Oracle : Key Tables

This lists some of the tables that are of good use when looking at data at the session level.


1. v$session_longops: Has data regarding operations that are running on the database.

Execution plan on SQLPLUS

To get only the execution plan for a query and check for its performance even before executing the query, use the foll command on sqlplus:

set autotrace traceonly explain

This will show the execution plan for the query.

ORA: 01653: Unable to extend Table

An oracle error when Oracle is unable to extend the table in a tablespace.

Solution:
Extend the tablespace size

alter database datafile 'xyz.dbf' resize 1000M (The new total size)

Getting the datafile: Go to DBA->Segment management and Tablespaces in TOAD.

Sometimes the system may not have enough space for increasing tablespace file size.

Create a new file and attach it to the tablespace

ALTER TABLESPACE
ADD DATAFILE 'abc.dbf' SIZE 100M
AUTOEXTEND ON
NEXT 1024K
MAXSIZE 250M

Starting again

I have been writing this blog more than three years now. There have been spurts of blogs balanced with equal times of inactivity. There have been times where I have felt like blogging but have been unable to do so due to many reasons.

I just feel that I should blog whenever I find time, about anything I feel (that's what my blog says anyways) without waiting for getting something to write. If I do not like it, I can always delete it later.

So starting again from now, I am back :) ..

-Vin

A sedate start

The WC 2007 got off to a sedate start yesterday with not much fireworks. The match between WI and Pak did not set the thrill meters jumping. But it was not a farce too as the match was contested nicely.
Coming to the match, Pak lost but not much should be needed to it. It is possible in the early stages of the tournaments to have a few hiccups and it might not cause any major upsets.

-Winz

World Cup 2007

As I am writing this, the Cricket World Cup 2007 has begun in the West Indies. I intended to write about this, but never found the time. Hopefully I will find some time in the next eight weeks to write something. I would really like India to win this one, though I do not see that we have enough players to play in crunch matches.

-Winz

Inertia

All of us have studied in school that inertia refers to a continued state of rest or motion unless it is subjected to an external force. I find that sometimes I have a state of inertia. That is though things around me are changing or the situation is changing, I take my time to act on it.
Whenever anything changes, all the people connected with it respond to it (or react to it). Though it is not desirable to react at the drop of a hat, it is equally not good to remain inactive though things are changing around you.
If I feel so, then why do I hesitate to act ? Maybe due to the fact that I am an introvert and do not like to interact with people unnecessarily. Or that I am an optimist who hopes that somehow things straighten themselves. Or is it because I am lazy and do not want to do things? Or I do not like responsibility?
Whatever be the reason, whenever I behave like this, it invariably fills me with remorse and I feel I am not doing justice to myself and those who trust me.
So to change, I need to lower the level of changes that will trigger an action on my part.

-Vinayak

My Zodiac personality

After a long time, I visited the site where I took some tests maybe a couple of years back.

Took a zodiac personality test


Discover your Zodiac Personality @ Quiz Me


-Vinayak

Nit Picking

I am a person who likes detail but what I do not like is focusing on the minor detail so much that the main objective is lost. Like you are very hungry (close to starved) and you are debating whether to eat Chinese or Italian ... I mean come on... the main point is that you have to eat something.. I do not care if it is at a darshini. When I am not hungry that is another matter. Or cricket commentators debating about which order a batsman should come in to bat.. when the greater issue is if the player deserves to be in the team or not.
Such discussions invariably lead to failures as the whole is always more important than the parts. But somehow, people seem to take devilish pleasure in ripping apart something and critiquing each and every detail.
Mind you, I am not saying we should not look in the detail. Details are also important, but only when the broad picture is correct. What is the use in arguing about do we take a left or a right when we are in the wrong city!! . The only correct way is the way that leads to the correct city.

-Vinayak

A good Idea

Last week, I was in my hometown of Hubli and came back to Bangalore this week. When travelling in buses, I was pleasantly surprised to see (or re -see as it was earlier also) way of dispensing tickets which is less hassle free and also eliminates the ticket reuse tactics...
Bus conductors in Hubli use an electronic ticket dispensing machine. The guy enters the source and destination codes and a ticket print out appears out of the machine. This has some advantages: 1. The source and destination are marked so the ticket holder cannot "overstay" in the bus. I mean it will be easy for the conductor to check if he doubts.
2. Since the time is also printed on the ticket, there wont be any "ticket reuse".
3. The conductor need not carry stacks of tickets and keep tabs on how many tickets he dispensed.
What has surprised me is that apart from the volvo buses in Bangalore, no other buses are using this (or atleast I have not seen them doing it) . And Bangalore is the IT capital of India!!

Time FA did something....

I watched the match between Manchester United and Middlesbrough on Saturday. As a Man Utd fan, I am happy that the win took us 6 points of Chelsea. But the manner in which the first goal was scored left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Initially, I thought that there was contact, but replays showed clearly that there was no contact and the only reason I can think of Ronaldo diving is that he had lost the ball and thus the chance to score the goal. So he dived, ManU got a penalty and the rest is history. I for one thought that the boos he got were deserved. And to follow this, he dived again to get a free kick.
Now comes my question? How can the FA stop this? It has become imperative in light of the recent happenings where players from the top clubs resort to such tactics to get penalties, free kicks or get opponents sent off. And in my opinion, such behaviour from clubs like ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool send a signal to the other teams that "this is the way to win" . So more and more teams will do so, thus reducing the game to a farce.
Some suggestions so that the FA reduces this:
1. Have a match referee who can annul goals or cards after the match. This referee should disallow a goal scored to a penalty or a free kick got from a dive. Similarly cards, given if any should be rescinded.
2. The player should be warned once, and for the next occassion, given a yellow card. For subsequent offences, the player should be banned from a couple of games. The only catch is that this should be done consistently to avoid charges of bias.
3. The club should be fined for repeated occurences. If they can be fined for the conduct of their fans, surely they can be fined for the conduct of their players too.
4. The club should be penalised by deducting a certain number of points for such behaviour. This may be harsh but putting pressure on the clubs is the only way to have any effect on the game.

I just hope that I do not get to see a match where the winning goal was scored by cheating.

-Winz

The Beach- A short story

He was sitting on the beach looking at the waves crashing on the shores and returning, never missing a beat. He looked around and saw children playing on the shores, peddlers trying to sell their wares and people eating stuff. It was the same everytime.
Yes, everytime. He had been coming here for 25 years. He could remember the first time he had come with his parents. He was afraid of the water and his father had told him, "I am here do not fear". He was amazed at how the water came and went back. How it had amused him that the waves which were so threatening became so harmless when they reached him.
Over the years he had come many times here. This place had many memories. Coming with parents and enjoying the snacks and playing, then with friends as he grew up and he and his friends spent a time dreaming about their future. He also spent much time with a special one here.
He let a sigh when he thought of her. She was a special person to him. They had a lot of things in common. He remembered how they both walked hand in hand on the shores or simply sat there watching the setting sun. How they sat there and had bhel How they laughed and talked about their dreams. Yes, not his or her but their dreams. How they professed their love for each other. Life was beautiful those days.
And then he remembered the quarrel. It was all silly in retrospect. Hindsight is always 20/20, someone had told him and it was true in their case. What started of as a silly argument soon grew into a battle. A battle of egos. He was determined to win it at all costs. He did not concede even a single inch, though she gave some ground thinking it was her weakness and that he was right. She would soon see to it and come back to him with an apology.
So confident he was that he did not expect her to deliver the stunning blow. Ironically, it was at the same beach that she announced she was breaking the relationship. He thought she would soon realize her mistake and come back. Soon he heard that she was engaged and she married someone else.
He was heartbroken. He realized that he, in his moment of vanity had lost the most beautiful thing that had happened to him. His love. True love. Which would never come back. He had won the battle but lost the war.
Now sitting here, he realized the lessons that the beach was always telling him but he had never learnt. The sea comes to the shore and threatens to take the land, but then goes back. So both the sea and land are in a harmony. There may be some transgressions but nothing serious. And both need each other. Without the sea, the beach is nothing. Without the beach, the sea has no significance. This is similar to our relations. We have keep it in a balance. We need people as much as people need us. And also that the tides do not wait for anybody. They carry on irrespective of anything. Life also goes on. It never waits for anyone. If we want to do anything, we have to do it now.
Otherwise, things that we cherish will be lost.
Thus he was lost in his memories when a kid came and asked him "Sir, will you have a snack. Please take something". He thought for a few moments and said "bhel". The beach had taught him another important lesson. No matter what, the waves come to the shore. So no matter what you have to fight and live the life.

------ END --------------

-VP

Going down.... down... down

So India suffered another defeat in the One day format. This time to South Africa. Though I had no illusions about our chances given that we have won only 3 matches against SA in SA, the margin of defeat was not expected. The way the most famous batting line-up in the world collapsed like a pack of cards does not inspire much confidence for the World Cup in 2007.
Of course, the coach Greg Chappell will come out with excuses like new conditions, not enough preparations etc etc. But the fact is that the Indian team has been screwed up big time. No Iam not asking to bring Ganguly back. But you should handle well what you have, anyway. Too many changes in the side, too many experiments in the batting order has hit the team hard.
The same team which blew away opposition last year and created a record, now is not confident of chasing a moderate total. Who is responsible for this? The coach and the captain of course. So let them, along with the selectors handle it. They have to make sure that the team selected performs well.
Click here for a picture depiction of India's misery in the 2nd one dayer.

-VP

So it begins

WC 2006 is finally here. Only half a day to go before the WC starts. I am expecting a great display of football that should keep us mesmerized for a month.
I will be making some observations of my own (When a WC start, everyone is an expert :-) ) .
Here are my pre-world cup predictions. Putting them down so that I can compare when it is done.

1. Winners: Brazil.
2. Losing finalists: Argentina
3. Semis: Germany and England.
4. Suprise of the tournament: Serbia
5. Disaster of the tournament: Holland.
6. Most goals scored: Klose.
7. Golden Ball: Ronaldinho.

Ok lets wait and watch as the drama unfolds in Germany

-Vinayak

Dress code

Wikipedia defines dress code as "a formal specification of acceptable attire for a specific event or location". We find dress codes in many places. Most notably in schools, army or in some industries where the working conditions require that. It is okay in these cases as they bring a sense of unity or ensure security of the employees.

Many of my friends work in companies that require a "dress code". They have to wear formals for 'n' days of the week. Formals also mean they have to wear a tie. And they are not marketing people, who may possibly deal with customers. They do not deal with outside people directly. They are software engineers!!. Why do they have to follow a dress code?
Programmers, architects etc do a lot of cognitive work. It is imperative that they are comfortable. But due to such a dress code, they may be uncomfortable, thus affecting their productivity in the long run.

Of course, there is a need for a dress code in companies. What I feel is that employees should be required to wear clean clothes. They should not wear shabby clothes. That should be sufficient.

-Vinayak