Database Features

Database Features

Extensibility Framework Features
User Defined Operators and Extensible Indexing – Can use user-defined operators in SQL statements. New Domain indexes.
Extensible optimizer – User specified statistics collection functions, selectivity functions and cost functions.
Cartridge Services – Unifies integration and incorporates former Oracle data cartridge options
Object Relational Enhancements
Temporary LOB’s
TO_LOB function to convert a long field to an LOB (Note that support for LONG fields is being deprecated).
User Defined OID’s and a new referential integrity constraint of REF columns.
Enhancements to DDL that allow rows of a nested table to be stored in an index-organized table. Can now specify a constraint on the table.
A new collection locator can be defined at table creation time. Accessible via OCI and the IS_LOCATOR function within the UTL_COLL package. Can prevent large nested tables from saturating memory.
Enhancements to VARRAY storage options – Can store a VARRAY in a LOB that can be stored out-of-line. A collection column of a table in a query may be used like an independent table, via the TABLE() function.
Enhancements to Object Views that allow nested tables to be updated and the creation of new objects in the OCI object cache. Object view performance has been improved to match that of object and/or relational tables.
Enhancement to triggers on nested table view columns. Can define a trigger on a nested table view.
Object Cache Enhancements include:
· Detect if an object in cache has been changed.
· Set all attributes to NOT NULL in an object at the time of object creation.
· Specify NOWAIT when trying to lock an object that prevents a user from blocking the object while trying to obtain a lock on it.
The analyze command can set dangling refs to null.
Allow subqueries in the VALUES clause of an INSERT statement. This allows a table or object that contains a REF column to be loaded with valid values without having to set columns to NULL first and then update them.
Enhancements to SQL*Loader to allow the loading of objects, collections, and LOBs.
New ability to Partition Tables Containing Objects and object tables themselves.
New Parallel query support for object tables.
New CREATE OUTLINE SQL statement – Allows the user to created a stored outline that is used by the optimizer to create the execution plan. Provides for a consistent execution plan not matter what changes occur is system configuration. manager stored outlines using the OUTLN_PKG.
Enhancements to Advanced Queuing
· AQ Based Publish/Subscribe
· Database event publication
· Enhanced Propagation
New DBMS_REPAIR package – Detects and reports corruption, can make unusable objects usable, and it can repair corruption and rebuild lost data.
New LogMiner Analysis tool – Can mine redo-logs for information and tracking of specific sets of changes, and help pinpoint the moment when corruption was introduced into a database.
New ability to drop a column.
New Locally Managed Tablespaces – Don’t use the data dictionary to manage the space within the tablespace. Space data stored within the tablespace using bitmaps. Much faster, reduces overhead of data dictionary involvement, also provides lower fragmentation and increased reliability.
New online index rebuild and or defragmentation of indexes using the coalesce command.
New MOVE clause allows the reorganization of a nonpartitioned table. A user can move data into a new segment and retain objects associated with the table such as views and privileges.
Enhancement to READ ONLY tablespaces – Can place a table space in read only mode as long as there are no outstanding txns on the tablespace. Previously required no outstanding txns on the entire database.
Temporary Tables
NLS Enhancements
· Function based indexes based upon linguistics define by the NLS_SORT parm.
· Support in Oracle interfaces for Fixed-Width Unicode (UCS2).
· New NLS territories added
· Euro currency symbol support
· Change character set of database using the ALTER DATABASE command. The current character set must be a strict subset of the new one.
New TRIM function
External Routine Enhancements
The new call specification allows external routines to be called from other languages.
External Routine DLL Caching
External Routine Object Support