the Oracle website at

/>

for the latest information on all of Oracle’s certification paths, along with Oracle’s

training resources.

Oracle DBA Certification

The role of the DBA has become a key to success in today’s highly complex database systems. The
best DBAs work behind the scenes, but are in the spotlight when critical issues arise. They plan, cre-
ate, maintain, and ensure that the database is available for the business. They are always watching
the database for performance issues and to prevent unscheduled downtime. The DBA’s job requires
broad understanding of the architecture of Oracle database and expertise in solving problems.
Because this book focuses on the DBA track, we will take a closer look at the different tiers
of the DBA track.

Oracle Database 10

g

Administrator Certified Associate

The Oracle 10

g

Administrator Certified Associate (OCA) certification is a streamlined, entry-
level certification for the database administration track and is required to advance toward the
more senior certification tiers. This certification requires you to pass one exam that demon-
strates your knowledge of Oracle basics:


1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration I

4368Intro.fm Page xx Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM

Introduction

xxi

Oracle Database 10

g

Administrator Certified Professional

The OCP tier of the database administration track challenges you to demonstrate your enhanced
experience and knowledge of Oracle technologies. The Oracle 10

g

Administrator Certified Pro-
fessional (OCP) certification requires achievement of the OCA certification, attendance at one or
more approved Oracle University classes, and successful completion of the following exam:


1Z0-043 Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration II
The approved courses for OCP candidates include the following:


Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration I


Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration II


Oracle Database 10

g

: Introduction to SQL


Oracle Database 10

g

: New Features for Administrators


Oracle Database 10

g

: Program with PL/SQL
If you already have your OCP in 9

i

or earlier and have elected to take the upgrade path, you
are not required to take the Oracle University class to obtain your OCP for Oracle 10

g

.

You should verify this list against the Oracle education website

(

www.oracle.com/education

), as it can change without any notice.

Oracle Database 10

g

Certified Master

The Oracle Database 10

g

Administration Certified Master (OCM) is the highest level of certi-
fication that Oracle offers. To become a certified master, you must first obtain OCP certifica-
tion, then complete advanced-level classes at an Oracle Education facility, and finally pass a
hands-on, two-day exam at an Oracle Education facility. The classes and practicum exam are
offered only at an Oracle Education facility and may require travel.

Details on the required coursework for the OCM exam were not available when

this book was written.

Oracle 10

g

Upgrade Paths

Existing Oracle Professionals can upgrade their certification in several ways:


An Oracle9

i

OCP can upgrade to 10

g

certification by passing the 1Z0-040 Oracle Data-
base 10g: New Features for Administrators exam.


An Oracle8

i

OCP can upgrade directly to 10

g

by passing the 1Z0-045 Oracle Database 10

g

:
New Features for Oracle8

i

OCPs exam.


Oracle 7.3 and Oracle 8 DBAs must first upgrade to an Oracle9

i

certification with the
1Z0-035 Oracle9

i

DBA: New Features for Oracle 7.3 and Oracle 8 OCPs exam and then

4368Intro.fm Page xxi Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM

xxii

Introduction

upgrade the 9

i

certification to 10

g

with the 1Z0-040 Oracle Database 10

g

: New Features
for Administrators exam.

Oracle Database 10

g

Administrator Special Accreditations

New to the Oracle certification program are the Oracle Database 10

g

Administrator Special
Accreditation programs. These accreditations formally recognize the specialized knowledge of
OCPs, in particular database administration areas such as high availability, security, and 10

g


Grid Control. OCPs who pass one of these special accreditation exams receive a certificate that
formally recognizes their specialized competency.

Oracle Exam Requirements

The Oracle Database 10

g

: Administration II exam covers several core subject areas. As with
many typical multiple-choice exams, there are several tips that you can follow to maximize your
score on the exam.

Skills Required for the Oracle Database 10

g

:
Administration II Exam

To pass the Oracle 10

g

Administration II exam, you need to master the following subject areas
in Oracle 10

g

:

Using Globalization Support

Customize language-dependent behavior for the database and individual sessions.
Specify different linguistic sorts for queries.
Use datetime datatypes.
Query data using case-insensitive and accent-insensitive searches.
Obtain Globalization support configuration information.

Oracle Database 10

g

DBA Assessment

Oracle also provides an optional (and free) prerequisite to all of the proctored exams—the Oracle
Database 10

g

DBA Assessment online exam:


1Z0-041 Oracle Database 10

g

: DBA Assessment
This exam evaluates your proficiency with basic administration and management of an Oracle 10

g

database and upon passing this online exam, you receive a certificate of completion from Oracle
University. While anybody can take this exam, it is designed for those new to Oracle 10

g

, and it is
an excellent measurement of how familiar you are with the new Oracle 10

g

database.

4368Intro.fm Page xxii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM

Introduction

xxiii

Securing the Oracle Listener

Secure the listener.
Remove default EXTPROC entry and add a separate listener to handle external proce-
dure calls.

Configuring Recovery Manager (RMAN)

Configure database parameters that affect RMAN operations.
Change RMAN default settings with

CONFIGURE

.
Manage RMAN’s persistent settings.
Start RMAN utility and allocate channels.

Using Recovery Manager

Use the RMAN

BACKUP

command to create backup sets and image copies.
Enable block change tracking.
Manage the backups and image copies taken with RMAN with the

LIST

and

REPORT


commands.

Diagnostic Sources

Use the alert log and database trace files for diagnostic purposes.
View alerts using Enterprise Manager (EM).
Adjust thresholds for tracked metrics.

Control the size and location of trace files.

Recovering from Non-Critical Losses

Recover temporary tablespaces.
Recover a redo log group member.
Recover index tablespaces.
Recover read-only tablespaces.
Recreate the password file.

Database Recovery

Recover the control file.
Explain reasons for incomplete recovery.
Perform incomplete recovery using EM.
Perform incomplete recovery using RMAN.
Perform incomplete recovery using SQL.
Perform database recovery following a

RESETLOGS

operation.

4368Intro.fm Page xxiii Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM

xxiv

Introduction

Flashback Database

Determine which flashback technology to use for each recovery situation.
Configure and use Flashback Database.
Monitor the Flashback Database.
Use the Enterprise Manager Recovery Wizard to flashback database.
Manage (or maintain) the Flash Recovery Area.

Recovering from User Errors
Recover a dropped table using Flashback technology.
Perform a Flashback table operation.
Manage the Recycle Bin.
Recover from user errors using Flashback Versions Query.
Perform transaction-level recovery using Flashback Transaction Query.
Dealing with Database Corruption
Define block corruption and list its causes and symptoms.
Detect database corruptions using the following utilities: ANALYZE, DBVERIFY.
Detect database corruptions using the DBMS_REPAIR package.
Implement the DB_BLOCK_CHECKING parameter to detect corruptions.
Repair corruptions using RMAN.
Automatic Database Management
Use the Database Advisors to gather information about your database.
Use the SQL Tuning Advisor to improve database performance.
Use automatic undo retention tuning.
Monitoring and Managing Storage
Tune redo writing and archiving operations.
Issue statements that can be suspended upon encountering space condition errors.
Reduce space-related error conditions by proactively managing tablespace usage.
Reclaim wasted space from tables and indexes using the segment shrink functionality.
Estimate the size of new tables and indexes.
Use different storage options to improve the performance of queries.

Rebuild indexes online.
4368Intro.fm Page xxiv Thursday, December 16, 2004 10:22 AM