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In my previous blogpost, we delved into the complete details on Unified auditing. With the release of Oracle 23ai, there's a significant shift in the way Oracle handles auditing. Building on the foundation laid by Unified Auditing introduced in Oracle 12c, Oracle 23ai marks a crucial milestone: the deprecation of traditional auditing in favor of a more streamlined, robust auditing mechanism. Here's an in-depth look at what this transition entails and how it impacts your database management.
As we discussed some undo-related aspects in my previous blog post , I’ll continue the conversation here with more details about undo tablespaces and the common challenges you might encounter with them in Oracle 19c. Understanding and optimizing undo management is critical to ensuring data consistency, supporting recovery operations, and maintaining peak database performance.
In the world of database and application security, managing encryption keys and other sensitive credentials is paramount. Enter Oracle Key Vault (OKV)—a robust solution designed to securely store and manage encryption keys, Oracle Wallets, Java KeyStores, SSH Key pairs, and other critical secrets. Whether deployed in the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), Azure, AWS, or on-premises, OKV offers a scalable and fault-tolerant solution for key management across various environments.
Ensuring robust database security and compliance is a critical concern for organizations, especially when dealing with sensitive data and regulatory requirements. Oracle Data Safe provides a unified control center designed to streamline security management and compliance tasks across various environments—whether on-premises, in Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), at Cloud@Customer, or on other cloud platforms.
As your database expands, ensuring peak performance becomes increasingly complex. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden surge in transactions or expanding workloads, proactive measures are essential to maintain efficiency. Below are some key strategies to help you optimize performance and scale smoothly during rapid growth.
In the realm of Oracle database management, maintaining an effective audit trail is crucial for ensuring data integrity and security. Oracle's approach to auditing has evolved, with unified audit records now taking center stage. Here’s an in-depth look at how Oracle handles audit trails and how you can manage them effectively.
Understanding Unified Audit Records
Oracle databases generate audit records during or after the execution of audited SQL statements. These records are written to the internal relational table within the AUDSYS schema. Unlike previous releases, where audit records were stored in SecureFile LOBs, the current system utilizes a partitioned table. This partitioned table uses the EVENT_TIMESTAMP as a partition key, with a default partition interval set to one day. If the database version lacks partitioning support, the audit records are stored in a regular, non-partitioned table.
Unified audit records require significantly more disk space—about 50% more—compared to traditional audit records. It’s essential to plan for this increased storage requirement to avoid potential issues.
Real-Time and Historical Audit Policies
Unified audit policies in Oracle take effect immediately when enabled, applying to ongoing user sessions. Conversely, disabling these policies also takes immediate effect. However, changes to existing unified audit policies will only apply to new sessions, not retroactively to sessions that were already in progress.
Handling Audit Trail Failures
In scenarios where the database is unable to write audit records to the database (such as when it is read-only, when the tablespace is full or offline, or if the audit tablespace is offline), Oracle writes audit records to operating system spillover files in .bin format. These spillover files continue to receive audit records until the operating system’s disk space is exhausted. Once the disk is full, user transactions that generate audit records will fail with an ORA-02002 error.
SYSLOG Integration
Oracle provides the AUDIT_SYSLOG_LEVEL parameter to facilitate writing SYS and standard OS audit records to the system audit log using the SYSLOG utility. When AUDIT_SYSLOG_LEVEL is set and SYS auditing is enabled (AUDIT_SYS_OPERATIONS = TRUE), SYS audit records are directed to the system audit log. If standard audit records are being sent to the operating system (AUDIT_TRAIL=os), these records are also written to the system audit log. However, be aware that most SYSLOG configurations have a limitation of 1024 bytes, which means only a subset of key fields can be captured. For a complete record, refer to the UNIFIED_AUDIT_TRAIL.
Purging Unified Audit Trail
Managing disk space and keeping the audit trail efficient involves regular purging of old records. Follow these steps to purge the unified audit trail:
1. Set Last Archive Timestamp:
EXEC DBMS_AUDIT_MGMT.SET_LAST_ARCHIVE_TIMESTAMP (
AUDIT_TRAIL_TYPE => DBMS_AUDIT_MGMT.AUDIT_TRAIL_UNIFIED,
LAST_ARCHIVE_TIME => <TimeStampValue> + INTERVAL '30' DAY );
Replace <TimeStampValue> with the timestamp of the last archived record.
2. Check Last Archive Timestamp:
SELECT AUDIT_TRAIL, LAST_ARCHIVE_TS
FROM DBA_AUDIT_MGMT_LAST_ARCH_TS
WHERE AUDIT_TRAIL = 'UNIFIED AUDIT TRAIL';
Use the LAST_ARCHIVE_TS value from this query for the new <TimeStampValue> in the next step.
3. Clean the Audit Trail:
EXEC DBMS_AUDIT_MGMT.CLEAN_AUDIT_TRAIL(
AUDIT_TRAIL_TYPE => DBMS_AUDIT_MGMT.AUDIT_TRAIL_UNIFIED,
USE_LAST_ARCH_TIMESTAMP => TRUE );
By understanding and effectively managing these aspects of Oracle’s audit trail, you can ensure that your database remains secure, compliant, and performant. Regular monitoring and maintenance of the audit trail will help prevent potential issues and ensure that your auditing processes run smoothly.
In the bustling world of office dynamics and performance evaluations, there lies a crucial juncture where empathy meets professionalism. Recently, I found myself at such a crossroads during a candid 1:1 performance review with one of my employees. What transpired during this encounter not only reinforced the essence of our organizational culture but also underscored the importance of extending compassion beyond the confines of the workplace.
In my previous blogpost, we delved into the complete details on loading a SQL Plan with its Plan Hash Value. SQL Plan Management (SPM) is a powerful feature designed to ensure consistent and optimized SQL performance by managing execution plans proactively. By leveraging SQL Plan Baselines, SPM helps maintain query efficiency and reliability, making it an essential tool for database administrators. Here's a closer look at how SPM works, its benefits, and its role in maintaining SQL performance.
Oracle Autonomous Database is revolutionizing database management by introducing a suite of advanced features designed to simplify operations, enhance performance, and provide unmatched reliability. Here’s a closer look at the key features that make Oracle Autonomous Database a game-changer in the world of data management.
In the evolving landscape of data management, vector databases have emerged as a revolutionary tool for storing and retrieving complex data objects. Unlike traditional databases that rely on structured data and keyword-based search, vector databases operate in a completely different paradigm, utilizing numerical representations known as vector embeddings. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for handling unstructured and semi-structured data like images, text, and sensor data, making vector databases an essential component in modern AI-driven applications.
Hey, PostgreSQL enthusiasts! 🌟 Ready to dive into the fascinating world of logical replication?
Memory management plays a critical role in any operating system (OS), providing lower latency and higher throughput. Even though memory is volatile, it significantly reduces data access times compared to disk I/O. This is especially true for databases, where the size of memory can have a profound effect on performance. A crucial aspect of memory management is how the kernel manages memory pages. Here, we'll dive into how Oracle databases benefit from configuring Huge Pages, a feature that addresses the challenges of large memory environments.
In the world of application management, performance issues are inevitable. While you might have a solid methodology for establishing and improving application performance, emergencies demand a different approach. When a system suddenly shifts from being reliable and predictable to sluggish and unresponsive, immediate action is required to restore normal service.
When faced with a performance emergency, the first priority is to quickly identify what has changed and take corrective action. Here’s how to navigate through these high-pressure situations effectively:
1. Survey the Problem and Gather Symptoms
Begin by surveying the performance problem to understand the symptoms:
Next, check the hardware utilization across all components of the application system:
CPU, Disk, Memory, and Network Performance: Determine where the highest CPU utilization is occurring and assess disk, memory, and network performance. This quick analysis will help you identify which tier of the system—application, database, or another component—is causing the problem.
Application vs. Database Server: If the issue appears to be with the application, shift your focus to debugging the application. If the problem lies within the database server, proceed with a more detailed analysis of the database.
If the database server is the bottleneck, identify whether it’s constrained by CPU usage or wait events:
To stabilize the system, you may need to take drastic actions:
After applying emergency actions, it’s crucial to ensure the system is stable:
Performance emergencies require a swift and methodical approach to bring a system back to normal operation. By following these steps, you can quickly diagnose the problem, apply necessary fixes, and stabilize the system. Remember, keeping detailed notes throughout the process is essential, as it provides valuable insights for both immediate resolution and future prevention. Just like a doctor documenting patient records, your notes will serve as a critical reference for ongoing performance management.
Read more :
DBA's Guide to Troubleshooting Database/Query Performance Problems
&
Addressing Client-Reported Slowness: A DBA's Guide
In the world of database management, efficiency and precision are paramount. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal for enhancing error diagnostics and optimizing performance is the ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS feature. This often-overlooked gem can transform how you handle and resolve errors, leading to more robust and performant databases.
Why ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS Matters
Imagine this: You're managing a complex Oracle database, and an error occurs. You get a generic error message that leaves you guessing about the root cause. This scenario can lead to prolonged downtime and frustration. Enter ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS—a feature designed to change the game.
Unveiling the Power of Detailed Error Messages
ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS provides an in-depth look at errors, offering insights that go beyond surface-level descriptions. Here’s how it makes a difference:
How to Leverage ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS
To make the most of this feature, ensure that:
1. Error Logging is Enabled: Set up comprehensive error logging to capture detailed messages.
2. Utilize Diagnostic Tools: Use Oracle’s diagnostic views like DBA_ERRORS, V$DIAG_INFO, and V$SESSION to access and interpret detailed error information.
3. Monitor and Act: Regularly review error logs and diagnostics to proactively address issues and optimize performance.
Conclusion
Incorporating ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS into your database management strategy is like having a high-resolution lens on your error diagnostics. It empowers you with the knowledge needed to tackle issues head-on, optimize performance, and keep your database running smoothly. Embrace this feature, and watch your database management practices soar to new heights!
So, are you ready to revolutionize your approach to error handling? Dive into ERROR_MESSAGE_DETAILS and take control of your database like never before. 🚀