Configuring and Tuning Databases on the Solaris Platform

by Allan N. Packer

Using this book, database professionals can dramatically improve the performance and cost-effectiveness of virtually any database application running on the SolarisA (R) platform. Solaris database optimization specialist Allan Packer presents start-to-finish guidance on optimizing all four leading Solaris Oracle, DB2, Sybase, and Informix. Configuring and Tuning Databases on the Solaris Platform brings together best-practice guidelines for every aspect of database tuning on Sun servers. Drawing on years of expertise as a Sun consultant, Packer presents detailed recommendations for data layout, CPU and memory configuration, and system sizing. He introduces a systematic, drill-down monitoring approach designed to help database professionals identify and resolve system bottlenecks that inhibit database performance. Packer demystifies database tuning by providing a quick primer that explains database architecture, key database concepts, and how to use key subsystems such as query optimizers and buffer cache. He describes and critiques each leading database benchmark, offering guidance for using benchmarks -- and not misusing them.

502 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2001

About the author

Allan Packer writes epic fantasy. The Ruptured Kingdom is his second published series, following The Stone of Knowing and the other novels of The Stone Cycle series.

Allan grew up surrounded by books and became an avid reader during his childhood. In his university years fantasy displaced science fiction as his favorite genre, thanks primarily to J. R. R. Tolkien. He later shared this love with his four children by reading The Lord of the Rings to them aloud - a three-month marathon he completed twice during their formative years.

Born in Australia, Allan has lived and worked on three continents, and spent one quarter of his working years abroad. Having worked as an IT professional throughout his career, he was first published as a technical author.

Today he lives with his wife in Adelaide, South Australia, at the heart of a growing and geographically distributed extended family.

Allan is currently working on the final instalment in his series The Ruptured Kingdom. For news and information about Allan's books, visit his website.