oracle optimizer :QREF: SQL Statement HINTS

QREF: SQL Statement HINTS (Doc ID 29236.1)

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APPLIES TO: Oracle Database Cloud Schema Service - Version N/A and later Gen 1 Exadata Cloud at Customer (Oracle Exadata Database Cloud Machine) - Version N/A and later Oracle Cloud Infrastructure - Database Service - Version N/A and later Oracle Database Backup Service - Version N/A and later Oracle Database Exadata Express Cloud Service - Version N/A and later Information in this document applies to any platform. PURPOSE List and explain some of the hints for the CBO SCOPE Various DETAILS General "A statement block can have only one comment containing hints, and that comment must follow the SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, MERGE, or DELETE keyword." . For documentation on hints see: Oracle Database 12c Release 2 / Administration Database SQL Language Reference Hints http://docs.oracle.com Syntax: /*+ HINT HINT ... */ Note: (In PLSQL the space between the '+' and the first letter of the hint is vital as otherwise the hint may be ignored. So /*+ ALL_ROWS */ is fine but /*+ALL_ROWS */ will cause problems. See Bug:697121 Hints always force the use of the cost based optimizer (Exception: the RULE hint). Hints must reference the table alias, if aliases are in use. For Example: Incorrect: SELECT /*+ FULL ( emp ) */ empno FROM emp myalias WHERE empno > 10; Correct: SELECT /*+ FULL ( myalias ) */ empno FROM emp myalias WHERE empno > 10; Hints should not reference the schema name. For example: SELECT /*+ index(schmaname.emp emp1) */ ... should not be used. Alias the table name instead and use the alias in the hint. Invalid hints cause the hint to be ignored without warning Invalid hints may not be immediately obvious. For example: FIRST_ROWS as a hint when the statement has an ORDER BY clause (since the data has to be ordered prior to the first row being returned the first_rows hint may not have the desired effect). The access path to be HINT(ed) must be an available access path. For example an index hint referencing a non-existant index with fail silently. If third party tools do not contain the logic to support hints, then a potential workaround is to embed hints in a view and then reference that view. Refer to the Oracle Database Performance Tuning Guide for more on hints. There is a view from 11.1 on wards that shows obsolete hints: SELECT NAME,INVERSE,SQL_FEATURE,VERSION FROM V$SQL_HINT ORDER BY NAME; Hint Reference: - Hints referring to Sub-Queries/views: PUSH_SUBQ Causes all subqueries in a query block to be executed at the earliest possible time. Normally subqueries are executed as the last is applied is outerjoined or remote or joined with a merge join. (>=7.2) NO_MERGE(v) Use this hint in a VIEW to PREVENT it being merged into the parent query. (>=7.2) or use NO_MERGE(v) in parent query block to prevent view V being merged MERGE(v) Do merge view V PUSH_JOIN_PRED(v) Push join predicates into view V NO_PUSH_JOIN_PRED(v) Do NOT push join predicates Access Hints FULL(tab) Use Full Table Scan FTS on table “tab” CACHE(tab) If table within <Parameter:CACHE_SIZE_THRESHOLD> treat as if it had the CACHE option set. See <Parameter:CACHE_SIZE_THRESHOLD>. Only applies if FTS used. NOCACHE(tab) Do not cache table even if it has CACHE option set. Only relevant for FTS. CLUSTER(tab) Use cluster scan to access 'tab' HASH(tab) Use hash scan to access 'tab' INDEX(tab [ind]) Use 'ind' scan to access 'tab' - Disables index_ffs. See Document 50607.1 How to specify an INDEX Hint NO_INDEX (tab [ind]) Do not use 'ind' to access 'tab' INDEX_ASC(tab [ind]) Use 'ind' to access 'tab' for range scan. INDEX_DESC(tab {ind]) Use descending index range scan (Join problems pre 7.3) INDEX_FFS(tab [ind]) Index fast full scan - rather than FTS. NO_INDEX_FFS(tab [ind]) Exclude the option of using Index fast full scan - rather than FTS. INDEX_RRS(tab [ind]) Index Rowid Range scan INDEX_COMBINE( tab i1.. i5 ) Try to use some boolean combination of bitmap index/s i1,i2 etc INDEX_SS(tab [ind]) Use 'ind' to access 'tab' with an index skip scan INDEX_SS_ASC(tab [ind]) Use 'ind' to access 'tab' with an index skip scan in Ascending order INDEX_SS_DESC(tab [ind]) Use 'ind' to access 'tab' with an index skip scan in Descending order NO_INDEX_SS(tab [ind]) Exclude the option of using 'ind' to access 'tab' with an index skip scan USE_CONCAT Use concatenation (Union All) for OR (or IN) statements. (>=7.2). See Document 17214.1 (7.2 requires <Event:10078>, 7.3 no hint req) NO_EXPAND Do not perform OR-expansion (Ie: Do not use Concatenation). DRIVING_SITE(table) Forces query execution to be done at the site where "table" resides Joining USE_NL(tab) Use table 'tab' as the inner table in a Nested Loops join. May not work unless by a hint that forces the correct join order (e.g. ORDERED hint). NO_USE_NL(tab) Excludes the use of table 'tab' as the inner table in a Nested Loops join USE_NL_WITH_INDEX(tab) The USE_NL_WITH_INDEX hint will cause the optimizer to join the specified table to another row source with a nested loops join using the specified table as the inner table but only under the following condition: If no index is specified, the optimizer must be able to use some index with at least one join predicate as the index key. If an index is specified, the optimizer must be able to use that index with at least one join predicate as the index key. USE_MERGE(tab..) Join each specified table with another row source using a sort-merge join. NO_USE_MERGE(tab..) Excludes the option of joining each specified table with another row source using a sort-merge join. USE_HASH(tab1 tab2) Join each specified table with another row source with a hash join. 'tab1' is joined to previous row source using a hash join. (>=7.3) NO_USE_HASH(tab1 tab2) Excludes the option of joining each specified table with another row source with a hash join. STAR_TRANSFORMATION Use best plan containing a STAR transformation (if there is one) NO_STAR_TRANSFORMATION Exclude the option of using the best plan containing a STAR transformation ORDERED Access tables in the order of the FROM clause LEADING This hint specifies only the driving table. From there CBO is free to investigate multiple join orders Parallel Query Option PARALLEL ( table, <degree> [, <instances>] ) Use parallel degree / instances as specified PARALLEL_INDEX(table, [ index, [ degree [,instances] ] ] ) Parallel range scan for partitioned index PQ_DISTRIBUTE(tab,out,in) How to distribute rows from tab in a PQ (out/in may be HASH/NONE/BROADCAST/PARTITION) NO_PARALLEL(table) Starting from 10g this syntax should be used NO_PARALLEL_INDEX(table [,index]) Starting from 10g this syntax should be used Miscellaneous APPEND Only valid for INSERT .. SELECT. Allows INSERT to work like direct load or to perform parallel insert. See Document 50592.1 NOAPPEND Do not use INSERT APPEND functionality REWRITE(v1[,v2]) 8.1+ With a view list use eligible materialized view Without view list use any eligible MV NO_REWRITE Starting from 10g this syntax should be used NO_UNNEST Add to a subquery to prevent it from being unnested UNNEST Unnests specified subquery block if possible SWAP_JOIN_INPUTS Allows the user to switch the inputs of a join. See Document 171940.1 CARDINALITY(t1 [,..],n) Makes the CBO to use different assumptions about cardinality at the table level Optimizer Mode FIRST_ROWS Force CBO first rows ALL_ROWS Force CBO all rows RULE Force RBO if possible Deprecated Hints NOTE: Starting from Oracle version 10.1.0.2 the following hints have been deprecated and should not be used: AND_EQUAL, HASH_AJ, MERGE_AJ, NL_AJ, HASH_SJ, MERGE_SJ, NL_SJ, ORDERED_PREDICATES, ROWID, STAR. Descriptions for deprecated hints are included below for historical reference: AND_EQUAL(tab i1.. i5 ) Merge scans of 2 to 5 single column indexes. MERGE_AJ(v) Put hint in a NOT IN subquery to perform sort-merge anti-join or hash anti-join or nested loops antijoin (>=7.3). For example: SELECT .. WHERE deptno is not null AND deptno NOT IN (SELECT /*+ HASH_AJ */ deptno ...) ASH_AJ(v) NL_AJ(v) HASH_SJ(v) Transform EXISTS subquery into HASH or MERGE or nested loops semi-join to access "v" MERGE_SJ(v) NL_SJ(v) ORDERED_PREDICATES Forces optimizer to apply predicates as they appear in the WHERE clause, except for predicates used as index keys ROWID(tab) Access tab by ROWID directly. For example: SELECT /*+ ROWID( table ) */ ... FROM tab WHERE ROWID between '&1' and '&2'; STAR Force a star query plan if possible. A star plan has the largest table in the query last in the join order and joins it with a nested loops join on a concatenated index. The STAR hint applies when there are at least 3 tables and the large table's concatenated index has at least 3 columns and there are no conflicting access or join method hints. (>=7.3) NOPARALLEL(table) No parallel on "table" NOPARALLEL_INDEX(table [,index]) Opposite to PARALLEL_INDEX NOREWRITE 8.1+ Do not rewrite the query REFERENCES NOTE:50607.1 - How to Specify an INDEX Hint NOTE:35934.1 - Cost Based Optimizer - Common Misconceptions and Issues - Pre. 10g