Re: Oracle Block Sizes

In article <3qbbcp$ibk_at_caesar.ultra.net>, droth_at_dr.ultranet.com says...
>
>mikel_at_nic (Michael LeWinter) wrote:
>
>>I know that it's not a one size fits all question, but
>>is there a generally accepted block size (2k, 4k, 8k ...) parameter for Oracle
>>when the primary use is a query-only system.
 

>>If it makes any difference, it is a HP UX system with Fast and Wide 2GB SCSI
>>disks.
 

>>Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>>--
>
>Warning: make sure you have enough memory. If you double the blocks
>size and keep db_blocks the same (as you should) the size of the SGA
>will nearly double.

Not a problem if you use Big Oracle Blocks and Large SGA capabilities available only on 64-bit Digital UNIX and Alpha platforms. Big Oracle Blocks (BOB) can be up to 32K, allow you to use up to 14GB or physical memory, and are ideal in query-only and decision support platforms.Larry Ellison boasted of stellar performance in the joint Oracle-Digital announcement of Very Large Memory capabilities.

A rule of thumb: for OLTP, use smaller block sizes (2K or 4K). For decision support, background work, or query-only, use larger block sizes.

-- 
Lisa Roderick
Applications Systems Engineering Performance Group
Digital Equipment Corporation
Nashua, NH
lisa.roderick_at_zko.mts.dec.com