Introduction

Page xvii

Introduction

Change has considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful, it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful, it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident, it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better. Obviously, then, one's character and frame of mind determine how readily he brings about change and how he reacts to change that is imposed on him.

—King Whitney Jr.

King wasn't a DBA, but he might have been. Technology, and particularly the DBA world, has been about change in the last several years. Each year, with a new software release here or a new operating system release there, we have to contend with changes. DBAs are a special lot because we really have to understand all those layers to some degree to really excel at what we do. It's hard work, but it's incredibly rewarding.

Oracle Database 10g is all about change. This book, and the other New Features books that I've written over the years, is all about change. The Oracle Database product has changed so much in the years that I've worked and written about it, and Oracle Database 10g is no exception. There is more change packed into this version than it is possible to write about in these few pages, but I sure tried.

No doubt you will read these pages and say, ''Wow, lots of stuff there!" Don't let this overwhelm you; the database proper, in and of itself, still pretty much looks and feels the same. You can install Oracle Database 10g, and treat it from the outset much like you would have an Oracle9i database. You use SQL*Plus to connect to it (much to the happiness of those who, early on, were subject to the rumor that SQL*Plus was going away!) and you still start it with the startup command and shut it down with the shutdown command. You can migrate from Oracle8 i or Oracle9 i with little effort (but much caution!) and not have to contend with too many of the new features (with a few exceptions, such as the new SYSAUX tablespace). In short, many of these new