Virtual Machines Are Your Friends
VirtualBox, Virtual PC, VMware Workstation and a few other software packages help you create and run multiple virtual machines on your desktop or laptop enabling you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single computer.
My personal favorite is VirtualBox (recently acquired by Sun Microsystems), not only because it is freely available as Open Source Software and runs on Windows, Linux and Macintosh but also because it has great features and supports a large number of guest operating systems.
Last Saturday I used VirtualBox to create a new virtual machine (VM) running Windows XP Pro and Oracle Database 11gR1. First, I created a “base” VM with only Windows XP pro SP3 installed. I then detached the virtual disk file (VDI) from the VM. I ended up with a VDI file that I can clone as many times as I want eliminating the need to install a new operating system every time I create a new VM.
Cloning a virtual disk in VirtualBox is done using the command line. For example, to clone WindowsXP.vdi as a new virtual disk called WindowsXPProOraDB11gR1.vdi, you would issue this command:
VBoxManage clonevdi WindowsXP.vdi WindowsXPProOraDB11gR1.vdi
You would then assign WindowsXPProOraDB11gR1.vdi as the virtual hard drive of a new virtual machine.
The installation of Oracle Database 11gR1 on a new Windows XP VirtualBox VM on my laptop went very smoothly, but I had to troubleshoot a couple of things on the VM: A missing loopback adapter and a 100% CPU usage.
My laptop and the newly created VM do not have a static IP address. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to assign dynamic IP addresses on the network. According to the documentation, before installing Oracle Database onto a computer that uses the DHCP protocol, you need to install a loopback adapter to assign a local static IP address to that computer. I followed the instructions found in the Oracle Database Pre-installation Requirements document to install the loopback adapter. After that, the database installed without any issues.
Now that my WinXP VM and 11g Database are up and running, I noticed that the oracle.exe process was consuming 100% of the CPU. I waited a few minutes, but the CPU usage did not go down, it stayed at 100%. After a quick search, I found these two forum posts: post 1 and post 2. Since this is a test database, I did not hesitate to follow the instructions in post 2 and was able to bring the CPU usage down to a normal level.
Virtual machines are a great way to learn and try new software and applications without the need to buy new hardware or messing up your existing computer. You may even have fun embarking on some virtual adventures.
PL/Scope in Oracle Database 11g – Revisited
Oracle Database 11g introduced a new feature called PL/Scope. A while back, I wrote about Dan Morgan’s experience when he compiled the package STANDARD for PL/Scope. I also wrote about Oracle’s answer, in which they said “…the reason to compile STANDARD would be to make its identifiers available in the new DBA_Identifiers view family (see PL/Scope). Our script to do this sadly missed the release. We’re about to post it on OTN.”
In fact, the PL/Scope documentation mentions a utlirplscope.sql script:
A database that has been upgraded from a release of Oracle Database that did not yet support PL/Scope will have no PL/Scope metadata—nor will a new Oracle Database 11g environment that has been ordinarily created. The DBA can rectify this by running the utlirplscope.sql script.
In an email, Bryn Llewellyn, Oracle’s PL/SQL Product Manager, was kind enough to point me to this page on OTN:
On the Subject of the utlirplscope.sql script
It turns out that a script is not needed after all:
Instead of simply providing a script to recompile STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD for PL/Scope, we would first like to clear up some misconceptions about the usefulness of such a script and make sure you really do need to perform such an operation.
I suggest you read this OTN piece if you want to know the answers to the following questions:
- What was utlirplscope.sql?
- What is STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD identifier data?
- Do I need STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD identifier data?
- Do I already have STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD identifier data in my database?
- Ok, I have determined that I do not already have STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD PL/Scope identifier data and need it. What now?
Important notes to take from this:
- Not everyone needs STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD identifier data.
- When needed, it’s going to be mostly in development environments.
- Compiling STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD using utlirp.sql should be done while the database is in UPGRADE mode.
In conclusion, I agree with Bryn that PL/Scope is a fine feature. Just get your DBA to read the OTN reference above if your use case would benefit from having STANDARD and DBMS_STANDARD identifier data.
Filed in Oracle with Comments Off | Tags: 11g, pl/sql, plscopeOracle Database 11g for Windows Available for Download Now
Just out, Oracle Database 11g Release 1 for Microsoft Windows (32-bit). Get it while it’s hot.
Videos on Flashback in Oracle Database 10g and 11g
Dan Morgan, the author of Morgan’s library, has just posted three videos on Flashback in Oracle database 10g and 11g:
Watch the FlashBack Database video (20 min) on how to return the database to a point in the past using either the SCN (system change number) or a specified time. Go to the FlashBack Database webpage on Morgan’s library to try the code yourself.
Watch the FlashBack Drop video (11 min) on how to recover a dropped table. Go to the FlashBack Drop webpage on Morgan’s library to try the code yourself.
Watch the FlashBack Query video (9 min) on how to run queries against the database at any specific time in the past. Go to the FlashBack Query webpage on Morgan’s library to try the code yourself.
These are excellent videos (with nice classical introductory music) and I hope that Dan will post more videos on more Oracle topics in the future.
Note: You need the free RealMedia Player to watch the videos.
Filed in Oracle with Comments Off | Tags: 10g, 11g, flashbackOracle Database 11g Overview Presentation
I have stumbled upon the following presentation by Mark Townsend, the vice president of database product management, titled The Future of Database Technology. Towards the middle of the presentation, there is a high level overview of many Oracle database 11g features like SQL replay, online table and index redefinition, automatic diagnostic workflow, support for online hot patching and other highlights.
Here is the full document: (more…)
Filed in Oracle with 2 Comments | Tags: 11gOracle Database 11g to Launch on July 11
Here is the email I received from Oracle:
Dear Edward Awad,
The history of information technology is a journey, defined by innovations such as the internet and grid computing. Oracle would like to personally welcome you to see the next generation of innovation by inviting you to the launch of Oracle Database 11g.
This is your opportunity to join Oracle President Charles Phillips and Oracle Senior Vice President Andy Mendelsohn, as well as leading industry experts from some of the most innovative companies of our time. Collectively, they will help you understand what’s needed to compete at this point in history, and how Oracle’s latest database release will help meet those needs.
The launch event is going to take place on July 11 in New York city.
Moreover, watch for 11g demos up on Morgan’s Library within a week of the production release.
Filed in Oracle with 1 Comment | Tags: 11g, OracleWhat’s new is important
What is the first thing you do when a new version of an Oracle database (or any software) is released? You immediately look for the “what’s new” document, right?
I believe that the “What’s new” document is very important because it informs you of new (or modified) features that is supposed to make your life easier and your applications more powerful.
Take advantage of “what’s new”. After all, you’re paying for these new features (I assume), so use them or lose them.
To that end, here is a list of “what’s new” links. They will take you straight to the corresponding section of the Oracle documentation:
What’s new in Oracle Database version:
What’s new in SQL in Oracle Database version:
What’s new in PL/SQL in Oracle Database version:
Here is a list of useful “What’s new” articles:
- What Oracle bloggers are saying about Oracle Database 11gR2
- Oracle Database 11g: The Top New Features for DBAs and Developers
- Tom Kyte talks about his first experience with Oracle Database 10g Release 2
- ORACLE-BASE – Articles on Oracle 10g new features
- Oracle Database 10g: The Top 20 Features for DBAs
- What’s New in PL/SQL in Oracle Database 10g
- Announcing the New MODEL
- Oracle 10g Adds More to FORALL
