5
Database Tools Overview

Oracle9i for Windows includes various tools to perform database functions. This chapter describes preferred tools to perform common database administration tasks and explains how tools can be started.

Unless otherwise noted, features described in this guide are common to Oracle9i Enterprise Edition, Oracle9i Standard Edition, and Oracle9i Personal Edition.

This chapter contains these topics:

• Choosing a Database Tool
  
  
• Starting Database Tools
  
  
• Using SQL*Loader
  
  
• Using Windows Tools
  
  
• Optional Windows Diagnostic and Tuning Utilities

Choosing a Database Tool

Database tools is a collective term for tools, utilities, and assistants that you can use to perform database administration tasks. Some database tools perform similar tasks, though no one database tool performs all database administration tasks. The following sections indicate which database tools can be used on particular operating systems and preferred tools to use for common database administration tasks.

SQL> CONNECT INTERNAL/password@tnsalias 

SQL> CONNECT SYS/password@tnsalias AS SYSDBA 

Database Tools and Operating System Compatibility

Table 5-1 lists database tools and the operating system(s) on which each can be used.

Table 5-1  Database Tools and Operating System Compatibility

D:\> exp system/manager full=y volsize=100m;
LRM-00101: unknown parameter name 'volsize'
EXP-00019: failed to process parameters, type 'EXP HELP=Y' 
for help
EXP-00000: Export terminated unsuccessfully

Preferred Database Tools

Table 5-2 lists various database tools you can use to perform common database administration tasks. Oracle Corporation recommends you use tools listed in the "Preferred Database Tool" column of the table. After choosing a tool to perform a task, go to Table 5-3, " Starting Database Tools from the Start Menu", for instructions on how to start the tool.

Table 5-2  Preferred Database Tools

Starting Database Tools

This section describes how to start each of the database tools in the following categories:

• Starting Database Tools in Multiple Oracle Homes
  
  
• Starting Database Tools from the Start Menu
  
  
• Starting Database Tools from the Command Line
  
  
• Starting Oracle Enterprise Manager Console
  
  
• Starting Windows Tools

You will be referred back to this section for database tool startup procedures as you use this guide.

Starting Database Tools in Multiple Oracle Homes

If you have multiple Oracle homes on your computer from previous releases, then see Chapter 6, "Multiple Oracle Homes and Optimal Flexible Architecture" for a description of differences between Oracle homes before and after Oracle9i release 2 (9.2).

Starting Tools from Oracle8 Release 8.0.4 and Later 8.0.x Multiple Oracle Homes

If you are using multiple Oracle homes, then the command to start a tool from any home other than the first includes a HOME_NAME, where HOME_NAME indicates the name of that Oracle home. The first Oracle home created on your computer does not have HOME_NAME appended to the group. For example:

To start Oracle Administration Assistant from the first Oracle home, choose:

Start > Programs > Oracle > Configuration and Migration Tools > Administration Assistant for Windows NT

To start Oracle Administration Assistant from an additional Oracle home, choose:

Start > Programs > Oracle - HOME_NAME > Configuration and Migration Tools > Administration Assistant for Windows NT

Starting Tools from Oracle8i Release 8.1.3 and Later Multiple Oracle Homes

Beginning in Oracle8i release 8.1.3, each Oracle home, including the first Oracle home you create on your computer, has a unique HOME_NAME. To start Oracle Administration Assistant from any Oracle home, choose:

Start > Programs > Oracle - HOME_NAME > Configuration and Migration Tools > Administration Assistant for Windows NT

Starting Database Tools from the Start Menu

Table 5-3 describes how to start assistants and other tools from the Start Menu. It also tells where to go for further information on using these products.

Table 5-3  Starting Database Tools from the Start Menu

Starting Database Tools from the Command Line

Table 5-4 describes how to start Oracle database tools from the command line, and where to go for further information on using these products.

Table 5-4  Starting Database Tools from the Command Line

Starting Oracle Enterprise Manager Console

Oracle Enterprise Manager Console can be started:

• From the Start Menu or Command Line
  
  
• From a Web Browser

From the Start Menu or Command Line

• Choose Start > Programs > Oracle - HOME_NAME > Enterprise Manager Console.
  
  
• At the command line, enter: C:\> oemapp console

You are prompted to choose between logging in to a Management Server or starting in standalone mode.

Text description of the illustration doemlogn.gif

Choose standalone when you want to connect directly to your database(s) to perform administrative tasks. The first time Enterprise Manager is started in standalone mode, the Add Database To Tree dialog appears, allowing you to add your database(s) to Enterprise Manager's navigation tree. For more information, see "Standalone" in Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide.

In Standalone mode you will not have access to functionality typically available through Management Server and Intelligent Agent, however, because they are not required in standalone mode. These unavailable features include:

• Management of several different target types
  
  
• Sharing data among several administrators
  
  
• Advance warning of potential problems
  
  
• Automation of repetitive tasks
  
  
• Backup and data management tools
  
  
• Reports customization, scheduling, and publishing
  
  
• Running the client from a Web browser

These features are all available when you choose to log in to a Management Server, which is automatically installed and configured during standard Oracle9i Database installation types. If you performed a custom database installation, however, you may need to install and configure a Management Server. For installation instructions, see your Oracle9i Database Installation Guide for Windows. For configuration instructions, see "Configuring and Controlling the Management Server" in Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide.

If this is your first login to a Management Server, you must enter the default Enterprise Manager administrator name sysman and its password oem_temp. The Management Server on the node you select or enter must already be configured with the repository you want to access. For more information, see "Configuring the Console When Connected to a Management Server" in Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide.

From a Web Browser

Enterprise Manager Web site is installed in the ORACLE_HOME\oem_webstage directory by default. In addition, Enterprise Manager Web site automatically installs a preconfigured Oracle HTTP server to act as its Web server.

If you want to use a Web server other than the default preconfigured Oracle HTTP server, you must install and manually configure it. Additional supported Web servers include:

1. Start your Web browser and enter the following URL regardless of which Web server you have installed.
   
   

   http://webserver_hostname:port number/
   
   

   where webserver_hostname is the name of the Web server computer, and port number is whatever the Web server is configured for. The port number of the default preconfigured Oracle HTTP Server is 3339.

   The Enterprise Manager page appears, allowing you to start Oracle Enterprise Manager Console, view previously published Enterprise Manager reports, or link to other sites.

2. To start Oracle Enterprise Manager Console, enter the name of the Oracle Management Server to which you want to connect and click Launch Console.
   
   
3. If you are logging in to Oracle Enterprise Manager for the first time, then type in the default credentials (administrator name and password).

   Administrator = sysman

   Password = oem_temp

   These credentials are for the default super administrator account. The first time you start Enterprise Manager, you must log in as the super administrator. After other administrator accounts have been created using the super administrator account, you can log in as a different administrator.

   Note: Enterprise Manager must be configured before the reports access feature will work. See Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide for information on: Configuration tasks How to connect to an Oracle database Installing Oracle Enterprise Manager Web Site Installing the Web server

   

   Text description of the illustration website.gif

Starting Windows Tools

Table 5-5 describes how to start each Windows tool and where to go for more information on using these products.

Table 5-5  Starting Windows Tools

C:\> regedt32

C:\> regedit

Using SQL*Loader

This section describes Windows-specific information for using SQL*Loader (SQLLDR).

Windows Processing Options

This section discusses possible values for the Operating System Dependent (OSD) file processing specifications string option, referred to in "SQL*Loader Control File Reference" in Oracle9i Database Utilities.

Default (No Processing Option) or "str terminator_string"

Stream record format in which each record is terminated by a record terminator. If "str terminator_string" is not specified, then the record terminator defaults to either the Windows NT-style record terminator (the two-character sequence carriage return, \r, followed by line feed, \n) or the UNIX-style record terminator (single-character line feed, \n). Maximum record size is 48 KB.

When processing stream format data files, SQL*Loader can usually recognize record terminators automatically, whether they are Windows NT-style or UNIX-style. So you usually do not need to specify which record terminator you are using.

For external table loads on NT, however, only Windows NT-style record terminators are recognized automatically. If your data file contains UNIX-style record terminators, you must specify the record terminator. If you are using SQL*Loader (with external_table option), then specify the UNIX-style record terminator by specifying "str '\n'" on the INFILE line in the SQL*Loader control file. For example:

INFILE mydata.dat "str '\n'"

You can also specify the record terminator in hex, by specifying "str x'0a'" (assuming an ASCII-based character set). For example:

INFILE mydata.dat "str x'0a'"

Note that the "0" (zero) before the "a" is required. If you are using SQL with an access parameter list to create the external table, then you must specify '\n' in a RECORDS DELIMITED BY clause. For example:

RECORDS DELIMITED BY '\n'

You can also use a hex string in this case. For example:

RECORDS DELIMITED BY 0x'0a'

Note that in this case, the "0" (zero) before the "x" and the "0" (zero) before the "a" are both required.

"FIX n"

Fixed record format in which each record is exactly n bytes long. Record terminators are not required with fixed record format. If the record includes a record terminator, then the record terminator bytes are included in the number of bytes n.

"VAR n"

Variable record format in which the length of each record in a character field is included at the beginning of each record in the datafile. Record terminators are not required with the variable record format. This format provides some added flexibility over the fixed record format and a performance advantage over the stream record format. You can specify a datafile that is to be interpreted as being in variable record format as follows:

INFILE "mydata.dat" "var n"

In this example, n specifies the number of bytes in the record length field. If n is not specified, SQL*Loader assumes a length of 5 bytes. Specifying n larger than 40 will result in an error. Lengths are always interpreted in bytes, even if character-length semantics are in effect for the file. This is necessary because the file could contain a mix of fields, some processed with character-length semantics and others processed with byte-length semantics.

Case Study Files

The distribution media for SQL*Loader contains case study files for control files, datafiles, and setup files in ulcase1,...ulcase11 in the following directory: Oracle_Home\rdbms\demo.

Specifying the Bad File

When SQL*Loader executes, it can create a file called a bad file or reject file in which it places records that were rejected because of formatting errors or because they caused Oracle errors. If you have specified that a bad file is to be created, it overwrites any existing file with the same name; ensure that you do not overwrite a file you wish to retain.

Control File Conventions

When preparing SQL*Loader control files (.ctl), you must follow certain syntax and notational conventions.

In full path descriptions, backslashes do not require escape characters or other special treatment. When embedding a single or double quotation mark inside a string delimited by double quotation marks, place a backslash escape character before the embedded quotation mark.

When specifying datatypes in the SQL*Loader control file, note that the default sizes of native datatypes shown in Table 5-6 are specific to Windows. These datatypes can be loaded with correct results only between systems where they have the same length in bytes. You cannot override these defaults in the control file. If the byte order is different between the systems, you can indicate the byte order of the data with the BYTEORDER parameter, or you can place a byte-order mark (BOM) in the file.

Table 5-6  Default Sizes of Native Datatypes

Using Windows Tools

The following Windows tools can be used to administer an Oracle database:

• Event Viewer
  
  
• Microsoft Management Console
  
  
• Oracle Performance Monitor for Windows NT
  
  
• Registry Editor
  
  
• Task Manager
  
  
• User Manager

Event Viewer

Event Viewer lets you monitor events in your system. An event is an important occurrence in the system or application (such as your Oracle database) that requires user notification. While messages for major events can appear on-screen as you work at your computer, events not requiring your immediate attention are recorded by Windows in the Event Viewer log file. You can then view this information at your convenience.

Event Viewer can be used to monitor Oracle database events, such as:

• Initialization of System Global Area for active instance
  
  
• Initialization of Program Global Area (PGA) for background processes of active instance
  
  
• Connection to Oracle9i database using AS SYSDBA

In addition, the operating system audit trail is logged to Event Viewer.

Microsoft Management Console

Microsoft Management Console provides a central location for network administration. Microsoft Management Console hosts applications (called snap-ins) that administrators can use to manage their networks. Oracle snap-ins enable database administrators to:

• Configure Oracle database administrators, operators, users, and roles so the Windows operating system can authenticate them
  
  
• Configure OracleServiceSID
  
  
• Modify registry parameters for all Oracle homes on the computer
  
  
• Modify the computer hostname, username, and password for the database being monitored by Oracle Performance Monitor for Windows NT
  
  
• View and terminate an Oracle thread

Oracle Performance Monitor for Windows NT

Oracle Performance Monitor for Windows NT is integrated into Microsoft's Performance Monitor. This tool enables you to view performance of processors, memory, cache, threads, and processes. Performance information provided includes device usage, queue lengths, delays, throughput measurements, and internal congestion measurements. This information is provided as charts, alerts, and reports.

You can use Oracle Performance Monitor to monitor key Oracle database information, such as:

• Library cache
  
  
• Buffer cache
  
  
• Data dictionary cache
  
  
• Redo log buffer cache
  
  
• Thread activity

You can use your findings to improve database performance.

Registry Editor

Oracle9i database stores its configuration information in a structure known as the registry. You can view and modify this configuration information through Registry Editor. The registry contains configuration information for your computer and must not be accessible for editing by inexperienced users. Only experienced administrators should view and change this information.

Registry Editor displays configuration information in a format similar to Windows Explorer. In the left-hand window is a tree-like format consisting of keys (or folders). When one of these keys is highlighted, parameters and values assigned to that key are displayed in the right-hand window.

When you install products from your CD-ROM, configuration parameters are automatically entered in the registry. These parameters are read each time your Windows computer is restarted and whenever an Oracle product is started. These parameters include settings for:

• Oracle home directory
  
  
• Language
  
  
• Company name
  
  
• Oracle home subdirectories for individual products
  
  
• Individual products such as SQL*Plus
  
  
• Services

  See Also: Chapter 9, "Configuration Parameters and the Registry" for definitions of Oracle database configuration parameters and specific instructions on using the registry to modify Oracle9i database configuration parameters

Task Manager

Task Manager has three display options:

• Applications option displays what applications are running. This is useful for identifying and ending unresponsive tasks. (Oracle does not appear as an application because it runs as a service.)
  
  
• Processes option displays details of currently running processes and their resource usage. Columns are customizable.
  
  
• Performance option graphically displays real-time CPU and memory usage, which is useful for spotting sudden changes.

User Manager

User Manager enables you to manage Windows computer security and create user accounts on Windows NT. With User Manager, you can:

• Grant Oracle database roles
  
  
• Use operating system authentication for user accounts (For example, you can grant DBA access to an NT user.)
  
  
• Create an NT user account that enables you to make secure client connections to Oracle9i database without a password

  See Also: Manually Administering External Users and Roles" in Oracle9i Security and Network Integration Guide for Windows for specific instructions on using User Manager to perform Oracle database administration

Optional Windows Diagnostic and Tuning Utilities

Windows NT Resource Kit includes several diagnostic and tuning utilities.

QuickSlice provides a quick overview of what is occurring on the system, using a graphical user interface.

• Distinguishes between time spent in user mode and kernel mode
  
  
• Imposes low overhead on the system (unlike Performance Monitor)
  
  
• Shows a continuous display, rather than just a snapshot
  
  
• Opens a window with more details when you double-click a process

Process Viewer summarizes resource usage by a process.

Process Explode provides a detailed display of resource usage by a process.

Task List displays resource usage and other details of a process when its processor identifier or process name is given as an argument. This tool also displays a list of executables and DLLs associated with a process.