Table of Contents 8. Managing Large Objects 8.1.3 DBMS_LOB Nonprogram Elements 392 8.1.4 About the Examples 392 395 8.2 LOB Concepts 395 8.2.1 LOB Datatypes 395 8.2.2 BFILE Considerations 398 8.2.3 Internal LOB Considerations 399 402 8.3 DBMS_LOB Interface 402 8.3.1 Working with BFILEs 402 8.3.2 Reading and Examining LOBs 415 8.3.3 Updating BLOBs, CLOBs, and NCLOBs 424 433 9. Datatype Packages 434 9.1 DBMS_ROWID: Working with the ROWID Pseudo−Column (Oracle8 only) 434 9.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_ROWID 434 9.1.2 ROWID Concepts 436 9.1.3 The DBMS_ROWID Interface 437 444 9.2 UTL_RAW: Manipulating Raw Data 444 9.2.1 Getting Started with UTL_RAW 444 9.2.2 Raw Data Manipulation Concepts 446 9.2.3 The UTL_RAW Interface 447 9.2.4 UTL_REF: Referencing Objects (Oracle8.0.4) 463 9.2.5 UTL_REF Interface 465 9.2.6 UTL_REF Example 468 471 10. Miscellaneous Packages 472 10.1 DBMS_UTILITY: Performing Miscellaneous Operations 472 10.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_UTILITY 472 10.1.2 The DBMS_UTILITY Interface 475 493 10.2 DBMS_DESCRIBE: Describing PL/SQL Program Headers 493 10.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_DESCRIBE 493 10.2.2 Explaining DBMS_DESCRIBE Results 496 10.2.3 DBMS_DESCRIBE Example 499 504 10.3 DBMS_DDL: Compiling and Analyzing Objects 504 10.3.1 Getting Started with DBMS_DDL 504 10.3.2 Compiling PL/SQL Objects 505 10.3.3 Computing Statistics for an Object 508 10.3.4 Setting Referenceability of Tables 510 514 10.4 DBMS_RANDOM: Generating Random Numbers (Oracle8 Only) 514 10.4.1 Getting Started with DBMS_RANDOM 514 10.4.2 DBMS_RANDOM Interface 515 517 [Appendix A] What's on the Companion Disk? v Table of Contents 11. Managing Session Information 518 11.1 DBMS_SESSION: Managing Session Information 518 11.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_SESSION 518 11.1.2 Modifying Session Settings 519 11.1.3 Obtaining Session Information 523 11.1.4 Managing Session Resources 525 11.1.5 DBMS_SESSION Examples 530 540 11.2 DBMS_System: Setting Events for Debugging 540 11.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_SYSTEM 540 11.2.2 DBMS_SYSTEM Interface 541 11.2.3 DBMS_SYSTEM Examples 543 547 12. Managing Server Resources 548 12.1 DBMS_SPACE: Obtaining Space Information 548 12.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_SPACE 548 12.1.2 The DBMS_SPACE Interface 549 12.1.3 DBMS_SPACE Examples 553 563 12.2 DBMS_SHARED_POOL: Pinning Objects 563 12.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_SHARED_POOL 563 12.2.2 Pinning and Unpinning Objects 564 12.2.3 Monitoring and Modifying Shared Pool Behavior 566 12.2.4 DBMS_SHARED_POOL Examples 568 573 13. Job Scheduling in the Database 574 13.1 Getting Started with DBMS_ JOB 574 13.1.1 DBMS_JOB Programs 574 13.1.2 Job Definition Parameters 575 13.2.1 INIT.ORA Parameters and Background Processes 578 13.2.2 Job Execution and the Job Execution Environment 578 13.2.3 Miscellaneous Notes 578 13.2.4 DBMS_JOB Interface 579 13.2.5 Submitting Jobs to the Job Queue 580 13.2.6 Modifying Job Characteristics 580 13.2.7 Removing Jobs and Changing Job Execution Status 581 13.2.8 Transferring Jobs 583 586 13.2 Job Queue Architecture 588 591 13.3 Tips on Using DBMS_JOB 591 13.3.1 Job Intervals and Date Arithmetic 591 13.3.2 Viewing Job Information in the Data Dictionary 592 13.3.3 DBMS_IJOB: Managing Other Users' Jobs 595 597 13.4 DBMS_JOB Examples 597 13.4.1 Tracking Space in Tablespaces 597 13.4.2 Fixing Broken Jobs Automatically 598 13.4.3 Self−Modifying and Self−Aware Jobs 599 602 [Appendix A] What's on the Companion Disk? vi Table of Contents 14. Snapshots 603 14.1 DBMS_SNAPSHOT: Managing Snapshots 603 14.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_SNAPSHOT 603 14.1.2 Using the I_AM_A_REFRESH Package State Variable 604 14.1.3 Refreshing Snapshots 606 14.1.4 Purging the Snapshot Log 610 14.1.5 Reorganizing Tables 611 14.1.6 Registering Snapshots 613 14.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REFRESH 617 14.2.2 Creating and Destroying Snapshot Groups 617 14.2.3 Adding and Subtracting Snapshots from Snapshot Groups 618 14.2.4 Altering Properties of a Snapshot Group 619 14.2.5 Manually Refreshing Snapshot Groups 623 624 14.2 DBMS_REFRESH: Managing Snapshot Groups 624 626 14.3 DBMS_OFFLINE_SNAPSHOT: Performing Offline Snapshot Instantiation 626 14.3.1 Getting Started with DBMS_OFFLINE_SNAPSHOT 626 14.3.2 DBMS_OFFLINE_SNAPSHOT Interface 627 629 14.4 DBMS_REPCAT: Managing Snapshot Replication Groups 629 14.4.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT 629 14.4.2 Creating and Dropping Snapshot Replication Groups 630 14.4.3 Adding and Removing Snapshot Replication Group Objects 633 14.4.4 Altering a Snapshot Replication Group's Propagation Mode 635 14.4.5 Manually Refreshing a Snapshot Replication Group 637 14.4.6 Switching the Master of a Snapshot Replication Group 638 641 15. Advanced Replication 642 15.1 DBMS_REPCAT_AUTH: Setting Up Administrative Accounts 642 15.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT_AUTH 642 15.1.2 Granting and Revoking Surrogate SYS Accounts 643 15.1.3 Granting and Revoking Propagator Accounts (Oracle8) 644 645 15.2 DBMS_REPCAT_ADMIN: Setting Up More Administrator Accounts 645 15.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT_ADMIN 645 15.2.2 Creating and Dropping Replication Administrator Accounts 646 649 15.3 DBMS_REPCAT: Replication Environment Administration 649 15.3.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT 649 15.3.2 Replication Groups with DBMS_REPCAT 651 15.3.3 Replicated Objects with DBMS_REPCAT 656 15.3.4 Replication Support with DBMS_REPCAT 665 15.3.5 Adding and Removing Master Sites with DBMS_REPCAT 676 15.3.6 Maintaining the Repcatlog Queue with DBMS_REPCAT 682 15.3.7 Quiescence with DBMS_REPCAT 686 15.3.8 Miscellaneous DBMS_REPCAT Procedures 688 693 15.4 DBMS_OFFLINE_OG: Performing Site Instantiation 693 15.4.1 Getting Started with DBMS_OFFLINE_OG 693 15.4.2 DBMS_OFFLINE_OG Interface 694 699 [Appendix A] What's on the Companion Disk? vii Table of Contents 15.5 DBMS_RECTIFIER_DIFF: Comparing Replicated Tables 699 15.5.1 Getting Started with DBMS_RECTIFIER_DIFF 699 15.5.2 DBMS_RECTIFIER_DIFF Interface 699 705 15.6 DBMS_REPUTIL: Enabling and Disabling Replication 705 15.6.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPUTIL 705 15.6.2 DBMS_REPUTIL Interface 705 707 16. Conflict Resolution 708 16.1 Getting Started with DBMS_REPCAT 708 16.1.1 DBMS_REPCAT Programs 708 16.1.2 DBMS−REPCAT Exceptions 710 16.1.3 DBMS−REPCAT Nonprogram Elements 711 16.1.4 Data Dictionary Views 711 716 16.2 Column Groups with DBMS_REPCAT 716 16.2.1 About Column Groups 716 16.2.2 Creating and Dropping Column Groups 717 16.2.3 Modifying Existing Column Groups 720 724 16.3 Priority Groups with DBMS_REPCAT 724 16.3.1 About Priority Groups 724 16.3.2 Creating, Maintaining, and Dropping Priority Groups 725 16.3.3 Creating and Maintaining Priorities Within a Priority Group 729 16.3.4 Dropping Priorities from a Priority Group 734 738 16.4 Site Priority Groups with DBMS_REPCAT 738 16.4.1 About Site Priority Groups 738 16.4.2 Creating, Maintaining, and Dropping Site Priorities 738 16.4.3 Maintaining Site Priorities 741 749 16.5 Assigning Resolution Methods with DBMS_REPCAT 749 16.5.1 About Resolution Methods 749 759 16.6 Monitoring Conflict Resolution with DBMS_REPCAT 759 16.6.1 About Monitoring 759 762 17. Deferred Transactions and Remote Procedure Calls 763 17.1 About Deferred Transactions and RPCs 763 17.1.1 About Remote Destinations 763 17.1.2 Data Dictionary Views 764 767 17.2 DBMS_DEFER_SYS: Managing Deferred Transactions 767 17.2.1 Getting Started with DBMS_DEFER_SYS 767 17.2.2 Adding and Deleting Default Destinations 769 17.2.3 Copying Deferred Transactions to New Destinations 770 17.2.4 Maintenance Procedures 771 17.2.5 Propagating Deferred RPCs 775 17.2.6 Scheduling Propagation (Oracle8 only) 779 786 [Appendix A] What's on the Companion Disk? viii Table of Contents 17.3 DBMS_DEFER: Building Deferred Calls 786 17.3.1 Getting Started with DBMS_DEFER 786 17.3.2 Basic RPCs 788 17.3.3 Parameterized RPCs 793 798 17.4 DBMS_DEFER_QUERY: Performing Diagnostics and Maintenance 798 17.4.1 Getting Started with DBMS_DEFER_QUERY 798 Index 805 Table of Contents 805 Part I: Overview 805 Part II: Application Development Packages 805 Part III: Server Management Packages 805 Part IV: Distributed Database Packages 805 805 807 Part I: Overview 808 809 Part II: Application Development Packages 810 812 Part III: Server Management Packages 813 814 Part IV: Distributed Database Packages 815 816 Dedication 817 818 Preface 819 Structure of This Book 820 822 Conventions Used in This Book 822 824 Versions of Oracle 824 825 About the Disk 825 826 About PL/Vision 826 827 About Q 827 828 How to Contact Us 828 829 Acknowledgments 829 Steven 829 From Charles 830 From John 831 [Appendix A] What's on the Companion Disk? ix . NCLOBs 424 433 9. Datatype Packages 434 9.1 DBMS_ROWID: Working with the ROWID Pseudo−Column (Oracle8 only) 434 9.1.1 Getting Started with DBMS_ROWID 434 9.1.2 ROWID Concepts 436 9.1.3 The DBMS_ROWID. Data Manipulation Concepts 446 9.2.3 The UTL_RAW Interface 447 9.2.4 UTL_REF: Referencing Objects (Oracle8 .0.4) 463 9.2.5 UTL_REF Interface 465 9.2.6 UTL_REF Example 468 471 10. Miscellaneous Packages. 508 10.3.4 Setting Referenceability of Tables 510 514 10.4 DBMS_RANDOM: Generating Random Numbers (Oracle8 Only) 514 10.4.1 Getting Started with DBMS_RANDOM 514 10.4.2 DBMS_RANDOM Interface 515