Major Parts of the Installation

Major Parts of the Installation

Installing the Server

To support the Oracle server and database, at least 10GB of disk space and least 128MB of RAM ”preferably much more ”must be available.

As with most server environments, the server itself should be kept dedicated to the database function and maintained free from other applications. Being a server, it should not also be treated as a client. That is, applications such as MS Office, audio, and video should not be installed. The existence of multiple applications on a server makes support and troubleshooting quite difficult, and the last thing you want is to have your server go down unexpectedly late Friday afternoon just when the president asks for the month-end report to bring to the shareholders meeting that evening.

Note

Protect your server and your server will protect you.

Your Windows NT or 2000 server will support the two main Oracle systems: the server and the database. Operating together, the Oracle server and database will provide your programmers, users, customers, and students with the ability to program in SQL*Plus and to access the developed applications.

Oracle Server is the foundation for the entire Oracle installation. Whether you are installing Oracle 8.x, 8 i , or 9 i , your entire Oracle shop starts with installing Oracle Server. To do this, we use the installation CD and follow the online instructions. The step-by-step procedure will be presented in detail in Chapter 7.

Creating the Database

Once you have configured the Oracle server, the next step is to create a database. In fact, the first steps of creating the database will take place in a series of meetings with your users and customers, when you will define the data; the data relationships; the kinds of reporting and inquiring necessary; daily, monthly, weekly, and yearly cycles; and so on. We will go into more detail when we talk more about security in Chapter 8, where you will have to determine the parameters of your database, the users who will need to access it, and what those users will need to do with it.

Like the Oracle server, the database is created through the Oracle installation process. In fact, because the installation has become so automated, you have very few steps to perform. No matter how easy the process seems, however, you must know what you're doing because it is very difficult to make changes to the base parameters of the database once it has been created. This is the reason for giving you detailed, step-by-step instructions.

For now, however, just realize that behind the scenes Oracle is performing something just short of magic. Within a few minutes, using the installation guide, you will create the shell for what will eventually become, in your hands, a fully operational Oracle database. Totally transparently to you, Oracle creates the data dictionary, a host of system files and tables, and other operating system functions that stand ready to support the tables, views, and scripts that will eventually become your Oracle system.

Here's a summation of the system files and tables that will be created automatically. First a successful database installation will create seven tablespaces, each with its own data file, as Table 6.1 shows. In addition, an initialization parameter file called INIT.ORA will be created in your ORACLE_HOME/ADMIN/DB_NAME/PFILE directory. This file will contain all the default parameters that Oracle needs to create an instance. Although you can tweak these parameters, it is not the intent of this book to cover them. But once you have your system running, I encourage you to take a look at other reference books and see what INIT.ORA is all about.

Table 6.1. Tablespaces Created During Oracle Database Creation

Tablespace	Data File	Contents
SYSTEM	SYSTEM01.DBF	Data dictionary, definitions of tables, views
USERS	USER01.DBF	Data for applications
TEMP	TEMP01.DBF	Space for sorts
RBS	RBS01.DBF	Rolled-back transactions that did not complete normally
INDX	INDX01.DBF	Indexes tied to the data in the USERS tablespace
DRSYS	DR01.DBF	Objects tied to Oracle inter Media
TOOLS	TOOLS01.DBF	Initially empty, used for third-party software

Later we will be talking about backup and recovery. For now it will suffice just to point out that the installer creates three of the most important files: the redo logs . These are REDO01.LOG , REDO02.LOG , and REDO03.LOG .

Along with INIT.ORA and the redo logs, the installer creates three control files : CONTROL01.CTL , CONTROL02.CTL , and CONTROL03.CTL . These are necessary for the database to start and run, and they contain information on the physical parameters of the database, as well as the names and locations of other database files. In addition, other necessary parts of backup and recovery are the 18 rollback segments : SYSTEM, RB_TEMP, and RB1 through RB16.

Finally, the data dictionary is also created. This is a special collection of tables and views that provide reference information about the database, users, and relationships. The data dictionary is something you must become familiar with, and it will be discussed in its own chapter (Chapter 10). Do not leave home without your data dictionary. This is the only place you'll be able to find the information that will save your neck in a crisis.

Creating Tables

With the database now created, your next major step is to create the tables. I will show you how to use scripts to turn the tables you built in Chapters 4 and 5 into live tables, where the referential integrity constraints you worked so hard to build start to pay off. I will also show you how to load data from scripts, and I'll introduce you to SQL*Loader.

Adding Users

After you have defined the database and tables on your Windows NT or 2000 server, the next step is to add users. This is the logical step after the Oracle security step, in which you will create the profiles, roles, and individual users on the basis of what you have determined they need. You will control each user's read, write, and delete powers, how much space each user has to create tables, timeout parameters, and so forth. Without a valid user account for the database, your customers simply will not be able to access the data. (Many Oracle-based applications have their own security system built in along with the native Oracle security. They complement each other.)

As you might expect, your programmers will have very powerful accounts, and your users will have limited accounts. The DBA and backup DBA will have the most powerful IDs.

Installing Clients and Net8

Now that you have a database and a group of active user accounts, the next step is to provide your programmers, customers, and students with access to your database. Access is provided through Oracle Net8 (formerly SQL*Net), the Oracle method of connecting a client site (local or remote) to the database. Net8 allows you to log in directly to the Oracle database and then perform the functions defined in your security setup. We will take you through the steps necessary to install the client PC to make it Oracle "smart."

DBA Tasks and Programming

When your server, database, and security are complete, you will need to make sure your backup and other DBA functions are under control. Once you have your daily and weekly operations planned, the next step is to start using the tables, creating views, and then putting the two together in user-friendly applications. This is the SQL*Plus/PL/SQL step, in which you will use Oracle's extensions to SQL to create user access modules; write the programs to update, delete, and report on the data; create views; and so forth. You will be given a solid fundamental introduction to SQL*Plus.

Web Enabling

Finally, to bring your now vibrant application into the contemporary technological and business world, you will enhance what you've created by extending it to the World Wide Web. Using Oracle's own features in 8 i and 9 i , you will be adding HTML to provide Web access to your applications and data. Using other techniques, you will open your database to other, non-Oracle applications, giving your application additional value. As you will see, your model waiver exam will then have an appealing Web presence with e-commerce functionality.

Interfacing

As discussed in Chapter 14, it is very common to move data from another system into an Oracle database, as well as from Oracle into something such as Excel. Although there are several ways to do this, the most common way to migrate table information into Oracle is to use Oracle SQL*Loader. We will discuss this program in some detail in Chapter 9.

In addition, there are ways to link other databases, such as Access databases, directly to Oracle. There is a lot of documentation on how to do this, and I encourage you to do some research and then try linking a small Access database to your Oracle database, using native Access or a Visual Basic program. Here's a hint. In Windows, go to Settings Control Panel Data Sources (ODBC) , click on Add , select Microsoft ODBC for Oracle Setup , and configure the setup:

This example shows the setup for someone who wants to reach the Oracle database named CWE1P, on a server named GUERRILLA1. When your Access program requires information from the database, this ODBC driver will make the connection to Oracle.

These major steps will be covered in as much detail as necessary in the chapters that follow. If you are responsible for the entire Oracle operation at your location, by all means go through every step. Even if your job description says "Programmer" or "DBA," you can learn a lot from at least trying the steps for each of these functions. At the least, you will learn to appreciate what your coworker does.