An Oracle database is a collection of data that is treated as a unit. The general purpose of a database is to store and retrieve related information. The database has logical structures and physical structures.
Tablespaces
A database is divided into logical storage units called tablespaces, which group related logical structures together. For example, tablespaces commonly group all of an application’s objects to simplify some administrative operations. You may have a tablespace for application data and an additional one for application indexes.
Databases, Tablespaces, and Data Files
The relationship among databases, tablespaces, and data files is illustrated in the slide. Each database is logically divided into one or more tablespaces. One or more data files are explicitly created for each tablespace to physically store the data of all logical structures in a tablespace. If it is a TEMPORARY tablespace, instead of a data file, then the tablespace has a temporary file.
A schema is a collection of database objects that are owned by a database user. Schema objects are the logical structures that directly refer to the database’s data. Schema objects include such structures as tables, views, sequences, stored procedures, synonyms, indexes, clusters, and database links. In general, schema objects include everything that your application creates in the database.
Data Blocks
At the finest level of granularity, an Oracle database’s data is stored in data blocks. One data block corresponds to a specific number of bytes of physical database space on the disk. A data block size is specified for each tablespace when it is created. A database uses and allocates free database space in Oracle data blocks.
Extents
The next level of logical database space is called an extent. An extent is a specific number of contiguous data blocks (obtained in a single allocation) that are used to store a specific type of information.
Segments
The level of logical database storage above an extent is called a segment. A segment is a set of extents allocated for a certain logical structure. For example, the different types of segments include:
Data segments: Each nonclustered, non-indexed-organized table has a data segment. All of the table’s data is stored in the extents of its data segment. For a partitioned table, each partition has a data segment. Each cluster has a data segment. The data of every table in the cluster is stored in the cluster’s data segment.
Index segments: Each index has an index segment that stores all of its data. For a partitioned index, each partition has an index segment.
Undo segments: One UNDO tablespace is created by the database administrator to temporarily store undo information. The information in an undo segment is used to generate read-consistent database information and, during database recovery, to roll back uncommitted transactions for users.
Temporary segments: Temporary segments are created by the Oracle database when a SQL statement needs a temporary work area to complete execution. When the statement finishes execution, the temporary segment’s extents are returned to the instance for future use. Specify a default temporary tablespace for every user or a default temporary tablespace, which is used databasewide.
The Oracle database dynamically allocates space. When the existing extents of a segment are full, additional extents are added. Because extents are allocated as needed, the extents of a segment may or may not be contiguous on the disk.
Tablespaces
A database is divided into logical storage units called tablespaces, which group related logical structures together. For example, tablespaces commonly group all of an application’s objects to simplify some administrative operations. You may have a tablespace for application data and an additional one for application indexes.
Databases, Tablespaces, and Data Files
The relationship among databases, tablespaces, and data files is illustrated in the slide. Each database is logically divided into one or more tablespaces. One or more data files are explicitly created for each tablespace to physically store the data of all logical structures in a tablespace. If it is a TEMPORARY tablespace, instead of a data file, then the tablespace has a temporary file.
A schema is a collection of database objects that are owned by a database user. Schema objects are the logical structures that directly refer to the database’s data. Schema objects include such structures as tables, views, sequences, stored procedures, synonyms, indexes, clusters, and database links. In general, schema objects include everything that your application creates in the database.
Data Blocks
At the finest level of granularity, an Oracle database’s data is stored in data blocks. One data block corresponds to a specific number of bytes of physical database space on the disk. A data block size is specified for each tablespace when it is created. A database uses and allocates free database space in Oracle data blocks.
Extents
The next level of logical database space is called an extent. An extent is a specific number of contiguous data blocks (obtained in a single allocation) that are used to store a specific type of information.
Segments
The level of logical database storage above an extent is called a segment. A segment is a set of extents allocated for a certain logical structure. For example, the different types of segments include:
Data segments: Each nonclustered, non-indexed-organized table has a data segment. All of the table’s data is stored in the extents of its data segment. For a partitioned table, each partition has a data segment. Each cluster has a data segment. The data of every table in the cluster is stored in the cluster’s data segment.
Index segments: Each index has an index segment that stores all of its data. For a partitioned index, each partition has an index segment.
Undo segments: One UNDO tablespace is created by the database administrator to temporarily store undo information. The information in an undo segment is used to generate read-consistent database information and, during database recovery, to roll back uncommitted transactions for users.
Temporary segments: Temporary segments are created by the Oracle database when a SQL statement needs a temporary work area to complete execution. When the statement finishes execution, the temporary segment’s extents are returned to the instance for future use. Specify a default temporary tablespace for every user or a default temporary tablespace, which is used databasewide.
The Oracle database dynamically allocates space. When the existing extents of a segment are full, additional extents are added. Because extents are allocated as needed, the extents of a segment may or may not be contiguous on the disk.
