Oracle Database

Oracle Database is the object and relational database management system of Oracle company.

Oracle DBMS has a large number different the version and types.

Chronicle

2021: Release of Oracle Database 21c DBMS

On January 13, 2021 the company Oracle announced availability DBMS Oracle Database 21c - the current version convergent databases. Oracle Database 21c it is available in Oracle Cloud, including free cloud service Always Free Tier to the autonomous Oracle Autonomous Database database now. Oracle Database 21c includes more than 200 opportunities, including support of unchangeable blockchain- tables, built in DBMS support of language programming JavaScript, support of data type of JSON in a binary format which is built in a DB, automated machine learning (AutoML) for machine learning in the database (ML) and support of a non-volatile memory (Persistent Memory) and also improvement in technology Oracle Database in-Memory, performance of processing of geoinformation, sharding, technology of the connected databases (pluggable database) and security. In more detail here.

2020: Adding in TranzAxis of support Oracle Standard Edition

On October 9, 2020 it became known that Compass Plus added TranzAxis optimized for work in a cloud, support of Oracle Standard Edition to the open software platform. Read more here.

2019

Correction of 10 vulnerabilities

On October 17, 2019 it became known that the Oracle company corrected 219 dangerous vulnerabilities in different product lines. Oracle Database received 10 corrections. Read more here.

Overview of the key Oracle Database 19c functions

On April 25, 2019 it became known that the Oracle corporation provided the key functions included in Oracle Database 19c. The version was submitted on Oracle Live SQL at the beginning of 2019.

The Automatic Indexing function creates indexes automatically using algorithms of machine learning, and as showed tests, it often copes with this task better, than the person. 

"This database can define an optimal set of indexes. During their creation the data structure, data and requests are considered. It means that the database can create and begin to be used without any indexes or with very small set of indexes at all. The database will analyze resource-intensive requests to understand what indexes are potentially necessary, will check usefulness of the selected candidates, and then itself will construct indexes, and all this will take less time, than creation of indexes manually". Dominic Giles, the chief manager of Oracle on the products Oracle Database

This function will work also with the database for which indexes are already constructed. In this case automatic indexing can help with thin setup of set of indexes in a DB. After creation of indexes the database constantly checks their use and deletes unnecessary. It is important because eventually indexes collect — the large commercial applications working with Oracle Database can create thousands of such indexes for years of use. 

"Often they are created for reports or batch jobs in which there is no need any more any more. It is not so harmless as indexes increase the need of the database for computing resources and resources of storage". Dominic Giles

This possibility of Oracle Database 19c helps to use more effectively the reserve database, the mirror copy of the working database intended for disaster recovery.

For this purpose in Oracle Database 11g Oracle corporation offered the option Oracle Active Data Guard using which it is possible to open the reserve database on reading, to create on it reports and to execute backups. In Oracle Database 19c the additional possibility of Active Data Guard DML Redirect which allows to change data in the reserve database is implemented.

"One of the reasons of such innovation that during creation of reports it is required not only to read to many applications data but also to make some entries in the database. Using Active Data Guard DML Redirect of write operation immediately it is also transparent are redirected to primary database and after entering in it replicated in a reserve DB. From the point of view of the user it looks as if he updates data in the reserve database". Dominique Dzhaylz

Active Data Guard DML Redirect works equally qualitatively at placement of the reserve database both in the local environment, and in a cloud and also when also the main, and reserve databases are executed in a cloud environment.

Hybrid sectioned tables (Hybrid Partitioned Tables) allow to combine within one table as section which are in standard tabular space, and sections which are placed on external cheap storage systems out of the database.

All opportunities of analytics of Oracle DBMS can be used when data are placed on external inexpensive storage system. These storage systems can be located both in local DPC of the client, and in a cloud. Some sections of the table placed in a DB of your DPC can lie in a cloud. Data out of the Oracle database are available only to reading and do not need a regular backup, but it is possible to address them from Oracle Database.

Support of JSON appeared in Oracle Database 12c where the native storage of the documents JSON and SQL access was implemented. It gained further development in version 18c with implementation of analytics for the documents JSON.

In Oracle Database 19c there was a support of the application programming interfaces of Simple Oracle Document Access (SODA) for Java, Python, C and Node.js.

"You can work with a broad spectrum of API interfaces of NoSQL which receive lines from the documents JSON in the database. Overall performance of a data mart or the data warehouse can sharply fall at frequent accomplishment of requests with very high resource requirements CCPs and to input-output. Oracle Database 19c DBMS can automatically place these requests in a quarantine (Query Quarantine) and block their accomplishment if the level of consumption of resources exceeds the threshold values set for them". Dominic Giles

Oracle Database provides stability of applications and local installations of databases.^[1]

"Stability is the purpose of Oracle Database 19c - it is release with long-term support. Turnover cycles of local DBMS at our clients rather long, and many clients waited for release of Oracle Database 19c to pass to it with Oracle Database 11g or Oracle Database 12c". Dominic Giles

2018: Amazon wants to refuse software of Oracle. Larry Ellison says that it is impossible

On August 7, 2018 the cofounder of Oracle Larry Ellison commented on rumors about plans of Amazon to refuse use of the software of Oracle. According to the businessman, Amazon will hardly be able to make it as earlier it did not turn out neither at the company, nor competitors have Oracle. Read more here.

2015: Cloud platform of Oracle Database Cloud

On November 18, 2015 the Oracle corporation released the products Oracle Database Cloud supplementing a portfolio of Oracle Cloud Platform services for deployment in a cloud of the reliable, scalable, protected solutions and applications based on databases.

Submission of Oracle Database Cloud (2015)

Now crucial opportunities are available:

• clustering for ensuring fault tolerance and scalability on demand,
• disaster recovery with zero data loss
• Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service.

Oracle also provided the free service allowing database managers and developers to test possibilities of Oracle Database in the environment of Oracle Cloud without finance costs and risks.

Possibilities of Oracle Database Cloud:

• The platform for crucial applications: The Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service provides unsurpassed scalability, performance and availability of Oracle Database. The enterprises can fully use advantages of Oracle Exadata Database Machine to accomplishment of crucial applications and consolidation of databases in the environment of Oracle Cloud.

• Availability and scalability: the enterprises can effectively use the solution of Oracle for a clustering of databases in a cloud environment. The product Oracle Real Application Clusters which is a part of Oracle Database Cloud Service and Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service provides scalability on demand and fault tolerance of databases.

• Disaster recovery: now it is possible to deploy a cloud solution for disaster recovery in real time which protects Oracle databases in case of failure at the level of the platform or the region. The product Oracle Active Data Guard which is a part of Oracle Database Cloud Service and Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service provides continuous database replication, unrolled directly at the enterprise or in the environment of Oracle Cloud, in the active reserve database in Oracle Cloud with zero data loss. Also the enterprises can use more effectively resources and increase productivity, having moved transactions of preparation of reports, accomplishment of special requests and backup on the active reserve Oracle database of Database.

• Services of development and testing: Oracle offers free trial versions which developers can effectively use for creation of cloud applicaions of level of division, the enterprise and web applications. The full range of services for development/testing with Oracle Database Cloud, including new free service and access to Oracle Java Cloud Service, Oracle Database Backup Service and Oracle Storage Cloud Service is offered to developers.

Portfolio of Oracle Database Cloud services

Oracle Database Cloud offers an extensive portfolio of cloud services for ensuring power and the service levels according to needs of developers, small companies and global enterprises. Databases can be unrolled in a cloud in several minutes, offering full compatibility with local databases and the built-in security with end-to-end enciphering. Clients can select the managed Oracle or completely automated administration which includes automatic application of packets of corrections and updates, backup and recovery. As a result of IT service can increase considerably flexibility and reduce costs.

• Oracle Database Cloud Service: The companies can unroll completely managed database for rapid development and implementation of applications of level of division or the automated cloud database for support of crucial corporate applications. The broad spectrum of options of use of functions and the options Oracle Database is available to the maximum performance improvement, availability, security and consolidation.

• Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service: The enterprises can unroll the crucial production OLTP databases and data warehouses in the environment of Oracle Cloud now. This service works at the Oracle Exadata platform used on thousands of platforms worldwide. Oracle Database Exadata Cloud Service has the built-in means of ensuring of high performance and availability, such as Oracle Multitenant, Oracle Database In-Memory, Oracle Real Application Clusters, Oracle Active Data Guard, InfiniBand Fabric and Smart Flash Cache.

• Oracle Database Backup Service: The Oracle Database Cloud family also includes the scalable and inexpensive solution allowing the enterprises to store backup copies of the Oracle databases unrolled directly at the enterprise or in the environment of Oracle Cloud without caring for the reduced windows for backup, data loss or incomplete recovery. Backup of databases in Oracle Cloud can be executed using the same process which is applied to local backup on a disk or a tape. Data are ciphered on a source and three times mirrored in a cloud for security and recovery in any situations.

2013

Among leaders of the world market of DBMS

For 2013 in the world market of the corporate systems of management of databases (SMD) the dominant position is held by the traditional three of products: IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. More than 80% of the market of DBMS within long years are controlled by three companies producers: IBM, Oracle and Microsoft.

Oracle9i is DBMS for medium-sized companies

Core of Oracle9i DBMS is the database server which is delivered in one of four editions depending on the scale of an information system within which its application is supposed.^[2]

For the Internet systems (public) and the systems of scale of the large organization (enterprise) the product Oracle9i Database Enterprise Edition (corporate edition) for which there is the whole set of options, architecturally and functionally expanding possibilities of the server is offered. The product Oracle9i Database Standard Edition (standard edition) is focused on the organizations of average scale or division as a part of the large organization (workgroup). For personal use "personal Oracle" (Oracle9i Database Personal Edition), and for mobile telecommunication systems and small offices - Oracle9i Database Lite is offered. In standard, personal and mobile editions the main focus is placed on the low cost, simplicity of installation and maintenance. At the same time all versions of the server of Oracle have the same source code in the basis and are functionally identical, except for some additional options which are necessary for specific configurations (for example, the option Oracle9i Real Application Clusters is necessary for support of cluster architectures).

Main advantage of such approach to creation of DBMS is an identity of the code for all versions of the database server. For all computer platforms and architecture there is uniform Oracle DBMS delivered in different versions which behaves equally and provides identical functionality regardless of the platform on which it is set.

One of the main characteristics of Oracle DBMS is functioning of a system on the majority of platforms. Including on big COMPUTER, UNIX- servers personal computers, etc.

Other important characteristic is support of Oracle of all possible options of architecture, including symmetric multiple processor systems, clusters, systems with mass parallelism, etc. The importance of these characteristics for the large-scale organizations where the set of computers of different models and producers is operated is obvious. In such conditions the success factor is the greatest possible typification of proposed solutions setting as the purpose significant reduction in cost of ownership of the software. Standardization of database management systems - one of the most significant steps on the way of achievement of this purpose.

Support of Oracle of the majority of popular computer platforms and architecture is reached at the expense of the tough technology scheme of development of the DBMS code. Development of server products is executed by uniform division of Oracle corporation, changes are made on a centralized basis. After that all versions are exposed to careful testing in basic option, and then are moved to all platforms where are also in details checked. The possibility of transfer of Oracle is provided with specific structure of a source program code of the database server. About 80% of a program code of Oracle are programs in programming language C, is platformo-independent. About 20% of the code representing a server core are implemented in machine-dependent languages; and this part of the code, certainly, corresponds for different platforms.

One of distinctive features of the server of Oracle - a possibility of storage and processing of different data types. This functionality is integrated into a core of DBMS and is maintained by the module interMedia as a part of Oracle Database. It ensures functioning with text documents, including different types of search, including context; work with graphic images more than 20 formats; work with audio and video information.

Oracle DBMS not only provides an expanded set of the built-in data types, but also allows to design due to use of Object Option new data types with the specification of access methods to them. It means actually that developers are hit the tool allowing to build the structured data types which are directly displaying objects of data domain in hands.

Oracle includes many different components and modules, here some of them:

The module interMedia provides support of all data types, including execution of operations of search in big text documents of different formats.

The Oracle Enterprise Manager component represents the universal remedy of administration of databases supplied with the user-friendly graphical interface and allowing the database manager to execute a broad spectrum of transactions over a set of Oracle databases including creation, modification and removal of any objects of intra each of them.

The module Advanced Replication Option allows to execute replication of the opportunities given with the broad range, including synchronous, asynchronous, cascade and other types of replication.

The module Oracle Workflow is means for automation of standard business procedures of the organization, for development of procedures of management of flows of works. It offers enhanced capabilities to automation of passing and information processing of any type and formalization difficult business of procedures and algorithms of information processing.

One of key features of the DB server of Oracle - the mechanism of storage and processing of message queues which is called Oracle Advanced Queuing (AQ). It is delivered together with the database server, and it does not need to be licensed separately. The AQ component belongs to the class Message Oriented Middleware (software of an interface layer for message handling). Existence of such component allows to construct based on the server full-function infrastructure for message handling and excludes need of acquisition for this purpose of additional resources of the third firms (such as IBM MQ Series), providing, at the same time, communication with them in heterogeneous environments at the expense of the product Oracle Messaging Gateways.

Starting with the version of Oracle8i, in structure of the server (in all editions) it is included virtual Java machine (JServer Enterprise Edition).

The Oracle Obects for OLE component gives the accessibility to databases of the Oracles-applications developed on C ++, Microsoft Visual Basic, OLE 2.0. The full support of language of macro definitions in Visual Basic allows to obtain data from Oracle directly in spreadsheets of Microsoft Excel.

2012

Editions: from Express Edition to Enterprise Edition

For 2012 the company offers the following editorial offices DBMS:

• Oracle Express Edition (XE): it is edition of initial level. Is free for development, deployment and distribution. Is also a great choice for developers, students and the small organizations. Edition Oracle XE is very simple in installation and administration, can be installed practically on any computer, with any number of processors and amount of memory. But, there is a number of restrictions, namely the volume of user data cannot exceed 4 GB, and Oracle XE cannot use more than 1 GB of RAM. At the moment, this edition is not followed by a support service of Oracle - My Oracle Support (before Metalink), but often answers to the interesting questions can be found at the forums devoted to Oracle and development for this DBMS.

• Oracle Personal edition (PE): This edition supports single-user environments for development and deployment which require full compatibility with Oracle Database Standard Edition One, Oracle Database Standard Edition and Oracle Database Enterprise Edition. Oracle PE contains all components, options and functionality which are included in edition Enterprise Edition, except for the option Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC). From negative sides of this edition - it is available only to Windows of the platform (Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2003/32-bit and 64-bit of the version), also this edition does not include Management Pack.

• Oracle Standard Edition One (SEO): the good ratio the price/performance, is suitable for the working groups, separate divisions and creation of Web applications. This edition is recommended for use in different environments, from a dedicated server, for small business, before distributed environments, practically any scale. Oracle Database SEO contains all necessary for creation of business and critical applications.

• Oracle Standard Edition (SE): Offers an inexpensive alternative for small and medium business, or applications of level of divisions which want to have all power of Oracle. This edition contains all advantages of Oracle SEO, plus support of big machines and clusterings using Real Application Clusters (it is free in this edition). Earlier, RAC did not join in editions Standard Edition, to the version of Oracle Database version 10g.

• Oracle Enterprise Edition (EE): Is the most expensive and functional edition, provides the greatest, in comparison with other editions, performance, availability, scalability and security critical for business applications. For example, the OLTP applications, data warehouses with the high number of addresses, the distributed applications. Oracle Database EE includes all available Oracle Database components, and allows to expand the functionality, due to acquisition of additional packets and a component.

License policy

For 2012 distribution of software products of Oracle (further Programs) is performed by providing licenses for their use.

Sale of licenses is manufactured in Russia and the CIS countries only by authorized partners of Oracle company.

Technical support of the licensed programs is provided within one year and is purchased together with licenses. Upon termination of validity period of technical support, it can be prolonged for the next annual period.

The cost of licenses and technical support is calculated on the basis of the world Price list of Oracle (Oracle Global Price List). The licensed programs are provided on channels of electron coupling or on CD ROM carriers. Licensing of Programs means acquisition of the rights to their use, but not purchase of software products.

The Oracle database can be rather big therefore someone should manage this system.

Support of programming languages

For 2012 DBMS are supported the following programming languages:

• ZpC,
• C++,
• Java,
• COBOL,
• PL/SQL and
• Visual Basic.

Also a number of Pro of precompilers which allow to include SQL and MN/SQL in C, C ++, COBOL or application programs of FORTRAN is provided. Support for ODBC by means of Oracle's ODBC Driver is provided. There is Oracle Call Interface (OCI) which is the application programming interface (API) for languages of third generation.

Any user can crack Oracle Database

Any user can crack Oracle databases, such outputs were provided by experts on September 20, 2012 at a conference on security in Argentina, reported TechCrunch.

The analyst of AppSec Inc Esteban Martinez Fayo submitted the concept of the attack on Oracle databases according to which any person having access to user names and the authentication protocol can use a gap in a product of corporation.

AppSec Inc not for the first time announces a possibility of cracking of products of Oracle. Earlier the company announced a gap in May, 2010, the error was recorded by vendor in the middle of 2011. At the same time, in the last several months of Oracle revealed several massive faults in security of the systems. On this background, experts predict possible surge in hacker activity concerning products of the company.

According to Esteban Martinez Fayo? Oracle is not going to react somehow to a new gap in a product yet. "They never corrected the current versions therefore versions 11.1 and 11.2 can be potentially cracked", - he told.

Leak happens at an authentication stage — there is no intermediate stage for ensuring additional security. Experts in the field of cybersecurity advise system administrators to pay attention to it and to develop ways of elimination of a gap in the companies.

In the second decade of September, 2012 of Salesforce.com announced a possibility of a uniform input for corporate applications on Dreamforce. Thus, emergence of a new gap in Oracle does security issues and identifications even more relevant.

2010: Oracle DBMS share in the Russian market — 60%

As of 2010 in the market Russia holds a leading position DBMS Oracle from shares 60% while in the world market a share of this product only about 30%.

1992: Release of Oracle 7 DBMS

In addition to the general increase in efficiency of input-output, use of the central processor and work with memory, DBMS Oracle version 7 had a number of the innovative architectural concepts: the separated SQL cache on the server (the server will recognize the SQL statements sent by clients which were already analyzed and compiled earlier and at present are in a cache memory at the expense of what time of the analysis, optimization and broadcasting is saved and also the memory required for storage of a SQL statement) and the separated pool of processes of the server instead of separate process for each client that allows to save considerable amount of memory. In the field of administration of databases a number of innovations was also entered: the mirror transaction log, dynamic creation of magazines of data, the ANALYZE command allowing to collect statistics about use of tables, indexes and other physical entities (this statistics is used by the query optimizer), user profiles on use of system resources: CCP, input-output, etc.

In version 7 declarative restrictions of reference integrity according to the ANSI/ISO standards were completely implemented. Within these restrictions (primary and foreign keys) the user can specify cascading delete of the records connected with some primary key. The PL/SQL procedures can be described at the level of the database scheme (stored procedures) and be caused by any application, other procedures and triggers. The interconnected procedures can be grouped in packets and use the general variables and determinations. Values of the variables announced at the level of a packet remain during all user session and can be shared by procedures and functions of a packet. Other important innovation were database triggers.

The trigger is pair (an event + action) where the event is a removal / entering / updating of records of the table, and action (a trigger body) — the PL/SQL procedure performed at commission of an event. Triggers can be defined at the level of statements (DELETE, INSERT, UPDATE) or at the level of separate lines (FOR-EACH-ROW-triggers which, besides, can work with old and new values of lines). Using triggers it is possible to implement difficult rules of control of integrity, access rights, an output of values and so forth. Security management and integrity significantly became simpler thanks to introduction of roles. The role is a set of access rights to database objects (INSERT, UPDATE, SELECT, etc.) and the system rights (CREATE TABLE, ALTER SYSTEM, etc.). Having defined a role, the database manager can using one command give to the user of privilege for work with some application. The efficiency of accomplishment of distributed queries was increased due to global optimization: in version 7 the optimizer has information on indexes and statistics of remote tables, and, for example, the connection speed of the tables located in different nodes of network significantly increases thanks to the fact that only the lines corresponding to lines of the local table are selected from remote tables.

1988: Release of Oracle 6 DBMS

Developers of version 6 aimed to create the instrument of creation of the large-scale information systems focused on transaction processing in real time. Sequence generators and blocking on a recording level were entered, and it together with model of "consistency of reading" meant that processes of a read and write do not block each other any more (passes into wait state only write process in attempt to update a line of the table which is already controlled by other write process). In the same time Oracle became the first multi-user network database server for OS/2, Xenix, Banyan Vines and Macintosh.

In version 6 essentially new opportunities in full implemented later were put. First, SQL statements could be used together with the statements of a procedural language of PL/SQL and be sent for execution to the server as anonymous procedures. Secondly, the same PL/SQL language was entered into language of fourth generation SQL*Forms in quality programming aids of applications (in version 7 the expanded PL/SQL language became means of the description of procedures and triggers of the database). Thirdly, declarative determinations of restrictions of reference integrity were entered into the description of the database scheme at the syntax level (according to ANSI/ISO standard).

1986: Release of Oracle 5.1 DBMS

In 1986 in version 5.1 distributed queries were for the first time resolved — the request could address the data which are physically placed in different nodes. Several interacting servers could create illusion of the uniform logical database at the user of many physically spaced databases.

1985: Oracle 5.0 DBMS

In 1985 Oracle put on the market the version of DBMS: 5.0, in which the architecture the client/server was introduced for the first time and the SQL*Net program supporting heterogeneous environments is implemented.

1983: Release of Oracle 3

The next version — Oracle 3, put on the market in 1983 — it was already completely written in language C. The solution to use C and to support one set of source codes became a key to solution of the problem of portability of Oracle on a broad spectrum of platforms. Changes were made to the SQL language, the efficiency is significantly improved, system architecture is expanded and atomic accomplishment of SQL statements and transactions is entered (the statement either was executed by SQL-completely, or it was not executed in general, respectively, transaction or came to the end successfully on all changes of the database, or rolled away all changes made by it).

With the advent of the third version of Oracle became multiplatform, i.e. there was an opportunity to set this DBMS on various computer systems (they then were not less than 20), its popularity began to grow even quicker.

In version 4 reliability of Oracle was significantly increased, transfers of a system on big computers in VM and MVS OS and also on the personal computer with 640 kilobytes of RAM are executed. The access control model to the database which guaranteed was implemented that the result of a request does not contradict a database status for the beginning of a request (thanks to it the known contradiction between processes of a read and write was eliminated).

1979: Release of Oracle 2 DBMS

In June, 1979 the first system of the company of Ellison — Oracle 2 appeared. In the marketing relation of Ellison was more talented than Bill Gates. Unlike the founder of Microsoft who and called the first version of Windows — Windows 1.0 he showed marketing sharpness therefore the second version of a product was issued at once. It had to kind of let know to customers that a system is reliable and even underwent testing time. Ellison can be understood: he had no approval from IBM which Gates had. Even opposite: Ellison created a product which could become the competitor to solutions of IBM.

High processing speed of huge arrays of information which was noted then by all experts was the main competitive advantage of Oracle DBMS. Unlike System R for which work the powerful supercomputer — a mainframe was necessary of Oracle 2 coped with information processing by much more modest machines. It also promoted incredibly wide circulation of a child of Ellison in the early eighties.

Oracle became historically the first and one of the most developed by implementation of architecture the client/server. The openness (portability + scalability) was always the main idea of Oracle developers. Success of the company in the market of DBMS, certainly, turned out to be a direct consequence of openness of a system.

The second version of Oracle (the first did not exist in general) worked on the PDP-11 minicomputer of Digital Equipment company in operating environment of RSX-11. The most part of Oracle was written on PDP-11 assembler, and separate components — in language C new for those times. Those days a system was ported and worked in other operating environments of PDP-11: IAS, RSTS and UNIX. Then the decision on transfer of Oracle in new VMS OS was made. Thanks to it Oracle DBMS occupied an extensive niche of corporate information systems in quickly growing market of VAX.

Then the strongest impression on users was made by complete implementation of opportunities of a modern language of requests of SQL — subqueries, connective operation and not procedurality — thanks to what programming performance repeatedly grew. Standard SQL (IBM) was expanded the statement of CONNECT BY allowing to process tree structures that becomes unique for SQL systems.

Of course, the second version of Oracle was extremely simple — in particular, the concept of transaction was not supported, and if in the course of updating of the database there was a failure, the status of the database could become incorrect therefore users were forced to make often backup copies of the database in order to avoid losses of information.

1977: Foundation of Oracle for development of relational DBMS

The history of Oracle began in Silicon Valley, the State of California, the USA. In 1977 the young programmer Larry Ellison gave up study at Yale University to begin own business. Larry Ellison at the disposal of whom then there were only 1200 dollars, finished Bob Mayner and Ad Oates, the former colleagues, to create home company. Before all three developed by request of CIA the project under the name … Oracle.

On June 16, 1977 Ad Oates, Bob Mayner and Larry Ellison in California (USA) founded the Software Development Laboratories company soon renamed at first with Relational Software Inc. Young programmers, whose general investments in business made $2 thousand, began development of the system of management of databases (DBMS), the relational algebra constructed on the principles.

Late all difficult DBMS became relational, but when in 1970 the employee of research laboratory IBM Edgar Kodd offered a new method of the organization of databases, many specialists had doubts that it in general will be repaid. Therefore to the middle of the 1970th years information in databases was distributed on ancient hierarchical, or "treelike", to the principle which is still used for submission of files in the PC.

IBM, however, financed creation of a prototype of a system on the principles offered by Kodd and in 1976 there was a System R project which inspired future founders of Oracle on creation of relational DBMS.

Platforms

For 2013 DBMS Oracle support over 80 options of operating environment with the broad range, including mainframes IBM, minicomputers DEC VAX, UNIX, Windows and a set of other platforms.

Local

By Oracle database it is ported on a large number of platforms: Linux x86, Linux x86-64, Linux on zSeries, Linux Itanium, Linux on POWER, Microsoft Windows (32 bits), Windows NT (x64), Windows NT (64-bits Itanium), Solaris x86, Solaris AMD64/EM64T, Solaris SPARC (64 bits), AIX5L, HP-UX PA-RISC, HP-UX Itanium, HP Tru64 UNIX, HP OpenVMS Alpha, IBM z/OS, Mac OS X Server.

for Linux x86

• September, 1998 is Oracle 8.0 (8.0.5)
• On February 23, 1999 — Oracle 8.0 (8.0.5.1.0)
• On November 22, 2000 — Oracle 8i Release 3 (8.1.7.0.1)
• On March 25, 2003 — Oracle 9i Release 2 (9.2.0.4)
• On December 21, 2004 — Oracle 10g Release 1 (10.1.0.3)
• On July 2, 2005 — Oracle 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1)
• On August 10, 2007 — Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1.0.6)
• On September 1, 2009 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1)

for Linux x86-64

• On October 16, 2007 — Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1.0.6)
• On September 1, 2009 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1)

for Solaris x86

• On May 14, 1999 — Oracle 8i Release 1 (8.1.5) for Intel of UNIX (DG/UX Intel, SCO UnixWare, Solaris Intel)

for Solaris x86-64

• On March 23, 2006 — Oracle 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1)
• On November 25, 2009 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1)

for Solaris SPARC 64-bit

• On November 6, 2009 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1)

for Windows x86

• March, 1997 is Oracle 7 (7.3.3) for Windows NT 3.51/4.0
• October, 1997 is Oracle 7 (7.3.4) for Windows NT 3.51/4.0
• On July 1, 1998 — Oracle 8.0 (8.0.5) for Windows NT
• On March 10, 1999 — Oracle 8i Release 1 (8.1.5) for Windows NT
• On September 20, 1999 — Oracle 8.0 (8.0.6) for Windows NT
• January, 2000 is Oracle 8i Release 2 (8.1.6) for Windows NT
• On November 16, 2000 — Oracle 8i Release 3 (8.1.7) for Windows NT
• On May 14, 2002 — Oracle 9i Release 2 (9.2.0.1) for Windows 32-bit
• On March 26, 2004 — Oracle 10g Release 1 (10.1.0.2) for Windows 32-bit
• On September 7, 2005 — Oracle 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1) for Windows 32-bit
• On October 15, 2007 — Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1.0.6) for Windows 32-bit
• On April 5, 2010 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1) for Windows 32-bit [3]

for Windows x86-64

• On April 16, 2003 — Oracle 9i Release 2 (9.2.0.2.1) for Windows 64-bit Itanium 2 Systems
• On October 31, 2005 — Oracle 10g Release 2 (10.2.0.1) for Windows x64
• On November 7, 2007 — Oracle 11g Release 1 (11.1.0.6) for Windows x64
• On April 2, 2010 — Oracle 11g Release 2 (11.2.0.1) for Windows x64

Notes