Exploring the Oracle Database Architecture

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Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to: List the major architectural components of Oracle Database Explain the memory structures Describe the background processes Correlate the logical and physical storage structures

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Oracle Database
The Oracle relational database management system (RDBMS) provides an open, comprehensive, integrated approach to information management

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Connecting to a Server

Client

Middle tier

Server

Multitier architecture shown

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Oracle Database Architecture: Overview

Instance
SMON PMON RECO Others

SGA

Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache

LGWR ARCn

Database buffer cache PGA Server process

DBWn

Redo log buffer

CKPT

User process Data files

Control files Database

Online redo log files

Archived log files

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Connecting to the Database

Connection: Communication between a user process and an instance Session: Specific connection of a user to an instance through a user process

User

SQL> Select

User process

Server process

Session

Connection

Session

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Interacting with an Oracle Database

User process Server process

Instance SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache

ARCn RECO Others

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

DBWn CKPT LGWR SMON PMON

User

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Oracle Database Server Structures

Memory structures
Instance SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache
ARCn RECO Others

User process

Server process

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

Processes

DBWn

CKPT

LGWR

SMON

PMON

Database

Storage structures

Data files

Control files

Online redo log files

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Oracle Database Memory Structures

Server process 1 PGA Server process 2 PGA

DB structures Memory - Process - Storage

Background process

PGA

Shared SQL area Library cache Redo log buffer Database buffer cache Java pool Streams pool

Data dictionary cache Other Shared pool

SGA

I/O buffer Response queue

Free memory Request queue

Large pool

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Database Buffer Cache

Is part of the SGA Holds copies of data blocks that are read from data files Is shared by all concurrent users

Instance SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache

ARCn RECO Others

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

DBWn

CKPT

LGWR SMON

PMON

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Redo Log Buffer

Is a circular buffer in the SGA Holds information about changes made to the database Contains redo entries that have the information to redo changes made by operations such as DML and DDL
Instance SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache
RECO Others

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

DBWn

CKPT

LGWR

SMON

PMON ARCn

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Shared Pool
Is a portion of the SGA Contains:
Library cache

Shared SQL area

Data dictionary cache Control structures

Instance SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache
RECO Others

Shared SQL area

Data dictionary cache

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

Library cache

Other

DBWn

CKPT

LGWR

SMON

PMON ARCn

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Allocation and Reuse of Memory in the Shared Pool

Server process checks the shared pool to see if a shared SQL area already exists for an identical statement. Server process allocates a private SQL area on behalf of the session.

Server process

Shared SQL area Library cache

Data dictionary cache Other

Shared pool

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Large Pool
Provides large memory allocations for: Session memory for the shared server and the Oracle XA interface I/O server processes Oracle Database backup and restore operations

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

Shared pool

I/O buffer Response queue

Free memory Request queue

Java pool

Streams pool

Large pool

Large pool

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Java Pool and Streams Pool

Java pool memory is used in server memory for all session-specific Java code and data in the JVM. Streams pool memory is used exclusively by Oracle Streams to:
Store buffered queue messages Provide memory for Oracle Streams processes

Java pool

Streams pool

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Process Architecture
User process

DB structures - Memory Process - Storage

Is started when a database user or a batch process connects to Oracle Database

Database processes
Server process: Connects to the Oracle instance and is started when a user establishes a session Background processes: Are started when an Oracle instance is started Instance
SGA Shared pool Library cache Data dictionary cache

PGA
User process Server process DBWn

Database buffer cache

Redo log buffer

Background processes
CKPT LGWR SMON PMON ARCn RECO Others

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Process Structures

Server

Server

Server

Server

Server

Server n processes
SGA Database buffer cache Shared pool Redo log buffer Library cache Data dictionary cache

SGA

CKPT

RECO

PMON

SMON

DBWn

LGWR

ARCn

Others

Oracle background processes

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Database Writer Process (DBWn)

Writes modified (dirty) buffers in the database buffer cache to disk: Asynchronously while performing other processing Periodically to advance the checkpoint

DBWn Database buffer cache Database writer process Data files

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LogWriter Process (LGWR)

Writes the redo log buffer to a redo log file on disk Writes:
When a user process commits a transaction When the redo log buffer is one-third full Before a DBWn process writes modified buffers to disk

LGWR Redo log buffer LogWriter process Redo log files

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Checkpoint Process (CKPT)

Records checkpoint information in
Control file Each data file header

CKPT
Checkpoint process

Control file

Data files

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System Monitor Process (SMON)

Performs recovery at instance startup Cleans up unused temporary segments

SMON
System Monitor process

Instance

Temporary segment

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Process Monitor Process (PMON)

Performs process recovery when a user process fails
Cleans up the database buffer cache Frees resources that are used by the user process

Monitors sessions for idle session timeout Dynamically registers database services with listeners

PMON
Process Monitor process

User
Failed user process Database buffer cache

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Recoverer Process
Used with the distributed database configuration Automatically connects to other databases involved in in-doubt distributed transactions Automatically resolves all in-doubt transactions Removes any rows that correspond to in-doubt transactions

RECO

Recoverer process in database A

In-doubt transaction in database B

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Archiver Processes (ARCn)

Copy redo log files to a designated storage device after a log switch has occurred Can collect transaction redo data and transmit that data to standby destinations

ARCn

Archiver process

Copies of redo log files

Archive destination

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Other Processes
MMON: Performs manageability-related background tasks MMNL: Performs frequent and lightweight manageability-related tasks MMAN: Performs automatic memory management tasks CJQ0: Runs user jobs used in batch processing QMNC: Monitors the Streams Advanced Queuing message queues

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Server Process and Database Buffer Cache

Buffers: Pinned Clean Free or unused Dirty

SGA Server process Database buffer cache

DBWn

Data files

Database writer process

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Database Storage Architecture

DB structures - Memory - Process Storage

Control files

Data files

Online redo log files

Parameter file

Backup files

Archived redo log files

Password file
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Alert log and trace files

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Logical and Physical Database Structures

Logical Database Physical

Schema

Tablespace

Data file

Segment

Extent

Oracle data block

OS block

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Tablespaces and Data Files

Tablespaces consist of one or more data files. Data files belong to only one tablespace.

Data file 1

Data file 2

USERS tablespace

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SYSTEM and SYSAUX Tablespaces

The SYSTEM and SYSAUX tablespaces are mandatory tablespaces that are created at the time of database creation. They must be online. The SYSTEM tablespace is used for core functionality (for example, data dictionary tables). The auxiliary SYSAUX tablespace is used for additional database components (such as the Enterprise Manager Repository).

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Segments, Extents, and Blocks

Segments exist in a tablespace. Segments are collections of extents. Extents are collections of data blocks. Data blocks are mapped to disk blocks.

Segment

Extents

Data blocks

Disk blocks

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Database Architecture: Summary of Structural Components

Memory structures:
System Global Area (SGA): Database buffer cache, redo buffer, and various pools Program Global Area (PGA)

Process structures:
User process and server process Background processes: SMON, PMON, DBWn, CKPT, LGWR, ARCn, and so on

Storage structures:
Logical: Database, schema, tablespace, segment, extent, and Oracle block Physical: Data files, control files, and redo log files

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Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned how to: List the major architectural components of Oracle Database Explain the memory structures Describe the background processes Correlate the logical and physical storage structures

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Practice 1: Overview
This is a paper practice with questions about: Database architecture Memory Processes File structures

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