SMON Having lock on temporary segment (enqueue lock)

Hi

On my database(Oracle server 7.3.2.) SMON is holding a lock on some object and lock type is "Temporary Segment enqueue lock" and lock mode is 3. Also I look into unix and this process is not taking much of resources from OS. Even though it hold lock on some object (which is 7 digit object id and looking into all object there is no object for that object id) database seems running smooth. My only concern is I never saw SMON holding some thing.

According to Oracle Server Administration Guide book SMON cleans up temporary segments that are no longer in use. But on the Performance Tuining Book (Oracle Press) Aronoff and et al it says that if query requires to use temporary tablespace it allocates a temporary segment with in temporary tablespace; when the query completes, the space used by the temporary segment is not dropped. Instead, the space used by the temporary segment is available for use by other queries.

The temporary tablespace is defined as temporary. Which means that all the segments allocated in temporary tablespace will remain as it is and SMON will not try to clean the temporary segment. Which is according to Arnoff and et al book. But from the server administration guide from oracle says temporary segment is allocated as it is needed and after there query is done it will be dropped. Now I am confused. Can any one can explain this how this works?
Also Why SMON is keeping lock?

Thank you in advance ... Received on Sat Sep 12 1998 - 00:00:00 CDT