Re: sort area size

Henk,

Memory is allocated for sorts at the time the session needs to perform the sort. I can't find
anything that references the amount of memory allocated to perform the in-memory sorts, but
I can assure you it does not allocate the SORT AREA SIZE param's value!

The sort area allocated will grow to accomodate the amount of data you are sorting, but is
obviously limited to SORT AREA SIZE. Don't let this confuse you, though. If the amount of
data that needs to be sorted doesn't fit in SORT AREA SIZE, the data is divided into smaller
pieces that do fit in SORT AREA SIZE, and those datasets (called "runs") are sorted
individually. Once the runs are all complete, they are merged to produce the final result.

The memory deallocated after the sort is complete is freed, but only for use by that same
Oracle process. It IS NOT released to the OS. Hope that helps,

 smd                                       

Sean M. Dillon - Technology Group
Oracle Service Industries
http://www.oracle.com

"Henk Streunding" <9697nl_at_bart.nl> wrote in message news:cdYh6.20501$B5.134845_at_typhoon.bart.nl...
> Hello,
>
>
> a question about the sort area size :
>
>
> Is the amount of memory allocated when a user logs in or
> is it allocated at the moment when an operation needs it ?
>
> If the second option is the right one, then another question :
> Does it keep this amount which is needed till the parameter-setting is
 reached
> or does it claim the amount set in the init.ora at once?
> Is the amount allocated released after the execution has come to an
 end, or
> does it keep the amount available for the user?
>
>
>
> Many thanks so far,
>
>
> Henk Streunding
>
>
>

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