V$SQLAREA BUFFER_GETS

I executed the following query:

select sum(buffer_gets), max(buffer_gets) from v$sqlarea;

It returned 2,298,700,479 and 2,141,389,791. Later it showed -1.974E+09 and 377,162,424. (Note the minus sign!)

This looks like a 32 bit binary arithmetic overflow. (Max 32 bit signed number is 2,147,483,647)

How can this be? The column buffer_gets is defined as number. Shouldn't there be 38 digits of precision? Received on Fri Feb 26 1999 - 11:26:53 CST