Andrei DANEASA

Apex is a great tool for rapid web applications based on Oracle Database. It’s free, and if you’re happy with Oracle XE’s limitations, then it’s perfect, you have the database free as well. I’ve been following APEX for long time ago, since it was called HTML DB, and wrote 2+ years ago a guide how to install APEX on XE.

Now APEX 4.0.1 is GA and most of the people would like to upgrade. It’s very simple.

1. Download APEX from OTN
Read the rest of this entry »

Best way to have a easy to access XE database and APEX on top of it is to put them on a Ubuntu Server virtual machine that I start just when I need.

Installation of 10g Express Edition should not take more than 10 minutes and the steps are below:

1. Prepare the swap space
If you have less than 1GB memory run the following commands to create swap space:

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been told that there is no way to connect to a SQL Server 2005 named instance from SQL Developer. That’s not necessary true, but it’s strange.

A bit of background information: SQL Developer is connecting to SQL Server through JTDS opensource driver. The driver said that it cannot support named instances. On the other hand, in the connection string, there is a syntax for named instance, like “instance=your_instance“.
Read the rest of this entry »

Lots of people landed on my blog by searching for “10g XE disadvantages”, but unfortunately I don’t have such an article. I mean until now 🙂

So what are the disadvantages of using 10g XE database? :

• it’s not supported by Oracle support
• it is working on just one processor core, no matter how many you have
• it will not use more than 1 GB of RAM, no matter how much RAM you have
• you cannot store more than 4 GB of user data, hard-coded limitation
• you’ll not find patches for it
• not yet a 11g version

Of course there are lots of advantages:
Read the rest of this entry »

I ran a migration workshop last week and had a partner who tried to install Oracle on a Windows 2008 Server.
Here are the today’s certification status:
– Oracle DB 10gR2 is certified
– Oracle DB 11gR1 is NOT certified yet, but projected
– Hyper-V and Server Core in Windows 2008 are not supported by Oracle

According to the last statement of direction, the timeframe for certification/support of 11g on Windows Server 2008 is 1st quarter 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

I never considered myself a good DBA and it’s not necessary my plan to become one. But in order to be convincing to the partners I had to take this certification.
After few months of study and exercises I took 1z0-043 (Administration II) exam on 18th of December. I passed it with 96,9% and this made me very proud.

Of course I will need to take the upgrade exam to 11g and I am pretty sure I will forget some of the things if I am not facing them on a daily basis but it was a very good lecture.
What will be the benefits? Don’t know… a diploma and a certification card for sure, 40% discount on some Oracle press books and maybe knowledge and confidence…

I’m open to share my experience with anybody interested in taking this certification

I’ve been asked many times if there is possible to install Oracle Application Express on Express Edition of 10g database, both of them being free products. The answer is YES, and the procedure is quite simple, as very well indicated on Oracle website

The steps would be: Read the rest of this entry »