Essential ReadIf you want to understand and I mean really understand the oracle CBO, beg borrow or steal this book.
It's an engaging book and very technical in places, which is absolutely how it should be. Any book that discusses the CBO and is not technical, and could be read it whilst watching `Match of the Day' is probably not worth the paper.
Every Oracle Developer, DBA, Data Architect etc should own a copy.
Interesting, but...I like this book, simply because it's as close as we're likely to get to knowing the real workings of the CBO, unless Oracle ever goes Open Source.
Less interesting are the "I think...", "It seems...", etc. musings, because they add nothing of worth... they're just guesses, which have no place in a book founded on evidence.
In spite of the rave reviews that this book has received, I doubt that many of its readers will be putting its content to meaningful use, only because, in reality, it's mainly a low-level description of the CBO's workings, and will take most folk quite some time to both read & digest (I suspect several re-readings would be the norm). I think that this book may turn out to be a bit like the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem: blazingly clever, worthy of universal praise, but probably destined to remain a technical marvel, rarely put to common use.
I wonder if Lewis will ever write the next two volumes?
Best ever Oracle bookThis is the best ever oracle book I have read. What was interesting for me the way the test scripts where written down isolating each and every aspects that make up complex task of building the execution plan. I am no DBA but as a developer hard pressed to deliver reports that needs to be running at reasonable time (sometimes ridiculously quick) this book has been a boon for me. My understanding of oracle has gone leaps and bonds. Thanks Jonathan I have recommended this to all my colleagues.
Invaluable resource for all Oracle ProfessionalsGreat book for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of how Oracle chooses the best access path to the data.
Fantastic coverage of the CBO.If you are an Oracle DBA interested in Oracle performance, then this is the book for you. I have been a DBA for more than 9 years, and have read many books on the subject of Oracle performance. I can honestly say that "Cost-Based Oracle Fundamentals", along with the Tom Kyte books, are a clear cut above the rest.
Amazingly, more than 400 pages of in depth technical coverage is described as the fundamental level - this serves as a reminder that this book is the first in a series of three, all to be written by Jonathan Lewis.
As you work your way through the book, and examine the test scripts and examples provided, it becomes apparent that Jonathan Lewis has spent many years investigating and testing Oracle, enabling him to be able to share this level of depth and knowledge.
I found that one of the shortest sections - "Appendix A, Upgrade Headaches" was very helpful for my particular day to day role as a DBA. I have always found that there is a fear of what the Optimizer has in store for you, as you upgrade from one version of Oracle to the next. Jonathan Lewis manages to cover off many Optimizer specific changes between the versions that may catch you out. This serves as a very good checklist for any DBA.
Finally, I will be reading this book again, as I need to make sure I have not overlooked anything before the second instalment arrives in the shops!
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