Introduction

This book was written because I felt there was a need for a comprehensive text for the application developer and DBA who must implement fast, efficient, and reliable client/server applications. Unlike other theoretical books on this subject, Designing High-Performance Oracle Databases provides tangible examples and easy-to-understand techniques for getting the most out of your database and client/server application. I have attempted to explain complex database interactions in plain English so developers can immediately begin tuning their Oracle applications. Throughout the book I use actual code examples from Oracle databases, and I guide the developer through all of the implementation steps, from initial planning to final rollout, drawing on my many years of real-world experience in tuning large applications, and focusing on the effective use of Oracle and client/server technology. The CD-ROM that is included with the text will allow the reader to immediately begin monitoring and tuning their Oracle databases.

The focus of this book is on the application of Oracle performance and tuning techniques to real-world systems. The text will explore how performance bottlenecks are identified and remedied. I also concentrate on specific components of Oracle performance and describe each in detail, using dozens of database examples. In addition to real-world examples, the text contains numerous code listings and other tools that can be immediately used to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of performance problems.

This book introduces the evolution and internals of database management and client/server technology and shows how proven techniques can be used to fully exploit Oracle—through the use of existing hardware and software resources. Furthermore, it will show the professional applications developer how he can intelligently use the client/server paradigm to implement fast and efficient systems.

Until this book, there has been nothing in the marketplace that addresses client/server as a whole and provides an overall strategy for tuning. Designing High-Performance Oracle Databases fills this void in the Oracle universe, and is designed to give you easy-to-understand, real-world advice to get your Oracle system working the way you want it to.