Re: Newbie Tablespace Question

pbeckert_at_interaccess.com (Phil Beckert) wrote:

>I've inherited an Oracle (under Netware) database. What are the consequences
>of running out of room in a tablespace? Can the database be damaged as a
>result

No, but you won't be able to add rows until you enlarge the tablespace by adding another datafile to it. Also bear in mind that your objects can "run out of space" by trying to allocate more extents than the figure specified by MAXEXTENTS.

>or is it simply a matter of shutting the database down and adding more
>disk space and/or allocating more space on an existing disk? If there is
No need to shut the db down to do this - use ALTER TABLESPACE to add a new datafile to the relevant tablespace. Try to do this before you actually run out of space - you should check your storage carefully every day to make sure.

>potential for data loss, how dire are the consequences? Are only uncommited
>records affected when the error occurs, or can the database as a whole become
>corrupted?

Uncommited transactions are lost - subsequent transactions will fail until more space is added. But committed data is not affected, and your database will not corrupt.

>Finally, can anyone suggest a good text for a new Oracle database
>administrator?

"Oracle DBA Handbook" - K.Loney, Oracle Press ISBN 0-07-8881182-1 (although there is a new one out now, I don't know what the ISBN for it is - www.osborne.com/oracle/index.htm has more info)

--
Simon Holt --  System Designer/DBA
** My opinions are not nescessarily those of my employers **
Britannia Zinc Ltd. Bristol, UK. (+44) 0117 980 2510