Oracle's new ASM Filter Driver in 12.1.0.2 promises cleaner I/O filtering than ASMLib – here are the initial installation findings and what to watch out for with 4k devices.
Author: flashdba
New AWR Report Format: Oracle 11.2.0.4 and 12c
Oracle quietly changed the AWR report format in 11.2.0.4 and 12c – here's what moved, what's new and what DBAs relying on the old layout need to know.
Understanding Flash: SLC, MLC and TLC
SLC, MLC and TLC NAND flash differ in how many bits each cell stores. More bits per cell means lower cost and higher density – but slower performance and reduced endurance. This article explains the trade-offs for enterprise storage.
Understanding Flash: Blocks, Pages and Program / Erases
NAND flash memory stores data in pages but erases in blocks – a fundamental asymmetry that shapes everything from SSD performance to all-flash array design. This article explains the program/erase cycle and why it matters for database storage.
New My Oracle Support note on Advanced Format (4k) storage
A new official Oracle support note on Advanced Format 4k storage – co-authored with Oracle ASM Development to replace the confusing and inconsistent guidance that existed before.
Understanding Flash: What Is NAND Flash?
NAND flash memory was invented in 1981 by Dr Fujio Masuoka at Toshiba. This article explains how flash works, why it differs from EPROM and EEPROM, and why program and erase operations behave differently.
Understanding Disk: Caching and Tiering
Caching and tiering promise to hide the performance cost of spinning disk – but both rely on predicting the unpredictable, and the slowest tier always waits.
Oracle SLOB On Solaris
SLOB is primarily a Linux tool, but it runs on Solaris too – here's the configuration required and the key differences to watch out for when benchmarking Oracle I/O on Solaris.
How To Succeed In Presales?
This article is aimed at anyone considering making the move into technical presales who currently works in a professional services, consultancy or support role, or as customers and end-users. You will notice that the title of the article has a question mark at the end - that's because I don't have the answer - and I … Continue reading How To Succeed In Presales?
The Ultimate Guide To Oracle with Advanced Format 4k
Everything you need to know about running Oracle on Advanced Format 4k storage – a high-level overview and a full Oracle deep dive, in one place.



