All database administrators need a set of trusty resources to look to for guidance in managing systems as complex as Oracle8i. Oracle8i DBA Handbook is just one of these essential tools with an emphasis on the big picture--what the authors call "effective and efficient" management. This isn"t a guide to troubleshooting daily disasters but rather a strategic look at setting up and rearchitecting databases wisely to perform well over the long haul. Authors Kevin Loney and Marlene Theriault, both seasoned DBAs themselves, address all the major aspects of wise Oracle architecture design. They begin with an Oracle overview and a look at hardware configurations and considerations. While previous knowledge of Oracle will enable readers to put this material most quickly to use, the presentation is straightforward and appropriate to those moving from other relational DBMS"s such as SQL Server. The text includes excellent coverage of logical and physical database layouts, as well as great chapters on performance tuning, security auditing, and backup/restore strategies. Oracle Application Server is introduced, but only briefly; the focus of this book is the administration of the core Oracle product. A large chunk of the book is devoted to the reprinted SQL language reference from the product"s official documentation. Of all the Oracle tutorials and guides out there, this one should be a mandatory part of any Oracle DBA"s arsenal. --Stephen W. Plain Topics covered: Oracle architecture, hardware configurations, logical and physical database layouts, database monitoring, rollback segment management, performance tuning, security, backup and recovery, large database management, networking environments, configuring for Web environments, and Oracle8i SQL language.