California State University, Chico
Department of Computer Science

Syllabus/Course Requirements

Spring 2002

Course Number: CSCI 379 - 01

Course Title: Enterprise DBA Part 2: Oracle 8i Performance and Tuning

Prerequisite: CSCI 379: Enterprise DBA Part 1A - Oracle 8i Architecture and Administration or experience or similar background

Course Times and Locations:      LECTURE:    TR 0200PM-0315PM OCNL 241 *NOTE LOCATION CHANGE*
                                                       LAB:             MW 0300PM-0350PM OCNL 241

Instructor: Dr. Melody Stapleton

Instructor's Office Hours: TuTh 1-2 pm, Wed 1-2 pm in OCNL 208

Faculty Phone: (530) 898-5617 , message 898-6442, fax 898-5995

Email: mjstapleton@csuchico.edu

Textbooks:

• Mandatory Texts: Oracle Course Manual - "Enterprise DBA Part 2:Performance and Tuning". Your instructor will give you directions on how to obtain the Oracle Course Manual at the first class of the semester.
• Optional: Oracle Performance Tuning, Tips and Techniques, by Richard Niemiec and TUSC, published by Oracle Press of Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1999,  ISBN # 0-07-882434-6
• Optional: Oracle 8 Advanced Tuning and Administration, by Eyal Aronoff, Kevin Loney and Noorali Sonawalla, published by Oracle Press of Osborne McGraw-Hill, 1998,  ISBN # 0-07-882534-2
• Optional: Oracle Performance Tuning, Mark Gurry and Peter Corrigan, published by O'Reilly and Associates, Inc., 1996, ISBN 1-56592-237-9

Course Description: This course will cover the basic principles and techniques of Performance Tuning for databases and specifically the Oracle 8i DBMS.  We will cover all 17 lessons in the Oracle Course Manuals and complete the bulk of the lab exercises from these manuals.   

Course Goals: Students will be able to set measurable performance tuning goals for databases and accomplish those goals.  Students will understand how to use trace files, the alert log file and event sets to assist with tuning.  They will understand and be able to use utilities and dynamic performance views to assist with tuning.  They will understand how to tune applications using index structures and how to perform SQL statement tuning.  Tuning issues involving the operating system, the shared pool, the buffer cache, the redo log buffer and rollback segments will also be covered.  Using Oracle storage efficiently and detecting lock contention will also be covered.  The use of the Oracle Expert to tune and also optimizing for load will be covered during this course.

Course Notes: In Oracle Course Manuals, the Oracle Lab (OCNL 241) and on the web from my web page.

Web Page: www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~melody/ (watch for Live and Internet Courses for Spring 2002 -  CSCI 379: Oracle 8i Performance Tuning materials)

Note:  Are you sure you are taking the right course?  It is mandatory that you have had the equivalent of CSCI 379 - Enterprise DBA Part 1A: Oracle 8i Architecture and Administration as a prerequisite.  If you have not had this prerequisite, you need to drop the course and enroll in the archived version of the prerequisite course mentioned above, or wait until the prerequisite is offered in the next Fall semester.

Mandatory Attendance Policy for On-Campus Students:  This course is in high demand from your fellow students.  Only serious students who plan to attend each class should take this course.  Otherwise, you should drop the course and make room for other, serious students who desire to take this course.  It is mandatory that you attend the lectures for this course.  You can be dropped from the course for non-attendance.  Each unexcused absence will result in a half letter grade reduction for your overall grade for the course.  Thus, if you miss class once, you will receive at maximum a grade of "A-".  If you miss the course twice, you will receive maximum of "B+" for your grade.  If you are ill, you must notify Dr. Stapleton via email before you miss the class.   If you are ill for more than one class in a row, you must provide a Doctor's excuse.  You may be excused for family emergencies.  Non-attendance due to workload in this course or other courses is not acceptable as an excuse.   A seating chart will be made and your attendance will be noted daily.  There are many more students that desire this course than can fit in the classroom, so your seat in this course is quite valuable.

Plagiarism/Cheating Policy:  Anyone who as determined by the Instructor/TA has copied any part of another students work will automatically receive a grade of "F" for the course.  Anyone cheating on an exam will receive a grade of "F" for the course.  Anyone who alters their exam answers after receiving the exam back with receive a grade of "F" for the course.

Course Assignments:

There will be lab exercises assigned from the Oracle Course Manuals.  Students will need to demonstrate completion of these exercises.  There will also be a cumulative Performance Tuning Workshop lab exercise that will be done in a group setting.  If a group is not available, the instructor may approve of an individual conducting the workshop.

Policy on Turning in Lab and Homework Assignments:   Due dates are firm.  No late assignments will be accepted unless serious illness or other excused absences merit allowances in the judgment of the instructor.

Grade Evaluation Procedures:  Students will be graded based on their performance in the following course components -

• Lab Exercises/Assignments/Demonstrations                       30%
• Quizzes (2 midterm at 15% each)                                         30%
• Performance Tuning Workshop Grade                                10%
• Final Quiz                                                                               30%

First Assignment: Read Lesson 1 and 2 from your Oracle 8i: Performance Tuning Course Manual.   Send email to mjstapleton@csuchico.edu  right away with your full name, the courses you have taken including whether or not you have had the equivalent of our Oracle 8i Database Administration course, the languages and applications you know, your experience with database management systems and your interest in this class and in computer science in general.