Oracle Enterprise Manager Concepts Guide

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CHAPTER 4. Integrated Applications

This chapter describes the following:

Overview

Enterprise Manager has an open architecture that allows software tools to be integrated with the Console. The design of these integrated applications allows you to:

Common Features

The integrated applications share some common features:

Tree Lists

In the standard suite of database applications all the tools have a tree list of managed objects similar to the Navigator tree list in the Console. For example, in the Security Manager the tree list has containers for users, roles, and profiles. These containers can be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the + or - icons to the right of the container.

Multi-column Lists

A multi-column list displays when a group container is selected. Each row in the list provides a quick view of summary information about an object in the selected container. Additionally, you can select and alter items through their respective property sheets.

Property Sheets

A property sheet is a dialog box used to specify options when you are creating or altering a composite instance, such as a user or tablespace. A property sheet consists of one or more pages that are labeled with page tabs. By default, one page is open when the sheet is entered, but all pages show page tabs. To access another page, click its page tab.

Logging Tasks

The integrated applications also provide a logging mechanism that makes it easy to record a task and perform it at multiple locations. For example, if you want to assign several privileges to a set of users who exist on ten databases, you could use the Security Manager and the logging mechanism to record the granting of the privileges, and then use the Job Control System to perform the assignment at the ten databases.

Database Administration Applications

There is a standard package of integrated applications that is shipped with Oracle Enterprise Manager. These applications automate and simplify DBA tasks. The following applications are described in this section

Primary utilities in managing databases, whether they are distributed or centralized, include backup, import, export, load and recovery. Enterprise Manager provides administrators with all of these utilities.

For more detailed information on these applications see the Oracle Enterprise Manager Administrator's Guide.

Instance Manager

With the Instance Manager you can:

When starting up a database, you only have to check the desired options on the Startup page of the Database property sheet and then press a the Startup button. You do not have to know the specific parameters for initializing his Oracle databases. Instead, you are provided with a set of recommended parameters, which can be stored for later use, reducing any redundant effort in reconstructing them at a later time.

Schema Manager

With the Schema Manager you can create, edit, and examine the following schema objects:

There are summary lists containing significant information about each schema object, such as status, owner, creation date and last date modified.

Security Manager

With the Security Manager you can create, alter, and drop users, roles, and profiles. The Security application manages the following groups:

Adequate database security is a major concern in client-server environments. Enterprise Manager's Security Manager effectively controls the security of Oracle databases. Using the dialog boxes provided, authorized administrators can quickly create, alter and drop users, roles and profiles and add multiple privileges and roles for database users.

In a dynamic environment, security parameters such as profiles and roles that have been assigned to a set of users are in constant change. The Security Manager simplifies making the necessary changes by providing security lists which an administrator can use to determine what profiles and roles have been assigned to a set of users and then use property sheets to determine the security parameters for each database. Required changes can then be made quickly.

Storage Manager

With the Storage Manager you can perform DBA tasks associated with managing database storage. These tasks include:

You can also launch other database tools and utilities from the application. The Storage Manager manages the following groups:

SQL Worksheet

With SQL Worksheet you can

SQL Worksheet maintains a history of the commands you have entered. Thus, you can use SQL Worksheet to edit and re-execute an earlier command without having to retype it.

You can drag a SQL file from the File Manager to and drop it into a worksheet to load it.

You can have multiple SQL Worksheet open at a time, each of which is separate from the others. So, you can commit or roll back work in each worksheet independently.

Software Manager

With Software Manager you can automate the process of distributing software throughout a client/server network. Software Manager performs two types of operations. These operations are:

Software releases are distributed throughout the network in the form of software packages. The method for creating a software package crosses the boundaries of both task-centered and server-centered operations.

Task-Centered Operations

Task-centered operations are operations that you activate at Software Manager without making direct contact with the target host(s).

You use the Work Order Editor to schedule tasks to be performed now or later on any managed host throughout your network. You can combine all tasks that need to be performed at one particular time into a single work order. A work order can be saved and then edited and submitted later. It can also be copied to create still other work orders.

Tasks that can be scheduled through the Work Order Editor include:

Server-Centered Operations

Server-centered operations are centered at a remote server, rather than Software Manager. The Work Order Editor and tasks play no part in the interaction.

Backup Manager

With the Backup Manager you can

The Backup Manager simplifies backups and creation of backup through the use of a backup wizard. The backup wizard simplifies and substantially automates the process of backing up Oracle databases.

The Backup Manager manages the following groups:

Data Manager

With the Data Manager you can manage and move your data from and to an Oracle database. There are three tabs on the Data Manager property sheet:

Export

With Export you can transfer data from an Oracle database to an operating system file in Oracle-binary format. Files in this proprietary fomrat can only be read by using the Import component of Data Manager.

Export files can be used to transfer data between databases or used as backups. You can define how the data is exported.

Import

With Import you can transfer data from an export file to an Oracle database. Import can only read data that has been created with the Export component of Data Manager. You can define how the data is imported.

Load

With Load you can transfer data to an Oracle database from files that have a different format from export files. By using a control file you specify how the data is stored externally and how it is to be loaded into the database.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Performance Pack

Besides the standard suite of applications Oracle Corporation offers an optional Performance Pack that consists of the following integrated monitoring and tuning applications:

The Performance Pack is a powerful set of performance monitoring and tuning tools designed to provide real-time graphical performance information to customers who need to manage their dynamic database environments.

Oracle Expert

With Oracle Expert you can optimize the performance of your database environment. It assists you with the initial configuration of the database and with the collection and evaluation of the performance characteristics of existing databases.

Oracle Expert provides many advantages. Oracle Expert:

Oracle Expert also serves as:

Oracle Locks Manager

With Oracle Locks Manager you can monitor locks, which are mechanisms that prevent destructive interaction between users accessing the same resource.

The main window displays a multi-column list that includes a row for each current lock in the database. The information displayed in the columns includes:

Oracle Performance Manager

With Oracle Performance Manager you can monitor database performance in realtime. It provides dozens of predefined charts for displaying a wide variety of database performance statistics regarding

Charts

You can display the database performance statistics in a number of formats:

All chart formats can be displayed in either two or three dimensions. In 3D charts you can modify:

Customization

Because monitoring requirements are highly individual from environment to environment, this application provides you with the ability to design and implement your own monitors. You can also customize your own windows, which can be any mix of default and user-defined charts. You can use predefined queries or can define your own.

Provision of only high-level monitoring statistics is insufficient for meaningful performance tuning. Ideally, you should be able to gather the specific detailed information you need to tune and adjust a database system. Oracle Performance Monitor provides that function. You can

Oracle TopSessions

With Oracle TopSessions you can monitor how connected sessions use database-instance resources in realtime. You can obtain an overview of session activity, by displaying the top n sessions sorted by a statistic of your choosing. For any given session, you can then drill down for more detail. You can further customize the information you display by specifying manual or automatic data refresh, the rate of automatic refresh, and the number of sessions to display.

In addition to these useful monitoring capabilities, Oracle TopSessions provides a methodology for identifying and correcting certain database performance problems. For example, when sudden file I/O load is detected, you can first identify the sessions contributing most to the problem, and then isolate the executing SQL statements in user applications for those sessions. You can then analyze the SQL explain plans for those SQL statements to determine how best to resolve the problem.

Oracle Tablespace Manager

With Oracle Tablespace Manager you can monitor and manage database storage. You can display an overview table of space usage information, either for all of the tablespaces in a database, or for the datafile(s) within a tablespace.

To find out more about a given tablespace or datafile, you can drill down to display how storage has been allocated for its segments. Clicking on a segment in a segment list displays the extents in the tablespace or datafile storing data for that segment. Should data storage for a segment be fragmented, you can defragment it. You can also use the coalescing feature of Oracle Tablespace Manager to join adjacent free blocks.

Oracle Trace

With Oracle Trace you can monitor performance by collecting data about events that happen in applications. For this data collection to take place, the application must contain calls to Oracle Trace routines. The process of adding calls to Oracle Trace routines to a product is called instrumenting. The following products are already instrumented:

Note: Generally, you will be collecting data for products that have already been instrumented for you. You do not have to be concerned with the instrumenting process unless you want to instrument your own application.

Oracle Trace users include application developers and performance analysts, database administrators, system managers, and capacity planners. They use Oracle Trace to assist them in pinpointing the reasons for an application's poor performance. General reasons for poor performance can be any of the following:

Data Collection

The following list describes some of the ways you can use Oracle Trace data collection to improve your application's performance.

Other Integrated Applications

Other systems management applications are available for Oracle Enterprise Manager. These applications are available from Oracle Corporation and third-party software developers.

Two examples of the integration of other Oracle applications into Enterprise Manager are:

Oracle Replication Manager

Oracle Replication Manager simplifies the complex tasks of managing and maintaining multiple copies of data in a distributed environment. The application provides immediate local access to data, and allows local systems to function automatically, even when networks or other systems in the environment fail.

The Replication Manager improves access to information about the replication environment and helps the administrator better manage replication tasks.

Computer-Based Training for Oracle Enterprise Manager

Oracle Enterprise Manager's Computer-Based Training (CBT) is an integrated application which provides individually-paced, self-study training capability to new users of Enterprise Manager. It is designed to instruct new and existing database administrators, database operators and network administrators in executing a variety of key administration tasks using Enterprise Manager.

You can navigate through a high-quality graphical interface and work on a variety of task-based simulations instructing the user on primary database and systems operations. Understanding of critical processes can also be reinforced with user-initiated question and answer sessions.

Users are able to toggle between any systems management task and the CBT Application to get immediate assistance in stepping through that application's functions.

The CBT may also be used prior to formal training to permit a new user of Oracle Enterprise Manager to become familiar with its capabilities, substantially increasing the value of the formal classroom training which follows.

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