Training Days 2004 Presentation Summaries

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Application Development
Data Warehousing
Database Administration
Technology Management
Web Application Development
Other
Vendor Presentations

 

  Key Note Speakers  

 

Susan Cook - Vice President in the Oracle Technology Business Unit, Oracle Corporation

Wednesday 8:15am-9:00am
Leveraging Oracle's Technology for Greater Business Insight

Business intelligence is one of the few sectors in technology that continues to grow through both the ups and the downs in the economy.  You need not look any further than the headlines in the business section to see why-increasing corporate integrity and financial transparency, companies forced to be more productive with fewer resources and stockholders holding executives more accountable than ever for business decisions.  More often than not, IT professionals are tasked with providing the information that enables business executives to respond to these demands.  This fast-paced hour will explain how business intelligence technology from Oracle can help you and your company to know more, do more, spend less, and worry less.

 

Bill Inmon

Thursday 8:15am-9:00am
Data Warehousing - The Road Ahead

Data warehousing has grown from a concept to a reality in a few short years.  Today we have all kinds of data warehouses.  But does this mean that data warehousing is finished? Hardly.  This presentation is on the future developments for data warehousing.

 

 

Application Development

 

Objects in the Trenches

Steven Bray      Session: 9

Over the last several years, Oracle has been adding object-oriented (OO) features to the database.   Now, with the arrival of Oracle 9iR2, the OO capabilities have become sufficiently robust and stable to develop "real applications.  This presentation will illustrate techniques that have been used to develop OO applications in the "real world."

 

Assertions, Exceptions, and Module Stability

John Beresniewicz      Session: 5

This presentation will introduce the software engineering techniques of "design by contract" as applied to PL/SQL programming for purposes of creating bug-free code.  It will cover preconditions, postconditions, and invariants and outline how a standardized ASSERT procedure can be leveraged to enforce contracts between calling and called modules.   Modularization and exception handling issues will also be covered to some degree, as well as best practices for hardening code.  Specific code examples will be presented to illustrate the techniques.

 

REF Cursors, Implicit Cursors, and Native Dynamic SQL

Melanie Caffrey      Session: 7

With increased numbers and types of client applications and interfaces, cursors are not just for simple procedural processing anymore.  REF cursors have given us the ability to avoid a lot of repetitive code we would otherwise have in order to process more than one cursor.  Native Dynamic SQL (NDS) is used whenever the query is not known until runtime, however, unlike its predecessor, DBMS_SQL, NDS does not permit array processing (though there are workarounds for this situation).   This presentation will provide an introductory overview to each type of PL/SQL construct.   Tips and techniques are provided through lecture and sample code.

 

Using Query Hints for Top SQL Performance

Randy Cunningham      Session: 2

This presentation will provide practical information on how to choose and use query hints to achieve remarkable gains in the response time of SQL statements.  Strategies for selection of hints, as well as good and bad practices surrounding hints, are explained.   Typical problems and challenges with the use of hints are covered, and constructive alternatives to hints are described.

 

Case Study:  Implementing Bind Variables

Debra Elliott      Session: 5

This presentation will cover how processing runtime in a large database application (Oracle8i processing hundreds of thousands of records biweekly) is reduced by implementing bind variables and the DBMS_SQL package.

 

Tuning with Oracle Trace Analyzer

Daniel Fink      Session: 9

The Oracle Trace Analyzer (OTA) is a companion tool to Statspack and can be used to identify performance issues with individual statements and sessions. This enables the developer and DBA to identify specific issues and statements that can be optimized. This presentation will introduce the OTA; discuss how to install, run, and support the scripts; demonstrate how it fits into performance optimization processes; and show several custom extensions to the provided toolset.

 

Understanding Indexes

Tim Gorman      Session: 1

This presentation will explain how B*Tree indexes are used and how they are maintained, under what conditions they work well, and under what conditions they have difficulty.  For each point of difficulty, this presentation details alternatives or resolutions.  Attendees will better understand how indexes work.

 

10g Grid Computing, HTML DB, and Web Services Management-What Developers and DBAs Should Know

Walter Guerrero      Session: 10

This presentation will provide information about Oracle 10g, grid computing, web services, and HTML DB-a new component in Oracle 10g.

 

Oracle Developer Suite: Using the Right Tool for the Job

Sue Harper      Session: 1

This presentation will give examples of how you can use Oracle Designer to extend existing database designs, how you can adapt your existing Oracle Forms applications to the revised database schema, and how you can use Oracle JDeveloper to model and generate new J2EE components that coexist with your current Forms applications.

 

A Close Look at SQL Statement Tuning

Dan Hotka      Session: 3 This presentation goes into considerable detail on the tuning of actual SQL statements.   Attendees will understand the Oracle optimizer choices, the explain plan, and how to interpret the output of an explain plan.  This presentation will also include a discussion on the differences of the various explain plan steps such as merge-join and nested-loop, when is it best to use each, etc.   The presenter will also discuss how indexes are accessed with the cost-based optimizer as well as some important index-oriented INIT.ORA parameters.   The presenter uses SQL from Oracle Apps as a group discussion topic.   This presentation is a MUST for anyone doing SQL statement-level tuning.

 

An OC4J Grab Bag: A Guide to Navigating the J2EE Jungle

Bill Jackson      Session: 8 Lost in the J2EE jungle?  Come learn some tips, tricks, and pitfall aviodance techniques from two experienced J2EE developers.  This presentation will cover a plethora of J2EE basics, labor saving techniques, and deployment issues.

 

Oracle9i for Developers: What You Need to Know

John King      Session: 3 Attendees will be introduced to new and improved features of Oracle9i that directly impact application development.  Special emphasis is placed on features that reduce development time, make development simpler, improve performance, or improve deployment.  Participants will be better equipped to create applications that take full advantage of Oracle9i.

 

Ready, Set, XML! Using Oracle XML Data

John King      Session: 6

In this presentation, participants will learn to use Oracle's XML capabilities to store XML data in the database and retrieve XML data from the database.  SQL and performance implications will be explored.

 

Analytics Explored

Thomas Kyte      Session: 8 This session will explore the syntax and concepts behind analytic functions in SQL.   This will be a practical session filled with use cases and examples.

 

To Oracle XML and Beyond: PDF and Pictures

Dustin Marx      Session: 5

The Oracle database already provides significant XML support.  Scalable vector graphics (SVG) and XSL-FO (XSL formatting objects) technologies can be employed to significantly improve the reports created from an Oracle database.  This presentation introduces SVG and XSL-FO and how they can be used to leverage Oracle's XML support for greater power and flexibility in database reporting.

 

BC4J-What Is It and Where Does It Fit? (The Top Ten FAQs)

Gregory Matus      Session: 4

Oracle has invested quite a bit of time and effort into a framework called BC4J-Business Components for Java.  Problem is, nobody seems to know much about it.   This presentation, intended as a high-level introduction, will answer the top ten frequently asked questions about BC4J to help you understand what it is, what it's for, and whether or not it can benefit your organization.

 

Oracle JDeveloper 10g: Overview of New Features

Gregory Matus      Session: 6

Oracle JDeveloper 10g is the industry's first development solution to combine both productivity and choice in a single environment.  The new release improves development productivity, code quality, and ease of use with visual and declarative capabilities along with an innovative J2EE framework-Oracle Application Development Framework (Oracle ADF).   Oracle ADF offers developers of all skill levels a flexible foundation for designing and creating J2EE applications and web services.   As a result, a wider population of developers than ever before will be able to build business applications and web services that take advantage of the power and flexibility of Java.

 

Ouch! 6iDS to 9iDS Migration, A Pain in My 9iAS

Mike Nicholas      Session: 7

Are you thinking of migrating from Oracle6i client/server Forms and Reports to the new and improved Oracle9iAS?  This presentation will provide a few things you may want to know about first: solving the 9iDS Reports parameter form problem and creating one dynamic 9iDS Form as a parameter form for all of your 9iDS reports. Now this you have to see!

 

Effective Web Architectures Using Java/Oracle

Jeff Smith      Session: 2

The presentation will provide an overview of various (Java) web architectures and make recommendations regarding their appropriate use.   Among the topics discussed will be JSP-centric architectures, servlet-centric architectures (including Struts), JavaBeans, database access, JSTL, and custom tag libraries.  Code examples (and diagrams) will illustrate how to integrate these complementary technologies into an easily extendible and maintainable web site.

 

 

Data Warehousing

 

Data Profiling

Michael Anderson      Session: 6

Data profiling provides an automated way of doing data analysis.  Data analysis should be done in conjunction with every new and existing system development effort.  And by maintaining a metadata repository, the entire enterprise can leverage the information to make your organization more efficient. Come hear how this all works together.

 

Applying Oracle9i Analytic SQL Features to the Data Warehouse

Brad Cowdrey      Session: 1

Oracle9i provides a new set of analytic SQL features that can be applied to the data warehouse and other reporting environments with ease.  This presentation will explore each feature in detail using real-world examples that include syntax, behavior, and performance (where appropriate).   The results of the examples, combined with a solid understanding of the data in a data warehouse, will allow attendees to apply strategies and approaches to leverage the new SQL analytic features.

 

Blending Oracle 9i ETL Options With ETL Tools and Techniques

Brad Cowdrey      Session: 10

Oracle9i provides a new set of ETL options that can be effectively integrated into the ETL architecture.  These options include external tables, multiple table insert, Upsert(MERGE INTO), and table functions.  Each option will be explored in detail from its syntax to its behavior and performance (where appropriate).

 

Oracle10g:   What's New for the DW?

Gary Dodge      Session: 9

Most of the buzz around the Oracle 10g release has centered around the application of RAC technology to support grid computing.  Hidden behind the "g" though, are many new capabilities that expand the handling of extremely large databases and improve the manageability, performance, and functionality of the Oracle data warehouse.  In this session, specific examples of how new features such as automatic storage management, automatic workoad repository, automatic SQL tuning/analysis/adviso will be reviewed.

 

Data Warehouse Feng Shui

Joshua Forman      Session: 6

No, you don't have to put your indexes in the northwest corner of your disk array, but you should keep them in a separate tablespace than your data.  Come learn how to design a data warehouse that lets your information flow smoothly and quickly from source, to disk, through memory, and to the screen in front of your user's face.  Techniques of schema design, aggregation, partitioning, and performance tuning will be discussed.

 

Integrated Business Intelligence with Oracle9iAS Portal

Kent Graziano      Session: 8 While Oracle9iAS release 2 is touted as a seamlessly integrated solution for all your web-deployment needs, there are some places where it could use a little help.  This presentation will provide tips and tricks for developing and deploying a web-based business intelligence interface using Oracle Portal.  It will discuss implementing data access using Portal Charts (with data in a remote database), Oracle Discoverer worksheet and workbook portlets, and Oracle Reports (with a JSP front-end parameter form).   The trials and tribulations in trying to secure the data displayed using VPD (Virtual Private Database) will be conveyed.

 

Bridging the Gap Between Unstructured Data and Structured Data

Bill Inmon      Session: 3 For years, organizations have had two kinds of systems and data-formal systems and informal systems.  Formal systems are made up of structured data and processes, such as those found in Oracle, DB2, Teradata, and others.   Informal systems are those where conversations are held and are comprised of e-mails, word files, text files, and spreadsheets.  In most corporations it is estimated that formal, structured data makes up only 20 percent or less of the data found in the corporation.  It has always been a problem matching unstructured data with structured data.  Their worlds are separated by a wide gulf.  Now, that gulf can be bridged.  This presentation discusses what the issues of unstructured data are and how unstructured data can be accessed, organized, and brought back into the world of structured systems.

 

Managing the Data Lifecycle

Jeffery Maresh      Session: 8 This minicourse will explain how to effectively and efficiently manage large data warehouse fact tables.  The effects of partitioned table design on backup and recovery strategy, query performance, and storage cost will be discussed.   The costs and benefits of manual and automated lifecycle administration techniques will be covered.

 

Data Mapping Wizardry!

Bonnie O'Neil      Session: 4

Mapping source to target fields can get very tricky.  Mappings must be done in data migrations and data warehouses; any time you must move data.  This presentation is a case study illustrating how a variety of third-party tools were all integrated together to produce well-thought-out and easily verifiable mappings.

 

Using Oracle Warehouse Builder to Populate the Data Warehouse

Nghia Phu      Session: 2

Of course you can use PL/SQL, SQL Loader, or any other tools out there to populate your data warehouse.   But you ought to see how easy it is to use Oracle Warehouse Builder (OWB) to do just that.  This presentation will introduce the functional components of OWB version 9.0.4.  It will also demonstrate, step-by-step, how to build a simple mapping with some standard transformations.  In addition, it will validate, deploy, and execute the mapping to extract, transform, and load data from the source to the target area.

 

The Operational Data Store-An Architected Solution!

Joyce Norris-Montanari      Session: 3 The Operational Data Store (ODS) has finally become a very important and recognized structure within the Corporate Information Factory.  While the data warehouse answers our strategic information requirements the ODS addresses our tactical information requirements.   E-Business and CRM initiatives have created an emphasis on tactical information.  The ODS can receive information from a data warehouse or a data mart when current analytics are required for CRM or web analysis.  Current analytics can be information about very important customers (VIP)-how much they buy, how recently have they purchased, or how often they frequent a web site.  Click-stream data can be included in the ODS, as well as integrated with customer data from other source systems.  The ODS also receives data from source systems, external sources of purchased information, and can become the focal point for quality issues.   Over time, the ODS can become the system or record for data used to feed operational systems.

 

Data Warehousing 101

Brad Cowdrey      Session:

 

 

Database Administration

 

 

Implications of Setting Oracle's Statistics Collection Level

James Koopmann      Session: 4

In this presentation, attendees will be given the tools for setting up and using statistical collection within an Oracle database.  It will explore the rationale and issues around statistical collection impact on our systems when we do collect the different statistics.

 

Testing Oracle Performance

Cary Milsap      Session: 3 Unfortunately, lots of the things you hear and read about Oracle performance are either so inaccurate that they harm your system or so irrelevant that they waste your resources, accomplishing nothing.  This presentation will help you learn how to determine whether the advice you're getting is both relevant and accurate.

 

Tuning the Wait Interface Way

Stephen Andert      Session: 6

This presentation will cover how to use the V$ dynamic performance views of the wait interface as well as how the 10046 trace can be used to identify the cause of slow-running jobs.  Attendees will leave this presentation with a better understanding of a process that can be followed to identify the cause of performance bottlenecks.

 

SQL*Loader Tuning

Stephen Andert      Session: 9

In this presentation, you will learn some basic rules to effectively tune data load jobs with SQL*Loader.   It will also examine when external tables might be more efficient than SQL*Loader for Oracle9i users.

 

Oracle9i RAC Tuning

Mike Ault      Session: 2

This presentation will cover everything you need to know to tune your RAC environment.   The cluster interconnect, the global services daemon, and the GES and GCS processes and their tuning are covered.  The use of Statspack with RAC is also discussed.

 

Oracle9i and TAF

Mike Ault      Session: 4

This presentation will provide attendees with detailed information on the use of total application failover in the Oracle9i RAC environment.  Multiple failover scenarios will be covered and example configurations shown.  The use of Oracle Call Interface to allow preservation of transaction state will also be covered.

 

SQL Tuning the Easy Way in Oracle 10g

John Beresniewicz      Session: 2

Oracle 10g introduces a number of exciting and powerful manageability features that help the DBA and developer alike. The Oracle 10g SQL Tuning Advisor allows the optimizer to fully exercise all possible query plans in order to identify the truly best plan for a given SQL.   This presentation will introduce listeners to important new concepts in Oracle 10g in the SQL tuning area, including SQL_ID, SQL Tuning Advisor, Advisor Framework, DBMS_SQLTUNE, SQL Profile, and SQL Tuning Sets.

 

Oracle Application Server 10g Tuning Techniques

Donald Burleson      Session: 8 This presentation's topics will include monitoring techniques for Oracle Application Server 10g including J2EE, web cache, and the Oracle HTTP server.   It will also explore tuning techniques with a focus on tuning the web cache and minimizing network traffic between the Oracle Application Server, 10g servers, and infrastructure tuning techniques.

 

Creating a Self-Tuning Oracle Database

Donald Burleson      Session: 3 This presentation will look at actual script that is used by mission-critical systems to monitor the usage within the memory regions and describe how an intelligent mechanism is created to automatically reconfigure Oracle9i according to its current processing needs.  Attendees will learn how to easily use the Oracle9i dynamic memory features to proactively tune their database, immediately, based upon historical performance trends.

 

Deploying Oracle on Linux

Doug Cosman      Session: 9

In recent years, the installation base of the Linux operating system as a platform for running Oracle has increased dramatically, particularly at younger, growing companies.  In these environments the Oracle DBA is sometimes expected to perform basic system administration tasks in addition to the normal DBA responsibilities.  This presentation will review some of the tasks necessary for a successful installation of Oracle9i and Oracle9iAS under Linux, with emphasis on the popular combination of Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 running on Dell SMP hardware.

 

Understanding Automatic Undo Segments and Flashback Query

Kirtikumar Deshpande      Session: 8 This presentation will explain, in detail, how automatic undo segment and flashback query really work.  Attendees will learn how Oracle tries to minimize "snapshot too old" error using automatic undo segments and how it leverages this feature to support flashback query.

 

Automatic Undo Internals

Daniel Fink      Session: 5

Automatic undo management was initiated in Oracle9i to address "snapshot too old" errors and introduce the ability to perform flashback queries.  This advanced presentation will cover what is and what is not new with Oracle9i undo, how to configure and monitor undo segments, and performance implications.  Attendees will learn the internal workings of automatic undo, its monitoring needs, and how to properly configure and administer this important Oracle9i feature.

 

Replication Made Easy? Or at Least Explained

John Garmany      Session: 3 Learn the basics of designing and configuring both basic and advanced replication.   From one-way Mviews to Multimaster to security, learn to avoid the common pitfalls and build a replication scheme that is both capable and will not wear out the DBA.

 

Indexing-The Good, the Bad, the Too Many

John Garmany      Session: 9

Supercharge your database with indexes.  Learn how to properly use and monitor indexes without overwhelming your database.  This presentation will also cover the new indexing capabilities of Oracle 10g.

 

Oracle9i RAC on Intel Itanium 2/Red Hat Linux Cluster

Bill Garner      Session: 10

This presentation will introduce a case study on the migration of a financial trading application using Oracle8i (Release 8.1.7) to Oracle9i RAC.  It will characterize a 64-bit Intel-Itanium 2-based HP cluster, running Oracle9i on Red Hat Advanced Server 2.1 Linux, and using a XIOtech® storage area network.  The presentation will clearly identify the tips and potential traps of installing and configuring Linux, Oracle9i RAC, and Oracle net services utilizing the Intel architecture  Itanium 2 servers.   It will present specific test results from preproduction testing of Oracle9i RAC availability and performance.

 

Performance Problems from the Field

Gary Goodman      Session: 1

This will be a very interactive presentation, which will review three actual case studies from field experience at Hotsos Enterprises.  It will examine our clients' performance problems and how a user-action-based method was utilized to rapidly determine and repair the root-cause issues.   These case studies will show the effectiveness of using 10046 level 8 trace data as the basis for Oracle optimization.

 

Managing an Oracle Optimization Project

Gary Goodman      Session: 4

We all share the goal of running efficient, well-optimized Oracle systems. Unfortunately, poor Oracle performance continues to drive unnecessary costs into most businesses.  The method this presentation will discuss is a simple, field-tested approach to dealing with Oracle optimization quickly and efficiently based on four steps.

 

Optimizing Performance with Statspack

Tim Gorman      Session: 10

Oracle's Statspack package is an important part of managing the performance of an Oracle-based application.  This presentation will explain the best ways to extract optimal results from the vast wealth of performance information that accumulates in the Statspack repository.

 

Performance Tuning in Oracle 10g

Kyle Hailey      Session: 1

Learn the new performance constructs in Oracle10g, including new tables and data sources along with automatic analysis of performance data by the Oracle kernel and graphical exposition of the data in Oracle Enterprise Manager.

 

Flashback Query on Steroids

Stephan Haisley      Session: 5

With the introduction of Oracle10g, flashback query has been greatly enhanced to provide the ability to flashback a transaction, table, or whole database.  This presentation will explain these new features and how they build on the flashback query introduced in Oracle9i.

 

Buffer Cache Fundamentals

Stephan Haisley      Session: 8 In this presentation, the fundamental structures and algortithms used to maintain and manipulate the buffer cache will be explained.   The cause of contention among the structures will also be examined.

 

XML Survival Skills for DBAs

John King      Session: 1

XML has quickly become significant to the information industry.  This session will examine the concepts and facilities of XML and how they are being implemented in Oracle.   DBAs need to understand the basic nomenclature of XML, what XML is used for, how XML is supported by Oracle's database and other tools, and the DBA's role in supporting XML-using applications.

 

Shared Pool Problems: An Application Issue?

Anjo Kolk      Session: 3 Shared pool problems have existed since Oracle7.  The ORA-4031 is generated due to running out of chunks of memory that are big enough to satisfy a request for memory allocation.  Often this is due to fragmentation.   The question is, "Why was there fragmentation?"

 

Get a Handle on DDL Changes Using Oracle Streams

James Koopmann      Session: 1

In this presentation, attendees will be introduced to Oracle Streams.  The attendees will learn how to set up an Oracle Streams environment for the detection of DDL changes in an Oracle database.

 

Portal, FGAC, Remote Databases, and You-Making It Work

Allison Lobato      Session: 7

So you want to use Oracle's Portal tool right out of the box.  You want to include Oracle Reports and charts as portlets on your portal page connecting to data sources that are located in remote Oracle databases.  Add to this list of requirements that the user is only allowed to access specific data.  This presentation will describe the process of how to configure the schemas in the Oracle9iAS application infrastructure database and the remote databases to implement row-level security with Virtual Private Database and Fine Grained Access Control (FGAC).   The process and configurations will be detailed from both sides.

 

How to Improve Database Performance with Full-Table Scans

Jeffery Maresh      Session: 2

This presentation will cover the efficiency of index access methods versus full-table scans using a simple case study to compare performance between each of the methods.  Using simple methods, attendees will learn the conditions under which full-table scans can dramatically improve query and database performance.

 

Getting Started with the Perl DBI

Timothy Mishek      Session: 7

This presentation is for any Oracle DBA or IT professional wanting to install, configure, and code for the first time using the Perl DBI for Oracle.

 

Keeping Your Organization in Business: Ensuring Database Availability in Complex Oracle RAC Environments

Rob O'Brien      Session: 4

This presentation will discuss how Oracle database administrators can effectively and efficiently manage and administer their Oracle9i RAC environment, from the application down to the data.   Critical aspects of Oracle9i RAC clustering and recovery methods will also be discussed.

 

Working with Multiple Block Sizes in Oracle9i and Oracle10g

Chris Ostrowski      Session: 1

This presentation will show the basics of working with multiple block sizes, monitoring the use of the buffer pools, some of the expected performance benefits, and the subtle, yet very important, differences of the functionality of the buffer pools in Oracle9i.

 

Implementing RAC on Linux Using FireWire Shared Disks

Bill Pass      Session: 6

Learn how to build, install, and configure your own Linux RAC cluster using FireWire shared disk technology.  Using FireWire, you can build your own cluster for a fraction of the cost of other shared disk approaches.  Although an economical technology for personal experimentation, FireWire is not a supported Oracle configuration.

 

LOB Internals and Performance Tuning

Tanel Poder      Session: 5

This presentation will describe LOB internals and various LOB tuning ways and features.   Measurements and recommendations are made for different environments, different sized LOBs, and different access patterns.

 

Keep Downtime Short on Oracle11i Upgrade

Tanel Poder      Session: 10

This session will present practical tips on upgrading Oracle Applications 11i by using Applications' new features and tweaking Oracle Server.  It covers everything from planning issues to hints and recommendations on how to speed up the whole upgrade process.   It will also discuss keeping downtime short on Applications' 11i migrations, migration methodologies, migration constraints, reducing migration time, monitoring upgrade performance, customizations, what to expect on the first day live, and common schemes for upgrading with short downtime.

 

High Availability with Oracle Real Applications Cluster

Marshall Presser      Session: 3 For mission-critical database applications, minimizing downtime is critical.   Oracle Real Application Clusters is one important tool to keep applications available.  This presentation will focus on clustering in general and Oracle RAC-how it works, what some issues are in deployment, and perhaps a small demo.  Some DBA experience with Oracle would be helpful, but not necessary.

 

Oracle Spatial 101: Learning to Use Locator and Spatial

Steven Ray      Session: 9

In this presentation, Oracle Spatial fundamentals will be highlighted.  This will enable the DBA or developer to start using Oracle Spatial today.  Instruction will be given on installation and license issues, and examples will be given.

 

Native PL/SQL Compilation in Oracle9i

Roger Schrag      Session: 2

Starting in Oracle9i it is possible to compile your PL/SQL stored procedures into native machine code on your database server.  This session will provide a brief overview of the native compilation feature and continue on to discuss experiences on a project where a production application, including over 40,000 lines of complex PL/SQL code, was natively compiled.   It will discuss the actual performance improvements observed, system stability, and the inevitable unexpected issues that popped up along the way.

 

All About Oracle's Touch-Count Data Block Buffer Algorithm

Craig Shallahamer      Session: 2

Data block buffers are no longer managed using a modified least recently used algorithm.   The touch-based algorithm, introduced around Oracle 8.1.5, manages the buffer cache very differently than previous releases, significantly reduces latch contention, forces buffers to earn their right to remain in the cache, and allows for increased granular buffer performance optimization opportunities.

 

How Oracle Manages Your Automated Segment Space!

Peter Sharman      Session: 6

Oracle9i introduced the concept of automatic segment space management, affectionaly known as ASS Management.  This presentation will provide an overview of ASS Management in Oracle9i, then cover what is new in 10g in this area before drilling into the internals in more detail.

 

REAL Business Continuity With Oracle10g

Peter Sharman      Session: 10

All too often, people are not aware of the full capabilities of the Oracle database to provide real business continuity.  This presentation will look at the types of failures that can occur in the Oracle database environment, and then match the relevant Oracle technology to recover from those failures.  It will also touch briefly on what else is needed above and beyond Oracle for real business continuity.

 

An Introduction to Wait Events in Oracle

Terry Sutton and Roger Schrag      Session: 5

At any given moment, every Oracle server process is either busy servicing a request or waiting for something specific to happen-a condition we call a "wait event."  The Oracle instance maintains detailed statistics of all wait events-how many times each session has waited for a specific event, total time waited, and exactly what events are being waited on right now.  This information can be used to gain insight into the performance of both your application and database.   This presentation will define what wait events are and detail how to extract wait event information from the Oracle instance.

 

Installing Oracle 8.1.7.4 on Red Hat Release 7 and Above

Kyaw Z. Than      Session: 7

This presentation will detail how to successfully install Oracle8i on Red Hat 8.0. Oracle has not certified 8i on RedHat 8.0; however, this can be carried out successfully if proper procedures are followed.

 

It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out to Get You

William Thater      Session: 9

This presentation is a beginner's look at Oracle security and its interaction with network security.   It will give a general overview to help beginning DBAs think about securing their databases.

 

Interpreting Wait Events to Boost System Performance

Roger Schrag and Terry Sutton      Session: 8 Many of us have heard of wait events and know how to query the v$ views, but in this presentation we'll walk through real life examples of how we used wait event data to diagnose problems and boost system performance.  In each case, we'll present background on a performance problem as reported to us by a customer, techniques we used to collect wait event data, our analysis of this data, and the solutions we developed for the customer.  Many of us have heard of wait events and know how to query the v$ views, but in this presentation we'll walk through real life examples of how we used wait event data to diagnose problems and boost system performance.

 

You Probably Don't Need RAC

Mogens Norgaard      Session: 8 Unless you've been on vacation in Siberia or a similar place, an Oracle salesperson should have brought Oracle's Real Application Cluster (RAC) technology to your attention.  It promises high availability, CPU scaling, work partitioning, brighter sunrises, and much improved personal lives.  It's hard to say no to all these things.  Yet, there might be good (even legal) reasons for saying no to RAC.  This presentation will take you through RAC's technical foundation and describe some consequences (both technical and nontechnical) of using RAC in your shop and includes the world premiere of the highly interactive RAC game.

 

Tuning Oracle for Decision Support-A Proven Methodology

Dave Ensor      Session: 3 Since the release of Oracle version 6, Oracle Corporation has had a formal performance methodology and this has been adapted and improved over the years to reflect both the developing needs of Oracle's customers and improvements in the operation of the Oracle database engine.  This presentation will outline the current version of the methodology and discuss in some detail the key technical issues that can be beneficially addressed in a decision support environment, even when it is not feasible to make changes to the application queries.

 

Automatic Workload Repository (AWR), Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM), and Oracle Enterprise Manager (EM)

Kyle Hailey and Graham Wood      

This paper discusses the architecture and components of Oracle's new performance diagnosis and monitoring technology, which is built into the database server and externalized through Oracle Enterprise Manager (EM). This technology greatly simplifies the diagnosis and tuning process for Oracle databases. The major components discussed in this paper are the Automatic Workload Repository (AWR), Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM), and Oracle Enterprise Manager (EM). Underlying all of these components is the code instrumentation in the Oracle database code that generates the wealth of diagnostic statistics available from the Oracle database.

 

 

Technology Management

 

Ten Ways to Improve the Security of Your Systems

Robert Baxter      Session: 6

Mischief-makers are constantly searching and scanning the internet for vulnerable systems.   Are your systems vulnerable?  Ten basic practices will make it much more difficult for miscreants to attack your systems, networks, and databases.   This session will start participants thinking about basic security and bring poor security practices to the attention of their management.

 

Oracle9i, 10g - More Manageability, Less DBAs?

Steve Lemme      Session: 2

Oracle may be complete, but there are new challenges to be managed.  This presentation will discuss what an Oracle database is comprised of, learning to manage Oracle databases, and why DBAs are an essential component to any project or business.

 

Database Migration and Consolidation

Steve Lemme      Session: 4

Orchestrating a migration requires much more than just running a database upgrade utility.   There are many steps that must be executed to ensure business continuance.   This presentation will outline several key factors that determine the amount of time and effort in preparing and executing a migration/consolidation: database size, planned application outage, and the cost of unplanned downtime.

 

Real-World Requirements Management

Monte Malenke      Session: 7

Eighty-two percent of the effort required to correct problems in custom-developed software applications is due to erroneous or inadequate requirements, not design or coding, according to a survey conducted by DeMarco several years ago.  Most of us in the IT world have heard this for years, and the all too common user complaint after a system is delivered is, "That's not what we asked for!"  This presentation will briefly review common problems contributing to deficient business rule capture and management, but focuses on truly practical and proven real-world ways to effectively define and manage this information and involve all team members and stakeholders.

 

Responsibly Forecasting Oracle System Performance

Craig Shallahamer      Session: 6

Forecasting Oracle system performance is a proactive performance management requirement.   This presentation will introduce an industry standard systematic method for responsible forecasting and provide thorough explanations of the many ways performance can be forecasted along with their associated risks, costs, capabilities, and limitations.   Special attention is given toward transitioning into using forecasting as part of a DBA's daily routine.

 

 

Web Application Development

 

Introduction to Oracle Web Services

Bradley Brown      Session: 4

What's the next big thing in information technology?  Will it be web services?   When I wanted to learn about web services I read four books on SOAP, only to learn that I really didn't need to understand too much about SOAP.  This presentation will boil those four books and a lot more into one hour.  It will focus on the things you really need to know and care about web services.  Will it be the next big thing? Are you prepared?

 

Quick Web Development Using JDeveloper 10

Bradley Brown      Session: 7

JDeveloper 10g is an amazing development environment.  Each new version gets closer to rivaling Oracle Forms.  Now with the Oracle Application Developer Framework (ADF), which includes TopLink and Struts, you can quickly and easily develop a GUI/HTML-based web application using this point-and-click, drag-and-drop development tool.  In one hour, you will learn how to quickly develop an application using JDeveloper 10g.

 

Team-Based Software Development with Oracle JDeveloper and SCM

David Brown      Session: 10

Oracle's JDeveloper and Software Configuration Manager are described and demonstrated in this presentation, showing setup, management, and best practices to enable team-based JDeveloper software development.

 

Java Persistence Layer Options for Oracle

Ann Horton      Session: 7

Java's JDBC is a standard, low-level API for accessing relational databases from Java.   However, most larger Java applications require a more extensive layer of software to manage O/R mapping, database transactions, and database connections.  Using a sample Java application, this presentation will first examine the functions and features of a Java persistence layer.   Then we will examine options for implementing this persistence layer including DAOs, open-source frameworks such as iBatis, Hibernate, Oracle's TopLink, and BC4J.  Other options such as EJBs, JDOs, and SDOs will be briefly mentioned.  Both Java developers and DBAs who are supporting Java applications should find this presentation quite helpful.

 

Portal Application Server 10g New Features

Chris Ostrowski      Session: 9

This presentation will explore the new features of Oracle Portal 10g.

 

Crystal Reports on the Web

George Peck      Session: 8 See how the term "crystal reports" quickly becomes a misnomer when moving reports to the web.  You'll see various methods to get your Oracle-based crystal reports on the web, including HTML exports, ASP/COM, JSP, .NET interfaces, Crystal Enterprise Report Application Server, and Professional Editions.  And, learn about creative report design techniques to maximize web interactivity, such as drill-down, on-demand subreports, and hyperlinks.

 

 

Other

 

Life in the Trenches: Database Administration in the Real World

Rachel Carmichael      Session: 5

There is an abundance of presentations and papers that teach you the technical side of managing your database and environment.  This presentation is designed to teach you the human side, by showing you how to navigate the corporate politics that exist at all companies.

 

A Quantitative Basis for Measuring Data Quality Using Metadata

John Murphy      Session: 5

The presentation will describe data quality as related to metadata, development and management of data quality statistics, metadata attributes used in data quality audits and assessments, data quality checkpoints in the information supply chain, developing data quality baselines, use of metadata in a data quality improvement program, and compliance and data integrity.

 

Feng Shui at Work

Tamara Swilley      Session: 10

This presentation provides tips for technical workers and managers on creating harmonious, highly productive, financially rewarding, and physically healthy office environments by setting up their offices and desks in a certain manner.  The presentation also addresses common personnel issues amongst coworkers and managers and tells how to reduce them.   Electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation in the day-to-day technical environment, and what to do about it, is also covered.

 

 

Vendor Presentations

 

Architectural Challenges and Strategies for Migration of Oracle Forms to J2EE

Sri Rajan, Churchill Software      Session: 7

The J2EE architecture presents as many technology, skill, and adoption challenges as it does benefits to open, standards-based, freedom-of-choice computing.  For Oracle Forms customers migrating to J2EE, what are the strategies for evaluating the formidable challenge of application and code partitioning?  What sort of framework should be applied to place components in the appropriate tier in the J2EE model?  Any assessment of an enterprise-grade migration must evaluate fundamental issues that surround the quality of code generated, its comprehensiveness, speed, maintainability, and its graceful extensibility with Model-View-Controller (MVC) design patterns.  Churchill will examine these decision variables from standards-based infrastructure, including Java Server Faces (JSF), Application Development Framework (ADF), and Oracle Business Components for Java (BC4J).

 

Live Data Protection for the On-Demand Oracle Enterprise

Don Graham, DataMirror      Session: 2

With costs of downtime in the thousands of dollars per minute range, ensuring the high availability of Oracle systems is a business imperative.  Data protection solutions allow businesses to protect their systems against the costs and effects of downtime by maintaining highly efficient distributed data processing and workload balancing.  This session will discuss the importance of live data protection solutions within today's on-demand Oracle enterprise, the criteria for selecting a solution, as well as how to evaluate your data protection needs and manage your expectations.

 

Performance Diagnostics:   Immediate Results vs. Trial and Error

Gary Goodman, Hotsos Enterprises, Ltd.      Session: 5

In this session, Hotsos will showcase the value of extended SQL trace data in determining your user response time issues.  Conventional performance management tools look at your performance from your computer's perspective.  But to maximize the impact of performance improvements to your business, you need to view performance from the user's perspective.  One of the most difficult tasks facing system performance analysts is to answer the seemingly simple question, "What's taking so long?"  Utilizing the Hotsos Profiler, we will highlight the value of a complete accounting of any individual's response time.  We will demonstrate how the Hotsos Profiler brings you to the answer within two mouse clicks, for any Oracle-related performance problem.

 

Database Cross Training for a Heterogeneous World-SQL Server Administration for Oracle DBAs

Azeem Mohammed, Quest Software      Session: 4

If you are an Oracle DBA, what do you need to know about your future?  What applications and technologies do you need to be aware of to maintain your competitive edge?  To help you administer more than one database simultaneously, Quest Software offers a presentation that reviews common database terminology, discusses how each database handles space management, and offers helpful tips on administrative differences.

 

Enterprise-Wide Scheduling with Oracle E-business Suite and TIDAL

Michelle Szabo, TIDAL Software      Session: 1

TIDAL Software offers Oracle E-Business Suite users a way to leverage the Oracle Concurrent Manager to launch, monitor, and control any type of Oracle process across all platforms in the environment.   This allows Oracle E-Business Suite processes to have cross-dependencies with Oracle processes in other departments as well as non-Oracle jobs throughout the organization.   TIDAL is an Oracle Certified Business Partner for Oracle E-Business Suite.

 

Data Virtualization for HTML DB, Portal, and RFID

Bradley Brown, TUSC      Session: 6

TUSC's Periscope software virtualizes all data sources so they appear as if they are in one large database (i.e., Oracle).  Periscope is a nonobtrusive, real-time, virtual integration solution - virtualizing data access through Oracle.  Periscope specializes in helping companies access and analyze otherwise inaccessible information locked in disparate parts of the organization.  Whether you're using Oracle Forms, Reports, HTML DB, Portal, or any vendor's application written for the Oracle Database, Periscope provides access to ANY data that exists throughout your company. Periscope also provides a powerful search engine and report writer for your end users.