1 - Oracle Server Architecture Overview

Oracle Database - Data files, Control files, Redo log files Other Files - Parameter file, Password file, Archive logs Oracle Instance - SGA (Shared Global Area) Buffer Cache Shared Pool Library Cache Data Dictionary Cache Redo Log Buffer Large Pool Java Pool - Background Processes DBWR, LGWR, SMON, PMON, CKPT, ARCH Other Processes - User processes - Server processes PGA Query Processing Rollback Segments

1 - Oracle Server Architecture Overview

Oracle Instance SGA (System Global Area)
PGA

Server Process

Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache

Redo Log Buffer

Java Pool
(optional)

User Process Large Pool

(optional)

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

Oracle Database

Redo Log Files Data files Control Files

Other Files... Parameter, Password, Archive Logs

Database Files
Data files
- Store the data - Can only be associated with 1 database - Form logical units called a tablespace

Redo log files

- Record all of the changes in the database - Must have at least 2 groups - Oracle recommends each group have 2 members on separate devices

Control files
- Database name - Time stamp of database creation - Name and locations of all data files and redo log files

Other Files
Parameter files
- Store hundreds of parameters for the Oracle Instance

Password file
- Authenticates which users are allowed to start and stop the database

Archive redo log files

- Copies of the redo log files that are saved so the database can be recovered to a single point in time Other Files... Parameter, Password, Archive Logs

The Oracle Instance

Oracle Instance is comprised of the background processes and memory structures (SGA - Shared Global Area)
Oracle Instance SGA (System Global Area) Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache Redo Log Buffer Java Pool Large Pool

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

Shared Pool
Shared Pool
- Library Cache Stores the most recently used SQL statements - Data Dictionary Cache (Row Cache) Stores definitions of objects contained in the database Used to validate object names and privileges - Size is set by the SHARED_POOL_SIZE parameter in the initialization file (parameter file). SGA (System Global Area)

Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache

Redo Log Buffer

Java Pool
Large Pool

Buffer Cache
Area of memory used to store the most recently used data. Oracle knows which data is most likely to be used again by maintaining a list of recently used blocks called the LRU. Operation
- A request for data is made - Oracle checks the buffer cache to see if it exists - If not it grabs the block from disk (physical read) SGA (System Global Area) Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache Redo Log Buffer Java Pool Large Pool

Sizing the Buffer Cache

DB_BLOCK_SIZE = 8192 8K 8K

8K

DB_BLOCK_BUFFERS = 5

8K

8192 * 5 = 40960 Bytes (40K)

8K

Redo Log Buffer

Circular buffer that records all of the changes occurring in the database Size
- Defined by LOG_BUFFER parameter - Should be a multiple of DB_BLOCK_SIZE - Usually small compared with total SGA size, small increase can significantly enhance throughput - As of Oracle 8 a 1 MB upper limit has been set on the background write threshold which limits the negative impact of a very large redo log buffer

Data is written from the redo log buffer to the redo log files by the log writer process

Large Pool and Java Pool

Optional areas of memory
- LARGE_POOL_SIZE

Oracle Instance SGA (System Global Area) Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache Redo Log Buffer Java Pool Large Pool

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

Background Processes
5 background processes are mandatory
Database Writer (DBWR) Log Writer (LGWR) System Monitor (SMON) Process Monitor (PMON) Checkpoint (CKPT) Required as of Oracle 8i

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

Database Writer (DBWR)

Writes modified (dirty) blocks in the buffer cache to the data files Operates in batch mode When
- There are too many dirty blocks DB_BLOCK_MAX_DIRTY_TARGET - A process scans a specified number of buffers in the LRU list without finding a free buffer - A time-out occurs (every 3 seconds) - A checkpoint occurs

You can configure additional DBWR processes by setting the DB_WRITER_PROCESSES parameter in the parameter file

Log Writer (LGWR)

Writes information in the redo log buffer to the redo logs Writes When:
Every time a commit is issued When redo log buffer is 1/3 full When there is more than 1 MB of changes Before DBWR (DB Writer) completes cleaning modified buffer blocks in the buffer cache by writing them to the data files - When a timeout occurs (every 3 seconds)

System Monitor (SMON)

Automatically recovers the instance during instance failure
- Rolls forward transactions in the redo logs that have not been written to disk - Opens the database and makes locked data available - Rolls back uncommitted transactions Space Maintenance Functions:

Coalesces free space De-allocates temporary segments

Process Monitor (PMON)

Cleans up failed processes by handling existing transactions and recovering memory
Rolls back existing transactions Releases any locks held by the process Releases other resources held by the process Checks server and dispatcher processes and restarts them when necessary

Checkpoint (CKPT)
Used to synchronize data files, mandatory in Oracle 8i
- In Oracle 8 takes it handles the task of updating the data file headers instead of log writer - Frequent checkpoints increase the speed of database recovery during instance failure but may hinder performance

CHECKPOINT_PROCESS = True (Before 8i)

Connecting to the Database

A user process always connects to the database via a server process

Oracle Instance SGA (System Global Area)

Server Process
PGA

Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache

Redo Log Buffer

Java Pool User Process Large Pool

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

PGA (Program Global Area)

PGA
- Used by only one process and is not shared - Gets Created when Server Process Starts. - Contents Stack space Session information Cursor state Sort area Server Process
PGA

User Process

Query Processing
Parse Execute Fetch
Oracle Instance SGA (System Global Area)
PGA

Server Process

Database Shared Buffer Pool Cache

Redo Log Buffer

Java Pool User Process Large Pool

DBWR LGWR SMON PMON CKPT RECO ARCH LCKn Pnnn Dnnn SNPn

Query Processing
Parse
- SQL statement is passed from user process to server process - Server process looks in shared pool to see if SQL already exists - Validates SQL by checking the syntax - Checks the data dictionary to ensure all of the objects and columns actually exist - Locks on objects are obtained so the definition does not change - Checks the users privileges - Determines the execution plan - Loads the SQL and the plan into the shared SQL area

Executecontinued

Query Processing
Parse Execute
- Identifies the rows that are selected

Fetch
- Returns the rows to the user process and ordered if necessary

Rollback Segments
Record the before image before data is actually changed in the database Purpose
- Allows user to roll back a transaction - Allows other users to see the original image until the changes have been committed - Allows the database to be recovered if the instance fails