DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM和DB_BLOCK_CHECKING

DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM

Property	Description
Parameter type	String
Syntax	DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM = { OFF | FALSE | TYPICAL | TRUE | FULL }
Default value	TYPICAL
Modifiable	ALTER SESSION, ALTER SYSTEM
Basic	No

DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM determines whether DBWn and the direct loader will calculate a checksum (a number calculated from all the bytes stored in the block) and store it in the cache header of every data block when writing it to disk. Checksums are verified when a block is read - only if this parameter is TYPICAL or FULL and the last write of the block stored a checksum. In FULL mode, Oracle also verifies the checksum before a change application from update/delete statements and recomputes it after the change is applied. In addition, Oracle gives every log block a checksum before writing it to the current log.

Starting with Oracle Database 11g, most of the log block checksum is done by the generating foreground processes, while the LGWR performs the rest of the work, for better CPU and cache efficiency. Prior to Oracle Database 11g, the LGWR solely performed the log block checksum.

If this parameter is set to OFF, DBWn calculates checksums only for the SYSTEM tablespace, but not for user tablespaces. In addition, no log checksum is performed when this parameter is set to OFF.

Checksums allow Oracle to detect corruption caused by underlying disks, storage systems, or I/O systems. If set to FULL, DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM also catches in-memory corruptions and stops them from making it to the disk. Turning on this feature in TYPICAL mode causes only an additional 1% to 2% overhead. In the FULL mode it causes 4% to 5% overhead. Oracle recommends that you set DB_BLOCK_CHECKSUM to TYPICAL.

For backward compatibility the use of TRUE (implying TYPICAL) and FALSE (implying OFF) values is preserved.

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DB_BLOCK_CHECKING

Property	Description
Parameter type	String
Syntax	DB_BLOCK_CHECKING = { FALSE | OFF | LOW | MEDIUM | TRUE | FULL }
Default value	FALSE
Modifiable	ALTER SYSTEM
Basic	No

DB_BLOCK_CHECKING specifies whether or not Oracle performs block checking for database blocks.

Values:

• OFF or FALSE

  No block checking is performed for blocks in user tablespaces. However, semantic block checking for SYSTEM tablespace blocks is always turned on.

• LOW

  Basic block header checks are performed after block contents change in memory (for example, after UPDATE or INSERT statements, on-disk reads, or inter-instance block transfers in Oracle RAC).

• MEDIUM

  All LOW checks and full semantic checks are performed for all objects except indexes (whose contents can be reconstructed by a drop+rebuild on encountering a corruption).

• FULL or TRUE

  All LOW and MEDIUM checks and full semantic checks are performed for all objects.

Oracle checks a block by going through the data in the block, making sure it is logically self-consistent. Block checking can often prevent memory and data corruption. Block checking typically causes 1% to 10% overhead, depending on workload and the parameter value. Specific DML overhead may be higher. The more updates or inserts in a workload, the more expensive it is to turn on block checking. You should set DB_BLOCK_CHECKING to FULLif the performance overhead is acceptable.

For backward compatibility, the use of FALSE (implying OFF) and TRUE (implying FULL) is preserved.