Administering your Oracle DB instance

Following are the common management tasks that you perform with an Amazon RDS DB instance. Some tasks are the same for all RDS DB instances. Other tasks are specific to RDS for Oracle.

The following tasks are common to all RDS databases, but Oracle has special considerations. For example, connect to an Oracle Database using the Oracle clients SQL*Plus and SQL Developer.

Task area	Relevant documentation
Instance classes, storage, and PIOPS If you are creating a production instance, learn how instance classes, storage types, and Provisioned IOPS work in Amazon RDS.	RDS for Oracle instance classes Amazon RDS storage types
Multi-AZ deployments A production DB instance should use Multi-AZ deployments. Multi-AZ deployments provide increased availability, data durability, and fault tolerance for DB instances.	Configuring and managing a Multi-AZ deployment
Amazon VPC If your AWS account has a default virtual private cloud (VPC), then your DB instance is automatically created inside the default VPC. If your account doesn't have a default VPC, and you want the DB instance in a VPC, create the VPC and subnet groups before you create the instance.	Working with a DB instance in a VPC
Security groups By default, DB instances use a firewall that prevents access. Make sure that you create a security group with the correct IP addresses and network configuration to access the DB instance.	Controlling access with security groups
Parameter groups If your DB instance is going to require specific database parameters, create a parameter group before you create the DB instance.	Working with parameter groups
Option groups If your DB instance requires specific database options, create an option group before you create the DB instance.	Adding options to Oracle DB instances
Connecting to your DB instance After creating a security group and associating it to a DB instance, you can connect to the DB instance using any standard SQL client application such as Oracle SQL*Plus.	Connecting to your Oracle DB instance
Backup and restore You can configure your DB instance to take automated backups, or take manual snapshots, and then restore instances from the backups or snapshots.	Backing up and restoring
Monitoring You can monitor an Oracle DB instance by using CloudWatch Amazon RDS metrics, events, and enhanced monitoring.	Viewing metrics in the Amazon RDS console Viewing Amazon RDS events
Log files You can access the log files for your Oracle DB instance.	Monitoring Amazon RDS log files

Following, you can find a description for Amazon RDS–specific implementations of common DBA tasks for RDS Oracle. To deliver a managed service experience, Amazon RDS doesn't provide shell access to DB instances. Also, RDS restricts access to certain system procedures and tables that require advanced privileges. In many of the tasks, you run the rdsadmin package, which is an Amazon RDS–specific tool that enables you to administer your database.

The following are common DBA tasks for DB instances running Oracle:

• System tasks

  Disconnecting a session	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.disconnect Oracle method: alter system disconnect session
  Terminating a session	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.kill Oracle method: alter system kill session
  Canceling a SQL statement in a session	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.cancel Oracle method: alter system cancel sql
  Enabling and disabling restricted sessions	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.restricted_session Oracle method: alter system enable restricted session
  Flushing the shared pool	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.flush_shared_pool Oracle method: alter system flush shared_pool
  Flushing the buffer cache	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.flush_buffer_cache Oracle method: alter system flush buffer_cache
  Granting SELECT or EXECUTE privileges to SYS objects	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.grant_sys_object Oracle method: grant
  Revoking SELECT or EXECUTE privileges on SYS objects	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.revoke_sys_object Oracle method: revoke
  Granting privileges to non-master users	Amazon RDS method: grant Oracle method: grant
  Creating custom functions to verify passwords	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_password_verify.create_verify_function Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_password_verify.create_passthrough_verify_fcn
  Setting up a custom DNS server	—
  Listing allowed system diagnostic events	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.list_allowed_system_events Oracle method: —
  Setting system diagnostic events	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.set_allowed_system_events Oracle method: ALTER SYSTEM SET EVENTS 'set_event_clause'
  Listing system diagnostic events that are set	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.list_set_system_events Oracle method: ALTER SESSION SET EVENTS 'IMMEDIATE EVENTDUMP(SYSTEM)'
  Unsetting system diagnostic events	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.unset_system_event Oracle method: ALTER SYSTEM SET EVENTS 'unset_event_clause'

• Database tasks

  Changing the global name of a database	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.rename_global_name Oracle method: alter database rename
  Creating and sizing tablespaces	Amazon RDS method: create tablespace Oracle method: alter database
  Setting the default tablespace	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_default_tablespace Oracle method: alter database default tablespace
  Setting the default temporary tablespace	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_default_temp_tablespace Oracle method: alter database default temporary tablespace
  Creating a temporary tablespace on the instance store	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.create_inst_store_tmp_tblspace Oracle method: create temporary tablespace
  Checkpointing a database	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.checkpoint Oracle method: alter system checkpoint
  Setting distributed recovery	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.enable_distr_recovery Oracle method: alter system enable distributed recovery
  Setting the database time zone	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_db_time_zone Oracle method: alter database set time_zone
  Working with Oracle external tables	—
  Generating performance reports with Automatic Workload Repository (AWR)	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_diagnostic_util procedures Oracle method: dbms_workload_repository package
  Adjusting database links for use with DB instances in a VPC	—
  Setting the default edition for a DB instance	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_default_edition Oracle method: alter database default edition
  Enabling auditing for the SYS.AUD$ table	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_master_util.audit_all_sys_aud_table Oracle method: audit
  Disabling auditing for the SYS.AUD$ table	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_master_util.noaudit_all_sys_aud_table Oracle method: noaudit
  Cleaning up interrupted online index builds	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_repair.online_index_clean Oracle method: dbms_repair.online_index_clean
  Skipping corrupt blocks	Amazon RDS method: Several rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_repair procedures Oracle method: dbms_repair package
  Resizing the temporary tablespace in a read replica	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.resize_temp_tablespace or rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.resize_tempfile procedure Oracle method: —
  Purging the recycle bin	Amazon RDS method: EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.purge_dba_recyclebin Oracle method: purge dba_recyclebin
  Setting the Data Redaction policy for full redaction	Amazon RDS method: EXEC rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.dbms_redact_upd_full_rdct_val Oracle method: exec dbms_redact.UPDATE_FULL_REDACTION_VALUES

• Log tasks

  Setting force logging	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.force_logging Oracle method: alter database force logging
  Setting supplemental logging	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.alter_supplemental_logging Oracle method: alter database add supplemental log
  Switching online log files	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.switch_logfile Oracle method: alter system switch logfile
  Adding online redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.add_logfile
  Dropping online redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.drop_logfile
  Resizing online redo logs	—
  Retaining archived redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.set_configuration
  Downloading archived redo logs from Amazon S3	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_archive_log_download.download_log_with_seqnum Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_archive_log_download.download_logs_in_seqnum_range
  Accessing online and archived redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_master_util.create_archivelog_dir Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_master_util.create_onlinelog_dir

• RMAN tasks

  Validating DB instance files	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.procedure Oracle method: RMAN VALIDATE
  Enabling and disabling block change tracking	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.procedure Oracle method: ALTER DATABASE
  Crosschecking archived redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.crosscheck_archivelog Oracle method: RMAN BACKUP
  Backing up archived redo logs	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.procedure Oracle method: RMAN BACKUP
  Performing a full database backup	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.backup_database_full Oracle method: RMAN BACKUP
  Performing an incremental database backup	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.backup_database_incremental Oracle method: RMAN BACKUP
  Backing up a tablespace	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin_rman_util.backup_database_tablespace Oracle method: RMAN BACKUP

• Oracle Scheduler tasks

  Modifying DBMS_SCHEDULER jobs	Amazon RDS method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute
  Modifying AutoTask maintenance windows	Amazon RDS method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute
  Setting the time zone for Oracle Scheduler jobs	Amazon RDS method: dbms_scheduler.set_scheduler_attribute Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.set_scheduler_attribute
  Turning off Oracle Scheduler jobs owned by SYS	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_scheduler.disable Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.disable
  Turning on Oracle Scheduler jobs owned by SYS	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_scheduler.enable Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.enable
  Modifying the Oracle Scheduler repeat interval for jobs of CALENDAR type	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_scheduler.set_attribute Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute
  Modifying the Oracle Scheduler repeat interval for jobs of NAMED type	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_scheduler.set_attribute Oracle method: dbms_scheduler.set_attribute
  Turning off autocommit for Oracle Scheduler job creation	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_dbms_scheduler.set_no_commit_flag Oracle method: dbms_isched.set_no_commit_flag

• Diagnostic tasks

  Listing incidents	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_adrci_util.list_adrci_incidents Oracle method: ADRCI command show incident
  Listing problems	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_adrci_util.list_adrci_problem Oracle method: ADRCI command show problem
  Creating incident packages	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_adrci_util.create_adrci_package Oracle method: ADRCI command ips create package
  Showing trace files	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_adrci_util.show_adrci_tracefile Oracle method: ADRCI command show tracefile

• Other tasks

  Creating and dropping directories in the main data storage space	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.create_directory Oracle method: CREATE DIRECTORY Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.drop_directory Oracle method: DROP DIRECTORY
  Listing files in a DB instance directory	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rds_file_util.listdir Oracle method: —
  Reading files in a DB instance directory	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file Oracle method: —
  Accessing Opatch files	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rds_file_util.read_text_file or rdsadmin.tracefile_listing Oracle method: opatch
  Setting parameters for advisor tasks	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.advisor_task_set_parameter Oracle method: Various stored package procedures
  Disabling AUTO_STATS_ADVISOR_TASK	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.advisor_task_drop Oracle method: —
  Re-enabling AUTO_STATS_ADVISOR_TASK	Amazon RDS method: rdsadmin.rdsadmin_util.dbms_stats_init Oracle method: —

You can also use Amazon RDS procedures for Amazon S3 integration with Oracle and for running OEM Management Agent database tasks. For more information, see Amazon S3 integration and Performing database tasks with the Management Agent.