Oracle8 & Unix Performance Tuning with CDROM

The goal of this book is to optimize performance on higher-end Unix servers that are running Oracle version 7 or 8. First, the book discusses the issues that affect Unix performance, offering detailed support for several popular flavors of Unix, including Solaris 2.6 and HP/UX (Hewlett-Packard Unix) 11. After a soup-to-nuts tour of the architecture of Unix, the guide moves on to issues of tuning performance in memory and processors. Obviously, optimizing disk performance is a critical area for speeding up databases, so Oracle8 and Unix Performance Tuning covers a number of related issues (such as configuring striped volumes, mirroring, and RAID [Redundant Array of Inexpensive Discs] technologies). This section also presents tips for optimizing a variety of disk options.

The next sections of the book examine how to tune Oracle. Here, the author, who works for Oracle Corp., shares his expertise in getting the most out of Oracle, including how to maximize performance in new object-relational databases. Two short but useful appendices round out the text, providing checklists for optimal installations of Unix and Oracle. --Richard Dragan