Oracle 1z0-084 Oracle Database 19c: Performance Management and Tuning Exam Practice Test

To configure and enable Database Smart Flash Cache, you must set the DB_FLASH_CACHE_SIZE parameter to reflect the combined size of the flash devices youintend to use for the cache. In this scenario, two flash devices are configured: /dev/sdj with 128G and /dev/sdk with 64G.

• Determine the combined size of the flash devices intended for the Database Smart Flash Cache. In this case, it's 128G + 64G = 192G.
• However, Oracle documentation suggests setting DB_FLASH_CACHE_SIZE to the exact sizes of the individual devices, separated by a comma when multiple devices are used.
• Modify the parameter in the database initialization file (init.ora or spfile.ora) or using an ALTER SYSTEM command. Here's the command for altering the system setting:

ALTER SYSTEM SET DB_FLASH_CACHE_SIZE='128G,64G' SCOPE=SPFILE;

• Since this is a static parameter, a database restart is required for the changes to take effect.
• Upon database startup, it will allocate the Database Smart Flash Cache using the provided sizes for the specified devices.

It is important to note that MEMORY_TARGET and MEMORY_MAX_TARGET parameters should be configured independently of DB_FLASH_CACHE_SIZE. They control the Oracle memory management for the SGA and PGA, and do not directly correlate with the flash cache configuration.

References

• Oracle Database 19c Documentation on Database Smart Flash Cache
• Oracle Support Articles and Community Discussions on DB_FLASH_CACHE_SIZE Configuration

To investigate the cause of the ORA-04036 error, which indicates that PGA memory usage exceeds thePGA_AGGREGATE_LIMIT, the appropriate views to consult areDBA_HIST_ACTIVE_SESS_HISTORYandDBA_HIST_PROCESS_MEM_SUMMARY.

• DBA_HIST_ACTIVE_SESS_HISTORY:This view provides historical information about active sessions in the database. It includes details about the SQL executed, the execution context, and the resources consumed by each session. By examining this view, you can identify the specific sessions and SQL queries that were active and potentially consuming excessive PGA memory around the time the ORA-04036 error occurred.
• DBA_HIST_PROCESS_MEM_SUMMARY:This view contains historical summaries of memory usage by processes. It can help in identifying the processes that were consuming a significant amount of PGA memory, leading to the ORA-04036 error. This view provides aggregated memory usage information over time,making it easier to pinpoint the processes responsible for high PGA memory consumption.

Together, these views offer a comprehensive overview of the memory usage patterns and specific queries or processes that might have contributed to exceeding thePGA_AGGREGATE_LIMIT, resulting in the ORA-04036 error.

References:

• Oracle Database Reference:DBA_HIST_ACTIVE_SESS_HISTORY
• Oracle Database Reference:DBA_HIST_PROCESS_MEM_SUMMARY
• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide:Managing Memory

TheDBMS_WORKLOAD_REPOSITORY.CREATE_BASELINE_TEMPLATEprocedure is used to create a repeating baseline template in the Automatic Workload Repository (AWR). This template will generate baselines for a specified duration of time on a repeating schedule. Theparameters of theCREATE_BASELINE_TEMPLATEprocedure include the start and end times, as well as the day of the week and hour in the day when the baseline should be captured.

Given that the command specifies a repeating baseline every Monday at 5 PM with a duration of 3 hours and it expires after 30 days, the number of baselines generated by this command that you can have at any given time depends on how many Mondays fall within the most recent 30-day period.

Since the maximum number of Mondays that can occur within any 30-day period is 5 (four to five weeks), but considering the baseline has a duration of 3 hours and starts every Monday at 5 PM, only one baseline for each Monday can exist at a time. However, since baselines are preserved for 30 days, you could have multiple instances of Monday baselines preserved at a time.

• A (Incorrect):There can be more than one baseline at a time because the template will generate a baseline for every Monday during the 30-day expiration period.
• B (Incorrect):There will be more than three baselines because the template creates a baseline for every Monday within the 30-day expiration period.
• C (Correct):Over a 30-day period, considering the duration of the baselines and their frequency, you could have up to a maximum of 52 baselines if you consider the entire year.
• D (Incorrect):There is no option that restricts the number of baselines to 5 specifically, the answer relies on the calculation of how many baselines can exist over a period of time considering their expiration.

References:

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference:DBMS_WORKLOAD_REPOSITORY

A. Statspack is a performance diagnostic tool that can help identify high CPU usage issues. High CPU time may indicate that SQL statements need to be tuned for better performance.

D. High wait times can often be reduced by instance tuning, such as adjusting database parameters or improving I/O performance.

F. DB Time is a cumulative time metric that includes the time spent by both user sessions and background processes executing database calls.References:

• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide, 19c
• Oracle Database Concepts, 19c

Server-generated alerts in Oracle Database are designed to notify DBAs and other administrators about issues within the database environment. These alerts can be triggered by a variety of conditions, including threshold-based metrics and specific events such as ORA- error messages. Here's how these options align with the statements provided:

• A (True):Server-generated alerts are indeed notifications from the Oracle Database Server that highlight existing or impending issues. These alerts are part of Oracle's proactive management capabilities, designed to inform administrators about potential problems before they escalate.
• C (True):These alerts are logged in the alert log of the Oracle Database. The alert log is a crucial diagnostic tool that records major events and changes in the database, including server-generated alerts. This log is often the first place DBAs look when troubleshooting database issues.
• F (True):Server-generated alerts may include suggestions for correcting identified problems. Oracle Database often provides actionable advice within these alerts to assist in resolving issues more efficiently. These suggestions can range from adjusting configuration parameters to performing specific maintenance tasks.

Options B, D, and E do not accurately describe server-generated alerts:

• B (False):While the statement might have been true in some contexts, Oracle's server-generated alerts often include corrective suggestions, making this statement incorrect.
• D (False):Server-generated alerts can be viewed from various interfaces, not just the Cloud Control Database home page. They are accessible through Enterprise Manager, SQL Developer, and directly within the database alert log, among other tools.
• E (False):While it's true that threshold settings for some alerts can be modified, the method specified, usingDBMS_SERVER_ALERT, is not correct. Threshold settings are typically adjusted through Enterprise Manager or by modifying specific initialization parameters directly.

References:

• Oracle Database Documentation:Oracle Database 19c: Performance Management and Tuning
• Oracle Base: Alert Log and Trace Files
• Oracle Support:Understanding and Managing Server-Generated Alerts

The right time to stop tuning an Oracle database is often determined by the point of diminishing returns - when the cost of further tuning (in terms of time, resources, or money) exceeds the performance benefits gained. This is often related to the budget allocated for performance tuning.

• A (Correct):When the allocated budget for performance tuning has been exhausted, it may be time to stop tuning unless the benefits of further tuning justify requesting additional budget.
• B (Incorrect):Eliminating all concurrency waits from the Top 10 is an unrealistic goal since some waits are inevitable and can occur due to application design, which might not be possible to eliminate completely.
• C (Incorrect):The buffer cache and library cache hit ratio being above 95% does not necessarily indicate that the database is fully optimized. Hit ratios are not reliable indicators of database performance and should not be used as sole criteria to end tuning efforts.
• D (Incorrect):Having I/O less than 10% of DB time is not a definitive indicator to stop tuning. It is essential to consider the overall performance goals and whether they have been met rather than focusing solely on I/O metrics.

References:

• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide:Introduction to Performance Tuning
• Oracle Database 2 Day + Performance Tuning Guide:Understanding the Tuning Process

In this scenario, creating an index and generating frequency histograms are two methods that can potentially improve performance:

• A (Correct):Generating frequency histograms on theCITY_IDcolumn can help the optimizer make better decisions regarding the execution plan, especially if the data distribution is skewed. Histograms provide the optimizer with more detailed information about the data distribution in a column, which is particularly useful for columns with non-uniform distributions.
• B (Correct):Creating an index on theCITY_IDcolumn would speed up queries that filter on this column, especially if it's used frequently in the WHERE clause as a filter. An index would allow for an index range scan instead of a full table scan, reducing the I/O and time needed to execute such queries.
• C (Incorrect):While SQL profiles can be used to improve the performance of specific SQL statements, they are usually not the first choice for such a problem, and creating a profile does not replace the need for proper indexing or statistics.
• D (Incorrect):Forcing the subquery to use dynamic sampling might not provide a consistent performance benefit, especially if the table statistics are not representative or are outdated. However, dynamic sampling is not as effective as having accurate statistics and a well-chosen index.
• E (Incorrect):Adaptive plans can adjust the execution strategy based on the conditions at runtime. While they can be useful in certain scenarios, in this case, creating an index and ensuring accurate statistics would likely provide a more significant performance improvement.

References:

• Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide:Managing Optimizer Statistics
• Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide:Using Indexes and Clusters

A high buffer cache hit ratio typically indicates that the database is effectively using the buffer cache and does not often need to read data from disk. However, this metric alone is not a reliable indicator of the I/O performance of the database for several reasons:

• Full table scans and fast full index scans (A) can bypass the buffer cache by design if the blocks are not deemed reusable shortly, which can impact the cache hit ratio.
• A high cache hit ratio (B) can be misleading if the database performance is poor due to other factors, such as inefficient queries or contention issues.
• The buffer cache advisory (C) is a more valuable tool for understanding the potential impact of different cache sizes on the database's I/O performance. It simulates scenarios with different cache sizes and provides a more targeted recommendation.
• The RECYCLE and KEEP buffer caches (D) are specialized caches designed for certain scenarios. While high hit ratios can be beneficial, they are not universally required; some workloads might not be significantly impacted by lower hit ratios in these caches.
• A lower cache hit ratio (E) does not necessarily mean poor I/O performance. In some cases, a system with a well-designed storage subsystem and efficient queries might perform well even with a lower cache hit ratio.

References

• Oracle Database 19c Performance Tuning Guide - Buffer Cache Hit Ratio
• Oracle Database 19c Performance Tuning Guide - v$db_cache_advice

The production phase of the application lifecycle is often managed reactively. While proactive measures and performance tuning are essential, unforeseen issues can arise in production that require immediate attention and resolution. Reactive management involves monitoring performance and responding to issues as they occur, ensuring the application maintains acceptable performance levels for end-users.

References

• Oracle Database 19c Performance Tuning Guide - Reactive Tuning

For this SQL statement and output, we can analyze theEVENTcolumn to understand the type of wait:

B. The event "SQL*Net message from client" typically indicates that the session is waiting for a response from the client. This can be due to a network issue, user response, or an application processing delay.

E. The event "SQL*Net message from client" also implies that the session is idle waiting for the client (a user or an application) to send a request to the server. This event usually indicates that the session is not actively working but is instead waiting for the next command.

F. The wait event "enq: TX - row lock contention" suggests that session 9822 is waiting for a row-level lock held by another session. If the holding session issues a COMMIT or ROLLBACK, the lock will be released, and session 9822 will stop waiting. Since this session is experiencing row lock contention, it implies it's waiting for a specific transaction to complete.

References:

• Oracle Database Reference, 19c
• Oracle Wait Events Documentation

In the provided code block, theDBMS_SERVER_ALERT.SET_THRESHOLDprocedure is used to set alert thresholds for the CPU time per call in Oracle Database. This procedure is a part of Oracle's Database Server Alert system, which monitors various metrics and generates alerts when certain thresholds are exceeded.

The parameters passed to theSET_THRESHOLDprocedure are as follows:

• The first parameterDBMS_SERVER_ALERT.CPU_TIME_PER_CALLspecifies the metric for which the threshold is being set, in this case, the CPU time consumed per database call.
• The second and third parametersDBMS_SERVER_ALERT.OPERATOR_GEand'8000'specify the warning threshold level and its value, respectively. However, these are not relevant to the answer as they are overridden by the critical threshold settings.
• The fourth and fifth parametersDBMS_SERVER_ALERT.OPERATOR_GEand'10000'set the critical threshold level and its value. This means that a critical alert will be generated when the CPU time per call exceeds 10000 microseconds.
• The remaining parameters specify the warning and critical alert intervals, the instance name, the object type, and the service name. These are not directly relevant to the behavior described in the options.

Thus, the correct answer is B, as the critical threshold for CPU time per call is set to 10000 microseconds, and the system is configured to issue a critical alert when this threshold is exceeded.

References:

• Oracle Database 19c documentation on theDBMS_SERVER_ALERT.SET_THRESHOLDprocedure, which details the parameters and usage of this procedure for setting alert thresholds within Oracle Database monitoring system.
• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide, which provides best practices and methodologies for monitoring and tuning Oracle Database performance, including the use of server alerts and thresholds.

SQL Performance Analyzer (SPA) can be used to assess the impact of different types of changes on SQL performance. These changes can include database initialization parameters, which can significantly affect how SQL statements are executed and therefore their performance. SPA allows you to capture a workload before and after the change and compare the performance of each SQL statement.

Database consolidation, including moving to pluggable databases (PDBs), can also affect SQL performance. SPA can analyze the SQL workload to see how consolidation impacts performance, by comparing metrics such as elapsed time and CPU time before and after the consolidation.

References:

• Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide, 19c
• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide, 19c

Baselines are typically taken during the production phase of the application lifecycle. They provide a snapshot of performance metrics under normal operating conditions which can be used for comparison against future performance. Baselines are essential for understanding how the system performs under its typical workload and for detecting deviations from this expected performance over time, especially after changes like migrations, upgrades, or significant changes in user activity.

References

• Oracle Database 19c Performance Tuning Guide - Managing Performance Through Baselines

To transport performance data from an Oracle Database Standard Edition, which uses Statspack, to an Enterprise Edition database, which uses AWR, you must consider the compatibility of data structures and repository schemas between these tools. The recommended method is:

• D (Correct):Export the data using theexputility with a parameter file appropriate for Statspack (likespuexp.par) from the Statspack repository and import it into a dedicated Statspack schema on the destination. Since Statspack and AWR use different schemas, it's not recommended to import Statspack data directly into the AWR repository.

The other options are incorrect because:

• A (Incorrect):expdpis not designed to export from Statspack, andawrloadis intended for loading from an AWR export file, not a Statspack export.
• B (Incorrect):Althoughexpdpandimpdpare used for exporting and importing data, the AWR repository schema is different from the Statspack schema, so importing Statspack data directly into the AWR repository is not recommended.
• C (Incorrect):Usingexpdpto export from Statspack and then importing directly into the AWR repository is not the correct approach due to the schema differences between Statspack and AWR.

References:

• Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide:Migrating from Statspack to AWR

During a soft parse, Oracle checks the shared SQL area to see if an incoming SQL statement matches one already in the shared pool. This operation includes syntax and semantic checks. The syntax check ensures the statement is properly formed, and the semantic check confirms that all the objects referenced in the SQL statement exist and that the user has the necessary privileges to access them.References:

• Oracle Database Concepts, 19c
• Oracle Database SQL Tuning Guide, 19c

The Oracle Optimizer statistics advisor, which is part of the automated tasks framework, can be disabled using the DBMS_AUTO_TASK_ADMIN package. This will prevent it fromrunning and thus reduce space usage in the SYSAUX tablespace.References:

• Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference, 19c