Preface

The Oracle Tuning Pack provides advanced tools that focus on tuning the highest impact database performance areas, such as: application SQL, indexing strategies, instance parameters controlling I/O, SGA performance, and object sizing, placement, and reorganization. The tools included in this pack are designed to work together to accomplish many database tuning tasks. The applications included in the Oracle Tuning Pack are: Oracle SQL Analyze, Oracle Expert, Outline Editor, Outline Management, Oracle Index Tuning Wizard, Reorg Wizard, and the Tablespace Map.

This preface covers the following topics:

Purpose

The purpose of this manual is to introduce you to the Oracle Tuning Pack applications. The manual describes how you can use each of the applications as part of an overall database tuning process.

Although this manual provides some guidelines for tuning your database, it does not attempt to be a definitive source for making tuning decisions. For more complete information about database and SQL application tuning, see the books listed in "Related Publications".

Audience

This manual is intended for database administrators, developers of Oracle-based applications, and all those responsible for the maintenance and performance of an Oracle database.

How This Manual is Organized

This manual contains the following six parts:

Part 1	Introduction to the Oracle Tuning Pack This section briefly describes the individual pack applications and provides tips on choosing the right application to perform your database tuning tasks.
Part 2	Introduction to Oracle SQL Analyze This section provides an overview of Oracle SQL Analyze. Oracle SQL Analyze helps you optimize the performance of SQL statements run against your databases.
Part 3	SQL Explain Plan This brief chapter will introduce you to SQL Explain plans and help you read and understand them.
Part 4	Introduction to Oracle Expert This section provides an overview of Oracle Expert. Oracle Expert is used to automate performance tuning and generate tuning recommendations.
Part 5	Introduction to Oracle Index Tuning Wizard This section provides an overview of the Oracle Index Tuning wizard. This wizard identifies tables with inefficient indexes and makes recommendations which will improve access to those tables.
Part 6	Introduction to the Reorg Wizard This section provides an overview of the Reorg Wizard. This wizard takes you step-by-step through a complete or partial tablespace reorganization to eliminate space usage problems.
Part 7	Introduction to the Tablespace Map This section provides an overview of the Tablespace Map. This map provides a detailed graphical display of the segments within a selected tablespace. You can perform a segment analysis to see if the segments could benefit from a reorganization or rebuild.
Part 8	Introduction to Outline Management and Introduction to the Outline Editor This section provides an overview of the Outline Management and Outline Editor tools. These tools are built on Oracle's Plan Stability functionality and allow you to create, modify, delete, and manage stored outlines.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

Convention	Meaning
boldface text	Boldface type in text indicates a term defined in the text, the glossary, or in both locations.
=>	Indicates that you choose a menu option. For example, File=>Exit means select the Exit option from the File menu.
[ ]	A key name enclosed in brackets indicates that you press that key. For example, [F1] means the function key labeled "F1."

Related Publications

For further details about the information provided in this manual, see the following manuals in the Oracle Server documentation set:

Oracle Enterprise Manager Documentation

The Oracle Enterprise Manager Readme provides important notes regarding the online documentation, updates to the software, and other late-breaking information for Oracle Enterprise Manager and the Oracle Management Packs.
The Oracle Enterprise Manager Administrator's Guide explains how to use Oracle Enterprise Manager, Oracle's systems management console, common services, and integrated platform tool.
The Oracle Enterprise Manager Concepts Guide provides an overview of the Oracle Enterprise Manager.
The Oracle Enterprise Manager Configuration Guide explains how to configure Oracle Enterprise Manager.
The Oracle Enterprise Manager Event Test Reference Manual is a compilation of all the event tests used with the Oracle Enterprise Manager. Detailed information for each event test is provided.
The Oracle Enterprise Manager Messages Manual describes the Oracle Enterprise Manager error messages and methods for diagnosing the messages.
The Oracle Intelligent Agent User's Guide provides configuration information and answers to crucial troubleshooting questions pertaining to the Oracle Intelligent Agent.

Oracle Management Pack Installation documentation

The Oracle 9i Installation Guide Release 9.0.1 for UNIX Systems provides important information for installing the Oracle Enterprise Manager console and the management packs. This manual also contains information such as hardware and software requirements, installable components, and deinstallation procedures. You can get a free download of the Oracle 9i Installation Guide Release 9.0.1 for UNIX Systems from the Oracle Documentation Center at docs.oracle.com. If you are installing on a platform other than UNIX, see your platform-specific installation guide also located at docs.oracle.com.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Change Management Pack documentation

The Getting Started with Oracle Change Management Pack manual provides an overview of the concepts and features of the Oracle Change Management Pack applications.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Diagnostics Pack documentation

The Getting Started with the Oracle Diagnostics Pack provides an overview of the concepts and features of the Oracle Diagnostics Pack applications.

Oracle Enterprise Manager Tuning Pack documentation

The Database Tuning with the Oracle Tuning Pack guide provides an overview of the concepts and features of each of the applications included in the Oracle Tuning Pack. The applications include: Oracle SQL Analyze, Oracle Expert, SQL Explain Plan, Oracle Index Tuning Wizard, Reorg Wizard, Tablespace Map, Outline Management, and the Outline Editor. A description of how these applications can work together to tune an Oracle database is also provided.

Oracle Management Pack for Oracle Applications documentation

The Getting Started with Oracle Management Pack for Oracle Applications provides an overview of the concepts and features of the Oracle Performance Manager and Oracle Capacity Planner. It also describes the Oracle Event Tests that are provided with the Oracle Applications Management Pack.

Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3 documentation

The Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3 Readme provides important notes regarding the Management Pack for SAP R/3 online documentation, updates to the software, and other late-breaking information.
The Getting Started with Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3 manual provides an overview of the concepts and features of the Oracle Performance Manager and Oracle Capacity Planner. It also describes the Oracle Event Tests that are provided with the Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3.
The Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3 Installation provides important information for installing the Oracle Management Pack for SAP R/3. This manual also contains information such as hardware and software requirements, installable components, and deinstallation procedures.

Oracle Support

The Oracle MetaLink site provides access to information that will aid you in using Oracle products such as: hot topics, product reference, installation assistance materials, white papers, problem/solution articles, and more. To use this site you must be a licensed Oracle user with an active support service contract. Contact your Oracle sales representative for more information.

Documentation Accessibility

Oracle's goal is to make our products, services, and supporting documentation accessible to the disabled community with good usability. To that end, our documentation includes features that make information available to users of assistive technology. This documentation is available in HTML format, and contains markup to facilitate access by the disabled community. Standards will continue to evolve over time, and Oracle is actively engaged with other market-leading technology vendors to address technical obstacles so that our documentation can be accessible to all of our customers. For additional information, visit the Oracle Accessibility Program web site at http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/.