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Oracle Key Vault (OKV) is a centralized key management appliance designed to securely store and manage Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) master keys, Oracle Wallets, Java KeyStores, SSH keys, and credentials. By moving keys off local servers, OKV reduces key sprawl, automates rotation, and enforces strict access policies across on-premises and multi-cloud environments. 1. Core Architecture OKV Server: A hardened appliance (often deployed as a multi-master cluster) acting as the central repository for keys and policies. Endpoints: Registered clients (Oracle Database, MySQL, GoldenGate, etc.) that authenticate to OKV to fetch keys. Wallets (Virtual): Logical containers inside OKV used to group keys and secrets; access is granted per-endpoint. Interfaces: Web UI, okv CLI, okvutil, REST APIs, and C/Java client SDKs. 2. Essential Commands and Examples A. Endpoint and Wallet Management (okv CLI / REST) Create a new endpoint (generate JSON template, edit, then apply): ...

If you are running workloads on Oracle Exadata, you are likely sitting on a goldmine of performance capability. The most significant differentiator between Exadata and traditional storage architectures is a feature called Smart Scan (also known as Cell Offload Processing). Instead of treating storage as dumb disks that just serve blocks to the database, Exadata pushes SQL processing down to the storage tier. This article explains how Smart Scan works, how to verify it, and how to control its behaviour for testing. ...

The Exadata X11M platform separates database compute and storage cells connected via an RDMA-capable RoCE fabric. This page summarizes hardware variants and provides practical command-line examples for common administration, troubleshooting and monitoring tasks. Architecture Overview Database Servers (Compute) These servers run the database and client-facing workloads. Standard Exadata X11M Database Server CPU: 2x 96-core AMD EPYC 9J25 (192 physical cores) Memory: 6400 MT/s DDR5, 512 GB–3 TB Local storage: 2x 3.84 TB NVMe (OS / Oracle binaries) Exadata X11M-Z Database Server (Entry) ...

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SQL tuning is one of the most critical skills for an Oracle DBA. A poorly written query can bring an entire system to its knees, while a well-tuned one can run in milliseconds. This guide covers the most important techniques every Oracle DBA should know. 1. Understanding the Execution Plan The execution plan is the roadmap Oracle uses to execute your SQL. Always start here when tuning. Using EXPLAIN PLAN EXPLAIN PLAN FOR SELECT e.employee_id, e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name FROM employees e JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id WHERE e.salary > 5000 ORDER BY e.last_name; -- Display the plan SELECT * FROM TABLE(DBMS_XPLAN.DISPLAY); Using DBMS_XPLAN with actual runtime statistics -- Step 1: Run the query with the hint SELECT /*+ gather_plan_statistics */ e.employee_id, e.first_name, e.last_name, d.department_name FROM employees e JOIN departments d ON e.department_id = d.department_id WHERE e.salary > 5000; -- Step 2: Pull the actual execution plan SELECT * FROM TABLE( DBMS_XPLAN.DISPLAY_CURSOR( sql_id => NULL, cursor_child_no => 0, format => 'ALLSTATS LAST' ) ); 2. Gathering Statistics Stale or missing statistics are the number one cause of bad execution plans in Oracle. ...