Mastering Oracle8i

The authors' approach is to take a feature of the Oracle 8i environment--locks, say--and explain what purpose it serves, then break it down into component types with more detailed explanations. From there, the authors provide the commands and codes for viewing and manipulation of the feature, often with extensive tables. The really useful information comes next, in the form of sections on how to deal with related problems. The section on locks, for example, shows how to zero in on blocking locks. Other excellent coverage deals with how to dimension hardware, while a commendable section explains the object-oriented features of Oracle 8i. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to design and run a tight Oracle 8i ship, with special attention to object orientation, network connectivity, tablespaces, Recover Manager, parallel processing, security, and the special demands of distributed databases.