Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• Oracle LEFT JOIN vs. LEFT OUTER JOIN: What's the difference?

  Get an explanation of the different types of Oracle joins, including whether there's really a difference between the LEFT JOIN and LEFT OUTER JOIN syntax in PL/SQL.  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between a database engineer, architect and administrator?

  Expert Michael Hillenbrand explains the difference between a database engineer, a database architect and a database administrator.  Continue Reading

• What happened to the Oracle PULA software licensing contract?

  Word of a purported Oracle Perpetual Unlimited License Agreement slipped out last year, but nothing has been heard since. Oracle's silence on the PULA is all about the cloud, experts say.  Continue Reading

• What's the biggest trap for users in an Oracle licensing agreement?

  The biggest Oracle licensing trap isn't in how you use the vendor's software, but in the license agreement itself and how easy Oracle makes it for customers to start out noncompliant.  Continue Reading

• How do Oracle on-premises and Oracle cloud licensing differ?

  Software licensing expert Keith Dobbs explains how Oracle's cloud focus has affected its licensing policies -- and how Oracle Cloud at Customer could change things for on-premises users.  Continue Reading

• For Oracle disaster recovery, check your physical standby databases

  Database expert Michael Abbey explains what's needed to ensure that your Oracle physical standby databases are vetted and work properly.  Continue Reading

• How to escape the no-win Oracle SLA as a DBA

  Escaping the no-win Oracle SLA as a DBA is all about tying technology to business, according to two Oracle Database experts.  Continue Reading

• You don't need Oracle DB 12c Heat Map to prioritize, compress data

  PayPal Database Engineer John Kanagaraj says an AWR workaround lets you prioritize and compress data in earlier ODB versions.  Continue Reading

• Does Oracle database technology make sense for your company?

  Two Oracle database experts explain why it's crucial for companies to make a specific business case for every technology feature they wish deploy.  Continue Reading

• Three tips for using Oracle insert syntax to insert multiple rows

  If you're looking for insert syntax to insert multiple rows in Oracle, read these tips from three of our community members.  Continue Reading

• Dynamic query failing with a single date condition

  A reader asks Oracle expert Dan Clamage about a single date condition mucking up a dynamic query.  Continue Reading

• Managing Oracle connections from third-party apps

  Oracle expert Brian Peasland answers one reader's question about common pitfalls when connecting Oracle to outside programs.  Continue Reading

• Perfect the Oracle RMAN duplicate 10g command

  One reader asks expert Brian Peasland a question about datafile sizes with the Oracle RMAN duplicate 10g command.  Continue Reading

• Doing SQL arithmetic with SELECT instead of arithmetic operations

  Learn how to do simple SQL arithmetic operations without using the arithmetic operators.  Continue Reading

• Managing SQL parent table-child table relations

  Managing parent table-child table relations in Oracle SQL environments is key to efficient programming.  Continue Reading