Recovery File Structures   «Prev  Next»

Oracle Recovery File and Data Structures

Lesson 1
As we already discussed, an Oracle database system is made up of two major components, the 1) instance and 2) the database. We talked about some of the components of the instance. Now we will discuss some of the database file and data structures.
We are most concerned with the files stored on disk when we discuss backup and recovery. In this module we will cover the various data files, where they are placed on disk, and some tips about managing data files that will make your life easier. By the end of this module, you should be familiar with the following:
  1. Oracle Control files
  2. Redo log files
  3. Archive log files
  4. Checkpoint processing
  5. Some file placement considerations
  6. How to determine the current state and structure of your database
Currently, the Oracle DBA certification exam does not test you on best practices or work related situations. One site may run Unix exclusively while another site may run only NT. It would be unfair to test you on situations that you would not normally encounter in most production environments. That is why the test is based solely on the content presented in the Oracle8 Backup and Recovery class. The information presented in this module will present backup and recovery concepts, but will use a particular configuration to demonstrate certain points. The disk file names in our discussion and samples are sample names for purposes of illustration only. I will try to stay true to the default naming conventions familiar to most Oracle database users.

Oracle RMAN Backup and Recovery

What should an Oracle DBA administering Oracle 12c know at a minimum?

An Oracle DBA administering Oracle 12c should have a strong understanding of the following areas at a minimum:
  1. Database architecture: Understanding the structure and components of an Oracle 12c database, including the memory architecture, process architecture, and physical storage.
  2. Backup and recovery: Knowing how to create and manage backups, how to recover the database in case of failure and how to test the recovery process.
  3. Performance tuning: Understanding how to identify and resolve performance issues, including how to use tools such as the Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) and the SQL Tuning Advisor.
  4. Security: Knowing how to secure the database and protect sensitive data, including how to use Oracle's security features such as the Virtual Private Database (VPD) and Oracle Label Security.
  5. Data management: Understanding how to manage and maintain data in the database, including how to use Oracle's data management features such as the Automatic Data Optimization (ADO) and the Database Resource Manager (DBRM)
  6. High availability: Knowing how to configure and maintain high availability solutions such as Oracle Data Guard, RAC, and Oracle GoldenGate.
  7. Patching and upgrading: Knowing how to apply patches and upgrades to the database, including how to use tools such as the Oracle Database Upgrade Assistant (DBUA) and the Oracle Database Cloud Control.
  8. Monitoring and troubleshooting: Understanding how to monitor the database and troubleshoot issues, including how to use tools such as the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) and the Alert Log.
  9. SQL: Understanding the SQL language and how to write efficient and effective SQL statements.
  10. Data warehousing and Business Intelligence: Having a basic understanding of data warehousing and business intelligence concepts and how they apply to an Oracle 12c environment.

The next lesson is about the Oracle database configuration file.