Prior to our discussion about the
various functions and features that databases have to offer, we need to
understand what they are and why we require them in the first place. This blog
is aimed at discussing all these aspects in order to develop a sound understanding
of Oracle database and SQL
performance tuning in the long run.
What is the Oracle Database and SQL
Required for?
Data on a computer needs to be stored
somewhere in order to be accessed whenever it will be needed in the future.
From basic information related to the goings-on at a retail store, such as
employee information, customer’s purchase history, transaction details, etc.,
to the employee records at an organization, data can be stored in different
formats depending on the nature of the information - letters, digits, audio,
video, images, and so on.
One of the first ideas to occur in
terms of data recording is opening up a spreadsheet. However, large amounts of
information are much more convenient to store in a way that makes it easier to
access any piece of it within a fraction of a second.
And that way is a database. Moreover,
when you have thousands of records to store at a single place, where some of
that information may also be sensitive, you need a mode of data storage that is
not only safe for private data but also prevents you from entering the exact
same information repeatedly (duplication of data).
A database is a well-organized system
of storing your data with a set of rules decided by the user. The rules and
structures defining the data are shifted as per the organization’s
requirements. For instance, some may need to store a greater amount of data,
whereas others may not have a large quantity of data but the amount of
information that they have is sensitive and needs protective measures.
These aspects are managed by the
database in the background to ensure that the data is completely secure and
accessible only to certain individuals with the right credentials. Also, data
integrity is established along with reliable means to retrieve said information
in a fast, reliable manner. Such a robust way of storing information makes Oracle
database and SQL a useful means of storage for business organizations of all
sizes, which is also because of its ability to serve several users
simultaneously and keeping data safe in case of hardware and technical
difficulties that lead to system crashes.
Oracle Database and SQL: Performance
Tuning for DBMS
In larger organizations, it is common
to own multiple databases, and a database management system like Oracle
database and SQL is one of the best ways to conveniently manage them at
the same time. Like databases, one organization can also have more than one
DBMS due to their varying features and the organization’s specific requirements
in each department.
The following are some of the different
types of Database Management Systems available these days -
- RDBMS (Relational Database
Management System)
- NoSQL Database System
- Object-Oriented Database System
- Network Database System
- Hierarchical Database System
RDBMS like Oracle
database and MySQL is the most commonly used ones by organizations at
present. They do a lot to improve data operations in an organization but need
to be ‘tuned’ from time to time.
This basically means that their
performance can be affected by a few factors which experts knowledgeable in
this regard, known as database administrators, are tasked to keep an eye on. SQL performance tuning is easy with the help of tools designed specifically for this task, such as those by Tosska
Technologies Limited.
