Lesson 1

Welcome to Database Administration Features.
This course introduces you to the object-oriented paradigm within the context of Oracle, then focuses on the SQL and PL/SQL commands for creating, modifying, and manipulating data within objects such as object tables and related object tables. This course also covers

1. nested tables,
2. varrays,
3. LOBs,
4. object types, and
5. objects embedded

within relational tables. You will learn the steps necessary to create and use methods written in PL/SQL to manipulate data within objects. This is the first course in the five-part Oracle New Features Certification Series. Taken in conjunction with the other courses within this website, this course will prepare to learn the prerequisites for becoming an Oracle DBA. Along the way, you will work on a series of course projects and exercises that will give you a chance to put your new skills to use in the context of actual business scenarios.

Oracle still uses an object-oriented paradigm for its PL/SQL constructs. Object types were introduced in Oracle Database 7, and they provide a way to create and manipulate object-oriented data in the database. Object types can be used to model real-world objects, such as customers, products, and orders. They can also be used to encapsulate data and behavior, and to create reusable software components. PL/SQL also supports other object-oriented features, such as inheritance, polymorphism, and dynamic binding. This allows developers to build complex object-oriented applications using PL/SQL.
Here are some examples of how object-oriented programming can be used in PL/SQL:

1. Modeling real-world objects: An object type can be used to model a real-world object, such as a customer. The object type can define the attributes of the customer, such as name, address, and phone number. It can also define methods for manipulating the customer data, such as adding a new customer or updating an existing customer's information.
2. Encapsulating data and behavior: Object types can be used to encapsulate data and behavior. This means that the data and the methods for manipulating the data are hidden inside the object type. This can help to improve the security and maintainability of the code.
3. Creating reusable software components: Object types can be used to create reusable software components. This can save time and effort when developing new applications.

Overall, object-oriented programming is a powerful paradigm that can be used to build complex and maintainable PL/SQL applications.

1. Simplified and improved automatic memory management^[1]. You can now set a single initialization parameter (MEMORY_TARGET) to indicate the total amount of memory that is to be allocated to the database (the SGA and instance PGA). The system then automatically and dynamically tunes all SGA and PGA components for optimal performance. You can still designate minimum sizes individually for the SGA and instance PGA.
2. New fault diagnosability infrastructure to prevent, detect, diagnose, and help resolve critical database errors. The goals of the fault diagnosability infrastructure are preventing and detecting problems (critical errors) proactively, limiting damage and interruptions after a problem is detected, reducing problem diagnostic time, reducing problem resolution time, and simplifying customer interaction with Oracle Support. The framework includes technologies such as health checks that run when a critical error occurs; proactive in-memory tracing for many database components to permit first-failure data capture; an Incident Packaging Service that packages all diagnostic data for a problem into a zip file for transmission to Oracle Support; and Enterprise Manager Support Workbench, which provides a graphical environment for investigating, reporting, and resolving problems. Also included is integration with the new SQL Repair Advisor, for diagnosing and repairing SQL-related problems, the SQL Test Case Builder, which gathers all required schema and environment information to enable a SQL problem to be reproduced on another Oracle database, and the Data Recovery Advisor, which helps diagnose, evaluate the impact of, and repair data corruptions and other data failures.

Oracle does make a distinction between Oracle 23c and Oracle 23ai, even though they are fundamentally the same underlying database release. Here's the breakdown:

• Oracle 23c: This was the initial name for the release, highlighting its cloud capabilities (the "c" stood for cloud, as with previous releases). It was released for Oracle Cloud Database Service in October 2023.
• Oracle 23ai: In May 2024, Oracle rebranded 23c as "23ai" to emphasize the significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities included in this release. This renaming coincided with the general availability of the on-premises version of the database.

Key takeaways:

• Same Release: Both 23c and 23ai refer to the same core database version with the same features.
• Shift in Focus: The name change reflects Oracle's strategic emphasis on AI and ML as key differentiators in the database market.
• Marketing and Branding: The rebranding to 23ai is primarily a marketing and communication strategy to highlight the AI capabilities and attract developers and businesses interested in those features.

Essentially, think of "23ai" as the new, official name for the database release formerly known as "23c." The change underscores Oracle's commitment to AI and its integration within the database environment.
In the next lesson, the prerequisites for this course will be discussed.

[1]automatic memory management: With automatic memory management, the Oracle instance dynamically tunes all memory components to optimize performance as the workload changes.