What is An Oracle Database?
Hy,Im supuni! Welcome to my first blog!
Here I discuss about what is oracle basic architecture.
Mainly, there are two main components of Oracle database — instance and database itself. An instance consists of some memory structures and the background processes, whereas a database refers to the disk resource.
What is Instance?
Database files themselves are useless without the memory structures and processes to interact with the database. Oracle defines the term instance as the memory structure and the background processes used to access data from a database. The memory structures and background processes contitute an instance. The memory structure itself consists of System Global Area (SGA), Program Global Area (PGA), and an optional area — Software Area Code. In the other hand, the mandatory background processes are Database Writer (DBWn), Log Writer (LGWR), Checkpoint (CKPT), System Monitor (SMON), and Process Monitor (PMON). And another optional background processes are Archiver (ARCn), Recoverer (RECO), etc. Figure 2 will illustrate the relationship for those components on an instance.
System Global Area
SGA is the primary memory structures. When Oracle DBAs talk about memory, they usually mean the SGA. This area is broken into a few of part memory — Buffer Cache, Shared Pool, Redo Log Buffer, Large Pool, and Java Pool.
Buffer Cache
Buffer cache is used to stores the copies of data block that retrieved from datafiles. That is, when user retrieves data from database, the data will be stored in buffer cache. Its size can be manipulated via DB_CACHE_SIZE parameter in init.ora initialization parameter file.
Shared Pool
Shared pool is broken into two small part memories — Library Cache and Dictionary Cache. The library cache is used to stores information about the commonly used SQL and PL/SQL statements; and is managed by a Least Recently Used (LRU) algorithm. It is also enables the sharing those statements among users. In the other hand, dictionary cache is used to stores information about object definitions in the database, such as columns, tables, indexes, users, privileges, etc.
The shared pool size can be set via SHARED_POOL_SIZE parameter in init.ora initialization parameter file.
Redo Log Buffer
Each DML statement (select, insert, update, and delete) executed by users will generates the redo entry. What is a redo entry? It is an information about all data changes made by users. That redo entry is stored in redo log buffer before it is written into the redo log files. To manipulate the size of redo log buffer, you can use the LOG_BUFFER parameter in init.ora initialization parameter file.
Large Pool
Large pool is an optional area of memory in the SGA. It is used to relieves the burden place on the shared pool. It is also used for I/O processes. The large pool size can be set by LARGE_POOL_SIZE parameter in init.ora initialization parameter file.
Java Pool
As its name, Java pool is used to services parsing of the Java commands. Its size can be set by JAVA_POOL_SIZE parameter in init.ora initialization parameter file.
Program Global Area
Although the result of SQL statement parsing is stored in library cache, but the value of binding variable will be stored in PGA.
Why? Because it must be private or not be shared among users. The PGA is also used for sort area.
Software Area Code
Software area code is a location in memory where the Oracle application software resides.
Oracle processes
There are two categories of processes that run with an Oracle database. They are mentioned below:
· User processes
· System processes
The first interaction with the Oracle-based application comes from the user computer that creates a user process. The user process then communicates with the server process on the host computer. PGA is used to store session specific information.
So here is a summary of basic oracle architecture , I will hope to discuss further.
Thank you!
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