Table of Contents

• Title and Copyright Information
• Preface
  • Audience
  • Documentation Accessibility
  • Related Documents
  • Conventions
• 1 Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2) New Features
  • Application Development
    • Database Development Productivity Tools Enhancements
      • Application Express 5.0: Packaged Applications
      • Application Express 5.0: Page Designer
      • Application Express 5.0: Universal Theme
      • Application Express 5.0: User Interface Enhancements
      • Application Express 5.0: Improved Application Builder Design
      • Application Express 5.0: Interactive Reporting
      • Application Express 5.0: Mobile Enhancements
      • Application Express 5.0: Modal Dialog Pages
      • Application Express 5.0: All New Calendar
    • General
      • SQL*Plus Command History
      • SQL*Plus Tuning Options
      • Extensible Indexing Enhancements
    • Globalization Support Enhancements
      • Column-Level Collation
      • Case-Insensitive Database
      • AL32UTF8 As the Default Database Character Set
      • Unicode 7.0 Support
    • JSON Support
      • JSON Improvements
    • Oracle SQL and PL/SQL Improvements
      • PL/Scope Reports on Static SQL Statements and Call Sites for Dynamic SQL
      • Enhancing CAST Function With Error Handling
      • New SQL and PL/SQL Function VALIDATE_CONVERSION
      • Binding PL/SQL-Only Data Types to SQL Statements Using DBMS_SQL
      • Improving the PL/SQL Debugger
      • New PL/SQL Pragma to Mark an Item as Deprecated
      • Materialized Views: Real-Time Materialized Views
      • Materialized Views: Statement-Level Refresh
      • Enhancing LISTAGG Functionality
      • DBMS_PLSQL_CODE_COVERAGE Package
      • Approximate Query Processing
      • White Lists (ACCESSIBLE BY) Enhancements
    • Reducing Costs and Complexities of Migration to Oracle Database
      • Long Identifiers
      • Oracle Java Virtual Machine Support for Long Identifiers
      • Static PL/SQL Expressions Now Allowed Where Previously Literals Were Required
    • Support for the .NET and MS Development Community
      • Longer Schema Identifiers for Oracle Data Provider for .NET
      • Real Application Clusters Connection Node Affinity
      • Entity Framework Code First Enhancements
      • .NET Cloud Development and Deployment
      • ODP.NET Managed Driver
      • Longer Schema Identifiers for Oracle Provider for OLE DB
    • Support for the Java Development Community
      • Multi-Property Labeling of DRCP Servers
      • PL/SQL Callback Facility for Session State Fix Up
      • New MAX_TXN_THINK_TIME Setting for DRCP Pooled Servers With Transactions in Progress
      • Proxy Session Sharing in DRCP
      • DRCP Statistics Views and AWR Reports for Performance Monitoring and Tuning
      • JDBC Support for Binding PLSQL_BOOLEAN
      • Oracle JDBC Support for JDK 8 and JDBC 4.2
      • Oracle Universal Connection Pool (UCP) Configuration Using XML
      • Universal Connection Pool Health Check Frequency
      • JDBC Support for Deprioritization of Database Node
      • Oracle Java Virtual Machine (OJVM) Web Services Callout
      • OJVM Support for Java SE 8
      • JavaScript Stored Procedures Using Java 8 Nashorn
    • XML
      • Enhancing the Oracle XML Developers Kit for Java (XDK/J)
      • Loading Sub-Documents from XML Documents Using ORACLE_LOADER
  • Availability
    • Data Guard
      • Distributed Operations on CLOB, BLOB and XMLType
      • OCI Support for Distributed LOBs
      • Minimizing Impact on Primary Database When Using Multiple SYNC Standby Databases
      • Oracle Data Guard Database Compare
      • Subset Standby
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Multiple Automatic Failover Targets
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Multiple Observers
      • Simplifying Observer Management for Multiple Fast-Start Failover Configurations
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Transport Destinations of Different Endianess Than the Primary
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Oracle Data Guard Multiple Instance Apply
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Enhanced Alternate Destination
      • Fast-Start Failover in Maximum Protection Mode
      • Block Comparison Tool Support in Oracle Data Guard Broker DGMGRL Interface
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Executing DGMGRL Command Scripts
      • Broker ConfigurationWideServiceName Configuration Property
      • Enhancing Support for Alternate Destinations
      • Automatically Synchronize Password Files in Oracle Data Guard Configurations
      • Preserving Application Connections to An Active Data Guard Standby During Role Changes
    • End-to-End Application Availability
      • Application Continuity for OCI Applications
      • Application Continuity
      • Transaction Guard for Oracle XA Transactions
      • Java Support for FAN APIs (UP, DOWN and LoadAdvisory Events)
      • JDBC Driver Support for Fast Application Notification (FAN)
      • Support for Planned Outages
      • Planned Outage for Oracle Data Guard Switchover and Oracle RAC One Node
      • Application Continuity for Planned Database Maintenance
    • General
      • Multi-Instance Redo Apply
      • Oracle Data Guard for Data Warehouses
      • Data Guard Broker PDB Migration or Failover
    • Logical Replication
      • Error Handling Improvements for Oracle GoldenGate Integrated Replicat
      • Abstract Data Types Support
      • Oracle GoldenGate Annotations for DDL
      • XStream Inbound Server Performance Optimizations
    • Online Operations
      • Restarting Redefinition From Failure
      • Rolling Back Redefinition
      • Redefinition Progress Monitoring
      • Optimizing Batch Update During Redefinition
      • Materialized Views: Fast Dependent Materialized View Refresh During Redefinition
      • Redefinition Supports Tables With BFILE Columns
      • Formalizing Retirement of an Edition With Automatic Garbage Collection
      • Online Conversion of a Nonpartitioned Table to a Partitioned Table
      • Online SPLIT Partition and Subpartition
      • Online Table Move
      • Partitioning: Table Creation for Partition Exchange
      • Partitioning: Filtered Partition Maintenance Operations
    • Recovery Server and RMAN Improvements
      • RMAN: Syntax Enhancements
      • SCAN Listener Supports HTTP Protocol
      • Oracle Recovery Manager - Enhanced Table Recoveries Across Schemas Using REMAP SCHEMA
      • Disk Space Check During RECOVER TABLE Operation
      • Upgrading the Incremental Transportable Scripts
      • Cross-Platform Import of a Pluggable Database into a Multitenant Container Database
      • Cross-Platform Migration Support for Encrypted Tablespaces
      • Cross-Platform Support Over The Network
      • Data Guard DUPLICATE Command Enhancements
      • DUPLICATE Command Support for Non Auto-Login Wallet Based Encrypted Backups
    • Sharding
      • Oracle Database Sharding
      • Data-Dependent Routing
      • Automatic Deployment of Oracle Data Guard
      • Creating Data Guard Standbys With Database Configuration Assistant
      • Statement-Level Routing and Cross-Shard Queries
      • Enhancing SSL and Kerberos Authentication for Administrative Users
    • Simplifying Upgrades
      • Oracle Label Security Support for Oracle Data Guard Database Rolling Upgrade
      • Oracle Database Vault Support for Oracle Data Guard Database Rolling Upgrade
      • Oracle Database Vault Support for Flashback Technology and ILM
      • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Oracle Active Data Guard Rolling Upgrades
  • Big Data and Data Warehousing
    • Big Data Management System Infrastructure
      • Partitioning: External Tables
      • Enhancing Declarative Constraint Support
      • Oracle Parallel Query Services on Oracle RAC Read-Only Nodes
      • External Tables Can Access Data Stored in Hadoop Data Sources Including HDFS and Hive
    • Dimensional In-Database Analysis
      • Analytic Views
    • Enhancing Query Processing and Optimization
      • Optimizer Statistics Advisor
      • Enhancing SQL Plan Management
      • Scan Rate and In-Memory Columnar Statistics
      • Band Join Enhancements
      • Parallel Recursive WITH Enhancements
      • Cursor-Duration Temporary Tables Cached in Memory
    • General
      • Local TEMP Tablespaces
      • Oracle Database Can Contain Both Read/Write and Read-Only Instances
    • High Performance Oracle Advanced Analytics, Data Mining, and Predictive Analytics
      • Oracle Advanced Analytics Extensibility for R Models
      • Oracle Advanced Analytics Association Rules Enhancements
      • Significant Performance Improvements and Support for Partitioned Models
      • Explicit Semantic Analysis Algorithm Enhancement
    • Semi-Structured Big Data
      • Support for Range-Based XML Queries with Text-Based XML Index
      • Improving Token Management for Binary XML
      • Partitioning: Improving Support for XMLIndex
      • SMALL_R_ROW Support
      • Text: Reverse Token Index for Left-Truncated Queries
      • Support for 30-Character Index Names
  • Compression and Archiving
    • DBFS, Oracle Exadata and SecureFiles Enhancements
      • NFS Server in Database
    • Hybrid Columnar Compression Improvements
      • HCC Compression for Array Inserts
      • HCC Compress Data With ADO Row-Level Policy
    • Index Compression Enhancements
      • Advanced Index Compression
  • Database Lifecycle Management
    • Support for Automation of Large Scale Cloud Deployments
      • Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Using Zip Images
  • Database Overall
    • Core Database Improvements
      • Text: Partition-Specific Near Real-Time Indexes
      • Text: Improving Management of Near Real-Time Indexes
      • Partitioning: Auto-List Partitioning
      • Fine-Grained Cursor Invalidation
      • Text: Adding New Document Formats
      • Text: Structured/Sort Data (SDATA) Section Improvements
      • Text: Availability of Updated Documents in Index
      • Text: Read-Only MDATA Sections
      • Text: Sentiment Analysis and Collocates
      • Text: Join Character Support for JAPANESE_VGRAM_LEXER and WORLD_LEXER
      • Text: Extracting Synonyms of Words in Documents
      • Text: Changes to NDATA, NEAR2, and NESTED NEAR Query Operators
      • Materialized Views: Refresh Statistics History
      • Process Management
      • Partitioning: Read-Only Partitions
      • Partitioning: Multi-Column List Partitioning
    • General
      • JDBC Support for BigSCN
      • Parameter Default and File Location Changes for Read-Only Oracle Home for Oracle Text
    • Pluggable Databases Ease-of-Adoption
      • I/O Rate Limits for PDBs
      • Heat Map and Automatic Data Optimization Support for CDBs
      • PDB Character Set
      • PDB Refresh
      • Hints in CONTAINERS Query
      • Parallel PDB Creation Clause
      • PDB Archive Files (.pdb Files)
      • Default Tablespace Clause
      • Cloning a PDB
      • Near Zero Downtime PDB Relocation
      • Logical Standby Database to Support CDBs with PDBs with Different Character Sets
      • LogMiner to Support CDBs with PDBs with Different Character Sets
      • Support for PDBs with Different Character Sets, Time Zone File Versions, and Database Time Zones in a CDB
    • Pluggable Databases Multitenancy
      • Memory Resource Management
      • Per-Process PGA Limits
      • Performance Profiles and Mandatory PDB Profiles
      • CDB-Level PDB Lockdown
      • Application Root
      • Proxy PDB
      • Forwarding Connections to A New Address Based on Service
      • Service-Level ACLs for TCP Protocol
    • Pluggable Databases Overall
      • Flashback Pluggable Database
      • Upgrading a CDB With One or More PDBs in a Single Operation
      • Support for Thousands of Pluggable Databases for Each Multitenant Container Database
      • Pluggable Database Lockdown Profiles Enhancements
      • Pluggable Database Operating System Credentials
    • Upgrades
      • Enhancing Ease-of-Use and Reporting From Pre-Upgrade Information Tool
      • Automatically Set User Tablespaces to Read-Only During Upgrade
    • Utilities
      • Scheduler: Job Incompatibilities
      • Scheduler: Resource Queues
      • Scheduler: In-Memory Jobs
      • Oracle Data Pump Parallel Import of Metadata
      • Oracle Data Pump Parallel Export of Metadata
      • New Options for Substitution Variables in Oracle Data Pump File Names
      • Renaming Data Files During Import
      • TRUST_EXISTING_TABLE_PARTITIONS Flag for DATA_OPTIONS Parameter of Import
      • GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA Flag for DATA_OPTIONS Parameter of Export
      • Data Verification Option to Import, ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver and OCIDirPath
      • ORACLE_DATAPUMP and ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver Supports New File Format
      • Support for Tables With LONG Data Types in Data Pump Network Mode Operations
      • Metadata Transforms Available for Oracle Data Pump in New Views
      • Adding Oracle Data Pump and SQL*Loader Utilities to Instant Client
      • SDF_PREFIX Parameter for SQL*Loader
      • Allowing Multi-Byte Strings for SQL*Loader Parameters Used for Express Mode
      • Database Migrations: Support LLS Files Generated by DB2 Export Utility
  • Diagnosability
    • Bug Resolution Process Improvements
      • Trace File Analyzer: Web-Based Visualization
    • Failure Analytics
      • Trace File Analyzer: Optimizing Diagnostic Collection
      • Trace File Analyzer: Automating Diagnostic Collection
      • Trace File Analyzer: Managing Diagnostic Collection
      • Trace File Analyzer: Feedback to Auxiliary Systems
    • First Failure Capture
      • XStream: Replication Event View
      • XStream and GoldenGate Inbound Server Message Tracking
      • Trace File Analyzer: Enabling Time-Trimmed Diagnostic Collection
  • Exadata
    • General
      • RMAN: Backing Up Sparse Databases in the Backup-Set Format
      • RMAN: Backing Up Sparse Databases in the Image Copy Format
      • RMAN: Restoring From Sparse Backups
      • RMAN: Recovering the Sparse Database
      • RMAN: Purging Sparse Backups
  • Manageability
    • Automatic Performance Management
      • Oracle Data Guard Support for Oracle Diagnostics Pack
      • Active Data Guard Support for SQL Tuning Advisor
      • SQL Performance Analyzer and SQL Tuning Sets Enhancements
    • General
      • Database Replay Enhanced PL/SQL Support
      • Tracking Index Usage
      • Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express (EM Express) Resource Manager Support
      • EM Express: SQL Performance Analyzer (SPA) Support
      • EM Express: Simplifying Configuration for Multitenant Through Single Port Access
      • EM Express: Performance Hub Enhancements
      • Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express (EM Express) Support for Simplified Database Resource Management
      • Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) Support for a Pluggable Database (PDB)
      • Monitoring Real-Time Database Operations
  • Miscellaneous
    • General
      • Selective PDB Upgrades
      • AWR_PDB_AUTOFLUSH_ENABLED Initialization Parameter
      • ENABLE_AUTOMATIC_MAINTENANCE_PDB Initialization Parameter
      • AUTOTASK_MAX_ACTIVE_PDBS Initialization Parameter
  • Performance
    • General Database Performance
      • Advanced Queuing: PL/SQL Enqueue and Dequeue Support for JMS Payload in Sharded Queues
      • Advanced Queuing: PL/SQL Enqueue and Dequeue Support for Non-JMS Payload in Sharded Queues
      • ZFS Analytics
      • ExaDirect SQL*Net Adapter
      • Direct NFS Client Supports Parallel NFS
      • Direct NFS Client Dispatcher Support
      • Global and Shared Connection Pool for Oracle Cloud and Multitenant Oracle Databases
      • Oracle Database Java Virtual Machine Performance Enhancements
    • In-Memory
      • In-Memory Expressions
      • In-Memory Virtual Columns
      • In-Memory FastStart
      • Automatic Data Optimization Support for In-Memory Column Store
      • Join Groups
      • Expression Tracking
      • Oracle Database In-Memory Support on Oracle Active Data Guard
      • In-Memory Column Store Dynamic Resizing
    • Unstructured Data
      • Oracle Database File System File Locking
      • Oracle Multimedia PL/SQL API
  • Public Cloud
    • General
      • Direct SQL*Net Access Over Oracle Cloud
      • Controlling Outbound Database Link Options
  • RAC and Grid
    • Automatic Storage Management
      • Oracle Flex ASM Disk Group Quota Management
      • Prioritized Rebalancing
      • Extending Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) Configuration Support
      • I/O Server
    • Ease-of-Use Improvements
      • Cluster Resource Activity Log
      • Cluster Verification Utility - Second Generation Command Line Output
    • Fault-Tolerant Database Services
      • Switch Service Enhancement
    • High Availability and Reliability
      • VM Manager Agent for GI
      • Shared Grid Naming Service High Availability
      • Oracle Clusterware Resource Groups
      • Reasoned What-If Command Evaluation (Why-If)
      • Server Weight-Based Node Eviction
      • Load-Aware Resource Placement
      • Oracle Clusterware Application Clusters
      • Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Support for Application Cluster Installation Type
    • Oracle ASM Cluster File System (ACFS)
      • Oracle Automatic Storage Management Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS) Snapshot Enhancements
      • Oracle ACFS System Defragger
      • 4K Sectors and Metadata Enhancements for Oracle ACFS
      • Oracle ACFS Metadata Collection Enhancements
      • Oracle ACFS Plug-ins for File Content
      • Oracle ACFS Loopback Device
      • Oracle ACFS API Access for Snapshots, File Tags, Plug-in Metrics
      • Oracle ACFS Compression Enhancements
      • Oracle Snapshot-Based Replication Enhancements
      • Oracle ACFS Auto-Resize Enhancements
      • Oracle ACFS Sparse Files Enhancements
      • Oracle ACFS Metadata Acceleration
      • Oracle ACFS NAS Maximum Availability eXtensions
    • Rapid Home Provisioning and Patch Management
      • Rapid Home Provisioning
    • Super Scalable Cluster
      • Support for IPv6 Based IP Addresses for the Oracle Cluster Interconnect
    • Super Scalable Oracle RAC
      • Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) Reader Nodes
      • Service-Oriented Buffer Cache Access Optimization
  • Security
    • Encryption
      • TDE Tablespace Live Conversion
      • Fully Encrypted Database
      • Support for ARIA, SEED, and GOST Encryption Algorithms in TDE
      • TDE Tablespace Offline Conversion
    • Enforcing Application Security in the Database
      • RAS Session Privilege Scoping
      • RAS Column Privilege Enhancements
      • RAS Schema Level Policy Administration
      • RAS Integration with OLS
    • Improving Security Manageability, Administration, and Integration
      • Oracle Virtual Private Database Predicate Audit
      • Oracle Database Vault Policy
      • Oracle Database Vault Simulation Mode Protection
      • Oracle Database Vault Common Realms and Command Rules for Oracle Multitenant
      • Privilege Analysis Enhancements
      • Privilege Analysis Results Comparison
      • Redaction: Different Data Redaction Policy Expressions
      • Redaction: New Functions Allowed in Data Redaction Policy Expressions
      • Redaction: Additional Data Redaction Transformations
      • Automatic KDC Discovery When Configuring OCI Clients
      • Automatic Provisioning of Kerberos Keytab for Oracle Databases
      • Role-Based Conditional Auditing
      • Inherit Remote Privileges
    • Improving Security Posture of the Database
      • SYSRAC - Separation of Duty for Administering Real Application Clusters
      • Transparent Sensitive Data Protection Feature Integration
      • Requiring Strong Password Verifiers by Default
    • Improving User Authentication and Management
      • Automatic Locking of Inactive User Accounts
    • Modernizing Network Authentication and Encryption
      • Kerberos-Based Authentication for Direct NFS
  • Spatial and Graph
    • Graph Features
      • RDF Semantic Graph Support for W3C Standards
      • Property Graph Support
    • Spatial Features
      • Extending JSON Support in Oracle Database With Spatial Operations
      • Location Data Enrichment Services
      • In-Database Location Tracking Data Model and Services
      • Network Data Model Support for Oracle Coherence
      • Network Data Model Feature Editing APIs
      • Time-Based Routing Engine Enhancements
      • Support for Hash and List Partitioning of Spatial Indexes
      • GeoRaster Map Algebra and Image Processing Enhancements
      • Spatial Map Visualization
      • Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service and Web Map Tile Service Support
      • Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service 2.0 Support
      • Oracle Workspace Manager Enhancements
  • Windows
    • General
      • Windows Group Managed Service Accounts
      • Windows Virtual Accounts
    • Integrating With the Latest Windows Platforms and Services
      • Windows Resilient File System
      • Windows Install: Support Virtual Accounts and Group Managed Accounts
    • Oracle Database Manageability on Windows
      • Microsoft Management Console Can Manage Oracle Database
      • Windows Direct NFS Client Supports All Widely Accepted NFS Path Formats