OCP: Oracle8i DBA SQL and PL/SQL Study Guide Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA SQL and PL/SQL Study Guide Chip Dawes Biju Thomas San Francisco • Paris • Düsseldorf • Soest • London Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com Associate Publisher: Richard Mills Contracts and Licensing Manager: Kristine O’Callaghan Acquisitions & Developmental Editor: Kim Goodfriend Associate Developmental Editor: Ben Tompkins Editor: Nancy Conner, Marilyn Smith Production Editors: Lisa Duran, Leslie E H Light Technical Editors: Betty MacEwen, Ashok Hanumanth Book Designer: Bill Gibson Graphic Illustrator: Tony Jonick Electronic Publishing Specialist: Susie Hendrickson Proofreader: Lindy Wolf Indexer: Matthew Spence CD Coordinator: Kara Eve Schwartz CD Technician: Keith McNeil Cover Design: Archer Design Cover/Photograph: Photo Researchers Copyright © 2000 SYBEX Inc., 1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501 World rights reserved No part of this 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may or may not be copy-protected or encrypted However, in all cases, reselling or redistributing these files without authorization is expressly forbidden except as specifically provided for by the Owner(s) therein SYBEX warrants the enclosed media to be free of physical defects for a period of ninety (90) days after purchase The Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com To my wife Mary and my children Zachary and Charlie -Chip Dawes To my wife Shiji and my parents, who are there whenever I need support and guidance -Biju Thomas Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com Acknowledgments I would like to thank the folks at Sybex who helped with this book Ben, your prodding to stay on schedule kept us going; Lisa and Nancy; and Kim (good luck at Organic.com) Thank you, Betty—your technical reviews and insights raised the quality of this book I’d like to thank Oracle for producing a great database and language Thank you, Biju, for jumping into the book and helping to make it possible I owe a big thanks to my family: Mary, Zachary, and Charlie They put up with a lot of lost time with me while I was working on this book -Chip Dawes Anything is possible with hard work and dedication from a group of people I would like to thank Sybex for giving me the opportunity to write this book I thank the excellent team at Sybex for their support and patience, especially Kim, Ben, Nancy, Betty, Lisa, and Chip, who helped to bring the best out of me I thank my parents and sisters, who simply are the best I thank all my friends—you helped all through my career knowingly or unknowingly This book is for all of you who have been a source of inspiration in my life Thank you, Shiji, for being there when I was busy working and for all your support and love -Biju Thomas Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com Introduction T here is high demand and competition for professionals in the Information Technology (IT) industry, and the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) certification is the hottest credential in the database world You have made the right decision to pursue certification: Being an OCP will give you a distinct advantage in this highly competitive market Many readers may already be familiar with Oracle and not need an introduction to the Oracle database world For those who aren’t familiar with the company, Oracle (founded in 1977), is the world’s leading database company and second-largest independent software company, with revenues of more than $9 billion, serving more than 145 countries Oracle databases are the de facto standard for large Internet sites, and Oracle has positioned itself to continue this dominance of the Internet market This book is intended to help you on your exciting path toward obtaining the Oracle8i Certified Database Administrator and Oracle8i Certified Application Developer certifications Basic knowledge of Oracle SQL and PL/SQL is an advantage when reading this book but is not mandatory Using this book and a practice database, you can start learning Oracle and pass the IZ0-001 test: Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL Why Become an Oracle Certified Professional? The number one reason to become an Oracle Certified Professional is to gain more visibility and greater access to the industry’s most challenging opportunities The OCP program is the best way to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in Oracle database systems The certification tests are scenario-based, which is the most effective way to assess your hands-on expertise and critical problem-solving skills Certification is proof of your knowledge and shows that you have the skills required to support Oracle core products The OCP program can help a company to identify proven performers who have demonstrated their skills and who can support the company’s investment in Oracle technology It demonstrates that you have a solid understanding of your role and the Oracle products used in that role Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com xviii Introduction So, whether you are beginning a career, changing careers, securing your present position, or seeking to refine and promote your position, this book is for you! Oracle Certifications Oracle has several certification tracks designed to meet different skill levels Each track consists of several tests, and these tests can be taken in any order The following tracks are available:
Oracle Database Administrator
Oracle Application Developer
Oracle Database Operator
Oracle Java Developer
Oracle Financial Applications Consultant Database Administrator (DBA) The role of the Database Administrator (DBA) has become a key to success in today’s highly complex database systems The best DBAs work behind the scenes but are in the spotlight when critical issues arise They plan, create, maintain, and ensure that the database is available for the business They are always watching the database for performance issues and to prevent unscheduled downtime The DBA’s job requires broad understanding of the architecture of Oracle databases and expertise in solving problems The Oracle8i Certified Database Administrator track consists of the following five tests:
1Z0-001: Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL
1Z0-023: Oracle8i: Architecture and Administration
1Z0-025: Oracle8i: Backup and Recovery
1Z1-024: Oracle8i: Performance and Tuning
1Z1-026: Oracle8i: Network Administration Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com Why Become an Oracle Certified Professional? xix Oracle Application Developer This track tests your skills in client-server application development using Oracle application development tools, such as Developer/2000, SQL, PL/SQL, and SQL*Plus The following five tests comprise this track:
1Z0-001: Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL
1Z0-101: Develop PL/SQL Program Units
1Z0-121: Developer/2000: Build Forms I
1Z0-122: Developer/2000: Build Forms II
1Z0-123: Developer/2000: Build Reports More Information The most current information about Oracle certification can be found at http://education.oracle.com Follow the Certification Home Page link and choose the track that you are interested in Read the Candidate Guide for the test objectives and test contents, and keep in mind that these can change at any time without notice OCP: Database Administrator Track The Oracle8i Database Administrator certification consists of five tests, and Sybex offers several study guides to help you achieve the OCP Database Administrator Certification There are three books in this series:
OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA SQL and PL/SQL Study Guide
OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup & Recovery Study Guide
OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Performance Tuning and Network Administration Study Guide Additionally, these three books are offered in a boxed set:
OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Certification Kit Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com xx Introduction Table F.1 lists the five exams for the DBA track, their scoring (where available), and the Sybex study guides that will help you pass each exam Table F.1: OCP Database Administrator Tests and Passing Scores Total Questions Questions Correct Passing Score Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL 60 43 72% OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA SQL and PL/SQL Study Guide 1Z0-023 Oracle8i: Architecture and Administration 65 38 58% OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup & Recovery Study Guide 1Z0-024 Oracle8i: Performance Tuning 57 38 67% OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Performance Tuning and Network Administration Study Guide 1Z0-025 Oracle8i: Backup and Recovery 60 34 57% OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup & Recovery Study Guide 1Z0-026 Oracle8i: Network Administration 60 41 60% OCP: Oracle8i™ DBA Performance Tuning and Network Administration Study Guide Exam # Title 1Z0-001 Sybex Study Guide Skills Required for DBA Certification Listed here are some of the skills you must master for DBA certification Even if you not have all the skills, you can start taking the exams for which you feel confident The exams can be taken in any order Copyright ©2000 SYBEX , Inc., Alameda, CA www.sybex.com ... series:
OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA SQL and PL /SQL Study Guide
OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup & Recovery Study Guide
OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA Performance Tuning and Network... Oracle: SQL and PL /SQL 60 43 72% OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA SQL and PL /SQL Study Guide 1Z0-023 Oracle8i: Architecture and Administration 65 38 58% OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA Architecture & Administration and Backup... Recovery Study Guide 1Z0-024 Oracle8i: Performance Tuning 57 38 67% OCP: Oracle8i? ?? DBA Performance Tuning and Network Administration Study Guide 1Z0-025 Oracle8i: Backup and Recovery 60 34 57% OCP: Oracle8i? ??