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Contents

Title and Copyright Information

Preface

• Audience
• Documentation Accessibility
• Related Documents
• Conventions

1 Oracle Database 12c Release 2 (12.2) New Features

• Application Development
  • Database Development Productivity Tools Enhancements
    • Application Express 5.0: Packaged Applications
    • Application Express 5.0: Page Designer
    • Application Express 5.0: Universal Theme
    • Application Express 5.0: User Interface Enhancements
    • Application Express 5.0: Improved Application Builder Design
    • Application Express 5.0: Interactive Reporting
    • Application Express 5.0: Mobile Enhancements
    • Application Express 5.0: Modal Dialog Pages
    • Application Express 5.0: All New Calendar
  • General
    • SQL*Plus Command History
    • SQL*Plus Tuning Options
    • Extensible Indexing Enhancements
  • Globalization Support Enhancements
    • Column-Level Collation
    • Case-Insensitive Database
    • AL32UTF8 As the Default Database Character Set
    • Unicode 7.0 Support
  • JSON Support
    • JSON Improvements
  • Oracle SQL and PL/SQL Improvements
    • PL/Scope Reports on Static SQL Statements and Call Sites for Dynamic SQL
    • Enhancing CAST Function With Error Handling
    • New SQL and PL/SQL Function VALIDATE_CONVERSION
    • Binding PL/SQL-Only Data Types to SQL Statements Using DBMS_SQL
    • Improving the PL/SQL Debugger
    • New PL/SQL Pragma to Mark an Item as Deprecated
    • Materialized Views: Real-Time Materialized Views
    • Materialized Views: Statement-Level Refresh
    • Enhancing LISTAGG Functionality
    • DBMS_PLSQL_CODE_COVERAGE Package
    • Approximate Query Processing
    • White Lists (ACCESSIBLE BY) Enhancements
  • Reducing Costs and Complexities of Migration to Oracle Database
    • Long Identifiers
    • Oracle Java Virtual Machine Support for Long Identifiers
    • Static PL/SQL Expressions Now Allowed Where Previously Literals Were Required
  • Support for the .NET and MS Development Community
    • Longer Schema Identifiers for Oracle Data Provider for .NET
    • Real Application Clusters Connection Node Affinity
    • Entity Framework Code First Enhancements
    • .NET Cloud Development and Deployment
    • ODP.NET Managed Driver
    • Longer Schema Identifiers for Oracle Provider for OLE DB
  • Support for the Java Development Community
    • Multi-Property Labeling of DRCP Servers
    • PL/SQL Callback Facility for Session State Fix Up
    • New MAX_TXN_THINK_TIME Setting for DRCP Pooled Servers With Transactions in Progress
    • Proxy Session Sharing in DRCP
    • DRCP Statistics Views and AWR Reports for Performance Monitoring and Tuning
    • JDBC Support for Binding PLSQL_BOOLEAN
    • Oracle JDBC Support for JDK 8 and JDBC 4.2
    • Oracle Universal Connection Pool (UCP) Configuration Using XML
    • Universal Connection Pool Health Check Frequency
    • JDBC Support for Deprioritization of Database Node
    • Oracle Java Virtual Machine (OJVM) Web Services Callout
    • OJVM Support for Java SE 8
    • JavaScript Stored Procedures Using Java 8 Nashorn
  • XML
    • Enhancing the Oracle XML Developers Kit for Java (XDK/J)
    • Loading Sub-Documents from XML Documents Using ORACLE_LOADER
• Availability
  • Data Guard
    • Distributed Operations on CLOB, BLOB and XMLType
    • OCI Support for Distributed LOBs
    • Minimizing Impact on Primary Database When Using Multiple SYNC Standby Databases
    • Oracle Data Guard Database Compare
    • Subset Standby
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Multiple Automatic Failover Targets
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Multiple Observers
    • Simplifying Observer Management for Multiple Fast-Start Failover Configurations
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Transport Destinations of Different Endianess Than the Primary
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Oracle Data Guard Multiple Instance Apply
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Enhanced Alternate Destination
    • Fast-Start Failover in Maximum Protection Mode
    • Block Comparison Tool Support in Oracle Data Guard Broker DGMGRL Interface
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Executing DGMGRL Command Scripts
    • Broker ConfigurationWideServiceName Configuration Property
    • Enhancing Support for Alternate Destinations
    • Automatically Synchronize Password Files in Oracle Data Guard Configurations
    • Preserving Application Connections to An Active Data Guard Standby During Role Changes
  • End-to-End Application Availability
    • Application Continuity for OCI Applications
    • Application Continuity
    • Transaction Guard for Oracle XA Transactions
    • Java Support for FAN APIs (UP, DOWN and LoadAdvisory Events)
    • JDBC Driver Support for Fast Application Notification (FAN)
    • Support for Planned Outages
    • Planned Outage for Oracle Data Guard Switchover and Oracle RAC One Node
    • Application Continuity for Planned Database Maintenance
  • General
    • Multi-Instance Redo Apply
    • Oracle Data Guard for Data Warehouses
    • Data Guard Broker PDB Migration or Failover
  • Logical Replication
    • Error Handling Improvements for Oracle GoldenGate Integrated Replicat
    • Abstract Data Types Support
    • Oracle GoldenGate Annotations for DDL
    • XStream Inbound Server Performance Optimizations
  • Online Operations
    • Restarting Redefinition From Failure
    • Rolling Back Redefinition
    • Redefinition Progress Monitoring
    • Optimizing Batch Update During Redefinition
    • Materialized Views: Fast Dependent Materialized View Refresh During Redefinition
    • Redefinition Supports Tables With BFILE Columns
    • Formalizing Retirement of an Edition With Automatic Garbage Collection
    • Online Conversion of a Nonpartitioned Table to a Partitioned Table
    • Online SPLIT Partition and Subpartition
    • Online Table Move
    • Partitioning: Table Creation for Partition Exchange
    • Partitioning: Filtered Partition Maintenance Operations
  • Recovery Server and RMAN Improvements
    • RMAN: Syntax Enhancements
    • SCAN Listener Supports HTTP Protocol
    • Oracle Recovery Manager - Enhanced Table Recoveries Across Schemas Using REMAP SCHEMA
    • Disk Space Check During RECOVER TABLE Operation
    • Upgrading the Incremental Transportable Scripts
    • Cross-Platform Import of a Pluggable Database into a Multitenant Container Database
    • Cross-Platform Migration Support for Encrypted Tablespaces
    • Cross-Platform Support Over The Network
    • Data Guard DUPLICATE Command Enhancements
    • DUPLICATE Command Support for Non Auto-Login Wallet Based Encrypted Backups
  • Sharding
    • Oracle Database Sharding
    • Data-Dependent Routing
    • Automatic Deployment of Oracle Data Guard
    • Creating Data Guard Standbys With Database Configuration Assistant
    • Statement-Level Routing and Cross-Shard Queries
    • Enhancing SSL and Kerberos Authentication for Administrative Users
  • Simplifying Upgrades
    • Oracle Label Security Support for Oracle Data Guard Database Rolling Upgrade
    • Oracle Database Vault Support for Oracle Data Guard Database Rolling Upgrade
    • Oracle Database Vault Support for Flashback Technology and ILM
    • Oracle Data Guard Broker Support for Oracle Active Data Guard Rolling Upgrades
• Big Data and Data Warehousing
  • Big Data Management System Infrastructure
    • Partitioning: External Tables
    • Enhancing Declarative Constraint Support
    • Oracle Parallel Query Services on Oracle RAC Read-Only Nodes
    • External Tables Can Access Data Stored in Hadoop Data Sources Including HDFS and Hive
  • Dimensional In-Database Analysis
    • Analytic Views
  • Enhancing Query Processing and Optimization
    • Optimizer Statistics Advisor
    • Enhancing SQL Plan Management
    • Scan Rate and In-Memory Columnar Statistics
    • Band Join Enhancements
    • Parallel Recursive WITH Enhancements
    • Cursor-Duration Temporary Tables Cached in Memory
  • General
    • Local TEMP Tablespaces
    • Oracle Database Can Contain Both Read/Write and Read-Only Instances
  • High Performance Oracle Advanced Analytics, Data Mining, and Predictive Analytics
    • Oracle Advanced Analytics Extensibility for R Models
    • Oracle Advanced Analytics Association Rules Enhancements
    • Significant Performance Improvements and Support for Partitioned Models
    • Explicit Semantic Analysis Algorithm Enhancement
  • Semi-Structured Big Data
    • Support for Range-Based XML Queries with Text-Based XML Index
    • Improving Token Management for Binary XML
    • Partitioning: Improving Support for XMLIndex
    • SMALL_R_ROW Support
    • Text: Reverse Token Index for Left-Truncated Queries
    • Support for 30-Character Index Names
• Compression and Archiving
  • DBFS, Oracle Exadata and SecureFiles Enhancements
    • NFS Server in Database
  • Hybrid Columnar Compression Improvements
    • HCC Compression for Array Inserts
    • HCC Compress Data With ADO Row-Level Policy
  • Index Compression Enhancements
    • Advanced Index Compression
• Database Lifecycle Management
  • Support for Automation of Large Scale Cloud Deployments
    • Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Using Zip Images
• Database Overall
  • Core Database Improvements
    • Text: Partition-Specific Near Real-Time Indexes
    • Text: Improving Management of Near Real-Time Indexes
    • Partitioning: Auto-List Partitioning
    • Fine-Grained Cursor Invalidation
    • Text: Adding New Document Formats
    • Text: Structured/Sort Data (SDATA) Section Improvements
    • Text: Availability of Updated Documents in Index
    • Text: Read-Only MDATA Sections
    • Text: Sentiment Analysis and Collocates
    • Text: Join Character Support for JAPANESE_VGRAM_LEXER and WORLD_LEXER
    • Text: Extracting Synonyms of Words in Documents
    • Text: Changes to NDATA, NEAR2, and NESTED NEAR Query Operators
    • Materialized Views: Refresh Statistics History
    • Process Management
    • Partitioning: Read-Only Partitions
    • Partitioning: Multi-Column List Partitioning
  • General
    • JDBC Support for BigSCN
    • Parameter Default and File Location Changes for Read-Only Oracle Home for Oracle Text
  • Pluggable Databases Ease-of-Adoption
    • I/O Rate Limits for PDBs
    • Heat Map and Automatic Data Optimization Support for CDBs
    • PDB Character Set
    • PDB Refresh
    • Hints in CONTAINERS Query
    • Parallel PDB Creation Clause
    • PDB Archive Files (.pdb Files)
    • Default Tablespace Clause
    • Cloning a PDB
    • Near Zero Downtime PDB Relocation
    • Logical Standby Database to Support CDBs with PDBs with Different Character Sets
    • LogMiner to Support CDBs with PDBs with Different Character Sets
    • Support for PDBs with Different Character Sets, Time Zone File Versions, and Database Time Zones in a CDB
  • Pluggable Databases Multitenancy
    • Memory Resource Management
    • Per-Process PGA Limits
    • Performance Profiles and Mandatory PDB Profiles
    • CDB-Level PDB Lockdown
    • Application Root
    • Proxy PDB
    • Forwarding Connections to A New Address Based on Service
    • Service-Level ACLs for TCP Protocol
  • Pluggable Databases Overall
    • Flashback Pluggable Database
    • Upgrading a CDB With One or More PDBs in a Single Operation
    • Support for Thousands of Pluggable Databases for Each Multitenant Container Database
    • Pluggable Database Lockdown Profiles Enhancements
    • Pluggable Database Operating System Credentials
  • Upgrades
    • Enhancing Ease-of-Use and Reporting From Pre-Upgrade Information Tool
    • Automatically Set User Tablespaces to Read-Only During Upgrade
  • Utilities
    • Scheduler: Job Incompatibilities
    • Scheduler: Resource Queues
    • Scheduler: In-Memory Jobs
    • Oracle Data Pump Parallel Import of Metadata
    • Oracle Data Pump Parallel Export of Metadata
    • New Options for Substitution Variables in Oracle Data Pump File Names
    • Renaming Data Files During Import
    • ENABLE_PARALLEL_PARTITION_LOAD Flag for DATA_OPTIONS Parameter of Import
    • GROUP_PARTITION_TABLE_DATA Flag for DATA_OPTIONS Parameter of Export
    • Data Verification Option to Import, ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver and OCIDirPath
    • ORACLE_DATAPUMP and ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver Supports New File Format
    • Support for Tables With LONG Data Types in Data Pump Network Mode Operations
    • Metadata Transforms Available for Oracle Data Pump in New Views
    • Adding Oracle Data Pump and SQL*Loader Utilities to Instant Client
    • SDF_PREFIX Parameter for SQL*Loader
    • Allowing Multi-Byte Strings for SQL*Loader Parameters Used for Express Mode
    • Database Migrations: Support LLS Files Generated by DB2 Export Utility
• Diagnosability
  • Bug Resolution Process Improvements
    • Trace File Analyzer: Web-Based Visualization
  • Failure Analytics
    • Trace File Analyzer: Optimizing Diagnostic Collection
    • Trace File Analyzer: Automating Diagnostic Collection
    • Trace File Analyzer: Managing Diagnostic Collection
    • Trace File Analyzer: Feedback to Auxiliary Systems
  • First Failure Capture
    • XStream: Replication Event View
    • XStream and GoldenGate Inbound Server Message Tracking
    • Trace File Analyzer: Enabling Time-Trimmed Diagnostic Collection
• Exadata
  • General
    • RMAN: Backing Up Sparse Databases in the Backup-Set Format
    • RMAN: Backing Up Sparse Databases in the Image Copy Format
    • RMAN: Restoring From Sparse Backups
    • RMAN: Recovering the Sparse Database
    • RMAN: Purging Sparse Backups
• Manageability
  • Automatic Performance Management
    • Oracle Data Guard Support for Oracle Diagnostics Pack
    • Active Data Guard Support for SQL Tuning Advisor
    • SQL Performance Analyzer and SQL Tuning Sets Enhancements
  • General
    • Database Replay Enhanced PL/SQL Support
    • Tracking Index Usage
    • Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express (EM Express) Resource Manager Support
    • EM Express: SQL Performance Analyzer (SPA) Support
    • EM Express: Simplifying Configuration for Multitenant Through Single Port Access
    • EM Express: Performance Hub Enhancements
    • Oracle Enterprise Manager Database Express (EM Express) Support for Simplified Database Resource Management
    • Automatic Workload Repository (AWR) Support for a Pluggable Database (PDB)
    • Monitoring Real-Time Database Operations
• Miscellaneous
  • General
    • Selective PDB Upgrades
    • AWR_PDB_AUTOFLUSH_ENABLED Initialization Parameter
    • ENABLE_AUTOMATIC_MAINTENANCE_PDB Initialization Parameter
    • AUTOTASK_MAX_ACTIVE_PDBS Initialization Parameter
• Performance
  • General Database Performance
    • Advanced Queuing: PL/SQL Enqueue and Dequeue Support for JMS Payload in Sharded Queues
    • Advanced Queuing: PL/SQL Enqueue and Dequeue Support for Non-JMS Payload in Sharded Queues
    • ZFS Analytics
    • ExaDirect SQL*Net Adapter
    • Direct NFS Client Supports Parallel NFS
    • Direct NFS Client Dispatcher Support
    • Global and Shared Connection Pool for Oracle Cloud and Multitenant Oracle Databases
    • Oracle Database Java Virtual Machine Performance Enhancements
  • In-Memory
    • In-Memory Expressions
    • In-Memory Virtual Columns
    • In-Memory FastStart
    • Automatic Data Optimization Support for In-Memory Column Store
    • Join Groups
    • Expression Tracking
    • Oracle Database In-Memory Support on Oracle Active Data Guard
    • In-Memory Column Store Dynamic Resizing
  • Unstructured Data
    • Oracle Database File System File Locking
    • Oracle Multimedia PL/SQL API
• Public Cloud
  • General
    • Direct SQL*Net Access Over Oracle Cloud
    • Controlling Outbound Database Link Options
• RAC and Grid
  • Automatic Storage Management
    • Oracle Flex ASM Disk Group Quota Management
    • Prioritized Rebalancing
    • Extending Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) Configuration Support
    • I/O Server
  • Ease-of-Use Improvements
    • Cluster Resource Activity Log
    • Cluster Verification Utility - Second Generation Command Line Output
  • Fault-Tolerant Database Services
    • Switch Service Enhancement
  • High Availability and Reliability
    • VM Manager Agent for GI
    • Shared Grid Naming Service High Availability
    • Oracle Clusterware Resource Groups
    • Reasoned What-If Command Evaluation (Why-If)
    • Server Weight-Based Node Eviction
    • Load-Aware Resource Placement
    • Oracle Clusterware Application Clusters
    • Oracle Grid Infrastructure Installation Support for Application Cluster Installation Type
  • Oracle ASM Cluster File System (ACFS)
    • Oracle Automatic Storage Management Cluster File System (Oracle ACFS) Snapshot Enhancements
    • Oracle ACFS System Defragger
    • 4K Sectors and Metadata Enhancements for Oracle ACFS
    • Oracle ACFS Metadata Collection Enhancements
    • Oracle ACFS Plug-ins for File Content
    • Oracle ACFS Loopback Device
    • Oracle ACFS API Access for Snapshots, File Tags, Plug-in Metrics
    • Oracle ACFS Compression Enhancements
    • Oracle Snapshot-Based Replication Enhancements
    • Oracle ACFS Auto-Resize Enhancements
    • Oracle ACFS Sparse Files Enhancements
    • Oracle ACFS Metadata Acceleration
    • Oracle ACFS NAS Maximum Availability eXtensions
  • Rapid Home Provisioning and Patch Management
    • Rapid Home Provisioning
  • Super Scalable Cluster
    • Support for IPv6 Based IP Addresses for the Oracle Cluster Interconnect
  • Super Scalable Oracle RAC
    • Oracle Real Application Clusters (Oracle RAC) Reader Nodes
    • Service-Oriented Buffer Cache Access Optimization
• Security
  • Encryption
    • TDE Tablespace Live Conversion
    • Fully Encrypted Database
    • Support for ARIA, SEED, and GOST Encryption Algorithms in TDE
    • TDE Tablespace Offline Conversion
  • Enforcing Application Security in the Database
    • RAS Session Privilege Scoping
    • RAS Column Privilege Enhancements
    • RAS Schema Level Policy Administration
    • RAS Integration with OLS
  • Improving Security Manageability, Administration, and Integration
    • Oracle Virtual Private Database Predicate Audit
    • Oracle Database Vault Policy
    • Oracle Database Vault Simulation Mode Protection
    • Oracle Database Vault Common Realms and Command Rules for Oracle Multitenant
    • Privilege Analysis Enhancements
    • Privilege Analysis Results Comparison
    • Redaction: Different Data Redaction Policy Expressions
    • Redaction: New Functions Allowed in Data Redaction Policy Expressions
    • Redaction: Additional Data Redaction Transformations
    • Automatic KDC Discovery When Configuring OCI Clients
    • Automatic Provisioning of Kerberos Keytab for Oracle Databases
    • Role-Based Conditional Auditing
    • Inherit Remote Privileges
  • Improving Security Posture of the Database
    • SYSRAC - Separation of Duty for Administering Real Application Clusters
    • Transparent Sensitive Data Protection Feature Integration
    • Requiring Strong Password Verifiers by Default
  • Improving User Authentication and Management
    • Automatic Locking of Inactive User Accounts
  • Modernizing Network Authentication and Encryption
    • Kerberos-Based Authentication for Direct NFS
• Spatial and Graph
  • Graph Features
    • RDF Semantic Graph Support for W3C Standards
    • Property Graph Support
  • Spatial Features
    • Extending JSON Support in Oracle Database With Spatial Operations
    • Location Data Enrichment Services
    • In-Database Location Tracking Data Model and Services
    • Network Data Model Support for Oracle Coherence
    • Network Data Model Feature Editing APIs
    • Time-Based Routing Engine Enhancements
    • Support for Hash and List Partitioning of Spatial Indexes
    • GeoRaster Map Algebra and Image Processing Enhancements
    • Spatial Map Visualization
    • Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service and Web Map Tile Service Support
    • Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service 2.0 Support
    • Oracle Workspace Manager Enhancements
• Windows
  • General
    • Windows Group Managed Service Accounts
    • Windows Virtual Accounts
  • Integrating With the Latest Windows Platforms and Services
    • Windows Resilient File System
    • Windows Install: Support Virtual Accounts and Group Managed Accounts
  • Oracle Database Manageability on Windows
    • Microsoft Management Console Can Manage Oracle Database
    • Windows Direct NFS Client Supports All Widely Accepted NFS Path Formats