ILM
Assistant Guide
This document provides detailed instructions for using the
ILM Assistant.
Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) is a set of policies
and techniques for managing data during its lifetime. The ILM Assistant
provides the information you need to manage your data from its initial creation
through to deletion or lifetime retention. In this initial release the ILM
Assistant generates scripts to perform tasks such as moving data onto a
different storage tier.
The first sections of this guide follow the tabs, sub-tabs
and screens of the user interface. Later sections include a Glossary and User
Interface Conventions. Use these links to navigate directly to a section of
interest:
Logging on to the ILM Assistant
Lifecycle Setup
Logical
Storage Tiers
Lifecycle Definitions
Lifecycle
Tables
Preferences
Lifecycle Management
Lifecycle
Events Calendar
Lifecycle Events
Reports
Multi-Tier Storage Costs by Lifecycle or Table
Logical Storage Tier Summary
Partitions by Table or Storage Tier
Data Usage Statistics by
Lifecycle Table
Lifecycle Retention Summary
Data Protection Summary
Compliance & Security
Current Status
Immutability
Privacy & Security
Auditing
Policy Notes
User Interface Conventions
Glossary
Getting
Started
When the ILM Assistant first starts the Lifecycle Events
Calendar will display which lists all outstanding events, which needs to be
performed. However, if this is the first time that you have run the ILM
Assistant click on the Lifecycle Setup tab to
configure the ILM Assistant.
Once the logical storage tiers and lifecycle definitions
have been defined and tables have been mapped to the lifecycle definitions
click on the Scan for Events button to show all the current and future
lifecycle events that must be performed to put data at the appropriate place in
the Information Lifecycle. You can use the Previous Month with Events
button to navigate to months containing lifecycle events and the Today
button to return to the current month. Click on the Event Details button
to navigate to a report containing more details about these events and the
ability to generate scripts to perform them.
1
Logging
onto the ILM Assistant
The ILM Assistant now requires a database user and password
to authorize its use. The database user
must have the following privileges to use the ILM Assistant:
For
9i:
- ALTER ANY
TABLE
- ALTER
TABLESPACE
- DROP ANY TABLE
- MANAGE TABLESPACE
For
10g or later:
- ADVISOR
- ALTER ANY TABLE
- ALTER
TABLESPACE
- DROP ANY TABLE
- MANAGE TABLESPACE
The ILM Assistant also requires execution
privileges for specific internal packages.
To grant the necessary execution privileges, a SQL*Plus script has been
provided to do the work. See the
installation guide for information on executing the required setup script.
If this is the first time that you have used the ILM
Assistant then it is here where you specify exactly how the data is to be
managed by the ILM Assistant. There are 3 steps, which must be completed before
the ILM Assistant is able to give advice on data placement.
- Define
the logical storage tiers
- Define
the lifecycle definitions
- Select tables to be managed by the lifecycle
definitions
Other options available within setup include the ability to
- View
partition simulation
- View
a lifecycle summary of mapped tables and
their logical storage tiers and lifecycle definitions
2.1
Logical
Storage Tiers
A logical storage tier is a name given to a logical group of
storage devices and typically all disks of the same type will be identified by
that name. For example, the group called High Performance could refer to all
the high performance disks. Any number of logical storage tiers may be defined
and the devices are identified by the assigned tablespaces, which reside upon
them.
The Cost per GB value must be a value greater than
zero. The value is used by the ILM Assistant to project storage costs
when data is mapped to the tier. It is recommended that you should enter
a value that represents a reasonably accurate cost of storing data on the
tier. This would include the physical purchase price of a device,
however, you might also want to consider other associated costs such as
maintenance and running costs.
A storage tier must be associated with a particular file
system. By default, the Oracle database
understands the conventional system that is implemented by the operating
system. Additional file systems can be defined within the ILM Assistant
to support special devices that save energy or protect data. If multiple file system types are found, then
the user may associate the storage with the desired file system; otherwise, the
ILM Assistant assumes all devices are conventional systems.
Clicking the New
storage tier option creates a new Logical Storage Tier. This invokes the
Create Logical Storage Tier screen where a name, description, cost per GB and
preferred tablespaces must be selected.
No changes will be applied until the OK button is pressed.
You can click the Create button to save the new
logical storage tier and return to the Logical Storage Tiers screen. You can modify
a logical storage tier by clicking the Edit icon next to it, which invokes the
Manage Logical Storage Tier screen. Make the desired changes and click the OK
button to save the changes. You can delete a logical storage tier by
clicking the Delete icon next to it and clicking OK in the delete
confirmation window.
2.1.1
Assigned Tablespaces
Each storage tier will have a set of assigned tablespaces
that are labeled as a read-write preferred tablespace, read-only preferred
tablespace or a secondary tablespace. If
read-write data can be migrated onto the tier, then the read-write preferred
tablespace is required. If the storage
tier will accept read-only data, then a read-only preferred tablespace can also
be identified. In addition to the
preferred tablespaces, one or more secondary tablespaces may be assigned to the
tier.
A read-only preferred tablespace may not necessarily receive
an object. If the tablespace already
contains an object or if the tablespace resides on a protected file system
device, the ILM Assistant will indicate that a new tablespace will be created
using attribute settings from the preferred read-only tablespace. If the recommendation is implemented, the
newly cloned tablespace will automatically become a secondary tablespace for
the storage tier.
Secondary tablespaces are typically located in the same location
as the read-write preferred tablespace for the storage tier. Since the ILM Assistant only supports a
single preferred tablespace, any read-write data that must reside on the tier
would generate a data movement event to relocate the data to the read-write
preferred tablespace. To avoid
unnecessary move events, the ILM Assistant will allow existing data to remain
on a secondary tablespace for the storage tier. The ILM Assistant will not presently use a
secondary tablespace as the target location for data movement.
A tablespace can only be assigned to one storage tier and
can only be classified as one type of tablespace: read-write preferred,
read-only preferred or secondary.
To handle large installations, an internal cache of known
tablespaces is maintained by the ILM Assistant.
It is nothing more than a private copy of tablespace information to
provide better performance within the Assistant. Typically, the ILM Assistant will keep the
cache up to date; however, it is possible that it may miss newly created
tablespaces, especially if they are created outside of the ILM Assistant
domain. In this case, a manual cache
refresh option is available in the Tasks & Options sidebar. Press the Refresh tablespace cache
link update the internal cache.
2.1.2
File System Credentials
When a storage tier is associated with a file system, it is
possible that the selected file system requires credentials for privileged
operations. If the file system does
indeed require credentials, a link will be provided on the storage tier setup
page. Press the Set credentials link found in the Tasks & Options sidebar.
Credential management is under the control of the file
system provider. See their documentation
for specific requirements of the credential information.
Note: the default
file system does not require credentials.
2.2
Lifecycle
Definitions
A lifecycle definition describes how data migrates across
the logical storage tiers during its lifetime. It comprises of one or more
lifecycle stages that select a logical storage tier, data attributes such as
compression and read only and a duration for data residing on that lifecycle
stage. A lifecycle definition is valid if it contains at least one lifecycle
stage and there must be a final stage, which is either user specified or
automatically generated by the ILM Assistant upon completion of the lifecycle
definition process. For the final stage you must specify what happens to data
at lifecycle end i.e. archive offline, remain online or purge.
Clicking the New lifecycle definition option creates
a new lifecycle definition. This invokes the Create Lifecycle Definition
screen, which is split into two parts. In the top section, the user must supply
a unique name; a description and the fiscal start month and day for this
lifecycle definition, where the fiscal start date is the reference date for the
lifecycle. In the next section describe the first lifecycle stage (see the Lifecycle Stages section below for details), then
click on the Continue button to save the new lifecycle definition and
add further stages. If you click on the Cancel button you will be
prompted that a final stage has not been created. Click OK to have the
ILM Assistant automatically generate a final stage, otherwise click on Cancel
to return and create a final stage.
The lifecycle is always based on a date. The lifecycle definition produces a lifecycle
that is sensitive to the user-designated fiscal date. The current stage also
aligns its start date to the nearest fiscal date that occurs prior to present
calendar date. Subsequent stages will then be placed adjacent to the current
stage. Since the current stage aligns
itself with the fiscal date, the current stage will always represent a window
that is less than or equal to the specified stage duration.
On the Lifecycle Definition screen the status column
indicates whether a final stage has been defined for this lifecycle.
To delete a lifecycle definition, click on the Delete icon
next to it and then click OK in the delete confirmation window.
Within the Manage Lifecycle Definition screen, click on Graphical
View link for a visual display of the lifecycle.
Copying an existing
one can also create a new lifecycle definition. This is achieved by clicking
the Copy a lifecycle definition option. Lifecycle definitions can be
complex and this is a useful technique when a new lifecycle definition is
needed with only minor differences from an existing lifecycle definition. When
you copy a lifecycle definition, you will be prompted for a unique name to be
assigned. Once the copy operation completes, the new copy can be modified or
used without affecting the original lifecycle definition.
When viewing or editing a
lifecycle definition, a detail report showing the stages for the lifecycle. The
following information is provided:
A stage is classified a current
stage, final stage or unclassified.
Displays the user-supplied name of
the stage.
Displays the user-supplied stage
description.
Displays the action performed when
data maps to the stage. Possible actions are:
- Remain
Online
- Archive
Offline
- Purge
Displays the storage tier
associated with the stage. For a stage that purges data or moves data offline,
a tier is not specified.
When a stage is associated with a storage tier that
supports data protection attributes, a lock icon will appear in this
column. To support such attributes, the
storage tier must be defined a file system that implements physical locking.
Displays the optional data
attributes that will be applied to data when it maps to the stage. Possible
values are:
- None
- Compressed
- Compressed
and Read-Only
- Read-Only
Some attributes may be unavailable for storage
tiers having special file systems.
Displays the length of time the
data can remain mapped to the stage.
Displays the actual calendar date
for the beginning of the stage. The date is computed based on the adjacent
stages and the user-specified fiscal start date.
Displays the actual calendar date
for the end of the stage. The date is computed based on the adjacent stages and
the user-specified fiscal start date.
2.2.1
Lifecycle
Stages
A lifecycle definition comprises of a number of stages that
describes what happens to data during its lifetime. Lifecycle stages are
initially created in reverse time order i.e. working backwards in time from the
current date. Therefore the current stage for new data is always created on the
Create Lifecycle Definition screen and then additional stages are
defined on the Create Stage screen. Every stage must have a unique name
and an optional description can be supplied. If the stage is not the final
stage then you must specify for how long the data will remain on this stage and
any stage attributes such as whether the data should be compressed or set to
read only. Note that it is only possible to specify a read only stage if a
preferred read only tablespace has been defined for the logical storage tier
for this stage. Click on Create and Add Another to save this stage and
add another stage, or Create if this is the last stage. As the stages
are defined a report detailing every stage defined for this lifecycle is shown
in the Stage Details report.
The current stage represents the present time but can span
any length of time. A lifecycle can only have one current stage.
The final stage is required as it describes what happens
when data reaches its end-of-life. A lifecycle can only have one final stage
and is automatically created if the user does not create one. Possible actions
are:
- Purge
the data
- Archive
the data off-line
- Allow
the data to remain on-line
Stages that store data on-line also permit several
attributes to be defined that affect the data. The supported attributes are:
- None
- Compressed
- Compressed
and Read-Only
- Read-Only
You can manage
lifecycle stages from the Manage Lifecycle Definition screen. Create a new
lifecycle stage, by clicking the New Stage button in the Stages report.
You can modify a lifecycle stage by clicking the Manage Stage icon, this
invokes the Manage Stage screen where you can make the desired changes
and click the OK button to save the change.
To delete a lifecycle stage, click on the Delete icon next
to it in the Stages report on the Manage Lifecycle Definition and then
click OK in the delete confirmation window.
2.3
Lifecycle
Tables
The Lifecycle Tables area identifies those tables that may
be managed by the ILM Assistant, and it is here where these tables are mapped
to a lifecycle definition. A database may contain many tables, only some of
which you wish to consider as candidates for ILM. A table is automatically eligible
if it is range partitioned on a date column and then when it is associated with
a lifecycle definition, the ILM Assistant can manage its data. For tables
having no partitioning, storage cost savings and storage tier migration can be
modeled using a simulated partitioning strategy. This page is the final
step in mapping a table to a lifecycle definition so the ILM Assistant can
report when it is time to move the data.
Click on the Candidate link to begin lifecycle
management of a table. If the table is already partitioned, you will be
transferred to the Manage Lifecycle Table
page to set up an association with a lifecycle definition. On this page,
you may select a lifecycle for the table and then preview the storage cost
benefits and the projected lifecycle stage effect on the table. If the
effect is undesirable or unwanted, you may press Cancel or choose
another lifecycle definition to preview. Once you are satisfied with the
selection, press OK to return to the Lifecycle Tables page.
If the candidate is not yet partitioned, you will be
directed to a Partition
Simulation page where you can setup a full simulation.
Similar to setting up a managed table, a simulation can be previewed and
accepted on this page. Upon returning from the simulation page, the table
is now eligible for full lifecycle management in simulation mode. The
difference between a managed table and a simulated table is that a managed
table contains actual partitions and a simulated table contains fake
partitioning data. All reports and event detection work with both types
of lifecycle tables. However, any table upon which partitioning is being
simulated, will only be seen as being partitioned from within the ILM
Assistant. All other tools will continue to see it as a non-partitioned table.
Though the lifecycle tables view shows all accessible
tables, the ILM Assistant may not be able to manage every table. In those
cases, the table will be marked as ineligible and a link will be provided to
explain the exception. Some examples of ineligible tables:
- Tables
partitioned on non-date columns
- Tables
partitioned using a partition type other than range
For tables that are not partitioned, the ILM Assistant now
permits an alternative placement approach that does not require partitioning on
a date. If a table is small or has
incompatible attributes, the user may manage the table by allowing it to be
placed as a whole object. Just as one
does with a partition candidate, the table will be associated with a
lifecycle. However, instead of requiring
the table to have a date column, the Assistant will prompt the user for a
specific date value. That date value
will then be used by the Assistant to evaluate correct placement.
The display for Lifecycle Tables can be customized to show;
managed, simulated, candidate and ineligible tables.
The following information is provided on the Lifecycle
Tables page:
The Oracle schema that owns the table
The table that may allow ILM management. The table name is also a link to a detail
listing of the table.
The current estimated size of the table. The value is scaled according to the Size
Metric as specified within the Show filter options.
The current sum of logical and physical reads for the table.
The current sum of physical writes for the table
If the ILM Assistant is managing the table, the
required lifecycle definition will be displayed here.
Provides the current status of the table. This will indicate whether the table is
eligible, is managed or is simulated.
For tables that are ineligible, the status link will provide an
explanation regarding its incompatibility with the ILM Assistant.
Provides a status of the table partitioning. A table can have partitioning implemented,
simulated, unused or unavailable.
When the ILM Assistant is managing a table, a total
cost-savings value is computed and displayed here. The value is also a link to a summary of the
cost values associated with the table.
Indicates that the current table placement scheme
compatible with the lifecycle definition.
Clicking on the icon will display a detail report of the table
placement.
2.3.1
Lifecycle
Table List
For installations having many tables, the ILM Assistant
provides a table list caching system to prevent long page waits and possible
browser timeouts. The table list is a
snapshot of all user tables on the system that should be periodically refreshed
to maintain consistency within the ILM Assistant. To refresh the ILM table list, press the Refresh
table list option in the upper right-hand corner of the Lifecycle Tables
page, and a page will appear to give the user recent refresh information as
well as a table owner and table name filtering.
If the user continues with the refresh operation, a background job will
be submitted to the Oracle job system, and the Lifecycle Tables page will
display job progress. During the
refresh operation, all maintenance options will be disabled. Once the refresh operation completes, full
control will be restored to the user.
Typically, the table list should be refreshed when application tables
have been added, changed or removed outside of the ILM Assistant, or when
up-to-date table statistics are desired.
By default, a table list refresh operation will attempt to
scan for every table defined in the database.
For large application environments, this can take a long time to
complete. Typically, ILM Assistant
management of tables is limited to a small number of tables. To avoid refreshing the table list with the
entire set of tables found in the database, filtering may be used to narrow the
number tables to be scanned. For
example, if the user was only interested in managing tables in the SH schema,
the Table Owner Filter can be set to
SH. Next, press the Submit Refresh button to start the refresh operation for tables
owned by the schema SH. Both the Table Owner Filter and Table Name Filter items are case
insensitive and support the SQL LIKE comparison operator. To estimate the time it may take to do
refresh, press the Estimate Refresh Statistics. This will return the projected number of
tables that match the filters as well as the time it will take to process the
data.
Purging unused entries in the cache will clean up a cache
that contains any entries that are not currently managed by the ILM
Assistant. It will not affect any of the
tables that currently match the filters.
As a guideline, the ILM Assistant can refresh the table list
at a rate of 300-350 tables per minute. The
operation may be interrupted from the Lifecycle
Tables screen. An interrupt will
stop the refresh operation as if it has reached the normal end of the table
scan. Because of the nature of the
process, an interrupt can take up to 30 seconds to stop the actual scan
operation.
2.3.2
Placement
Map
The Placement Map column in the Lifecycle Tables
Report indicates whether all the partitions in the table will fit inside a
stage and do not overlap stages. By clicking on the icon in this column the
Placement Map report is displayed.
The report lists for every partition, the range of data for
which it stores information, and the stage within the lifecycle into which this
data belongs. If the table partitions do not correctly fit the lifecycle
definition, the explanation can be found here.
For tables managed as whole objects, the placement report describes its
current location and cost.
A Refresh partition map option is available to allow
the ILM Assistant to rescan physical partition information. Since the ILM Assistant is a passive tool,
external changes to the data may not be reflected within the Assistant’s
presentation. A refresh operation will
synchronize the Assistant’s knowledge of the particular table.
The following information is provided:
Displays the current partition
name. This column is only displayed for
tables having implemented or simulated partitioning.
Displays the tablespace in which
the partition resides.
Displays the lowest date permitted
in the partition. Oracle only requires the high key value when specifying
range partitions. The ILM Assistant calculates the low key value by
analyzing adjacent partitions. This
column is only displayed for tables having implemented or simulated
partitioning.
Displays the high date key for the
partition. This column is only displayed
for tables having implemented or simulated partitioning.
Displays the placement date value for the
table. The value is used as a pseudo-key
the ILM Assistant to place the table on the correct storage tier. This column is only displayed for whole table
placement.
Displays the lifecycle stage that
currently maps to the partition.
Displays the earliest partition key value that can
reside within this lifecycle stage.
Displays the latest partition key value that can
reside within this lifecycle stage.
Displays the current compression
status for the partition. An Enabled value indicates that
compression has been enabled for the partition.
Displays the size of the current
partition. For managed tables, the size is based on database segment
statistics. For simulated tables, the size is calculated using the number
of table rows and the average row length that was provided during simulation
setup time.
- Displays
the calculated cost of storing the partition on the current tier.
The cost is computed by multiplying the storage size of the partition
by the cost per GB value that is associated with the tier.
Indicates the quality of the
partition-to-stage relationship. A green check indicates the partition resides
completely within the stage without violating date boundaries. A warning icon
indicates some type of mismatch. An explanation can be found below the report.
Possible exceptions for the stage mapping are:
- Tablespace
is not associated with a logical storage tier
This is very common for new ILM Assistant users. In
order to do cost analysis, the ILM Assistant needs to associate all referenced
tablespaces with a tier. Typically, the easiest correction is to edit a logical
storage tier and add the missing tablespace as a secondary tablespace. A Fix tablespace errors link in the Tasks
& Options sidebar will automatically assign the tablespaces to storage
tiers.
o Future
Partition
Though not an error condition, a future partition
contains all data that does not map to other partitions. Over time, the ILM Assistant will detect
data residing in a future partition and will recommend a split to correctly
place future data.
2.3.3
Storage
Costs
By clicking on the storage cost for a lifecycle table, a
storage cost report will appear. This report summarizes the costs and
savings associated with the managed or simulated table.
The report is divided into two main areas. The top
portion of the report is a rollup showing the totals for the managed or
simulated tables. For managed tables, there are two sub-sections
that show data for a non-ILM environment using a single storage tier and an ILM
managed, multi-tier environment. For simulated tables, a third section is
provided that shows an ILM managed, multi-tier environment that includes the
estimated effects of compression.
The bottom section of the storage costs page is the detail
section that breaks up the cost areas by logical storage tier. The
following information is provided:
Displays the total size of the
entities. For a lifecycle-based report, the value represents the sum of
all table sizes that are assigned the current lifecycle definition. For
managed tables, the size is the actual size as indicated by the database
storage statistics. For simulated tables, the size is the projected size
as calculated by the user-specified number of rows and average row length.
Displays the single-tier cost,
which is calculated by multiplying the single-tier size of the current entities
by the cost of storing the data on the most expensive tier within the lifecycle
definition.
Displays the user-specified cost
when setting up the storage tier. The value is used to calculate the
storage costs for partitions that are assigned to the tier.
Displays the total size of the
entities that reside on that tier. For lifecycles, it represents all
table partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table,
it represents the sum of all partitions that are associated with the
tier. The size does not include any projected compression.
Displays the cost, which is
calculated by multiplying the cost per gigabyte for the current tier by the
space occupied by the entities. For lifecycles, it represents all table
partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it
represents the sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier.
Displays the savings, which is
computed by subtracting the multi-tier cost from the calculated cost of storing
the same data using the single-tier approach.
Displays the ratio of multi-tier savings
to the single-tier cost for the same data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Size
Displays the total size of the
entities that reside on that tier. For lifecycles, it represents all
table partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table,
it represents the sum of all partitions that are associated with the
tier. The size includes projected compression based on the estimated
compression factor assigned by the user.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Cost
Displays the cost, which is
calculated by multiplying the cost per gigabyte for the current tier by the
space occupied by the entities. For lifecycles, it represents all table
partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it
represents the sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier. The
size includes projected compression based on the estimated compression factor
assigned by the user.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Savings
Displays the savings, which is
computed by subtracting the multi-tier compressed cost from the calculated cost
of storing the same data using the single-tier approach.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
Displays the ratio of multi-tier
compressed savings to the single-tier cost for the same data.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Lifecycle
Stages Compressed
When setting up lifecycle stages,
the user has the option of requiring the partitions to be compressed when
assigned to the stage. This value shows the number of stages assigned to
the storage tier that have the compressed attribute set.
Displays the number of partitions
on the storage tier that are currently compressed.
For tables that are already partitioned on a single date
key, the user simply has to choose a lifecycle definition in order to begin lifecycle
management. Once a lifecycle definition is selected, the user may preview the
effects and costs. To accept the settings, press OK and return to the Lifecycle Tables
page. For tables having no date key or
having no partitioning needs, the user may manage the entire table as a single
object. To do that, an additional Placement
Date is required. The ILM Assistant
uses this date during storage tier placement evaluation.
Additional information provided on the page:
Displays the number of rows found
in the table. The value can be an estimate as the value is either retrieved
from the table statistics or it is computed based on the number of data blocks
utilized by the table.
Displays the average row length for
the entire table. The value can be an estimate if the table statistics are not
present or stale.
At the bottom of the page, there are two additional reports
that display the effects of managing a table: Storage Cost Details and
Placement Details. A link provides the method of viewing the two reports. See
the Storage Costs and Placement
Map descriptions for details on the report contents.
2.3.5
Partition
Simulation
Implementing Partitioning is likely to be a major task for
any organization and the ILM Assistant allows you to model the impact before
actually reorganizing the data. To achieve that, in simulation mode the ILM
Assistant requires the following information:
Select a lifecycle definition that
will be used to manage the simulated table. The simulated partitions will
be derived from the lifecycle stages defined in the lifecycle. The ILM
Assistant will determine the optimal date range based on the stage duration
information supplied.
Select a suitable date column as
the partitioning key. If the current table has only one date column, then
the column will automatically be selected and displayed in read-only form.
Displays the optimal partition
range interval based on the selected lifecycle definition. The ILM Assistant
will compute an interval that will guarantee that all generated partitions will
properly align with the lifecycle stages.
Provide the number of rows in the
current table. The default value is retrieved from the current tables
database statistics. If the default value is unavailable, or you wish to
project future growth, you may enter any value greater than zero. To
restore the default value, press the reset link directly next to
requested data.
Provide the average row length for
the table. The default value is retrieved from the current tables
database statistics. If the statistics are not valid, then the ILM
Assistant will query the table and calculate a maximum row size. If the default
value is unsuitable, or you wish to project future growth, you may enter any
value greater than zero.
Provide an estimated compression
factor. The compression factor is used exclusively by the ILM Assistant
to estimate storage costs and savings. The factor is purely an estimate,
but can give you savings potential. A value of one indicates no
compression is projected. A value greater than one indicates a reduction
in space using the formula reduction = 1 / factor. The default value is
calculated by sampling a small percentage of the table for compression
potential. To restore the default value, press the reset link directly
next to requested data.
Provide the lowest possible
partition key value found in the current table. The default is the result
of a query against the current table. If the default value is
unavailable, or you wish to project data into the past, you may enter any date
using the date format specified in the ILM Assistant preference Default
short date format. To restore the default value, press the reset
link directly next to requested data.
Provide the highest possible
partition key value found in the current table. The default is the
current date. If you wish to project data into the future, you may enter
any date using the format specified in the ILM Assistant preference Default
short date format. To restore the default value, press the reset
link directly next to requested data.
Once the required data has been provided, the user can
preview the simulation and make further changes, or the user may press OK
and accept the current settings. By
default, table-level statistics such as row count and row length are not
calculated. Since this can be a time
consuming process, the user may control when this data is acquired by pressing
the Load table statistics option.
An additional option after previewing the simulation is migration script generation. This
allows the user to preview and save a script that can be used to convert the
existing non-partitioned table to a partitioned counterpart. It should be noted
that the script contains a simple create operation and a command to migrate the
existing data; however, parts of the script have been commented out to prevent
accidental operation. A conversion of a table to a partitioned table should be
carefully planned.
If you do not wish to simulate table partitioning, you may
choose whole table placement. A link is
provided near the top of the page to transfer control to the page where whole
table placement is established.
At the bottom of the page, there are two additional reports
that display the effects of managing a table: Storage Cost Details and
Partition Details. A link provides the method of viewing the two reports. See
the Storage Costs and Placement
Map descriptions for details on the report contents.
1.4
Preferences
Preferences control various aspects of the ILM Assistants
behavior and display of data e.g. the default date format for most entered
values and reports or the default number of rows to display.
You can modify an ILM Assistant preference by clicking the
Manage Preference icon next to it. This invokes the Manage ILM Assistant
Preference screen. You can update the value for the preference and click the OK
button to save the change. Preferences cannot be deleted.
Preferences included with the ILM Assistant are:
- Compression
sample block count
Specifies the maximum number of
data blocks to test for compression when computing a compression factor. When
the compression estimation engine samples data blocks, it stops when it reaches
the maximum block count or the maximum percent as specified in the Compression
sample percent preference. As the value increases, the accuracy of the
estimate may increase; however, the time taken to compute the estimate
increases. Compression is computed when you choose a candidate table for
management or simulation in the Lifecycle Tables
page. The block count must a number between 1 and 10000.
- Compression
sample percent
Specifies the maximum number of
data blocks to test for compression when computing a compression factor. When
the compression estimation engine samples data blocks, it stops when it reaches
the maximum block count or the maximum percent as specified in the Compression
sample percent preference. As the value increases, the accuracy of the
estimate may increase; however, the time taken to compute the estimate
increases. Compression is computed when you choose a candidate table for
management or simulation in the Lifecycle Tables
page. The percent must be a number between 1 and 100.
Specifies the default long date
format used by the ILM Assistant to present dates. This format can contain
years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds and must be a valid Oracle date
format string.
Specifies the default short date
format used by the ILM Assistant to present dates. This format should only
contain years, months and days and must be a valid Oracle date format string.
It should not contain hours, minutes and seconds.
The ILM Assistant uses this date
format when displaying dates used by partition keys and event details. In
those two areas, the tool only deals with whole days.
Specifies a factor that amplifies
the actual table sizes. The value of one effectively disables the mode since multiplying
a number by one does not change the original value.
- Direct
load compression factor
During partition simulation, the impact on storage and costs
by Oracle data compression is estimated.
Prior to Oracle 11g, the compression was limited to direct load
operations. As long as the data remained
unchanged, the compression factor was maintained. If, however, the data was changed or inserted
after the initial load operation, the compression for that particular date was
lost. This factor estimates the average
cost factor for pre-11g compression. A
value of 100 indicates no loss of compression.
Specifies the default language
locale for the ILM Assistant. The format of the locale specification is
the same for specifying a browser locale, e.g. en-us.
The locale affects how formatted
numbers are displayed within the ILM Assistant.
- Lifecycle table view filter
Specifies the default selection to
view when visiting the Lifecycle
Tables page. Values can be combined to indicate multiple types of
tables. For example, a 3 would indicate both managed and simulated tables would
be shown. Possible values are:
1 - Managed Tables
2 - Simulated Tables
4 - Candidate Tables
8 - Ineligible Tables
The default value is 7, which
excludes ineligible tables.
- Maximum report rows to display
Specifies the default number of
rows to view when rendering a report. The preference becomes the default
page size for all reports within the tool. To adjust the report size for
a particular report instance, visit the Show filter options link in the
upper right hand corner of the page region.
- Maximum report rows to fetch
Specifies the default maximum
number of tables to fetch when viewing lifecycle tables. This value is
interesting only when a database contains many tables. If the number becomes
large, then the ILM Assistant will appear to hang or even time-out when
rendering pages.
Specifies the default maximum
number of tables to fetch when viewing lifecycle tables. This value is
interesting only when a database contains many tables. If the number becomes
large, then the ILM Assistant will appear to hang or even time-out when
rendering pages. The number must be a
value between 1 and 1000.
- Merge partitioning threshold
Partitions of a given lifecycle stage should be
merged together to a maximum size of this percentage of the stage
duration. Value must be between 0-100.
Example values:
0 - No
merging occurs
25 - Partitions merged up to size of 1/4 of the stage duration
- Refresh rate for progress monitoring
Specifies the default refresh time
interval in seconds while an event scan is in progress. Event scanning
operations are performed in a background job; therefore, to allow automatic
updates of job progress, the event pages utilize the auto-refresh capabilities
of the browser.
The default rate is 5 seconds.
- Report column maximum display length
Specifies the default number of characters
to display in a report for columns containing large text data, such as query
statement, etc. This preference is use exclusively in the Compliance
& Security area when long SQL statements are being displayed in a report.
- Start
page for lifecycle setup
Specifies the default starting
point when selecting the lifecycle setup tab. For a new user, the start
page should typically be Logical Storage Tiers. However, once storage
tiers and lifecycle definitions have been defined, the typical user will most
likely wish to visit the Lifecycle Tables page on a regular basis.
Possible values are:
Logical Storage Tiers
Lifecycle Definitions
Lifecycle Tables
The value is case-sensitive.
The default start page is Logical Storage Tiers.
Specifies the default size metric
to be used when viewing storage size values. Possible values are:
KB - Kilobytes
MB - Megabytes
GB - Gigabytes
TB - Terabytes
The value is case sensitive.
When an object
is migrated to a storage tier, several things must be considered when choosing
a target tablespace. By default, the
Assistant will reuse the preferred tablespaces for a tier except when the tier
is a protected file system. When the
system is protected, a new tablespace is cloned from the preferred tablespace
and the object is migrated into it. For
non-protected file systems, cloning must be indicated by this preference. Possible values are:
0 - Clone protected read-only tablespaces
1 - Clone all read-only tablespaces
2 - Clone all tablespaces (not presently
implemented)
3
Lifecycle
Management
This area shows the current position of data in the
Information Lifecycle and lists the tasks that must be performed to move data
to the correct place in the Information Lifecycle. Information is available on
3.1 Lifecycle
Events Calendar
The Lifecycle Events Calendar shows the calendar of
previous, current and optionally, future lifecycle events that must be
performed to place data at the appropriate place in the Information Lifecycle.
You can use the Previous Month with Events button to navigate to
previous months containing lifecycle events.
To identify which
data must be moved, click on the Scan for Events button which will ask
whether to scan for all events up to today, or into the future.
Additionally, the user may choose to evaluate all tables or selected tables.
The ILM Assistant will then compare the current location of data with where it
should be stored in accordance with the lifecycle definition and recommend the
appropriate movement. It will also advise if data should be compressed or set
to read only as defined by the lifecycle definition. All the recommendations
made by the ILM Assistant are applied to partitions only.
When a scan operation is started, the current screen will
auto-refresh based on a time specified in an ILM Assistant preference.
The default refresh rate is five seconds but can be adjusted on the Preferences
page. Additionally, a progress message will be displayed on the scan page
as well as the calendar and event details page. Once the operation
completes, the user will return to the Events Calendar page.
Just below the Scan for Events button, a display
shows the last scan date and time. To
view a history of prior scan operations, a link to scan history is provided in
the Tools & Options sidebar.
Only one scan operation can be performed at a
time. Though unlikely, it is possible for the ILM Assistant to
detect a scan operation that is not actually running. This may occur when
the database job system fails, or the job is abnormally ended. If this
situation is detected, a link is available on the Event Scan
History page to clear the hung job. Press the link and the
tool will immediately enable event scanning.
3.1.1
Event
Scan History
Any authorized user can invoke event scanning via the
Lifecycle Events Calendar. Over time, tracking the scan activity can be
quite difficult, so a history is made available.
The history report shows the following pieces of
information:
Indicates the start date and time
of the scan operation.
Indicates the user is the ILM Assistant user.
Indicates the lowest date when checking for past
events.
Indicates the highest date used when checking for future
events
Describes a list of tables that were selected for
scanning. When scanning is invoke, the user can accept all lifecycle tables for
evaluation or a selected set of tables can be chosen. The scan operation will
purge all data from the event table that is related to the selected tables
before beginning its search for new events.
Indicates the number of lifecycle events
detected. The number of events is for the respective lifecycle table.
Indicates whether the table is
managed or simulated
To help organize the scan history, a set of links exist to
indicate whether the report should include all tables, managed tables or only
simulated tables.
A Clear history option is available to erase the
current history contents.
Additionally, a link to clear a hung job may appear when a
scan operation is in progress. Normally, the scan operation will complete and
the user will be permitted to view the data and start new scan operations;
however, if the job abnormally ends or is terminated, the ILM Assistant may
never detect the stopped job. To clear this status, the Clear hung job
link will clear the locks and allow further operations.
3.2 Lifecycle
Events
The Lifecycle Events report shows summary information about
lifecycle events and provides a way to implement their recommended
actions. In order to implement event
actions or create scripts that can implement event actions, an event must be
accepted. By default, all events are
accepted, but any can be rejected. To
accept or reject events, check the desired box and press Accept selected recommendations or Reject selected recommendations.
Events are organized in groups called recommendations. This is necessary to guarantee that related
events are implemented or rejected together.
Therefore, you must accept or reject at the recommendation level rather
than at the individual event level.
The event summary shows the following pieces of information:
Indicates the current acceptance
for the recommendation. A value of Accepted
permits implementation and script generation for the recommendation. A value of Rejected disables the
recommendation.
Indicates the parent recommendation identifier for one or more
events. When events are grouped under a
recommendation, they must be selected and implemented as a collection.
Describes the table owner and name
on which the event is based.
Indicates the type of event that was detected by
the scan operation. Possible event types are:
Indicates the data is ready to be archived.
Presently, the user must perform this operation manually.
Indicates that a partition should be moved from its
location to a new location. The movement is achieved by moving the partition
from one tablespace to another.
Indicates that an entire table should be moved from
is location to a new location. The
movement is achieved by moving the table from one tablespace to another.
Indicates the object should have data compression
disabled.
Indicates the object should have data compression
enabled.
Indicates the object should be set
to permit read-only operations. A
read-only setting is achieved by placing the object in a read-only
tablespace. If necessary, the ILM
Assistant will recommend creating a new tablespace to hold the read-only
object.
Indicates the object should be set
to permit read-write operations. If the
object currently resides in a read-only tablespace with other objects, then
move event will also be recommended.
Indicates the object should be
locked against all changes for a specified length of time. This feature is only supported on file
systems that support device-level protection.
Indicates the object should be
physically deleted. Purging is currently
only supported at the partition level.
Hovering over the recommendation
action will display an event explanation.
The explanation can also be viewed by pressing the Event Details
icon.
Describes the current location of the partition or
table.
Describes the target storage tier
for move operations.
Indicates the potential storage
cost savings if the event action were implemented.
Indicates the date on which the
action should be performed. For events that should have been resolved in the
past, a single keyword Past is shown; fore events in the future a
calendar date will be displayed.
Indicates the current status of the
recommendation implementation. Possible values are:
Indicates the
recommendation is accepted and ready to be implemented.
Indicates the
recommendation is not eligible for implementation. This status is the result of a recommendation
being rejected.
Indicates the
recommendation has been submitted for implementation; however, it has not yet
begun to run or is scheduled for a future date.
Indicates the recommendation
is currently being implemented in the Oracle job system.
Indicates the
recommendation implementation failed.
Clicking on the link presents a record of the implementation attempt.
Indicates the recommendation
was successfully implemented. Clicking
on the link presents a record of the implementation operation.
Note: implementation of recommendations through the
ILM Assistant is only available on systems running Oracle 10gR2 or later.
Provides a link to event
details. Items described include
affected tablespaces, data attributes and a script fragment that shows how the
event will be resolved.
When a partition requires several logical operations such as
move and compress, the ILM Assistant will display the operations as separate
events. However, in the script, the operations may be combined into a single
SQL DDL command.
The ILM Assistant currently does not have any archive
capability. Therefore, selecting archive events will generate a script that
identifies which partitions should now be archived and list them as comments.
3.2.1
Lifecycle Event Details
It is not possible to display all the information regarding
the event on lifecycle events page. Therefore clicking on the icon in the Event
Detail column will provide more information. Click on the Back to Lifecycle Events
button to return to the summary report.
Event details includes information specific the event,
including recommended tablespace, compression attributes, read-write
attributes, retention settings for protected data and estimated cost
savings. Additionally, a link is
provided to view the SQL statement that would be used to implement the
recommendation.
3.2.2
Implement
Recommendations
Lifecycle recommendations are implemented using Oracle SQL
scripts. By rule, only recommendations
that are accepted will be implemented; however, the user may further filter the
implementation script by selecting specific tables and target execution date at
script generation time.
The event date is significant, as recommendations should not
be implemented prior to their specified date.
Implementing recommendations prior to their event date may cause
additional events to appear that will attempt to undo the premature
implementations. To help enforce this
requirement, the ILM Assistant prompts for a target implementation date. The date then is used to select
recommendations that should be implemented and places the actions into the
script.
A script can be previewed on the screen, saved to a file or
even dropped onto a queue for automatic execution. When implementing recommendations within the
ILM Assistant, the script actions are sent to the Oracle scheduler system for
execution. The specified event date is
used as the execution date and time for the submitted job.
Note: the automatic execution is only available for
database versions 10gR2 and above.
3.2.3
Implementation
Status
For systems running
Oracle 10g or later, an implementation status report is available. The report shows detail information about
recommendation script execution from within the ILM Assistant. The following information is provided:
Displays
the Oracle Scheduler job name. In order
to avoid table-locking problems, the ILM Assistant may group multiple
recommendations under a single job. It
should be noted that deleting a job will delete all active or scheduled
recommendations for the job.
Displays the ILM
Assistant recommendation identifier for the job.
·
ILM Assistant User
Displays the user who
submitted the implementation script to the job system.
·
Submission Date
Displays the date and
time at which the job was submitted to the job system.
·
Status
Displays the job system
status for the submitted job.
·
Error#
Displays, if any, the
error causing the job to terminate.
·
Requested Start Date
Displays the job
execution date and time that the ILM Assistant user entered when submitting the
job.
·
Actual Start Date
Displays the actual
start date and time for the submitted job.
·
Run Duration
Displays job run
time.
·
Additional Information
Displays information
about the job, including error messages.
3.2.4 Simulating
Recommendations
For tables having simulated
partitioning, recommendations can be applied within the ILM Assistant. The effects of implementing recommendations
are kept within the ILM Assistant and have no physical effect on the actual
database table.
The benefit of
simulating recommendations is that a user can follow the lifecycle’s effect on
a table without actually implementing partitioning. In addition to simulating the partition
movement, the ILM Assistant also simulates tablespace creation and changes that
would normally be required in an actual implementation. Again, all simulated tablespace operations
are handled within the ILM Assistant and have no physical effect on the
database.
By
rule, only recommendations that are accepted will be simulated; however, the
user may further filter the simulation by selecting specific tables.
4
Reports
The ILM Assistant offers a variety of reports on all aspects
of managing the ILM environment.
4.1
Multi-Tier
Storage Costs by Lifecycle or Table
The Storage Costs report provides a summary of storage costs
associated with a lifecycle or by table. The report can be refined
further by selecting either managed or simulated tables.
The reports are divided into two main areas. The top
portion of the report is a rollup showing the totals for the entire group of
managed or simulated tables. For managed tables, there are two
sub-sections that show data for a non-ILM environment using a single storage
tier and an ILM managed, multi-tier environment. For simulated tables,
two sections include estimated costs and storage sizes associated with
compression.
The bottom section of the storage costs page is the detail
section that breaks up the cost areas by either lifecycle or table. The
following information is provided:
Displays the total size of the
entities. For a lifecycle-based report, the value represents the sum of
all table sizes that are assigned the current lifecycle definition. For
managed tables, the size is the actual size as indicated by the database
storage statistics. For simulated tables, the size is the projected size
as calculated by the user-specified number of rows and average row length.
Displays the single-tier cost, which
is calculated by multiplying the single-tier size of the current entities by
the cost of storing the data on the most expensive tier within the lifecycle
definition.
Displays the user-specified cost
when setting up the storage tier. The value is used to calculate the
storage costs for partitions that are assigned to the tier.
Displays the total size of the data
that reside on that tier. For lifecycles, it represents all the table
partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it
represents the sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier.
The size does not include any projected compression.
Displays the cost, which is
calculated by multiplying the cost per gigabyte for the current tier by the
space occupied by the data. For lifecycles, it represents all table partitions
that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it represents the
sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier.
Displays the savings, which is
computed by subtracting the multi-tier cost from the calculated cost of storing
the same data using the single-tier approach.
Displays the ratio of multi-tier savings
to the single-tier cost for the same data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Size
Displays the total size of the data
that reside on that tier. For lifecycles, it represents all table
partitions that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it represents
the sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier. The size
includes projected compression based on the estimated compression factor
assigned by the user.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Cost
Displays the cost, which is
calculated by multiplying the cost per gigabyte for the current tier by the
space occupied by the data. For lifecycles, it represents all table partitions
that are associated with the current tier. For a table, it represents the
sum of all partitions that are associated with the tier. The size includes
projected compression based on the estimated compression factor assigned by the
user.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Multi-Tier
Compressed Savings
Displays the savings, which is
computed by subtracting the multi-tier compressed cost from the calculated cost
of storing the same data using the single-tier approach.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
Displays the ratio of multi-tier
compressed savings to the single-tier cost for the same data.
This report item is only present
when viewing simulated table data.
- Lifecycle
Stages Compressed
When setting up lifecycle stages,
the user has the option of requiring the partitions to be compressed when
assigned to the stage. This value shows the number of stages assigned to
the storage tier that have the compressed attribute set.
Displays the number of partitions
on the storage tier that are currently compressed.
The page provides report filtering and view options by
clicking on the Show filter options link.
4.2
Logical
Storage Tier Summary
The Logical Storage Tier report is a summary for each
logical storage tier of its tablespaces and their physical
characteristics. The report groups all information by storage tier.
The following information is provided:
Displays the current storage
tier. All remaining report items are presented with respect to the
current storage tier.
Displays the user-specified cost
when setting up the storage tier. The value is used to calculate the
storage costs for partitions that are assigned to the tier.
Displays the file system used by the storage
tier. By default, the Oracle database
uses the conventional read-write file system for database files.
Displays a tablespace assigned to
the current storage tier.
Displays a classification as
assigned by the ILM Assistant. The tablespace types are assigned when a
tablespace is associated with a storage tier during Logical Storage Tier
setup. Possible values are:
- Read-Write
Preferred
- Read-Only
Preferred
- Secondary
Indicates whether the tablespace is
set to read-only at the database level.
Displays the total physical size of
the tablespace contents. This value does not include any simulated
calculations.
Displays the total physical space
in use by the tablespace contents. This value does not include any
simulated calculations.
Displays the ratio of actual size
to used size for the tablespace. This value does not include any simulated calculations.
Displays the projected size of the
tablespace based on actual contents and simulated contents.
Displays the number of partitions
for managed tables that are assigned to the tablespace. Clicking the
count will provide further details of the member partitions.
Displays the number of partitions
for simulated tables that are assigned to the tablespace. Clicking the
count will provide further details of the member partitions.
Displays the projected storage cost
for the contents of the tablespace. The value includes both actual size
values and simulated size values.
The page provides report filtering and view options by
clicking on the Show filter options link.
4.3 Lifecycle
Table Summary
The table summary
shows the following pieces of information:
Indicates
the managed or simulated table.
Indicates
the lifecycle definition current assigned to the table.
Indicates
the estimated table size.
Indicates
the number of partitions defined or simulated for the table.
Indicates
the cost savings potential for this table.
Indicates the
lowest date when checking for past events.
Indicates the highest
date used when checking for future events
Indicates
the number of past lifecycle events detected. The number of events is for
the respective lifecycle table.
Indicates
the number of today’s lifecycle events detected. The number of events is
for the respective lifecycle table.
Indicates
the number of future lifecycle events detected. The number of events is
for the respective lifecycle table.
The
page provides report filtering and view options by clicking on the Show
filter options link.
4.4 Partitions
by Table or Storage Tier
The Partitions report lists for every partition, the range of
data for which it stores information, and the stage within the lifecycle into
which this data belongs. Reports can present data by storage tier and by
table. Additionally, the user may view data that is either associated
with managed tables or simulated tables.
The following information is provided:
Displays the storage tier on which
the current partition is placed.
Displays the user-specified cost
when setting up the storage tier. The value is used to calculate the storage
costs for partitions that are assigned to the tier.
Displays the current partition
name.
Displays the lowest date permitted
in the partition. Oracle only requires the high key value when specifying
range partitions. The ILM Assistant calculates the low key value by
analyzing adjacent partitions.
Displays the high date key for the
partition.
Displays the current read/write
settings for the partition. A Yes values indicates the partition is
set to read-only.
Displays the current compression
status for the partition. An Enabled value indicates that
compression has been enabled for the partition.
Displays the owner of the table and
its child partition.
Displays the parent table of the
partition.
Displays the table column that is
used as the partition key. The ILM Assistant only supports a single date
column as the key.
Displays the tablespace in which
the partition resides.
Displays the lifecycle definition
name that manages the parent table.
Displays the lifecycle stage that
currently maps to the partition.
Displays the size of the current
partition. For managed tables, the size is based on database segment
statistics. For simulated tables, the size is calculated using the number
of table rows and the average row length that was provided during simulation setup
time.
Displays the calculated cost of
storing the partition on the current tier. The cost is computed by
multiplying the storage size of the partition by the cost per GB value that is
associated with the tier.
Displays the date when a locked
partition or table becomes unlocked.
This value is only set when the object resides on a protected storage
tier.
The page provides report filtering and view
options by clicking on the Show filter options link.
4.5 Data
Usage Statistics by Lifecycle Table
This report displays usage
statistics on lifecycle tables. The statistics
are approximate values based on read and write activity at the partition
level. There are two types of reports
that can be viewed: Simple baseline and a comparison of a baseline and a second
collection. Pressing the Create a snapshot option in the upper
right hand corner of the screen can create new collections. To view only a baseline set of statistics,
set the comparison drop-down to None.
In all cases, you must press Go to view the statistics
reports. To delete a snapshot, press the
Delete a snapshot link.
The following information is provided:
Displays the owner of the table.
Displays the table name.
Displays the name of the object on
which the statistics were gathered.
Displays the object type. Possible types are: Table, Partition and
Index.
·
Logical Storage Tier
Displays the storage tier on which the object
resides. If the object is not assigned
to a tier, then ‘No Tier’ will be displayed.
·
Start Read I/Os
Displays the number of read-operations for the
current baseline set of statistics.
·
Read I/Os Delta
Displays the number of read-operations that have
occurred since the baseline was collected.
·
Start Write I/Os
Displays the number of write-operations for the
current baseline set of statistics.
·
Write I/Os Delta
Displays the number of write-operations that have
occurred since the baseline was collected.
The page provides report
filtering and view options by clicking on the Show filter options link.
4.6
Lifecycle
Retention Summary
This report provides information on the lifecycle
definitions that are being used, by both simulated and managed tables.
The following information is provided:
Displays the name of the current lifecycle
definition.
Displays the length time data is managed by this
lifecycle definition.
Displays the action required once data reaches its
designated end-of-life. There are three possible actions:
- Remain
Online
- Archive
Offline
- Purge
Displays the name of the managed or simulated
table.
When a stage is associated with a storage tier that
supports data protection attributes, a lock icon will appear in this
column. To support such attributes, the
storage tier must be defined a file system that implements physical locking.
Provides a link to drill down to lifecycle stage
detail.
The lifecycle
details report provides the following information:
A stage is classified as one of three possible
types: Current, Normal or Final.
The current stage is used to indicate the stage that holds todays data. The
final stage is the stage in which data moves to at the end of life. Normal
stages are all stages in between the current and final stage.
Displays the stage name
Displays the stage description
Displays the action taken when data enters the
stage.
Displays the logical storage tier associated with
the stage.
When a stage is associated with a storage tier that
supports data protection attributes, a lock icon will appear in this
column. To support such attributes, the storage
tier must be defined a file system that implements physical locking.
Displays the stage attributes. The possible values
are:
- None
- Compressed
- Read-Only
- Compressed
and Read-Only
Displays the total length of time that data will
reside on the current stage.
Displays the lowest possible date for the stage.
Displays the highest possible date for the stage.
4.7
Data
Protection Summary
The Data Protection report is an overview of the current
status of four features that can be used by ILM; Backups, ASM, Data Guard and
Flashback. Here it is possible to see whether these features are in use in this
database and the date that the database was last backed up.
The following information is provided:
Displays the date on which the last database backup
occurred.
Displays the status of ASM
Displays the current Data Guard status.
Displays the status of Flashback Database features.
5
Compliance
& Security
The Compliance & Security area shows everything that can
be used to enforce security and help maintain compliance with the numerous
regulations from around the world. Within this area there are four pages of
information available:
This page summarizes the status of all the various
Compliance & Security features that are available. For example, it advises how
many Virtual Private Database (VPD) policies have been defined and when a
digital signature was last generated.
Some regulations require it to be shown that data has not
been changed (immutability) since it was entered into the database. This can be
achieved by creating a digital signature over the data of interest. This
digital signature is kept somewhere safe and then at a later time it is
compared against the version of the digital signature that is generated on the
current version of the data. If the signatures are the same, then the data has
not changed.
The ILM Assistant
provides the ability to create a digital signature over the result set for a
SQL query, however this feature is only available in Oracle Database 10g
Release 2. This is achieved by creating a named Signed Result Set, which is
created by clicking on the New signed result set option. This invokes
the Create Signed Result Set screen where you must supply the name, query and
hash algorithm for the signed result set. The definition of the SQL query must
be syntactically correct since no validation is performed on this item. An
optional text string can also be supplied which describes where the digital
signature will be stored. Click the Create button to save the new signed
result set and return to the Immutability screen. Click the Create and Add
Another to save the newly signed result set and stay in the Create Signed
Result Set screen.
Once a Signed Result Set has been defined the digital
signature is generated for a signed result set by clicking its Generate
button. The digital signature can only be generated once, so you must be
careful to save the digital signature somewhere safe when you generate it. Once
created the signed result set cannot be modified. Therefore, deleting the
signed result set and creating a new one can only make changes.
At a later time, you
can see if the signed result set contents have changed by clicking its Compare
button. This invokes the Compare Signed Result Set Digital Signature screen,
where you supply the digital signature you generated for the signed result set
and click the Compare button. The ILM Assistant compares the digital
signature you provided with a new digital signature for the signed result set
and displays a message about whether the contents of the signed result set have
changed.
You can delete a signed result set by clicking the Delete
icon next to it and clicking OK in the delete confirmation window.
Result sets can only be signed if the user has authorization
to execute the query.
The result set report provides the following information:
Displays the original creator of the digital
signature.
Displays the user-assigned name for the current
result set.
- Digital
Signature Location
Displays the location where the signature key is
kept.
Displays the current hash algorithm for generating
a unique signature key.
Displays an abbreviated form of the query that
requires a signature. The query is a link that will display the entire query in
a pop-up box.
Displays the date on which the current signature
was generated.
Displays the last time a signature comparison was
performed.
5.3
Privacy
& Security
The Privacy & Security area enables you to view:
By default the Lifecycle Table Summary is shown and VPD
policies and user access information are available by clicking on the links Virtual
Private Database Policies, Lifecycle Table Summary or Table
Access by User.
5.3.1
Lifecycle
Table Summary
The Lifecycle Table Summary provides an overview for each
table as to which features are being used in terms of VPD policies and table
grants issued. Clicking on any of these values will display the detailed report
for that feature.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the name of the current lifecycle table.
Displays whether the table is managed or simulated.
Displays the number of Virtual Private Database
Policies defined for the table. If non-zero, the value is a link to a report
showing the policies.
Displays the number of security grants defined on
the table. If non-zero, the value is a link to a report showing the grant
details.
5.3.2
Virtual
Private Database (VPD) Policies
VPD Policies provide a finer level of control on who can
access information. Using standard database privileges it is possible to
specify who can access the table, but then they can read all information in
that table. Using a VPD Policy it is possible to write quite sophisticated
functions, which define exactly which data is visible to a user. For example, a
policy could say that certain users can only view the last 12 months data,
whilst other users can view all of the data. Another policy could say that the
only data visible, is in the state, where the office is located. Therefore VPD
Policies are an extremely powerful tool in controlling access to
information. Only VPD policies that have been defined on tables that are
being managed by the ILM Assistant will be shown on the VPD Policies report.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the name of the current lifecycle table
containing a VPD policy.
Displays the group to which the policy belongs.
Displays the operations that trigger the policy.
Displays the user-supplied policy name
Displays the name of the PL/SQL function that
implements the policy. The name is a link to the policy source.
Indicates whether the policy is currently enabled.
5.3.3
Table
Access by User
The Table Access by User report provides a list of all the
access privileges granted to users for tables that have been assigned to
Lifecycle Definitions.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the database user having privilege to
access the current lifecycle table.
Displays the privilege granted to the user.
Displays the current lifecycle table.
5.4
Auditing
The Oracle Database offers several types of auditing; Database
and Fine-Grained. Within the auditing area on the ILM Assistant it is possible
to:
5.4.1
Current
Audit Status
This is a report of the general auditing capabilities
enabled for the database.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the current audit level
for the database.
Displays the
physical location of the audit logs.
Displays whether SYS operations are
being logged the audit system.
Displays whether Fine-Grained
Auditing is enabled.
Displays the number of policies
defined for audit operations.
5.4.2
Fine-Grained
Auditing Policies
Standard Auditing within the Oracle Database will log all
types of access to a table. However, there may be instances when it is
desirable to only audit an event when a certain condition is met e.g. the value
of the transaction being altered is greater than $10,000 or more complex
processing is required. This type of auditing is possible using Fine-Grained
Audit policies where an audit condition can be specified and an optional
function can also be called for more sophisticated processing.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the current lifecycle table on which the
audit policy is defined.
Displays the database operations that trigger an
audit.
Displays the user-supplied name of the audit
policy.
Displays the optional PL/SQL function that is
invoked during an audit operation.
Displays the current status of the audit policy.
Displays the condition that triggers an audit when
a user attempts to access sensitive data.
5.4.3
Auditing
Records
This is a report of all the audit records, both database and
fine-grained for tables mapped to Lifecycle Definitions in the ILM Assistant.
An icon represents the type of audit record; database (indicated by a disc) or
FGA. Use the Show filter options condition to filter the audit records
that are displayed and click on the report heading to sort the data on that
column.
By default the ILM Assistant only displays audit records for
today. To see audit records for previous days you must use the filter options to
specify a date range of records to display.
The report provides the following information:
Displays the type of audit entry.
Displays the database user who performed the
audited operation.
Displays the database operation
being audited.
Displays the time at which the operation occurred.
Displays the owner and name of the target table.
Displays the audit policy name. This is a link that
will provide detail policy information.
Displays the statement causing the audit.
5.5
Policy
Notes
Policy notes provide textual documentation of your data
management policies or anything that you wish to document with respect to
managing data during its lifetime. Policy notes are informational only; they do
not affect the tasks performed by the ILM Assistant. They can be used as a
central place to describe your policies, as reminders, and as a way to prove
that your policies are documented. They can also be used to document SLA
(Service Level Agreements) and to document the compliance rules that you are
trying to enforce.
You can create a new policy note by clicking the New
policy note link. This invokes the Create Policy Note screen. You should
select a policy class to describe the ILM category that the new policy note
documents: General, Lifecycle Management, Compliance & Security, and
Database Protection. The name must be unique within the policy class. The note
can contain a text string of up to 256 characters. Click the Create
button to save the new policy note and return to the Policy Notes screen, or
click the Create and Add Another button to save the new policy note and
stay in the Create Policy Note screen.
Clicking the Manage Policy Note icon next to it can modify a
policy note. This invokes the Manage Policy Note screen, where the desired
changes are made and then click the OK button to save the change.
Clicking the Delete icon next to it and clicking OK in the
delete confirmation window delete a policy note.
6
User
Interface Conventions
This section describes the user interface conventions used
throughout the ILM Assistant.
When a tabular report offers selection by checkbox, there is
always a check-all operation that consists of a checkbox in the column header.
When a user checks the box in the column header, the control automatically
selects all rows in the current view. It does not, however, automatically
select any hidden rows. To select an entire report, you must expand the Show
filter options area and set the Rows Displayed value to a number
greater than or equal to the number of rows in the report. At that point, a
check-all will select all rows in the report.
Most reports provide an embedded Manage and Delete icons to
change data.
Most reports have a filter options region that is used to
limit the information displayed in the report. You must click on the Show
filter options link to display its items and fill in values. Filter options
values are case-insensitive and you can use % as a wildcard. If you supply more
than one item in Filter Options, the input is treated like a SQL AND condition
so that only information meeting all of the criteria is displayed. Some Filter
Options provide a Statement Length item to control the length of long strings
such as SQL statements in the report. Most Filter Options provide a Rows
Displayed item to control the number of rows to display at one time. When you
have entered all of your filter options, click the Go button to
regenerate the report.
Any report, which displays storage sizes, the filter can be
used to control whether the storage size is displayed in gigabytes, megabytes,
kilobytes or terabytes.
The filter options for Candidate Tables and Storage Tiers
have restrictions for which filters can be changed when there are unsaved
changes to the lists they filter.
Most ILM Assistant objects are created and modified using
specialized forms that display and gather information about one object at a
time. Within a form to create an object, you generally provide item values and
selections and then click either a Create or Create and Add Another
button to create the object. Within a form to modify an object, you generally
make the needed changes and then click an OK button to make the changes.
Forms also have a Cancel button to remove any new data or changes and go back
to the report that invoked the form.
Most forms have some items that are required to have a
value, and other items that are optional.
Click on this icon to edit the object in the report
row. Generally, this invokes a different screen with places to change
information about the object. When you have finished your changes you make them
permanent by clicking the OK button. If you decide not to change the
object, click the Cancel button to get back to the original report.
Click on this icon to delete the object in the
report row. Generally, a delete confirmation box is displayed first so that you
can confirm your intention to delete the object.
These icons generally display status or provide a
way to get more information. If you click on these icons, they either pop up or
invoke a new window with more details or status information.
These are
generally names that are underlined. If you click on the name, ILM Assistant pops
up a new window to show the full definition of the named object.
The More Information icon appears in screen descriptions and
next to many form and status report items to provide more information or very
specific help if needed. Click on this icon to pop up a new window that
displays additional information.
6.7
Reports
Most ILM Assistant information is displayed in multi-row
reports. Most reports have Show filter options that control the data
displayed by the report and pagination controls. Reports rows may also contain
active links and other embedded icons to provide more detail. There are also
some status reports that display related pieces of information rather than a
multi-row set of objects.
The top-level tabs navigate to the major areas of the ILM
Assistant. They can be clicked at any time. Each tab has sub-tabs that invoke
screens to perform a specific task within that area of the ILM Assistant.
7
Glossary
Definitions are listed alphabetically:
Archive Data
Data that has reached the end of is lifecycle and
should now be removed from the database into an archive.
Lifecycle Event
An action which must be performed at a specific time,
so that the data can follow the lifecycle established by its lifecycle
definition.
Digital Signature
A generated hash value for a digitally signed
result set that reflects the content of the data at the time it was generated.
If the data does not change then the next time the digital signature is
generated, it should be identical to the one previous computed, thus proving
that the data has not been altered n any way.
Digitally Signed
Result Set
A SQL query that is used to generate a digital signature
to prove that at some time in the future, the data has not changed.
Expired Data
Data that has reached the end of its lifecycle and
needs to be deleted.
Lifecycle Table
A range partitioned table on a date column to which
a lifecycle definition has been applied.
Immutability
Proving that data has not changed.
Lifecycle
Definition
A description of a lifecycle that
selected data should follow, expressed as a series of lifecycle stages.
Lifecycle Stage
Lifecycle stages are used to
represent what happens to data during its lifetime. Each stage comprises of a
name, a logical storage tier and the duration that the data resides on that
storage tier.
Logical Storage
Tier
A logical storage tier is a pool of
tablespaces that all reside on the same class of storage device.
Managed Table
A table that is already partitioned
on a single date column.
Policy Note
A text description that documents
an ILM process.
Security View
A database view created to control
visibility of an ILM Table.
Simulated Table
A non-partitioned table that
contains simulated range partitioning.
VPD Policy
Controls access to data by means of
a user-defined function. Implemented using database feature VPD (virtual private
database)
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