TheDatabase Configuration Assistant (DBCA) FEATURE

Are you preparing for IT certification? With practice questions, study notes, interactive quizzes, tips and technical articles, uCertify PrepKits ensure that you get a solid grasp of core technical concepts to ace your certification exam in first attempt.

TheDatabase Configuration Assistant (DBCA) FEATURE

Rating:

The Database Configuration Assistant (DBCA) is Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool. DBCA is one of the three ways used to create a database. It provides a user-friendly, wizard based, and step-by-step process to create a database. It is java-based. The DBCA enables us to specify memory options, file locations, size the database, alter file location variables, define database storage parameters, etc.

There are two memory options: typical and custom. The typical option is the default one and the custom option is used to alter the settings desirably. The typical option allows for minimal user interference. The custom option is used for customizing the settings and is recommended for advance users. Then, there is the Archive option, which allows for the redo log files to be archived before being reused. The DB sizing feature of DBCA helps to define the block size and the sort area size for the database. The maximum amount of the memory used for the sort operation is defined by the SORT_AREA_SIZE parameter. DBCA can also be used to specify the initialization parameter file and the path for trace files.

The DBCA can be launched from any java engine platform. In fact, it handles many of the complicated, behind the scene tasks that a novice user otherwise would have to handle. A starter database is automatically created during the installation of the Oracle server. The DBCA can also be used to upgrade or migrate a database to a later version.

The DBCA enables to specify everything related to a database including, location of control files, size of SGA, parameters in init.ora file, redo log file and location of administrative files etc. It can be used for transaction processing, data warehouses, decision support systems, and database for hybrid purposes.

Note: The DBCA feature can also be used as a stand-alone application but is also available with oracle 10g.

Tasks performed by using DBCA

Following are the tasks performed by DBCA:

1. Create a database.


2. Delete a database.


3. Configure database options.


4. Manage templates.

DBCA provides templates to create database. The concept of template was introduced in Oracle 9i. The templates can be used to create new database as well as new templates. The templates can be used with or without datafiles. The parameters of a database are always stored in XML format.
Following are the benefits of using templates:

1. It enables the user to create a database in a short time.


2. It can be shared and the options for the database can be altered.

Creating a database using DBCA

The DBCA is launched by using the following menu driven actions:

1. Run DBCA from Start > Programs > Oracle-Oraclehome > Configuration and Migration Tools > Database Configuration assistant.


2. Select the Create a Database option.


3. Select the type of database you want to create from the following options:
• Data warehouse


• General purpose


• New database


• Transaction processing
4. Specify a global database name


5. Specify the features to be given in the database such as, Oracle Spatial, Example Schemas, Oracle OLAP services, etc.


6. Identify the scripts that you want to run after database creation.


7. Finally, select the mode, i.e. Dedicated Server mode or Share Server mode, in which to operate the database.

.

Rating: