Configuring the OMA Agent in Oracle 23c

To configure the Oracle Intelligent Agent, use the following directives within your sqlnet.ora file:

1. Set the trace file directory for the OEM Intelligent Agent. The default value is $ORACLE_HOME/network/trace
   daemon.trace_directory=/ora8/home/agent
2. Control the trace level for Intelligent Agent problems. These trace-level names are identical to the listener trace levels that you looked at in a prior lesson. For example:
   

   daemon.trace_level=user
   

   
   Note that the valid values are OFF, USER, ADMIN, and SUPPORT. The default value is OFF.
   
3. Direct that only the Intelligent Agent daemon entries will appear in the trace file. For example:
   

   Daemon.trace_mask=(106)
   

   
   The default value is $ORACLE_HOME/network/trace.

As many DBAs transition from legacy Oracle versions to Oracle 19c and beyond, the role of the **Oracle Intelligent Agent** (used in Oracle 7.3 to 9i) has been **fully replaced** by a more robust, modern architecture in Oracle 19c and later. Here's a breakdown: 🔁 **Before (Oracle 7.3 – 9i): Oracle Intelligent Agent**

Agent Location	Installed on the same machine as the Oracle database.
Main Role	Served as a listener/communicator for Oracle tools (OEM, Net8, SNMP traps, etc.).
Discovery	Enabled auto-discovery of databases for Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM).
Limitations	Primitive architecture, limited security, single-node awareness, no cross-platform orchestration.

🚀 **Now (Oracle 12c – 23ai): Oracle Management Agent (OMA)**

Component of	Part of Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) Cloud Control.
Agent Type	Oracle Management Agent (OMA) — a lightweight Java process.
Location	Installed on each target host — not just the DB server.
Role Evolution

• ✅ Performs auto-discovery across multiple environments, including cloud, RAC, Exadata.
• ✅ Executes patching, provisioning, performance collection, and compliance checks.
• ✅ Monitors listener status, tablespace usage, blocking sessions, etc.
• ✅ Supports centralized and secure communication to the OMS (Oracle Management Server).

--- 🔐 **Security and Protocol Shift**

Aspect	Oracle Intelligent Agent	Oracle Management Agent (OMA)
Communication	SNMP-based, unsecured	HTTPS with X.509 certificates
Authentication	Minimal	Strong identity verification between OMA and OMS
Manageability	Limited to single server	Scalable across fleets of nodes

📈 Summary of Role Changes

Feature	Oracle Intelligent Agent	Oracle Management Agent (19c+)
Auto-discovery	✅	✅ (more robust)
Job Execution	✅	✅ (with credential vault)
Event Monitoring	✅	✅ (with better granularity)
Cloud Readiness	❌	✅ Native OCI support
RAC/Exadata Awareness	❌	✅
Enterprise Scalability	⚠️ Limited	✅ Fully supported

🧠 Final Takeaway:
In **Oracle 19c and higher**, the **Oracle Intelligent Agent is obsolete**. Its duties are **replaced and enhanced** by the **Oracle Management Agent (OMA)**, which provides **secure, scalable, cloud-ready** functionality for monitoring, discovery, patching, and automation as part of **Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) 13c and later**.
The next lesson discusses how to customize the Intelligent Agent.