Preface

Oracle Database Cache improves scalability and performance for applications that access Oracle databases in a multiple-tier environment. By caching frequently accessed data on the middle tier, Oracle Database Cache reduces the load on the back-end database and speeds query execution. Oracle Database Cache is ideal for enhancing scalability and performance for Web servers and Web portals, as well as front-office and back-office application servers.

Note: In previous releases, this product was known as Oracle8i Cache. The former name is still reflected in the Quick Tour, in some messages generated by the software, and in some screens in Cache Manager and the Configuration Assistant.

This guide presents the concepts of Oracle Database Cache and describes how to set up and manage your Oracle Database Cache environment.

Intended Audience

This guide is intended for Web server and database administrators who are interested in using Oracle Database Cache to increase the capacity of their applications.

Structure

This guide contains the following chapters:

Chapter 1	Introduces Oracle Database Cache and provides an overview of the concepts of Oracle Database Cache.
Chapter 2	Describes how to set up your Oracle Database Cache environment.
Chapter 3	Describes how to manage your Oracle Database Cache environment.
Chapter 4	Describes how to tune your Oracle Database Cache environment to improve scalability and performance. For applications that use OCI static libraries, it describes when to relink your applications.
Chapter 5	Describes possible problems that may occur in the Oracle Database Cache environment and provides solutions to those problems.
Chapter 6	Describes the PL/SQL package provided by Oracle Database Cache, which allows you to manage caches using a utility such as SQL*Plus.
Appendix A	Describes views that contain information about the cache.
Appendix B	Describes error messages you might encounter, their causes, and actions you can take to correct the error.

Related Documents

For more information about Oracle Database Cache, see the following:

• Oracle Database Cache Readme, which contains important information about Oracle Database Cache, including known problems and restrictions. It is available on the software CD-ROM and is installed with the software.

• The installation guide, particularly the installation instructions for Oracle Database Cache.

• Oracle Database Cache Quick Tour, which is available from Cache Manager, a component of Oracle DBA Studio.

• The online help for Cache Manager.

In addition, the following books from the Oracle8i documentation set contain related information:

• Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide

• Oracle8i Administrator's Reference for your platform

• PL/SQL User's Guide and Reference

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this guide:

Convention	Meaning
. . .	Vertical ellipsis points in an example mean that information not directly related to the example has been omitted.
. . .	Horizontal ellipsis points in statements or commands mean that parts of the statement or command not directly related to the example have been omitted.
boldface text	Boldface type in text indicates a term defined in the text.
italic text	Italic text indicates emphasis, a user-supplied name, or the title of a document.
[ ]	Brackets enclose optional clauses from which you can choose one or none.

As much as possible, this guide attempts to provide generic documentation, that is, documentation that is not specific to any operating system or interface. Nevertheless, it is sometimes necessary for illustrative purposes to show how the syntax works at the operating-system level. In these cases, this guide uses examples from a UNIX command-line interface and the Windows NT interface.