Week 1

Enterprise DB Architecture

In this lecture, you will learn

What is an Enterprise Database System?
Oracle Database Application Architectures
Oracle Database Server Architecture
Overview of the Physical DB Structure
Overview of an Oracle Instance

Tools for Oracle Administration

Starting up and Shutting Down an Oracle DB
Server
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Readings
Required Readings
Oracle Database Concepts (Concepts)
Chapter 1 Introduction to Oracle database
Chapter 14 Memory Architecture
Chapter 15Process Architecture

Oracle Database Administrator's Guide,

Chapter 3 Starting Up and Shutting Down

Further Readings
Oracle Database Concepts
Chapter 6 Data Dictionary and Dynamic Performance Views

What is an Enterprise Database?

Database (DB): Data and Metadata

Database Management System (DBMS)
Systems that provide services and tools for managing DBs
Enterprise Database
Used by the Entire Organization
Supports Many Users (more than 50, usually hundreds or thousands)
Across Many Departments/Business Units and could be across
countries

Oracle Database Application Architectures

Client/Server Architecture
Client: initiates request and presents data to users
Database server: runs Oracle software, stores data, receives and
processes SQL and PL/SQL statements that originate from clients

Multitier Architecture with Application Server(s)

Client: initiates a request and presents data to users
Application server(s): interfaces between clients and multiple
database servers, provide additional features on top of the database
servers
Database server(s): runs Oracle software, stores data, receives and
processes SQL and PL/SQL statements that originate from clients and
application servers.

DB

Oracle Client/Server Architecture

Multitier Architecture with Application Server(s)

http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/CNC
7 PT/dist_pro.htm#CNCPT702

Oracle Database Server Architecture

An Oracle database server architecture
contains:
Database
User Processes
Server Processes
Oracle Instance
Other files and memory structures

Oracle Database Server Architecture (Diagram)

Physical Database Structures

Data files:
contain all the database data

Control files:
contain entries that specify the physical structure of the database

Redo log files:

contain redo entries

Archived log files:

contain archived redo log entries

Parameter file:
contains a list of configuration parameters for an instance and the database

Alert and trace log files:

contains a chronological log of alter and error messages

Backup files:
contain backup copies of database files

Further details of the Oracle Physical Database Structures can be found in Oracle Documentation.
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Oracle Instance
An Oracle instance is the part of an Oracle database executing
in memory when an Oracle database is running (after start up)
An Oracle instance consists of memory structures called the
System Global Area (SGA) and the Background Processes

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Oracle Instance

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Oracle Instance: Memory Structure (Diagram)

http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/CNC
PT/memory.htm#CNCPT7778
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Oracle Instance: Memory Structure

The two major memory structures associated with an Oracle instance are:
System Global Area (SGA)
private to each Oracle instance, allocated when the Oracle instance is started, deallocated when the Oracle instance is shut down.
shared by multiple server and background processes of the same Oracle instance
contains shared program code, cached data, information about connected sessions,
database server parameters
stores data in memory to minimize disk I/O
SGA_MAX_SIZE in the initialization parameter file determines the maximum size of the
SGA
SGA_TARGET: a dynamic parameter that Oracle uses to determine the total size of the
SGA components.

Program Global Area (PGA)

private to each Oracle server processes
configuration depends on the Oracle Server connection configuration
shared server or dedicated server

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Oracle Instance: Memory Structure, Major Components

Database Buffer Cache
stores the most recently used blocks of data
caches data that is kept in memory, less disk I/O is needed, improved
performance

Redo Log Buffer

stores redo entries - a log of changes made to the database

Shared Pool
contains shared SQL areas
each SQL statement has its own shared SQL area
stores parse tree and execution plan
shared by multiple applications that issue the same statement

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Oracle Instance: Memory Structure, SGA

The size of the SGA is determined by several initialization
parameters. The following parameters have the greatest
effect on SGA size:
DB_CACHE_SIZE: specifies the size of the cache of standard blocks.
LOG_BUFFER: specifies the number of bytes allocated for the redo log
buffer.
SHARED_POOL_SIZE: specifies the size in bytes of the area devoted to
shared SQL and PL/SQL statements.
LARGE_POOL_SIZE: specifies the size of the large pool, the default is 0.
JAVA_POOL_SIZE: specifies the size of the Java pool.

If the value for SGA_MAX_SIZE in the initialization parameter

file is less than the sum the memory allocated for all
components, the database ignores the setting for
SGA_MAX_SIZE.

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User Process & Server Process

User Process
starts when a database client application connects to an Oracle
database server, it runs an Oracle user process
a session is established for each client connection
each Oracle user can run multiple sessions at the same time

Server Process
handles the request on behalf of the user process(s)
parse and run SQL statements
read data from disk into shared database buffer in SGA

has a process specific memory area called the Program Global Area
(PGA)

Program Global Area

PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET: specifies the total memory size dedicated
to the PGA for an Oracle instance

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Shared & Dedicated Server

Dedicated Server Configuration
one-to-one relation between the number of user processes and server
processes.
maybe inefficient, most of the time, the server processes are idle
suitable for systems with long transactions

Shared Server Configuration

a dispatcher directs multiple user session requests to a pool of shared
server processes
idle server processes can pick up a request from a common queue
suitable for systems with a large number of users

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Oracle Using Dedicated Server Processes (Diagram)

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Oracle Using Shared Server Processes (Diagram)

http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/CNC
PT/dist_pro.htm#CNCPT006
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Oracle Instance: Background Processes

Oracle is a multi-process system,the background processes in
an Oracle instance can include:

Database Writer Process (DBWn)

Log Writer Process (LGWR)
Checkpoint Process (CKPT)
System Monitor Process (SMON)
Process Monitor Process (PMON)
Recoverer Process (RECO)
Job Queue Processes
Archiver Processes (ARCn)
Queue Monitor Processes (QMNn)
Other Background Processes
http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/CNC
PT/process.htm#CNCPT9840
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Oracle Instance:
Background
Processes
(Diagram)

http://docs.oracle.com
/database/121/CNCP
T/process.htm#CNCP
T1245

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Oracle Instance: Background Processes (DBWn)

Database writer process (DBWn) writes the contents of memory (buffer) to

permanent storage (file)
DBWn ensures that a sufficient number of free buffers are available in the
database buffer cache
DBWn can perform batched (multi-block) writes to improve efficiency

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Oracle Instance: Background Processes (LGWR)

Log Writer Process (LGWR) manages the redo log buffer

LGWR writes the redo log buffer (circular buffer) to the redo log file
LGWR writes:

At commit
When redo log buffer one-third full
Every 3 seconds
Before DBWn writes

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Oracle Instance: Background Processes

Checkpoint Process (CKPT)
synchronizes all database files with the checkpoint
information
signals DBWn to write the buffer cache to disk
signals LGWR to update the datafile header and
control files

System Monitor Process (SMON)

performs recovery, if necessary, at instance startup
cleans up temporary segments that are no longer in
use

Process Monitor Process(PMON)

performs process recovery when a user process fails
cleans up the database buffer cache and frees up
resources

SMON and PMON perform automatic checks

regularly to facilitate recovery. These can be called
by other processes
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Static Data Dictionary Views & Dynamic

Performance(V$) Views
Static Data Dictionary Views
ALL_: views a user can access (e.g., ALL_TABLES)
USER_: views a user own (e.g., USER_TABLES)
DBA_: views available to DBA only (e.g., DBA_TABLES)

Dynamic Performance Views (V$)

accessible by the administrator user SYS
continuously updated while a database is open and in use
contents relate primarily to performance.
http://docs.oracle.com/database/121/CNCPT/datadict.htm#CNCPT1209
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Some Useful Data Dictionary Views

DESCRIBE V$SGA_DYNAMIC_COMPONENTS
shows what columns are in the Data Dictionary view/table
use a SELECT statement to get required information

Some Useful Data Dictionary Views

V$DATABASE
V$PARAMETER
V$NLS_PARAMETERS
V$SGA
V$CONTROLFILE
V$SGA_DYNAMIC_COMPONENTS

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Oracle DB Administration & Application Development Tools

Administration Tools:
Oracle Universal Installer (OUI): tool for installing, upgrading, or removing software
components
Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA): a graphical user interface tool that interacts
with the OUI, or can be used independently, to create, delete or modify a database
Database Upgrade Assistant: utility for upgrading an existing database to a new oracle
release
Oracle Net Manager: tool for configuring and managing Oracle database networks
Oracle Enterprise Manager: a graphical interface used to administer, monitor, and tune
one or more databases

Application Development Tools:

SQL Developer: a graphical tool for database development, used to browse database
objects, run SQL, edit and debug PL/SQL
Oracle Application Express: a Web-based development tools for development of
database-centric web applications, used to create forms, reports and other web
applications rapidly

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Starting Up and Shutting Down a Database

A database can be in one of the four stages

when starting up or shutting down:
SHUTDOWN
NOMOUNT
MOUNT
OPEN

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Starting Up a Database (2)

NOMOUNT
OPEN
STARTUP
MOUNT

NOMOUNT

SHUTDOWN

System reads
the parameter
file, Instance
started

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Starting Up a Database (3)

MOUNT
OPEN
STARTUP
MOUNT

NOMOUNT

Control file
opened for this
instance

SHUTDOWN
SHUTDOWN

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Starting Up a Database (4)

OPEN
OPEN
STARTUP
MOUNT

NOMOUNT

SHUTDOWN

All files opened as

described by the control
file for this instance

Control file
opened for this
instance

System reads
the parameter
file, Instance
started

SHUTDOWN

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Other Startup Options

Restricting Access to an Instance at Startup
You can start an instance in restricted mode, so that it is available only to the
database administrator
STARTUP RESTRICT

Start the instance in restricted mode when:

performing an export or import of data

performing a data load
temporary preventing typical users from accessing data
performing migration or upgrade operations

Forcing an Instance to Start

STARTUP FORCE
This command will first shut down the database with ABORT mode, and then
restart it.
Use STARTUP FORCE, only when
cannot shut down the database with SHUTDOWN NORMAL, SHUTDOWN
IMMEDIATE, or SHUTDOWN TRANSACTIONAL commands
cannot startup the database with any other STRATUP mode

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Shutting Down the Database

Shutdown Mode

Allow new connections

No

No

No

No

Wait until current sessions end

No

No

No

Yes

Wait until current transactions end

No

No

Yes

Yes

Force a checkpoint and close files

No

Yes Yes

Yes

Shutdown mode:
A
I
T
N

=
=
=
=

ABORT
IMMEDIATE
TRANSACTIONAL
NORMAL

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Shutdown and Startup a Clean Database

During

On the way
down:
Database buffer
cache is written to
the data files
Uncommitted
changes rolled
back
Resources are
released

SHUTDOWN
NORMAL
or
SHUTDOWN
TRANSACTIONAL
or
SHUTDOWN
IMMEDIATE

On the way
up:
No instance
recovery

Consistent database
(clean database)
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Shutdown and Startup a Dirty Database

On the way down:
Modified buffers
are not written to
the data files
Uncommitted
changes are not
rolled back

During
SHUTDOWN ABORT
or
Instance Failure
or
STARTUP FORCE

On the way up:

Online redo log files are
used to reapply changes
Undo segments are used
to roll back uncommitted
changes
Resources are released

Inconsistent database
(dirty database)
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Revision Questions
What is an Enterprise Database System?
How does it compare to a personal database system?

What are the major components of an Oracle database server?

What physical files are associated with Oracle database?
What is an Oracle instance?
What are the major memory areas, and background processes?

What are the differences between a shared and a dedicated connection

configuration?
What information can be found in the Oracle Data Dictionary?
What are the major administration and application development tools for
an Oracle database?
What are the possible options for starting up and shutting down an Oracle
database?

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