What is Oracle Database?

The system is constructed on a relational database framework in which users (or an application front end) may directly access data objects through structured query language (SQL). Global businesses that handle and process data across wide and local area networks frequently employ Oracle, which is a relational database design that is completely scalable. The Oracle database features a dedicated network component that enables network communications.

Oracle Database, in a nutshell, serves as the foundation of business IT environments. Depending on the pattern of structure, databases can be classified into distinct hierarchical, network, object, or document-oriented paradigms. In order to store and present business and customer data as ordered data sets, Oracle Database employs a relational database paradigm. Data points are associated using attributes, and data sets are organized into columns, tables, and rows. The effective and logical way that Oracle Database organizes and presents data sets accounts for its success. Additionally, businesses can choose whether to use Oracle Database locally on-premises or in the cloud.

In order to address this problem, relational models for database management organized data into entities and attributes that further defined them. The RDBMS having the biggest market share right now is Oracle Database. Microsoft's SQL Server is a competitor of Oracle DB in the market for enterprise databases. Other database options exist, however most of them only hold a small portion of the market compared to Oracle DB and SQL Server. Fortunately, Oracle DB and SQL Server have structures that are very comparable, which is helpful for learning database management.

Most popular operating systems, including Windows, UNIX, Linux, and macOS, support Oracle DB. Numerous operating systems, including IBM AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Microsoft Windows Server, Solaris, SunOS, and macOS are supported by the Oracle database.

Like the majority of RDBMS, Oracle Database creates database structures, manages records, carries out operations, or retrieves data by using the standardized programming language SQL (Structured Query Language). In turn, PL/SQL, an Oracle programming language, is closely connected to SQL and enables the addition of Oracle programming extensions to SQL. Oracle employs row and column tables, in which data points are connected by attributes, to structure the databases. Cross-table access is now both time and cost effective as a result.

A database used to store database files, one or more database instances used to manage data, and one or more listener processes used to connect database clients to database instances make up the architecture of Oracle database systems. Here, Oracle databases divide logical and physical data structures. Among them are logical and physical storage structures

1. Physical storage structures :
   Data files, control files (with database metadata), and red-log files (for documenting changes).
2. Logical storage structures :
   Data blocks and tables, extents (for grouping logical data blocks), segments (extent records) and tablespaces (logical segment containers).

Thanks to data and network encryption, stringent authentication, permission, and authorization analyses, the well-defined structure of Oracle databases ensures that data is reliably managed with the highest level of security. Oracle also supports Java and uses PL/SQL to access Java code.

This structure enables a more modular physical structure that can be added to and altered without affecting the activity of the database, its data, or its users. This structure makes the data location irrelevant and transparent to the user for large-scale distributed computing, also known as grid computing.

1. Flexible Standards :
   The flexibility of Oracle Database is based on strong fundamentals including :
   • Structured Query Language (SQL)
   • Non-blocking queries
   • Non-escalating row-level locking
   • Transactions
   • Programmable database features
2. Scale-On-Demand :
   With Oracle Database, your database will always be the right size for your business needs due to :
   • Single Instance Oracle Database online vertical scaling
   • (Single Instance) Database with Oracle Sharing linear hori­zontal scaling for sharing-aware applications
   • Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) transparent, near-lin­ear horizontal scaling
3. Highest Availability :
   For Oracle Database, highest availability has always been the norm. Converged single instance databases, Oracle Multitenant/pluggable databases (PDBs), Oracle Sharing/RAC, and Oracle Active Data Guard are all included in the availability category.
   These architectural designs safeguard the data and database. They do not, however, guarantee that a session will continue. Application Continuity offers this protection.
4. Secure Future :
   Traditionally, Oracle Database provided strong security through these capabilities :
   • Core Database Security (users, roles, authentication, etc.)
   • Encryption of Network Communication
   • Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
   • Column-Level Encryption
   • Oracle Key & Database Vault
   • Database Auditing
   • Oracle Audit Vault
   • Oracle Database Firewall
   • Label Security
   • Real Application Security
   • Virtual Private Database (VPD)
   • Data Masking and Sub setting