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Re: db_cache_size and cache buffer chain waits

From: Jonathan Lewis <jonathan_at_jlcomp.demon.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 10:04:25 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.0057371D.20030326100425@fatcity.com>

I would be a little surprised if the problem relates to dynamic memory management, or the use of the db_cache_size parameter.

However, it is possible that you managed to change the number of db block buffers available quite dramatically - which could have an effect on the size at which a table is considered to be a 'small' table, which could have an impact on the actual resource usage for the execution of a specific plan.

An alternative explanation - given the change in performance when you changed from a
temporary table to a permanent table is the issue of getting statistics generated for a temporary table. If there are significant differences in the execution plans involving the critical table, you could investigate the use of the dynamic_sampling hint (level 2 is probably appropriate for the temp table) to improve Oracle's knowledge of the contents of the temporary table.

NB - when you say 'hanging' does you mean:

    The CPU is working hard but the process     is not completing
or

    The process is stuck in the same wait     state and never changes the wait seq# or

    The process is recording huge numbers     of continually changing wait states

Regards

Jonathan Lewis
http://www.jlcomp.demon.co.uk

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> I reconfigured a database to use the dynamic memory management
features
> of Oracle 9i by setting the db_cache_size parameter. After doing
so, we
> ran into a problem with a data mart build script that builds a
temporary
> table (type temp) by populating it with key values and then cycling
> through the table, joining it to others on the key, and updating the
> rows with values pulled from these other tables. After setting the
> db_cache_size parameter, the build script hangs in the update loop
and
> the session is experiencing huge numbers of latch free waits on the
> cache buffer chains.
>
> We recreated the temporary table as a permanent table and the build
> script runs as expected.
>
> Anyone experienced anything like this with the db_cache_size
parameter
> and temporary tables?
>
> This is on a Compaq server running Tru64; the database is version
> 9.2.0.2 with all the latest patches installed.
>
> I haven't come across anything on metalink about it. We're not
wedded
> to the idea of using a temproary table in these builds, so I'm more
> curious than anything else.
>
> Glenn Stauffer
> Swarthmore College
>

-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
-- 
Author: Jonathan Lewis
  INET: jonathan_at_jlcomp.demon.co.uk

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Received on Wed Mar 26 2003 - 12:04:25 CST

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