Introduction to Oracle Database
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1 Introduction to Oracle Database
This chapter provides an overview of Oracle Database and contains the following sections:
· About Relational Databases
· Schema Objects
· Data Access
· Transaction Management
· Oracle Database Architecture
· Oracle Database Documentation Roadmap
Every organization has information that it must store and manage to meet its requirements. For example, a corporation must collect and maintain human resources records for its employees. This information must be available to those who need it. An information system is a formal system for storing and processing information.
An information system could be a set of cardboard boxes containing manila folders along with rules for how to store and retrieve the folders. However, most companies today use a database to automate their information systems. A database is an organized collection of information treated as a unit. The purpose of a database is to collect, store, and retrieve related information for use by database applications.
Database Management System (DBMS)
A database management system (DBMS) is software that controls the storage, organization, and retrieval of data. Typically, a DBMS has the following elements:
· Kernel code
This code manages memory and storage for the DBMS.
· Repository of metadata
This repository is usually called a data dictionary.
· Query language
This language enables applications to access the data.
A database application is a software program that interacts with a database to access and manipulate data.
The first generation of database management systems included the following types:
· Hierarchical
A hierarchical database organizes data in a tree structure. Each parent record has one or more child records, similar to the structure of a file system.
· Network
A network database is similar to a hierarchical database, except records have a many-to-many rather than a one-to-many relationship.
The preceding database management systems stored data in rigid, predetermined relationships. Because no data definition language existed, changing the structure of the data was difficult. Also, these systems lacked a simple query language, which hindered application development.
In his seminal 1970 paper "A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks," E. F. Codd defined a relational model based on mathematical set theory. Today, the most widely accepted database model is the relational model.
A relational database is a database that conforms to the relational model. The relational model has the following major aspects:
· Structures
Well-defined objects store or access the data of a database.
· Operations
Clearly defined actions enable applications to manipulate the data and structures of a database.
· Integrity rules
Integrity rules govern operations on the data and structures of a database.
A relational database stores data in a set of simple relations. A relation is a set of tuples. A tuple is an unordered set of attribute values.
A table is a two-dimensional representation of a relation in the form of rows (tuples) and columns (attributes). Each row in a table has the same set of columns. A relational database is a database that stores data in relations (tables). For example, a relational database could store information about company employees in an employee table, a department table, and a salary table.
Relational Database Management System (RDBMS)
The relational model is the basis for a relational database management system (RDBMS). Essentially, an RDBMS moves data into a database, stores the data, and retrieves it so that it can be manipulated by applications. An RDBMS distinguishes between the following types of operations:
· Logical operations
In this case, an application specifies what content is required. For example, an application requests an employee name or adds an employee record to a table.
· Physical operations
In this case, the RDBMS determines how things should be done and carries out the operation. For example, after an application queries a table, the database may use an index to find the requested rows, read the data into memory, and perform many other steps before returning a result to the user. The RDBMS stores and retrieves data so that physical operations are transparent to database applications.
Oracle Database is an RDBMS. An RDBMS that implements object-oriented features such as user-defined types, inheritance, and polymorphism is called an object-relational database management system (ORDBMS). Oracle Database has extended the relational model to an object-relational model, making it possible to store complex business models in a relational database.
Brief History of Oracle Database
The current version of Oracle Database is the result of over 30 years of innovative development. Highlights in the evolution of Oracle Database include the following:
· Founding of Oracle
In 1977, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates started the consultancy Software Development Laboratories, which became Relational Software, Inc. (RSI). In 1983, RSI became Oracle Systems Corporation and then later Oracle Corporation.
· First commercially available RDBMS
In 1979, RSI introduced Oracle V2 (Version 2) as the first commercially available SQL-based RDBMS, a landmark event in the history of relational databases.
· Portable version of Oracle Database
Oracle Version 3, released in 1983, was the first relational database to run on mainframes, minicomputers, and PCs. The database was written in C, enabling the database to be ported to multiple platforms.
· Enhancements to concurrency control, data distribution, and scalability
Version 4 introduced multiversion read consistency. Version 5, released in 1985, supported client/server computing and distributed database systems. Version 6 brought enhancements to disk I/O, row locking, scalability, and backup and recovery. Also, Version 6 introduced the first version of the PL/SQL language, a proprietary procedural extension to SQL.
· PL/SQL stored program units
Oracle7, released in 1992, introduced PL/SQL stored procedures and triggers.
· Objects and partitioning
Oracle8 was released in 1997 as the object-relational database, supporting many new data types. Additionally, Oracle8 supported partitioning of large tables.
· Internet computing
Oracle8i Database, released in 1999, provided native support for internet protocols and server-side support for Java. Oracle8i was designed for internet computing, enabling the database to be deployed in a multitier environment.
· Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC)
Oracle9i Database introduced Oracle RAC in 2001, enabling multiple instances to access a single database simultaneously. Additionally, Oracle XML Database (Oracle XML DB) introduced the ability to store and query XML.
· Grid computing
Oracle Database 10g introduced grid computing in 2003. This release enabled organizations to virtualize computing resources by building a grid infrastructure based on low-cost commodity servers. A key goal was to make the database self-managing and self-tuning. Oracle Automatic Storage Management (Oracle ASM) helped achieve this goal by virtualizing and simplifying database storage management.
· Manageability, diagnosability, and availability
Oracle Database 11g, released in 2007, introduced a host of new features that enable administrators and developers to adapt quickly to changing business requirements. The key to adaptability is simplifying the information infrastructure by consolidating information and using automation wherever possible.
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