Toad Tips & Tricks
for DBA’s 
Bert Scalzo, Domain Expert, Oracle Solutions
Bert.Scalzo@Quest.com
Copyright © 2006 Quest Software
About the Author …
Domain Expert & Product Architect for Quest Software
Oracle Background:
•
Worked with Oracle databases for over two decades (starting with version 4)
•
Work history includes time at both “Oracle Education” and “Oracle Consulting”
Academic Background:
•
Several Oracle Masters certifications
•
BS, MS and PhD in Computer Science
•
MBA (general business)
•
Several insurance industry designations
Key Interests:
•
Data Modeling
•
Database Benchmarking
•
Database Tuning & Optimization
•
"Star Schema" Data Warehouses
•
Oracle on Linux – and specifically: RAC on Linux
Articles for:
•
Oracle’s Technology Network (OTN)
•
Oracle Magazine,
•
Oracle Informant
•
PC Week (eWeek)
Articles for:
•
Dell Power Solutions
Magazine
•
The Linux Journal
•
www.linux.com
•
www.orafaq.com
1
Books by Author …
Coming in 2008 …
2
Agenda
• Quick Toad History
• Toad options & bundles for DBA’s
• How to leverage Toad for DBA’s
• Key Database Admin Interfaces & Utilities
• Some non-obvious yet very useful tidbits 
• Some slides, but mostly live demo of Toad …
3
History
Original Toad Freeware
Oct ‘98
June ‘99
Feb ’00
v5
V6.1
V6.3
Dec ‘00 April ‘01 Dec ‘01 Apr ‘02
v6.5
v7.2
v7.3
Script
Manager,
SQL*Loader
Wizard.
v7.4
v7.5
HTML Schema
Generator,
CMD Line
Support.
Project
Manager,
QSR.
Team Coding,
Data Grid
support for
advanced data
types.
v7.0
Initial Quest
Already has 70 Debugger, SQL DBA Module. Toad Reports.
release.
distinct
Modeler, Oracle 8
Yahoo! Groups and
screens.
object support.
Toadsoft.com
established.
Oct ‘02 May ‘03
Toad for Oracle Freeware
Update July ‘05
Nov ‘03 July ‘04
June ‘05
v7.6
v8.0
v8.5
Session
Browser,
new
toolbars.
XML Support,
CodeXpert,
Script Debugger.
Rebranded –
Toad for Oracle
JIT Debugging,
Citrix, RAC,
enhanced 10g
support.
Oct ’05
Oct ’06
Jun ’07
v8.6
v9.0
v9.1
Nov ’07
v9.5
Policy Manager. Integration with
Action Recall. SQL Optimizer 7.2
Debugger, Profiler,
Toad Tips
Code Xpert
Vista support.
CodeXpert
enhancements.
integration.
StatsPack Browser
ASM, ADDM, AWR
Oracle 11g
Mgt
support.
Single Merged
Re-designed
Editor.
Modeler, M/D Brower,
New Reporting Engine. Improved
Apr ’08
v9.6
Debugger into
Standard, Schema
Browser merged
with DB Browser,
integration with
QCTO and TDM,
Vulnerability
Assessment in
Health Check
Alternatives
1. Freeware
2. Toad for Oracle
3. Toad for Oracle +
DB Admin Module
4. Toad DBA Suite
Lacks several dozen key
DBA oriented features!!!
for Oracle 
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Toad For Oracle Xpert
Toad DB Admin Module
Toad Data Modeler
Benchmark Factory
Spotlight on Oracle!!!
TOAD DBA Suite for Oracle
Tuning
Checklist
DB Menus
New DB Browser
Eliminates need
for most of these!
Outline
•Options
•General
•Startup
•Executables
•Windows
•RMAN Templates
•DB Browser
•Reload from tnsnames
•Right Hand Mouse Menu
•Tree-view of non-schema objects
•Subset portion of Schema Browser
•Server & Multi-Select Cumulative Totals
Outline
•Session Browser
•What happened to Kill/Trace screen
•Configure, configure, configure
•New top-level “Waits” tab
•“Wait” hyper-links (displays info)
•Long-Ops
•Script Runner
•Organize your scripts
•Load into Editor
•Run in place & via Quest Script Runner
•Place useful scripts into main menu list
•Combine scripts to create new ones
Outline
•Health Check
•Can do multiple databases at once
•New Vulnerability Assessment (VA)
•New un/select by major category
•User can adjust the “Params”
•Can schedule & email results
•Log Miner
•Filter
•Options -> Undo Operation
•Send SQL to Editor
•Use “Save As” for undo commands
•***VERY POWERFUL UTILITY***
Outline
•TKPROF Interface
•Local files & FTP interface
•Handy – but see next item
•Trace File Browser
•For those who prefer wait event analysis based
upon drilling into “Oracle Instrumentation Data”
•Why pay for $$$ for Hotsos Profiler ???
•Tree-view into trace file
•SQL Statement, Explain Plan, Raw Data
•Query Summary graph
•Trace file header
•Open in external editor – but why 
Outline
•Stats Pack Browser
•Nice, simple GUI to massive info pool
•Offers Wait Event Advice (to 10 events)
•Can run standard stats pack report
•Can schedule collections
•Can manage snapshots
•AWR Browser
•Same as above
•But must have OEM diagnostic pack
•Must use another screen for reports
•ADDM/AWR Reports
•That screen also offers Baseline mgmnt
Outline
•UNIX Monitor
•Database Monitor
•Database Probe
•Index Monitoring
•HTML Schema Doc Generator
•DBMS Redefinition Wizard
•Compare Data
•Compare Schemas
•Compare Databases
•SGA Trace Optimization
•Top Session Finder
•RAC – Toad does ASM & RAC too !!!
Thank you
Please offer any questions or comments
Remember:
• Like the old Prego spaghetti sauce TV commercial – “It’s in there”…
• Toad’s DBA options & bundles makes Toad = SQL Developer + OEM
• Test Drive Today: The Evaluation Copy Activates All Toad Features!!!
Toad World: The single web portal for all things Toad …
http://www.toadworld.com
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