The general purpose of a database is to store and retrieve related information. An Oracle database has a logical and a physical structure. The physical structure of the database is the set of operating system files in the database. An Oracle database consists of three file types.
• Data files containing the actual data in the database
• Redo logs containing a record of changes made to the database to enable recovery of the data in case of failures
• Control files containing information necessary to maintain and verify database integrity.
The Oracle architecture includes a number of primary components, which are mentioned below.
• Oracle server
• Oracle instance
• Oracle database
1.1 Oracle server: There are several files, processes, and memory structures in an Oracle server; however, not all of them are used when processing a SQL statement. Some are used to improve the performance of the database, ensure that the database can be recovered in the event of a software or hardware error, or perform other tasks necessary to maintain the database. The Oracle server consists of an Oracle instance and an Oracle database.
1.2 Oracle instance: An Oracle instance is the combination of the background processes and memory structures. The instance must be started to access the data in the database. Every time an instance is started, a System Global Area (SGA) is allocated and Oracle background processes are started. Background processes perform functions on behalf of the invoking process.
1.3 Oracle database: An Oracle database consists of operating system files, also known as database files, that provide the actual physical storage for database information. The database files are used to ensure that the data is kept consistent and can be recovered in the event of a failure of the instance.
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Lalit Saini
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