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Lesson 1

Central Administration, Diagnosis, and Tuning of Multiple Databases using Oracle Enterprise Manager in Oracle 12c

Question: How can I use Oracle Enterprise Manager to centrally administer, diagnose, and tune multiple databases in Oracle 12c?
Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) stands as a formidable toolset in the arsenal of an Oracle DBA, especially in environments with multiple Oracle databases. OEM, with its Cloud Control variant in Oracle 12c, amplifies the efficiency and capability of a DBA by providing a centralized interface to administer, diagnose, and tune multiple databases. Here's a systematic guide on how to utilize Oracle Enterprise Manager for these tasks:
  1. Setting Up Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control: Before diving into the administration, ensure that you have OEM Cloud Control correctly installed and configured.
    • Install: Begin by downloading the latest version of OEM Cloud Control from the Oracle website and proceed with the installation.
    • Configure: After installation, run the Configuration Wizard to set up the OEM repository, OMS (Oracle Management Service), and agents.
  2. Central Database Administration: Once Cloud Control is up, you can start adding databases and perform centralized administrative tasks.
    • Add Databases: Navigate to `Targets > Databases`. Click on `Add` to incorporate databases into OEM. Provide the necessary credentials, and the agent will discover and add the database.
    • Manage Services: From the main dashboard, DBAs can start, stop, or restart services for individual databases.
    • Backup and Recovery: Utilize the `Backup & Recovery` section to centrally manage RMAN backup jobs, schedule backups, and orchestrate recovery processes.
  3. Comprehensive Diagnostics: OEM Cloud Control offers a myriad of diagnostic tools.
    • Performance Hub: This is a consolidated view of real-time and historical performance data. You can identify bottlenecks, assess SQL performance, and evaluate resource utilization.
    • Incident and Problem Management: Track, diagnose, and manage incidents across multiple databases. Set up notification rules to be alerted of critical issues.
  4. Advanced Performance Tuning: Tuning is where OEM truly shines.
    • SQL Tuning Advisor: From the performance page of a database, launch the SQL Tuning Advisor. This tool assesses SQL queries, recommends optimization techniques, and can even automatically implement the recommendations.
    • AWR and ADDM: The Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) collects performance statistics, and the Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM) analyzes these statistics. Together, they pinpoint performance issues and offer actionable insights.
    • ASH Analytics: The Active Session History provides a granular view of session activities, allowing DBAs to drill down into specific time periods, SQL statements, or user sessions to troubleshoot performance glitches.
  5. Cluster and RAC Management: If your environment leverages Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC), OEM offers dedicated tools for RAC administration.
    • Cluster Dashboard: This provides an overview of the cluster's health, performance metrics, and resource allocation.
    • Manage Services and Workloads: Reallocate workloads, manage services, and ensure optimal resource utilization across RAC nodes from a central interface.
  6. Patching and Upgrades: Leverage the `Patch & Updates` section to centrally manage patches, assess their impact, and deploy them across multiple databases.
Oracle Enterprise Manager, particularly its Cloud Control iteration in Oracle 12c, stands as a quintessential tool for Oracle DBAs tasked with managing multifarious databases. By offering a unified platform that seamlessly integrates administration, diagnostics, tuning, and more, OEM propels efficiency and ensures that databases run optimally. Properly wielded, it becomes an indispensable component in the DBA's toolkit.
By now, you have learned about the new features within Oracle with respect to backup and recovery of databases. In addition, you have learned some of the enhancements with Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM). In this module, we will look at the changes and enhancements Oracle brings to OEM.
OEM is a Java-based system management tool that provides an integrated solution for centrally managing a heterogeneous environment. Using OEM, you can perform the following tasks:
  1. Centrally administer, diagnose, and tune multiple databases
  2. Manage other Oracle products and services
  3. Effectively monitor and respond to the health of Oracle's family of products and third-party services 24 hours a day
  4. Schedule jobs on multiple nodes at varying time intervals
  5. Monitor networked services for events
  6. Customize the display by organizing databases and other services into logical administrative groups

With version 2 of OEM, Oracle introduces Internet computing architecture for the database administrator.
This architecture has a three-tier structure, which enables authorized administrators to globally manage complex, interconnected databases and services using an industry-standard browser from most machines anywhere in the world. The three tiers of OEM include:
  1. First tier: Java-based console and management applications
  2. Second tier: Oracle Management Server(s)
  3. Third tier: Managed nodes containing databases and other services

The three-tier model of OEM moves data-intensive business logic off the client and recasts it as shared services on the second tier. Its lightweight, scalable three-tiered architecture offers flexible deployment options and round-the-clock reliability.

Module Objectives

When you have completed this module, you will be able to:
  1. Configure OEM to run RMAN
  2. Run RMAN using OEM
  3. Explain backup strategies
  4. Schedule batch jobs using OEM
The next lesson explains the necessary steps for configuring OEM to run RMAN.