Getting to Know Oracle8i
Release 8.1.5
A68020-01

Contents

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Preface

1 Overview

Introducing Oracle8i

A Family of Database Products

2 Oracle8i New Features

Content Management for the Internet

Oracle Internet File System (iFS)

interMedia and the Web

Oracle8i interMedia, Spatial, Time Series, and Visual Image Retrieval

Oracle8i interMedia

Improved Ease of Use

Extensible Index

Extensible Query Optimizer

Extensible Knowledge Base (KB)

Hierarchical Query Feedback

Theme Highlighting

Alternate Spelling

Audio, Image, and Video

Summary of Audio, Image, and Video Support

Oracle8i interMedia Audio, Image, and Video Java Client

Oracle8i Spatial

VARRAY Storage Model

Dynamic Window Queries

Spatial Index Mechanism

RELATE() Operator

Extended Functionality

Oracle8i Visual Information Retrieval

New Extensible Indexing

Temporary LOB Usage

Scaling Enhancements

Proprietary Image Formats

Oracle8i Time Series

Irregular Time Series

Additional Calendar Frequencies

Flexible Timestamp Precisions

Flexible Patterns

Time Scaling Enhancements

Nested Table Support

Oracle8i's Java Virtual Machine

JServer Accelerator

Programmatic Interfaces

Server JDBC Driver

OCI JDBC Driver

Thin JDBC Driver

SQLJ Translator

Development Models

Java Stored Procedures

Enterprise JavaBeans

Utilities and Development Tools

loadjava and dropjava

Data Warehousing and Very Large Data Bases (VLDB)

Database Features

Extensibility Framework

User-Defined Operators and Extensible Indexing

Extensible Optimizer

Statistics Collection Functions

Selectivity Functions

Cartridge Services

Object Relational Enhancements

LOB Enhancements

Other Enhancements

User-Defined Object Identifiers

Nested Table Enhancements

Varray Enhancements

Collection Unnesting

Enhancement of Object Views

Triggers on Nested Table View Columns

Object Cache Enhancements

ANALYZE Command, Dangling REFs

Subqueries in VALUES Clause of INSERT Statement

SQL*Loader Support for Objects, Collections, and LOBs

Other Object Relational Enhancements

Partitioning of Tables Containing Objects

Parallel Query Support

Optimizer Plan Stability

Advanced Queuing

AQ-Based Publish/Subscribe

Database Event Publication

Enhanced Propagation

Miscellaneous Enhancements

DBMS_REPAIR Package

Redo Log Analysis Using LogMiner

Locally Managed Tablespaces

Online Index Creation, Rebuild, and Defragmentation

Nonpartitioned Table Reorganization

Online Read-Only Tablespaces

Temporary Tables

National Language Support (NLS)

General Enhancements

Changing Character Sets with ALTER DATABASE

External Routines

The Call Specification

External Routine DLL Caching

External Routine Object Support

Database Security

Partitioning Enhancements

Range Partitioning Enhancements

Merging Partitions

Updatable Partition Keys

New Partitioning Methods

Additional Performance Gains

Enhanced Partition Elimination

Partition-Wise Join

Partitioned Table LOB Support

Partitioning of Index-Organized Tables

System Management

Database Resource Management

Recoverability and Availability in the Database

Multiple Remote Archive Destinations

Multiple Archive Processes

Automated Standby Databases

Automatic Archival

Read-only Databases

Fast-Start Fault Recovery

Fast-Start Checkpointing

Fast-Start On-Demand Rollback

Fast-Start Parallel Rollback

Database SUSPEND/RESUME

Control File Character Set

Recovery Manager (RMAN)

SQL*Loader Enhancements

Export and Import Utilities

Operational Simplicity

Oracle Software Packager and Oracle Universal Installer

Oracle Software Packager

Oracle Universal Installer

Configuration Improvements

Oracle Database Configuration Assistant

Oracle Data Migration Assistant

Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM)

Oracle Parallel Server

New Architecture

Easier System Administration

Diagnostic Enhancements

Oracle Parallel Server Management (OPSM)

Parallel Server Installation and Database Configuration

Instance Affinity for Jobs

Recoverability and Availability Improvements

Networking Improvements

Distributed Systems

Advanced Replication Enhancements

Performance Improvements

Internal Apply Packages

Faster Snapshot Refresh

Improved Mass Deployment Support

Parameterized Snapshot Deployment Templates

Column Level Snapshot Subsetting

Offline Instantiation

Improved Security

Replication Manager

Improved Oracle Lite Integration

Heterogeneous Services

Multi-Threaded Service Agent

Improved Management Interface: Fixed Views

Miscellaneous Improvements

Remote Join Enhancements

Networking, Security, and Oracle Advanced Security

Securing Data in the Oracle Database Server

Fine-Grained Access Control

Application Context

Secure Network Computing Through the Oracle Advanced Security Option

Integrated Security and Directory Services

Oracle Wallet Manager

Certificate Authority

Oracle Internet Directory

Directory-enabled Oracle Security Manager

Net8 Enhancements

Automatic Instance Registration

Connection Load Balancing

Native Authentication on Windows NT

Multi-Tier Authentication and Authorization

Program Interfaces

Autonomous PL/SQL Blocks

PL/SQL Bulk Binds

Dynamic SQL in PL/SQL

Parameter Passing by Reference

PL/SQL Procedures for Supporting REF-based Operations

Monitoring and Analysis of Program Execution

Increased Package Body Size

Purity Rules Relaxed

Precompiler Enhancements

Java Interfaces

OCI Enhancements

DML Returning Enhancements

Enhanced Array DMLs

OCI Callback Registrations

OCIDescribeAny Enhancements

Asynchronous Event Notification

Non-Blocking OCI

Windows NT Integration

Oracle Application Generator for Microsoft Visual Studio

Oracle Objects for OLE

Microsoft Transaction Server Integration

3 Release 8.0 New Features and Options

Partitioned Tables and Indexes

What is Partitioning?

Greater Control Over Data

Easy-To-Use Administration

Improved Data Warehouse Performance

Enhanced Star-Query Processing

New Parallel Operations

Increased Database Size

Improvements for OLTP Applications

Extended Backup/Recovery Subsystem

Very Large User Populations

Advanced Queuing

Parallel Server Improvements

Transparent Application Failover (TAF)

Improved TP Monitor Support

Better Security Administration

Replication

Object-Relational Technology

Object Types and Views

Calling External Procedures From Within the Database

Client-Side Support for Objects

Evolution of Relational Environments

Development Tools for Object Modeling

Multimedia Data

Migration and Interoperability

Other Enhancements

Index-Organized Tables

Reverse Key Indexes

Improved Constraint Processing

Two Character Sets in One Database

Miscellaneous Improvements

4 Oracle8i Feature and Option Availability

The V$OPTION Table

5 Oracle8i Documentation

Online Documentation Structure

Printed Documentation and Part Numbers

Oracle8i Database Server

Oracle8i interMedia, Spatial, Time-Series, and Visual Information Retrieval Options

6 Deprecated and Desupported Features

Strings of Zero Length Are Not Equivalent To a NULL

The SELECT Privilege

Date Format Strings Are Stricter

SERIALIZABLE=TRUE Is No Longer Supported

Non-Deferred Linking

Applications Using Oracle6 OCI Libraries

Applications Using Oracle7 OCI Libraries

Applications using Oracle8 OCI Libraries

Single-Task Linking

CONNECT INTERNAL

Partition Views

V6 Compatibility Behavior

Use of "THE(subquery)" Expression

Server Manager Desupport

The SGADEF File

LONG Column Support

The Oracle Security Server and Crytographic Toolkit

Dynamic Views Used for Monitoring Parallel Execution Performance

Glossary

Index

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