flushing the db buffer cache

I want to be able to flush the db buffer cache when I am doing tuning. I thinks I can do it like so:
select /*+ FULL(big) CACHE(big) */ count(*) from bigtable big;

Where bigtable used space (highwater mark) > db_buffer_cache size. The explain plan shows that a full table scan is indeed used, but is the CACHE
hint making it flush out any buffers not currently used? Or is it sticking to the
multiblock_read_count (64k) part of the cache?

PS. Don't try this on your production system ;-)

Comments? Suggestions?
Thanks in advance
-tm Received on Thu Feb 12 1998 - 00:00:00 CST