Category: Databases

Databases are the systems of record at the centre of the enterprise. They exist to ensure correctness, durability, and control over critical data.

For decades, they have been optimised around human interaction – predictable query patterns, bounded concurrency, and clear operational ownership.

That assumption is now under pressure. As AI systems begin to interact directly with data, the database remains the point of truth… but the way it is accessed is starting to change.

Oracle, Parallelism and Direct Path Reads… on Flash

Oracle's parallel query engine behaves differently on flash than on spinning disk – direct path reads change the picture in ways that DBAs tuning for traditional storage won't expect.

Viewing ASM trace files in VIM: Which Way Do You Use?

A couple of people have asked me recently about a classic problem that most DBAs know: how to view ASM trace files in the VIM editor when the filenames start with a + character. To my surprise, there are actually quite a few different ways of doing it. Since it's come up, I thought I'd … Continue reading Viewing ASM trace files in VIM: Which Way Do You Use? →

Oracle 12.1.0.2 ASM Filter Driver: Advanced Format Fail

The ASM Filter Driver introduced in Oracle 12.1.0.2 as a replacement for ASMLib has a critical flaw: it fails entirely with 4k native Advanced Format devices.

Oracle 12.1.0.2 ASM Filter Driver: First Impressions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Oracle ASMLib: Physical and Logical Blocksize

The ORACLEASM_USE_LOGICAL_BLOCK_SIZE parameter controls how ASMLib handles 4k Advanced Format devices – here's what it does and when you need to change it.