oca oracle 10g administration i study guide 1z0-042 2005

xii ContentsStarting Up and Shutting Down an Oracle Database 111 Shutting Down an Oracle 10g Database 117Shutting Down Oracle Using EM Database Control 118Shutting Down Oracle Using SQL*

Study Guide

Chip Dawes

Bob Bryla

Joseph C Johnson Matthew Weishan

SYBEX®

San Francisco • London

OCA:

Study Guide

Chip Dawes Bob Bryla Joseph C Johnson Matthew Weishan

4367.book Page iii Monday, October 18, 2004 8:51 PM

Associate Publisher: Neil Edde

Acquisitions and Developmental Editor: Jeff Kellum

Production Editor: Mae Lum

Technical Editors: Christopher Guillaume, Robert Wahl

Copyeditor: Pat Coleman

Compositor: Craig Woods, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

Graphic Illustrator: Jeffrey Wilson, Happenstance Type-O-Rama

CD Coordinator: Dan Mummert

CD Technician: Kevin Ly

Proofreaders: James Brook, Sunah Cherwin, Amy Rasmussen, Nancy Riddiough

Indexer: Jack Lewis

Book Designers: Bill Gibson, Judy Fung

Cover Designer: Archer Design

Cover Photographer: Photodisc and Victor Arre

Copyright © 2005 SYBEX Inc., 1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501 World rights reserved No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to photocopy, photograph, magnetic, or other record, without the prior agreement and written per- mission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Card Number: 2004094992

TRADEMARKS: SYBEX has attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer.

The author and publisher have made their best efforts to prepare this book, and the content is based upon final release software whenever possible Portions of the manuscript may be based upon pre-release versions supplied

by software manufacturer(s) The author and the publisher make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to the completeness or accuracy of the contents herein and accept no liability of any kind including but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly from this book.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Our Valued Readers:

Thank you for looking to Sybex for your Oracle 10g exam prep needs The OCA certification

is designed to validate knowledge of basic database administration tasks and an ing of the Oracle database architecture and how its components work and interact with one another The OCA is also a prerequisite to becoming an OCP

understand-We at Sybex are proud of the reputation we’ve established for providing Oracle certification candidates with the practical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the highly competitive

IT marketplace It has always been Sybex’s mission to teach individuals how to utilize nologies in the real world, not to simply feed them answers to test questions Just as Oracle

tech-is committed to establtech-ishing measurable standards for certifying database professionals, Sybex is committed to providing those professionals with the means of acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to meet those standards

As always, your feedback is important to us If you believe you’ve identified an error in the book, please send a detailed e-mail to support@sybex.com And if you have general comments

or suggestions, feel free to drop me a line directly at nedde@sybex.com At Sybex, we’re tinually striving to meet the needs of individuals preparing for certification exams

con-Good luck in pursuit of your Oracle certification!

Neil EddeAssociate Publisher—CertificationSybex, Inc

4367.book Page v Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

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To my children Zachary and Charlie, you bring joy to my life.

We would like to thank Oracle for producing the great database software that this book is about,

as well as the Sybex team who did all the behind-the-scenes work on the book We, the authors, get our names on the cover of the book, but the following people helped significantly in creating this Study Guide, and we want to thank and acknowledge their efforts: acquisitions and developmental editor Jeff Kellum; production editor Mae Lum; copyeditor Pat Coleman; technical editors Chris Guillaume and Bob Wahl; compositor Craig Woods of Happenstance Type-O-Rama; illustrator Jeffrey Wilson of Happenstance Type-O-Rama; proofreaders James Brook, Sunah Cherwin, Amy Rasmussen, and Nancy Riddiough; indexer Jack Lewis; and all the other unnamed individuals who had a hand in bringing this book to fruition

I’d like to thank the good software engineers at Oracle for developing and continuing to improve a great software product I’ve spent many good years learning about and teaching others

to use Oracle databases, and I still have so much more to learn

Lastly and most importantly, I’d like to thank my family for the unceasing support I get from them

—Chip Dawes

I’d like to thank all the contributors to this book for their time and efforts I’d also like to thank the entire Sybex team for their input and assistance in the production of this work The third time has been a charm

—Matthew Weishan

Many thanks to all those who helped me during the development of this book, in particular: Tony Gastel, Gerry Bustamente, Stephen Deutsch, Brook Swenson, Tami Van Dreese, Jamie Mudrick, Brenda, and Emily Thanks too to my co-authors Chip, Bob, and Matt

—Joseph C Johnson

This book wouldn’t be possible without the love and support from my family throughout the long nights and weekends when I still managed to find time to help the kids with their home-work before bedtime I loved every minute of it

Thanks also to my professional colleagues, both past and present, who provided me with inspiration, support, and guidance and who pushed me a little further to take a risk now and then, starting with that math teacher in high school, whose name eludes me at the moment, who introduced me to computers on a DEC PDP-8 with a teletype and a paper tape reader

—Bob Bryla

Contents at a Glance

4367.book Page ix Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

Rows, Columns, Tables, and Databases 7

Using the Oracle Universal Installer 56Summary 65

The Oracle Enterprise Management Framework 76Starting and Stopping the Oracle Management Agent 78Accessing a Database Using the Database Control 80

Using the Oracle Database Configuration Assistant 84Creating an Oracle Database Using the DBCA 84Configuring an Oracle Database Using DBCA 106Deleting an Oracle Database Using DBCA 106Managing Database Templates Using DBCA 107Managing Parameter Initialization Files 1094367.book Page xi Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

xii Contents

Starting Up and Shutting Down an Oracle Database 111

Shutting Down an Oracle 10g Database 117Shutting Down Oracle Using EM Database Control 118Shutting Down Oracle Using SQL*Plus 122

Summary 125

Identifying Segments, Extents, and Data Blocks 136

Creating and Maintaining Tablespaces 138

Summary 176

Interfacing Existing Systems with New Systems 188Network Responsibilities for the DBA 188

Contents xiii

Security 196Accessibility 197Configuring Oracle Net on the Server 198

Additional Configurations When Using Multiple Listeners 225Troubleshooting Server-Side Connection Problems 227Oracle Net Logging and Tracing on the Server 233Configuring Oracle Net for the Client 238Client-Side Names Resolution Options 238

The Oracle Easy Connect Naming Method 244

Troubleshooting Client-Side Connection Problems 254Summary 259

Dedicated Server versus Shared Server 271Advantages and Disadvantages of Shared Server 273

PGA and SGA Changes When Using Oracle

Displaying Information about Shared ServerConnections Using the Listener Utility 288Using Dynamic Performance Views for Shared Server 289Requesting a Dedicated Connection in a

Determining Whether You Have Enough Dispatchers 297Measuring How Long Users Are Waiting for Dispatchers 298Determining Whether You Have Enough Shared Servers 2994367.book Page xiii Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

xiv Contents

Summary 300

Assigning Resource Limits with a Profile 328Applying the Principle of Least Privilege 331

Implementing Standard Password Security Features 334

Summary 349

Working with Triggering Events and Managing Triggers 367Using and Administering PL/SQL Programs 371

Contents xv

Configuring PL/SQL for Better Performance 373

Monitoring the Progress of a Data Pump Job 388

Specifying SQL*Loader Command-Line Parameters 389

Summary 393

Monitoring, Configuring, and Administering Undo 407Monitoring Locking and Resolving Lock Conflicts 416Understanding Locks and Transactions 416

Detecting and Resolving Lock Conflicts 419Summary 422

Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitoring 435

Storing Database Statistics in the Data Dictionary 480

Summary 489

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xvi Contents

Understanding and Configuring Recovery Components 501

Understanding Database Failure Types 544

Recovering from Loss of a Control File 564Recovering from Loss of a Redo Log File 566Recovering from Loss of a System-Critical Datafile 569Recovering from Loss of a Non–System-Critical Datafile 573Summary 578

Oracle databases are the defacto standard for large Internet sites, and Oracle advertisers are boastful but honest when they proclaim, “The Internet Runs on Oracle.” Almost all big Internet sites run Oracle databases Oracle’s penetration of the database market runs deep and is not limited to dot-com implementations Enterprise resource planning (ERP) application suites, data warehouses, and custom applications at many companies rely on Oracle The demand for DBA resources remains higher than others during weak economic times.

This book is intended to help you pass the Oracle Database 10g: Administration I exam, which will establish your credentials as an Oracle Database Administrator The OCA certifica-tion is a prerequisite to obtaining the more comprehensive Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) certification and is the first step toward obtaining an Oracle Certified Master (OCM) certifica-tion Using this book and a practice database, you can acquire the necessary skills to pass the 1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10g: Administration I exam

Why Become Oracle Certified?

The number one reason to become an OCA or OCP is to gain more visibility and greater access

to the industry’s most challenging opportunities Oracle certification is the best way to strate your knowledge and skills in Oracle database systems

demon-Certification is proof of your knowledge and shows that you have the skills required to support Oracle core products The Oracle certification program can help a company identify proven performers who have demonstrated their skills and who can support the company’s investment in Oracle technology It demonstrates that you have a solid understanding of your job role and the Oracle products used in that role

OCPs are among the best paid in the IT industry Salary surveys consistently show the OCP certification to yield higher salaries than other certifications, including Microsoft, Novell, and Cisco

So whether you are beginning your career, changing your career, or looking to secure your position as a DBA, this book is for you!

4367.book Page xvii Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

xviii Introduction

Oracle Certifications

Oracle certifications follow a track that is oriented toward a job role There are database istration, application developer, and web application server administrator tracks Within each track, Oracle has a multitiered certification program

admin-Within the administration track, there are three tiers:

The first tier is the Oracle 10g Certified Associate (OCA) To obtain OCA certification, you must pass the 1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10g: Administration I exam in a proctored setting

The second tier is the Oracle 10g Certified Professional (OCP), which builds on and requires OCA certification To obtain OCP certification, you must attend an approved Oracle University hands-on class and pass the 1Z0-043 Oracle Database 10g: Administra-tion II exam in a proctored setting

The third and highest tier is the Oracle 10g Certified Master (OCM), which builds on and requires OCP certification To obtain OCM certification, you must attend advanced-level classes and take a two-day, hands-on practical exam

The material in this book addresses only the Administration I exam Other Sybex books—which can be found at www.sybex.com—can help students new to the DBA world prepare for the OCP exam Oracle Database 10g: Administration II exam (1Z0-043) You can also get infor-mation on the Oracle upgrade exam, the Oracle Database 10g: New Features for Administra-tors exam (1Z0-040)

See the Oracle website at www.oracle.com/education/certification for the latest information on all of Oracle’s certification paths along with Oracle’s train- ing resources.

Oracle DBA Certification

The role of the DBA has become a key to success in today’s highly complex database systems The best DBAs work behind the scenes, but are in the spotlight when critical issues arise They plan, cre-ate, maintain, and ensure that the database is available for the business They are always watching the database for performance issues and to prevent unscheduled downtime The DBA’s job requires broad understanding of the architecture of Oracle database and expertise in solving problems.Because this book focuses on the DBA track, we will take a closer look at the tiers of the DBA track

Oracle Database 10 g Administrator Certified Associate

The Oracle 10g Administrator Certified Associate (OCA) certification is a streamlined, level certification for the database administration track and is required to advance toward the more senior certification tiers This certification requires you to pass one exam that demon-strates your knowledge of Oracle basics:

entry-
1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10g: Administration I

Introduction xix

Oracle Database 10 g Administrator Certified Professional

The OCP tier of the database administration track challenges you to demonstrate your enhanced experience and knowledge of Oracle technologies The Oracle 10g Administrator Certified Pro-fessional (OCP) certification requires achievement of the OCA certification, attendance at one or more approved Oracle University classes, and successful completion of the following exam:

1Z0-043 Oracle Database 10g: Administration II

The approved courses for OCP candidates include the following:

Oracle Database 10g: Administration I

Oracle Database 10g: Administration II

Oracle Database 10g: Introduction to SQL

Oracle Database 10g: New Features for Administrators

Oracle Database 10g: Program with PL/SQL

If you already have your OCP in 9i or earlier and have elected to take the upgrade path, you are not required to take the Oracle University class to obtain your OCP for Oracle 10g

Verify this list against the Oracle education website ( www.oracle.com/ education ) as it can change without any notice.

Oracle Database 10 g Certified Master

The Oracle Database 10g Administration Certified Master (OCM) is the highest level of fication that Oracle offers To become a certified master, you must first obtain OCP certifica-tion, then complete advanced-level classes at an Oracle Education facility, and finally pass a hands-on, two-day exam at an Oracle Education facility The classes and practicum exam are offered only at an Oracle Education facility and may require travel

certi-More details on the required coursework will be available in late 2004.

Oracle 10 g Upgrade Paths

Existing Oracle professionals can upgrade their certification in several ways:

An Oracle9i OCP can upgrade to 10g certification by passing the 1Z0-040 Oracle base 10g: New Features for Administrators exam

Data-
An Oracle8i OCP can upgrade directly to 10g by passing the 1Z0-045 Oracle Data–base 10g: New Features for Oracle8i OCP exam

Oracle7.3 and Oracle8 DBAs must first upgrade to an Oracle9i certification with the 1Z0-035 Oracle9i DBA: New Features for Oracle7.3 and Oracle8 OCP exam and then upgrade the 9i cer-tification to 10g with the 1Z0-040 Oracle Database 10g: New Features for Administrators exam.4367.book Page xix Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

xx Introduction

Oracle Database 10 g Administrator Special Accreditations

New to the Oracle certification program are the Oracle Database 10g Administrator Special Accreditation programs These accreditations formally recognize the specialized knowledge of OCPs in particular database administration areas such as high availability, security, and 10g

Grid Control OCPs who pass one of these special accreditation exams receive a certificate that formally recognizes their special competency

Oracle Exam Requirements

The Oracle Database 10g: Administration I exam covers several core subject areas As with many typical multiple-choice exams, you can take advantage of several tips to maximize your score on the exam

Skills Required for the Oracle Database 10 g : Administration I Exam

To pass the Oracle 10g Administration I exam, you need to master the following subject areas

in Oracle 10g:

Installing Oracle Database 10g Software

Identify system requirements

Use Optimal Flexible Architecture (OFA)

Install software with Oracle Universal Installer

Identify and configure commonly used environment variables

Oracle also provides an optional (and free) prerequisite to all the proctored exams, which is

the Oracle Database 10g DBA Assessment online exam:

1Z0-041 Oracle Database 10g: DBA Assessment

This exam evaluates your proficiency with basic administration and management of an Oracle 10g

database, and upon passing this online exam, you receive a certificate of completion from Oracle University Although anybody can take this exam, it is designed for those new to Oracle and is an excellent measurement of how familiar you are with the new Oracle 10g database.

Introduction xxi

Creating an Oracle Database

Explain the Oracle database architecture

Explain the instance architecture

Use the management framework

Use DBCA (Database Configuration Assistant) to create a database

Use DBCA to configure a database

Use DBCA to drop (or delete) a database

Use DBCA to manage templates

Database Interfaces

Use SQL*Plus and iSQL*Plus to access an Oracle 10g database

Use SQL*Plus and iSQL*Plus to describe the logical structure of tables

Use SQL to query, manipulate, and define data using SELECT, UPDATE/INSERT/DELETE, and CREATE/ALTER/DROP statements

Identify common database interfaces

Describe a database transaction

Controlling the Database

Start and stop iSQL*Plus.

Start and stop Enterprise Manager (EM) Database Control

Start and stop the Oracle Listener

Start up and shut down Oracle Database 10g.

Describe startup and shutdown options for Oracle Database 10g.

Handle parameter files

Locate and view the Database alert log

Describe the default tablespaces

4367.book Page xxi Friday, October 15, 2004 9:53 PM

Administering Users

Create and manage database user accounts

Create and manage roles

Grant and revoke privileges

Control resource usage by users

Managing Schema Objects

Create and modify tables

Define constraints

View the attributes of a table

View the contents of a table

Create indexes and views

Name database objects

Select appropriate datatypes

Create and use sequences

Managing Data

Manipulate data through SQL using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE.Use Data Pump to export data

Use Data Pump to import data

Load data with SQL*Loader

Create directory objects

PL/SQL

Identify PL/SQL (Procedural Language SQL) objects

Describe triggers and triggering events

Identify configuration options that affect PL/SQL performance

Oracle Database Security

Apply the principle of least privilege

Manage default user accounts

Implement standard password security features

Audit database activity

Register for security updates

Introduction xxiii

Oracle Net Services

Use Database Control to create additional listeners

Use Database Control to create Oracle Net service aliases

Use Database Control to configure connect time failover

Use Listener features

Use the Oracle Net Manager to configure client and middle-tier connections

Use TNSPING to test Oracle Net connectivity

Describe Oracle Net Services

Describe Oracle Net names resolution methods

Oracle Shared Servers

Identify when to use Oracle Shared Servers

Configure Oracle Shared Servers

Monitor Shared Servers

Describe the Shared Server architecture

Performance Monitoring

Troubleshoot invalid and unusable objects

Gather optimizer statistics

View performance metrics

React to performance issues

Proactive Maintenance

Set warning and critical alert thresholds

Collect and use baseline metrics

Use tuning and diagnostic advisors

Use the Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM)

Manage the Automatic Workload Repository

Describe server-generated alerts

Undo Management

Monitor and administer undo

Configure undo retention

Guarantee undo retention

Use the Undo Advisor

Describe the relationship between undo and transactions

Size the undo tablespace

Monitoring and Resolving Lock Conflicts

Detect and resolve lock conflicts

Manage deadlocks

Describe the relationship between transactions and locks

Explain lock modes within Oracle Database 10g.

Backup and Recovery Concepts

Describe the basics of database backup, restore, and recovery

Describe the types of failure that can occur in an Oracle 10g database.

Describe ways to tune instance recovery

Identify the importance of checkpoints, redo log files, and archived log files

Configure ARCHIVELOG mode

Configure a database for recoverability

Database Backups

Create consistent database backups

Back up your database without shutting it down

Create incremental backups

Automate database backups

Monitor the Flash Recovery area

Describe the difference between image copies and backup sets

Describe the different types of database backups

Back up a control file to trace

Manage backups

Database Recovery

Recover from loss of a control file

Recover from loss of a redo log file

Recover from loss of a system-critical datafile

Recover from loss of a non–system-critical datafile

Tips for Taking the OCA Exam

Use the following tips to help you prepare for and pass the exam:

The exam contains about 55–80 questions to be completed in 90 minutes Answer the tions you know first so that you do not run out of time

ques-
At first glance, the answer choices to many questions look identical Read the questions carefully Do not jump to conclusions Make sure that you clearly understand exactly what each question asks

If you’re not sure of your answer, mark it for review, and then look for other questions that might help you eliminate any incorrect answers At the end of the test, you can go back and review the questions that you marked for review.

Be familiar with the exam objectives, which are included in the front of this book as a perforated tear-out card You can also find them at www.oracle.com/ education/certification/objectives/42.html In addition, if you would like information on recommended classes and passing scores, visit www.oracle.com/ education/certification/news/beta_042.html.

Where Do You Take the Certification Exam?

The Oracle Database 10g certification exams are available at any of the more than 900

Thom-son Prometric Authorized Testing Centers around the world For the location of a testing center near you, call 1-800-891-3926 Outside the United States and Canada, contact your local Thomson Prometric Registration Center

To register for a proctored Oracle Certified Associate exam:

Determine the number of the exam you want to take For the OCA exam, it is 1Z0-042

Register with Thomson Prometric online at www.prometric.com or, in North America, by calling 1-800-891-EXAM (800-891-3926) At this point, you will be asked to pay in advance for the exam At the time of this writing, the exams are $125 each and must be taken within one year of payment

When you schedule the exam, you’ll get instructions regarding all appointment and cancellation procedures, the ID requirements, and information about the testing-center location

You can schedule exams up to six weeks in advance or as soon as one working day before the day you want to take it If something comes up and you need to cancel or reschedule your exam appointment, contact Thomson Prometric at least 24 hours or one business day

in advance

What Does This Book Cover?

This book covers everything you need to pass the Oracle Database10g Administration I exam

Each chapter begins with a list of exam objectives

Chapter 1 Discusses some of the first activities you will need to perform You will learn how

to install the Oracle database software, about the architecture of both an Oracle database and instance, and how to use some common database interfaces as well as how to use SQL to define, manipulate, and access data in your database

Chapter 2 Discusses creating and controlling the Oracle database environment You will learn

how to start and stop the database, EM Database Control, and iSQL*Plus.

Chapter 3 Discusses storage structures and schema objects You will learn how to create

and manage physical database structures such as tablespaces, datafiles, segments, extents, and blocks You will also learn about logical database structures such as tables, indexes, views, and sequences

Chapter 4 Discusses Oracle Net services You will learn how to create and control database

listeners, Net service names, and connect time failover

Chapter 5 Discusses Oracle Shared Servers You will learn about the Shared Server

architec-ture, when to use Shared Servers, and how to configure and monitor Shared Servers

Chapter 6 Discusses administering users and database security You will learn how to create

and manage user accounts, roles, privileges, password controls, and auditing

Chapter 7 Discusses manipulating data and administering PL/SQL programs You will learn

how to work with data using SQL, Data Pump, SQL*Loader, and triggers and how to tune the database for PL/SQL performance

Chapter 8 Discusses consistency and concurrency You will learn how to configure and

administer your undo tablespace You will also learn about Oracle locking and how to detect and resolve locking conflicts

Chapter 9 Discusses performance monitoring and proactive maintenance You will learn how

to administer invalid and unusable objects, gather optimizer statistics, work with performance metrics, set alert thresholds, and use the tuning and diagnostic advisors

Chapter 10 Discusses backing up your Oracle 10g database You will learn about Oracle

backup concepts, how to create and manage consistent, online, and incremental backups You will also learn how to monitor the Flash Recovery area

Chapter 11 Discusses failures and how to recover your Oracle10g database from them You

will learn about the various kinds of failures that can occur with an Oracle10g database and

how to recover from the loss of control files, redo logs, and datafiles

Each chapter ends with a list of exam essentials, which gives you a highlight of the chapter, with an emphasis on the topics that you need to be extra familiar with for the exam The chapter concludes with 20 review questions that are specifically designed to help you retain the know-ledge presented To really nail down your skills, read and answer each question carefully

Introduction xxvii

How to Use This Book

This book can provide a solid foundation for the serious effort of preparing for the Oracle 10g

OCA exam To best benefit from this book, use the following study method:

1. Take the Assessment Test immediately following this introduction (The answers are at the end of the test.) Carefully read over the explanations for any questions you get wrong, and note which chapters the material comes from This information should help you plan your study strategy

2. Study each chapter carefully, making sure that you fully understand the information and the test objectives listed at the beginning of each chapter Pay extra close attention to any chapter related to questions that you missed in the Assessment Test

3. Complete all hands-on exercises in the chapter, referring to the chapter so that you stand the reason for each step you take If you do not have an Oracle database available,

under-be sure to study the examples carefully

4. Answer the review questions related to that chapter (The answers appear at the end of each chapter, after the “Review Questions” section.) Note the questions that confuse or trick you, and study those sections of the book again

5. Take the two Bonus Exams that are included on the accompanying CD This will give you

a complete overview of what you can expect to see on the real test

6. Remember to use the products on the CD included with this book The electronic flashcards and the Sybex Test Engine exam preparation software have been specifically designed to help you study for and pass your exam

To learn all the material covered in this book, you’ll need to apply yourself regularly and with discipline Try to set aside the same time period every day to study, and select a comfort-able and quiet place to do so If you work hard, you will be surprised at how quickly you learn this material All the best!

What’s on the CD?

We have worked hard to provide some really great tools to help you with your certification cess Load all the following tools on your workstation when you’re studying for the test

pro-The Sybex Test Engine Preparation Software

This test-preparation software prepares you to pass the 1Z0-042 Oracle Database 10g

Administration I exam In this test, you will find all the questions from the book, plus two bonus exams that appear exclusively on the CD You can take the Assessment Test, test your-self by chapter, or take the practice exams The test engine will run on either a Microsoft Win-dows or a Linux platform

Here is a sample screen from the Sybex Test Engine:

Electronic Flashcards for PC and Palm Devices

You can also test yourself with the flashcards included on the CD The flashcards are designed

to test your understanding of the fundamental concepts covered in the exam Here is what the Sybex Flashcards interface looks like:

Introduction xxix

OCA: Oracle 10g Administration I Study Guide in PDF

Many people like the convenience of being able to carry their study guide on a CD, which is why

we included the book in PDF format This will be extremely helpful to readers who fly or mute on a bus or train and prefer an e-book, as well as to readers who find it more comfortable reading from their computer We’ve also included a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader on the CD

com-About the Authors

Chip Dawes is an Oracle Certified Professional with more than 15 years’ experience as a DBA

He lives, works, and plays in the Chicagoland area with his wife, Mary, children Zachary and Charlie, and dog Rex Chip works for D&D Technologies, a Chicago-based consulting firm To contact Chip, you can e-mail him at chipdawes@yahoo.com

Matthew Weishan, OCP, is a senior specialist for EDS in Madison, Wisconsin To contact Matt, you can e-mail him at mweishan@yahoo.com

Joseph C Johnson is an Oracle Certified Professional with more than 10 years of experience managing mission-critical Oracle databases Joe is a Senior Database Administrator with Lands’ End in Dodgeville, Wisconsin You can e-mail him at josephcjohnson@yahoo.com

Bob Bryla, OCP, currently works as a Data Analyst and Oracle DBA for Lands’ End To contact Bob, you can e-mail him at rjbryla@centurytel.net

Assessment Test

1. Which of the following components is not part of an Oracle instance?

A. System Global Area

B. Server Process

C. Database Writer

D. System Monitor

2. Your organization has purchased an application that uses an Oracle database as the repository

for application data Your job is to install and configure the Oracle Database 10g software on

the server Which of the following should you do first?

A. Create mount points and directories using the OFA model

B. Mount the Oracle CD and start the Oracle Universal Installer

C. Review the installation guides and release notes to familiarize yourself with the install process

D. Work with the Unix system administrator to configure kernel parameters

3. All the following are examples of DML commands except which item?

C. The foreign key is ignored if the delete removes only one row

D. Foreign key has no impact on DELETE statements

5. You are a database administrator with databases in New York, Hong Kong, and London You want to administer all your databases from a central console using Grid Control Which of the following commands do you issue when using Grid Control?

A emctl start grid

B emctl start dbconsole

C emctl start agent

D isqlplusctl start

Assessment Test xxxi

6. The lead DBA has requested that you set up a database that requires minimal disk management for

a large data warehouse that is being implemented He wants you to use a DBCA with and utilize one of the predefined templates Which of the following combinations addresses this request?

A. Data Warehouse template with raw devices

B. Transactional template with file system disk management

C. Data Warehouse template with raw disk management

D. Data Warehouse template with the Automated Storage Management (ASM) disk option

7. You have created a database using DBCA and not saved the template definition You now want

to copy the database and all the data using the DBCA Which of the following is the first step?

A. Create a new empty database using scripts, and import the data into the new database using the DBCA

B. Use DBCA template management, and create a database template from an existing database with structure as well as data

C. Choose the template of the previously created database created from the templates list and create the database

D. Copy the datafiles from the existing database to a new location, and then use the DBCA to copy the database

8. You are in the middle of an emergency drill at your organization There is little time to notify database users, and you need to stop the Oracle database processes as quickly as possible Which

of the following would you perform?

A SHUTDOWN ABORT

B SHUTDOWN TRANSACTIONAL

C SHUTDOWN

D SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE

E. None of the above

9. Where would you look to see if a tablespace is offline?

A dba_tablespaces

B v$tablespace

C v$database

D dba_datafile_status

10. Which of the following objects share the same namespace and therefore cannot have the same name?

A. Tables and sequences

B. Tables and indexes

C. Tables and tablespaces

D. Tables and constraints

11. Which of the following is not a valid column name?

state-A. New connections to the default listener will not succeed

B. Existing client connections will not be affected

C. Only new dedicated connections will fail

D. Existing shared server connections will be dropped

14. You issue the following command from the database server: sqlplus scott/tiger and receive the following error message: ORA-01034: Oracle not available What is the state

of the Oracle database:

A. The database is open but in restricted mode

B. The instance is started but is in MOUNT mode

C. The database and the instance are not started

D. The instance is started in NOMOUNT mode

15. You connect to the database using the command sqlplus scott/tiger@abc.com:1522/orcl

To which database are you connecting?

A abc.com

B tiger

C orcl

D scott

E. None of the above

16. You are administering an Oracle database using Shared Server The LARGE_POOL_SIZE is 50MB You issue the command ALTER SYSTEM SET LARGE_POOL_SIZE = 100M SCOPE=MEMORY You then shut down and restart the database What will the LARGE_POOL_SIZE be?

C. The default LARGE_POOL_SIZE

D. The LARGE_POOL_SIZE as you have set it in the Oracle SPFILE that you are using

Assessment Test xxxiii

17. You have decided to implement connection pooling and set a timeout limit of 20 minutes for idle connections You also want to support 500 concurrent connections with a maximum of 1500 sessions per dispatcher Which of the following commands will accomplish this?

E. All the above

19. What status would you expect to see when querying V$DISPATCHER for a dispatcher that is not currently servicing any client requests?

A IDLE

B WAIT

C SLEEP

D READY

E. None of the above

20. Which of the following statements sets the password for user simon to alakazaam?

A alter user simon password alakazaam;

B update user simon set password=alakazaam;

C alter user simon identified by alakazaam;

D set password=alakazaam for simon;

21. Which privilege allows the grantee to place the database in NOARCHIVELOG mode?

A drop user brent;

B delete from dba_users where username='BRENT';

C alter system remove user brent cascade;

D drop user brent cascade;

23. Which of the following parameters directs Data Pump export to capture the table definitions for, but not the contents of the tables owned by user sacagawea?

A owner= sacagawea rows=no

B schemas= sacagawea content=metadata_only

C owner= sacagawea content=metadata_only

D tablespaces= sacagawea data=no

24. Which of the following is not a valid Data Pump export mode?

D SELECT FOR UPDATE

E. None of the above; they all implicitly begin a transaction

28. Select the invalid statements from the following regarding undo segment management (Choose all that apply.)

A ALTER SYSTEM SET UNDO_TABLESPACE = ROLLBACK;

B ALTER DATABASE SET UNDO_TABLESPACE = UNDOTBS;

C ALTER SYSTEM SET UNDO_MANAGEMENT = AUTO;

D ALTER SYSTEM SET UNDO_MANAGEMENT = MANUAL;

Assessment Test xxxv

29. The following table shows two concurrent transactions Which statement about the result returned in Session 1 at 8:30 is true? Choose the best answer

A. The results include the changes committed by session 2 at 8:10

B. The results include the changes committed by session 2 at 8:10 if the two sessions were nected as the same user

con-C. The results of the query in session 1 do not include the changes committed by session 2 at 8:10

D. Session 1 instead returns a “Snapshot too old” error message at 8:30; no results are returned

to the user, and the query must be resubmitted

30. The Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) is primarily populated with performance statistics

by which Oracle 10g background process?

select sum(order_amt) from orders

where order_date > trunc(sysdate);

8:01

8:09 insert into orders (cust_

num, order_date, order_amt) values (19581963, sysdate, 576.12);

8:10 commit;

select statement above reaches data block

where insert from session 2 resides

8:15

select statement completes and results

returned to the user

8:30

32. You’ve decided to monitor your databases for CPU utilization based on baseline metrics If you specify that you want a warning alert sent whenever CPU utilization is greater than 50 percent

of the baseline and the high value for this metric is 300, when will the alert be sent?

A. Whenever CPU utilization is 250 or less

B. Whenever the CPU utilization is 450 or higher

C. Whenever the CPU utilization is 300 or higher

D. Whenever the CPU utilization is 225 or higher

33. Every evening you use SQL*Loader to perform direct-path loads of data into your company’s data warehouse Last night the load of the SALES table failed because the tablespace where the SALES table is stored ran out of space As a result, the indexes on the SALES table are in an unus-able state Which of the following can you use to fix this problem?

A. Drop and re-create the affected indexes

B. Use the ALTER INDEX … REBUILD command to rebuild the index

C. Use EM Database Control to rebuild the index

D. Any of the above will return the index to a usable state

34. Which backup options are available for databases in NOARCHIVELOG mode? (Choose all that apply.)

A. Online, incremental

B. Offline, incremental

C. Online, full, whole database

D. Offline, full, whole database

35. According to Oracle, how many copies of the control file should you maintain?

A. 1, since Oracle automatically multiplexes control files

C. One copy on each Oracle-managed disk device

36. Identify the types of backups in the following list that RMAN performs (Choose all that apply.)

A. Backups to flat files

B. Image copies

C. Data Pump export dumps

D. Backup sets

37. Archived log files can be written to as many as _ locations (Choose the best answer.)

A. Ten, but they all have to be local, or they all have to be remote

B. Ten, with a maximum of five local destinations and five remote destinations

C. Ten total

D. Five total

E. Twenty, a maximum of ten local destinations, and ten remote destinations

Assessment Test xxxvii

38. If a user inadvertently drops a table, this is considered what type of failure?

C SHUTDOWN IMMEDIATE; STARTUP FORCE

D SHUTDOWN ABORT; STARTUP

40. Which of the following is not a valid database state?

Answers to Assessment Test

1. B The Server Process that is started on the server on behalf of each user connection is not sidered part of the instance An instance is defined as the System Global Area and all the Oracle background processes For more information, see Chapter 1

con-2. C Review all relevant documentation before starting the Oracle installation The tion will help you determine whether your hardware and operating system meet the minimum specifications required for the installation For more information, see Chapter 1

documenta-3. B The CREATE statement is an example of a DDL statement, not a DML statement DROP and ALTER are also examples of DDL commands For more information, see Chapter 1

4. A A foreign key constraint prevents the deletion of a record if other records in the same table

or other tables still refer to that record If the ON DELETE CASCADE option is used when the constraint is defined, deleting the primary key record also automatically deletes the associated foreign key records For more information, see Chapter 1

5. C When you are using the Grid Control, start the agent on each managed target machine The emctl start agent command initiates the agent process For more information, see Chapter 2

6. D You use the Data Warehouse template with the ASM disk option to get the requested bination For more information, see Chapter 2

com-7. B First, make a template definition of the existing database using the DBCA tool You can then create the database from this definition For more information, see Chapter 2

8. A Given the circumstances, the quickest way to shut down the Oracle processes is a SHUTDOWN ABORT This is not the preferred shutdown method and requires instance recovery upon startup For more information, see Chapter 2

9. A The dba_tablespaces and v$tablespace views contain information about tablespaces The dba_tablespaces view includes the STATUS column, which indicates whether the tablespace is online or offline For more information, see Chapter 3

10. A Tables share a namespace with views, sequences, private synonyms, procedures, functions, packages, materialized views, and user-defined types Objects sharing a namespace cannot have the same name For more information, see Chapter 3

11. A Column names cannot begin with a digit They must begin with a letter and can contain ters, numbers, and the characters _, $, or # (underscore, dollar sign, or pound sign) Although

let-a poor prlet-actice, PL/SQL keywords, such let-as EXCEPTION, clet-an be used let-as let-a column nlet-ame For more information, see Chapter 3

12. A The Oracle Advanced Security feature provides additional database security options such as encryption, checksumming, and user authentication via options such as the biometrics This fea-ture is not necessary to use database profiles For more information, see Chapter 4

13. C, D When you stop a listener, you affect only new client connections and not existing client connections, so C and D are false For more information, see Chapter 4

Answers to Assessment Test xxxix

14. C Whenever you receive an ORA-01034, both the database and the instance are not started For more information, see Chapter 4

15. C The database is the parameter supplied after the port designation Therefore, you connect

to the orcl database For more information, see Chapter 4

16. D The LARGE_POOL_SIZE setting is determined by the setting in the Oracle SPFILE Oracle always reads this file on startup if you are using it The SCOPE=MEMORY parameter means that only the currently running instance is affected by the change For more information, see Chapter 5

17. B You would set the PRO, DIS, POO, TICK, CONN, and SESS attributes of the DISPATCHERS eter accordingly Remember that the TICK measurement is in 10-minute increments For more infor-mation, see Chapter 5

param-18. A, B, D You can see established, refused, and current connections for each dispatcher when you issue this command You can also see the maximum number of connections allowed per dis-patcher and the state of each dispatcher For more information, see Chapter 5

19. B The WAIT status indicates that the dispatcher is waiting to process a client request For more information, see Chapter 5

20. C You use the ALTER USER statement to change a password The keywords IDENTIFIED BY tell the database to assign a new password to the user For more information, see Chapter 6

21. A The privilege SYSDBA is the most powerful system privilege; it allows the grantee to start up and shut down the database as well as enable ARCHIVELOG mode or NOARCHIVELOG mode For more information, see Chapter 6

22. D A DROP USER statement removes an account from the database The keyword CASCADE tells the database to also drop all the schema objects owned by the user For more information, see Chapter 6

23. B The schemas parameter tells Data Pump export which object owners to include in the extract The content parameter tells Data Pump what to export: DATA_ONLY, METADATA_ONLY,

or ALL The METADATA_ONLY value tells Data Pump to capture the object definitions but not the stored data values For more information, see Chapter 7

24. A Data Pump modes include FULL, SCHEMA, TABLE, and TABLESPACE, but not JAVA For more information, see Chapter 7

25. A After changing data with an INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE statement, you must execute a COMMIT to make the changes permanent A SAVEPOINT establishes an intermediate place holder

in the data changes that you can optionally ROLLBACK to prior to a COMMIT There is no SAVE

statement in an Oracle 10g database For more information, see Chapter 7.

26. D Before any DML operation is marked as complete, the undo information (the before image of data) is stored in the undo segments This information is used to undo the changes and to provide

a read-consistent view of the data For more information, see Chapter 8

27. E If a transaction is not currently in progress, any INSERT, UPDATE, MERGE, DELETE, SELECT FOR UPDATE, or LOCK statement implicitly begins a transaction For more information, see Chapter 8