Amazon.co.uk Review
Oracle8i DBA Handbook is the latest database administrators' handbook from Kevin Loney, covering Oracle 8i, the current version of Oracle's database management system software. There is a great deal of common ground between Oracle8 and 8i and a concomitant amount of shared material between this volume, written with a writing partner, and the preceding
Oracle8 DBA Handbook.
The i in 8i stands for Internet and a new chapter covers configuring client-server and Web environments. Other areas new to this book are networking in Windows NT, design and performance issues for OLTP (on-line transaction processing) databases and using the Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM). Many of the chapters end with a solutions section where frequently encountered problems and their common solutions are discussed. The three Oracle performance tuning packs are also discussed for the first time and an appendix on redesigning for 24 x 7 availability makes interesting reading. There is, however, no coverage of the Web-enabling features such as WebDB (8I's Web development tool) or of the Java Virtual Machine (runtime environment for Java objects).
Loney is rapidly approaching the status of Grand Old Man in the world of Oracle books and his style remains refreshingly readable. This book is informative and useful, albeit not the last word on Oracle and the Internet, and as a basic reference text is worth 5.5 centimetres of any Oracle DBA's shelf space.--Mark Whitehorn
Product Description
This is a thorough overhaul of the previous edition - widely considered the Oracle DBA "bible" - with full coverage of all the new Oracle8i features. This work covers everything the administrator needs to know to effectively manage a robust, peak-performance Oracle8i database. It explains how to configure Oracle to be accessed through a firewall from a DBA's perspective. "Solutions" sections illustrates - with annotations - how to implement the techniques described in each chapter.
