Checklist for analyzing a unknown database

Hi List,

I like to create a document with a checklist for analyzing a Oracle = server
which is installed by another person. The reason is, that I have to = check a
Oracle Server and give tips for tuning, backup and recovery and = security. I
have about a half day to analyze and tune the database, therefore I = will
only look at the importenst parameters. The only think I know is, that = the
application which uses the database is a OLTP one.=20

Here are the steps I want to do, some steps are OS-specific, here for Windows NT:

1. Hardware-Info Number of Controllers Number of Harddisks Number of CPU's Memory
2. Getting Info and setting Windows NT parameters

Optimize NT for network throughput
(Control Panel -> Network -> Services -> Server -> Properties -> = Maximize
throughput for network application)

Minimize foreground boost
(Control Panel -> System -> Performance -> Foreground boost =3D none)

Checking used and free Ram
(NT Task-Manager)

Checking CPU-usage by process
(NT Task-Manager)

Checking NT Services and disable not needed services

3. Overview of Oracle installation

Check how many instances are installed
Get a overview of every instance with ORASNAP (I like this tool, cause = you
get a very good overview of a instance)

Check results of orasnap:

• checking Oracle Version and patchsets
• init.ora params (db_block_buffers, shared_pool_size, optimizer_mode, sort_area_size, sql_trace, time_statistics, archive settings)
• tablespaces (pctincrease, temp-tablespace is set to temporary, tablespace extent settings, coalesce information)
• rollback segments
• location of datafiles, datafile I/O
• redo log settings, redo log switches per day
• performance parameters (Buffer Hit Ratio, Library Cache Hit Ratio, Data Dict Hit Ratio, Sort Statistics, Wait Statistics)

Checking Oracle Alert files and Listener Logfiles

Checking NT protocols about Oracle Errors

4. Backup and recovery
Check Backup strategy

• cold backups or hot backups
• archive log enabled 5. Security Check users with resource and dba role granted Check Oracle passwords for system, sys and internal (default passwords = ?) 6. Schema objects Check if objects are recently analyzed Check schema object loactions Check table chaining Check object extent warnings Check tables with more than 5 indexes Check tables without indexes

Any tips, hints and comments for this checklist are welcome. I will = share my
results with the list. Received on Wed Sep 06 2000 - 06:11:13 CDT