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RE: RE: Useful Oracle books

From: Cary Millsap <cary.millsap_at_hotsos.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 11:25:37 -0500
Message-ID: <03d601c447f5$161c2780$6701a8c0@CVMLAP02>


What I tried to say in response to the "how to fix" problem is this:

  1. Find where you're spending your time.
  2. Find why the application does that thing so many times.
  3. Fix the application so that it does that thing fewer times.
  4. If an important program is efficient but still slow, then either eliminate (e.g., reschedule) or fix its competition (using steps 1-3).

If someone's convinced there's some "silver bullet" lurking inside their system, then he gets frustrated for my not telling him what that is. But in my experience, most real problems have solutions that require actual thought, not just some tips & techniques type of response. (The problem is that like real silver bullets, most tips & techniques have a high capacity for causing collateral damage.)

What I've tried to do is show that steps 1 and 2 can be mechanized. (In my experience, steps 1 and 2 are where most people goof up, by the way.) Step 3 requires intelligence and creativity to do well. But it's nearly impossible to do step 3 decently if you've done steps 1 and 2 incorrectly.

Cary Millsap
Hotsos Enterprises, Ltd.
http://www.hotsos.com
* Nullius in verba *

Upcoming events:

- Performance Diagnosis 101: 6/22 Pittsburgh, 7/20 Cleveland, 8/10 Boston
- SQL Optimization 101: 5/24 San Diego, 6/14 Chicago, 6/28 Denver
- Hotsos Symposium 2005: March 6-10 Dallas
- Visit www.hotsos.com for schedule details...


-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Freeman Robert - IL
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 9:55 AM
To: 'Cary Millsap '; 'oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org '; 'oracle-l_at_freelists.org '
Subject: RE: RE: Useful Oracle books

The thing that strikes me is that there is not a "solution" for all situations and yet that seems to be what many look for.... What I like about Cary's book is that he provides a way to determine what the problem is, but he kind of leaves it to you to figure out WHAT to do with the problem once you find it (feel free to correct me there Cary).

It is my experience (for what it's worth) that rules of thumb, and the like are just boxes to put yourself in, and you end up using a sub-par solution rather than a really good solution. Granted, finding the really good solutions can take time, effort and can lead to some spectacular failures..... :-)

Not that I've ever experienced any spectacular failures...

Robert

-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Sent: 5/28/2004 9:22 AM
Subject: RE: RE: Useful Oracle books

Test the things you read, if they might make an important difference in the
performance of your system. If you pay too much attention to /any/ book, you'll learn this the hard way. Judge what you read in the little SQL Tuning
Pocket Guide very carefully.

Cary Millsap
Hotsos Enterprises, Ltd.
http://www.hotsos.com
* Nullius in verba *

Upcoming events:
- Performance Diagnosis 101: 6/22 Pittsburgh, 7/20 Cleveland, 8/10 Boston

- SQL Optimization 101: 5/24 San Diego, 6/14 Chicago, 6/28 Denver
- Hotsos Symposium 2005: March 6-10 Dallas
- Visit www.hotsos.com for schedule details...


-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org]
On Behalf Of ryan.gaffuri_at_cox.net
Sent: Friday, May 28, 2004 8:52 AM
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: RE: RE: Useful Oracle books

They are different types of books. Dan's book teaches a 'process' for mapping out SQL statements. Its applicable every where.

Guy Harrisons book is more 'ok we tried this and here is the result'. Most
of it is useful. Some disagree, but the section telling you to convert updates to cursors with 'where current of' is inaccurate. The rest is good.
I recommend reading it.

Both are useful. Dan's is better. Its a slow read... and not a reference book. You need to read the whole thing. Guy Harrison's is more of a reference book.

I also liked the little O'reilly SQL Tuning book. Nice little reference book
that you can flip through. Most everything in it is in the documentation,
but its condensed and easy to reference. It's cheap too.

Here is a list of recommended tuning books that a guy in Oracle Support wrote. I worked with him. He knows what he is doing... Dan's book isn't on
it. I'm sure it will be.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/VL8CI2YJANX 1/re
f=cm_lm_dp_l_1/104-9801265-8991939
>
> From: "Charu Joshi" <joshic_at_mahindrabt.com>
> Date: 2004/05/28 Fri AM 09:47:33 EDT
> To: <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>
> Subject: RE: RE: Useful Oracle books



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Received on Tue Jun 01 2004 - 11:23:52 CDT

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