Oracle Database Administrator Overview
### Objectives
- Outline the Oracle architecture and its main components.
- Describe the structures involved in connecting a user to an Oracle instance.
### Overview of Primary Components
- **Oracle Server**: Includes files, processes, and memory structures; consists of an Oracle
instance and database.
- **Oracle Instance**: Combination of background processes and memory structures; must be
started to access database data.
- **Physical Structures**: Control files, data files, and redo log files determine physical structure.
- **Memory Structures**: Include the System Global Area (SGA) and Program Global Area (PGA).
- **Process Structures**: User processes, server processes, and background processes.
### Key Components
1. **User Process**: Requests interaction with Oracle server.
2. **Server Process**: Directly interacts with Oracle, executing SQL statements.
3. **PGA**: Memory for server processes.
4. **SGA**: Memory containing data and control information for one database instance, including:
- Shared Pool
- Database Buffer Cache
- Redo Log Buffer
### Background Processes
- Essential for managing the database, including the Database Writer Process (DBWn), Log Writer
(LGWR), and Checkpoint Process (CKPT).
### Oracle Database Structure
- **Data Files**: Store user data; losing them means losing the database.
- **Redo Log Files**: Store changes made to the database.
- **Control Files**: Store metadata about the database files.
### Establishing a Connection and Creating a Session
- Connection to an Oracle instance involves validating the user and creating a session.