Week 1Lecture 1

Oracle Architecture Overview

Learning Objectives

Learn about Oracle9i architecture and key Oracle9i software components

Discover differences between Oracle9i client and server installation options

Examine how to use OFA (Optimal Flexible Architecture)

Oracle9i Architecture: Key Components

The core Oracle9i RDBMS software includes a suite of over 200 components.

Key components are:

• Oracle9i database & Oracle Net

• Java/Web components

• Oracle Enterprise Manager & Mgt. Packs

• SQL*Plus

• Utilities, Precompilers, and add-ons

Oracle9i Architecture: Running the Database

The Oracle9i database server has 3 parts:

Database: data files, control files, and redo log files

Software: database executable files

Instance: background processes and memory

Oracle9i Architecture: A Typical Server

Oracle9i Architecture: Server Configurations

Single-instance

Multiple-instance

Clustered

Number of computers

1 1 Many

Number of databases

1 2 1 (on a file server)

Number of instances

1 1 per database

1 per computer

Number of database software sets

1 1 (or more) 1 per computer

Oracle9i Architecture: Optional Additions

Some important optional additions are:

Oracle Data Mining: queries on data warehouses

Oracle Advanced Security: industry standard security encryption and password validation

Enterprise Manager packs: additions for tuning, change management, and diagnostics

Oracle9i Installation Options: N-tier

Oracle9i Installation Options: Server-side

Choose from:

Enterprise Edition: best for many users and high-volume data

Standard Edition: best for small groups of users, smaller volume data

Personal Edition: best for individual use

Oracle9i Installation Options: Client-side

Choose from:

Administrator: provides Enterprise Manager and other tools for remote database administration

Runtime: provides connectivity from local applications to a remote database

Oracle Universal Installer

The user-friendly installation tool:

Installs any Oracle tool available to you

Capable of managing two releases of Oracle products on the same computer using Oracle Home

Able to run installations without human intervention with the Silent Install option

Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA)

Set of standards for directory structure and file names.

Advantages include: Spreading I/O across devices to reduce

bottlenecks

Separating products into distinct directories and/or devices to improve performance

Providing standard names for file types to speed up administrative tasks

OFA: Directory Structure Standards

ORACLE_BASE and ORACLE_HOME define the root directory structures

OFA: File Naming Standards

Patterns for naming files are:

Control files: controlNN.ctl (example: control01.ctl)

Redo log files: redoNN.log (example: redo03.log)

Data files: XXXXNN.dbf (example: SYSTEM01.dbf)

NN = sequential numbers starting with 01.

XXXX = name of the tablespace

Lecture Summary

Oracle9i RDBMS software contains many basic components and even more optional add-ons

The database server contains the software, the database files, and the instance (made up of memory allocation and background processes)

Oracle Enterprise Edition is the most robust of the three installation options for the server

Lecture Summary

Multi-tier architecture provides greater flexibility and independence of software components

Oracle Universal Installer features an Oracle Home selector and Silent Install option

Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA) defines standards for directory structure and file names