This chapter describes how to use Oracle LOB storage and the two types of LOB storage, SecureFiles LOB storage and BasicFiles LOB storage. The chapter describes how to design, create, and modify tables with LOB column types, and where needed, indicates which storage type to use.
This chapter contains these topics:
Earlier Oracle database releases supported only one type of LOB storage. In Oracle Database 11g, SecureFiles LOB storage was introduced; the original storage type was given the name BasicFiles LOB storage and became the default.
LOBs created using BasicFiles LOB storage became known as BasicFiles LOBs and LOBs created using SecureFiles LOB storage were named SecureFiles LOBs. The CREATE TABLE statement added new keywords to indicate the differences: BASICFILE specifies BasicFiles LOB storage and SECUREFILE specifies SecureFiles LOB storage.
Beginning with Oracle Database 12c, SecureFiles LOB storage became the default in the CREATE TABLE statement. If no storage type is explicitly specified, new LOB columns use SecureFiles LOB storage.
Throughout this guide, the term LOB can represent LOBs of either storage type unless the storage type is explicitly indicated, by name or by reference to archiving or linking, which apply only to the SecureFiles LOB storage type.
Initialization and compatibility are discussed in "Initialization, Compatibility, and Upgrading"
The following sections discuss the two storage types in detail:
You must use BasicFiles LOB storage for LOB storage in tablespaces that are not managed with Automatic Segment Space Management (ASSM).
SecureFiles LOBs can only be created in tablespaces managed with Automatic Segment Space Management (ASSM), unlike BasicFiles LOB storage.
SecureFiles LOB storage is designed to provide much better performance and scalability compared to BasicFiles LOBs and to meet or exceed the performance capabilities of traditional network file systems.
SecureFiles LOB storage supports three features that are not available with the BasicFiles LOB storage option: compression, deduplication, and encryption.
Oracle recommends that you enable compression, deduplication, and encryption through the CREATE TABLE statement. If you enable these features through the ALTER TABLE statement, all SecureFiles LOB data in the table is read, modified, and written; this can cause the database to lock the table during a potentially lengthy operation, though there are online capabilities in the ALTER TABLE statement which can help you avoid this issue.
Note:
These features have specific licensing requirements as described in Oracle Database Licensing Information.This section contains the following topics:
Advanced LOB Compression transparently analyzes and compresses SecureFiles LOB data to save disk space and improve performance.
License Requirement: You must have a license for the Oracle Advanced Compression Option to implement Advanced LOB Compression.
Advanced LOB Deduplication enables Oracle Database to automatically detect duplicate LOB data within a LOB column or partition, and conserve space by storing only one copy of the data.
License Requirement: You must have a license for the Oracle Advanced Compression Option to implement Advanced LOB Deduplication.
Note also that Oracle Streams does not support SecureFiles LOBs that are deduplicated.
SecureFiles Encryption introduces a new encryption facility for LOBs. The data is encrypted using Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), which allows the data to be stored securely, and still allows for random read and write access.
License Requirement: You must have a license for the Oracle Advanced Security Option to implement SecureFiles Encryption.
This section discusses how to use the CREATE TABLE statement with LOB storage and describes the parameters that work with SecureFiles or BasicFiles LOB storage, or both.
The SHRINK option is not supported for SecureFiles LOBs.
Example 4-1 provides the syntax for CREATE TABLE in Backus Naur (BNF) notation, with LOB-specific parameters in bold. See "CREATE TABLE LOB Storage Parameters" for these parameter descriptions and the CREATE TABLE statement, Oracle Database SQL Language Reference, for complete reference.
Example 4-1 BNF for CREATE TABLE
Keywords are in bold.
CREATE [ GLOBAL TEMPORARY ] TABLE
[ schema.]table OF
[ schema.]object_type
[ ( relational_properties ) ]
[ ON COMMIT { DELETE | PRESERVE } ROWS ]
[ OID_clause ]
[ OID_index_clause ]
[ physical_properties ]
[ table_properties ] ;
<relational_properties> ::=
{ column_definition
| { out_of_line_constraint
| out_of_line_ref_constraint
| supplemental_logging_props
}
}
[, { column_definition
| { out_of_line_constraint
| out_of_line_ref_constraint
| supplemental_logging_props
}
]...
<column_definition> ::=
column data_type [ SORT ]
[ DEFAULT expr ]
[ ENCRYPT encryption_spec ]
[ ( inline_constraint [ inline_constraint ] ... )
| inline_ref_constraint
]
<data_type> ::=
{ Oracle_built_in_datatypes
| ANSI_supported_datatypes
| user_defined_types
| Oracle_supplied_types
}
<Oracle_built_in_datatypes> ::=
{ character_datatypes
| number_datatypes
| long_and_raw_datatypes
| datetime_datatypes
| large_object_datatypes
| rowid_datatypes
}
<large_object_datatypes> ::=
{ BLOB | CLOB | NCLOB| BFILE }
<table_properties> ::=
[ column_properties ]
[ table_partitioning_clauses ]
[ CACHE | NOCACHE ]
[ parallel_clause ]
[ ROWDEPENDENCIES | NOROWDEPENDENCIES ]
[ enable_disable_clause ]
[ enable_disable_clause ]...
[ row_movement_clause ]
[ AS subquery ]
<column_properties> ::=
{ object_type_col_properties
| nested_table_col_properties
| { varray_col_properties | LOB_storage_clause }
[ (LOB_partition_storage
[, LOB_partition_storage ]...
)
]
| XMLType_column_properties
}
[ { object_type_col_properties
| nested_table_col_properties
| { varray_col_properties | LOB_storage_clause }
[ ( LOB_partition_storage
[, LOB_partition_storage ]...
)
]
| XMLType_column_properties
}
]...
<LOB_partition_storage> ::=
PARTITION partition
{ LOB_storage_clause | varray_col_properties }
[ LOB_storage_clause | varray_col_properties ]...
[ ( SUBPARTITION subpartition
{ LOB_storage_clause | varray_col_properties }
[ LOB_storage_clause
| varray_col_properties
]...
)
]
<LOB_storage_clause> ::=
LOB
{ (LOB_item [, LOB_item ]...)
STORE AS [ SECUREFILE | BASICFILE ] (LOB_storage_parameters)
| (LOB_item)
STORE AS [ SECUREFILE | BASICFILE ]
{ LOB_segname (LOB_storage_parameters)
| LOB_segname
| (LOB_storage_parameters)
}
}
<LOB_storage_parameters> ::=
{ TABLESPACE tablespace
| { LOB_parameters [ storage_clause ]
}
| storage_clause
}
[ TABLESPACE tablespace
| { LOB_parameters [ storage_clause ]
}
]...
<LOB_parameters> ::=
[ { ENABLE | DISABLE } STORAGE IN ROW
| CHUNK integer
| PCTVERSION integer
| RETENTION [ { MAX | MIN integer | AUTO | NONE } ]
| FREEPOOLS integer
| LOB_deduplicate_clause
| LOB_compression_clause
| LOB_encryption_clause
| { CACHE | NOCACHE | CACHE READS } [ logging_clause ] } }
]
<logging_clause> ::=
{ LOGGING | NOLOGGING | FILESYSTEM_LIKE_LOGGING }
<storage_clause> ::=
STORAGE
({ INITIAL integer [ K | M ]
| NEXT integer [ K | M ]
| MINEXTENTS integer
| MAXEXTENTS { integer | UNLIMITED }
| PCTINCREASE integer
| FREELISTS integer
| FREELIST GROUPS integer
| OPTIMAL [ integer [ K | M ]
| NULL
]
| BUFFER_POOL { KEEP | RECYCLE | DEFAULT }
}
[ INITIAL integer [ K | M ]
| NEXT integer [ K | M ]
| MINEXTENTS integer
| MAXEXTENTS { integer | UNLIMITED }
| MAXSIZE { { integer { K | M | G | T | P } } | UNLIMITED }
| PCTINCREASE integer
| FREELISTS integer
| FREELIST GROUPS integer
| OPTIMAL [ integer [ K | M ]
| NULL
]
| BUFFER_POOL { KEEP | RECYCLE | DEFAULT }
]...
)
<LOB_deduplicate_clause> ::=
{ DEDUPLICATE
| KEEP_DUPLICATES
}
<LOB_compression_clause> ::=
{ COMPRESS [ HIGH | MEDIUM | LOW ]
| NOCOMPRESS }
<LOB_encryption_clause> ::=
{ ENCRYPT [ USING 'encrypt_algorithm' ]
[ IDENTIFIED BY password ]
| DECRYPT
}
<XMLType_column_properties> ::=
XMLTYPE [ COLUMN ] column
[ XMLType_storage ]
[ XMLSchema_spec ]
<XMLType_storage> ::=
STORE AS
{ OBJECT RELATIONAL
| [ SECUREFILE | BASICFILE ] { CLOB | BINARY XML }
[ { LOB_segname [ (LOB_parameters) ]
| LOB_parameters
}
]
<varray_col_properties> ::=
VARRAY varray_item
{ [ substitutable_column_clause ]
STORE AS [ SECUREFILE | BASICFILE ] LOB
{ [ LOB_segname ] (LOB_parameters)
| LOB_segname
}
| substitutable_column_clause
}
Table 4-1 summarizes the parameters of the CREATE TABLE statement that relate to LOB storage, where necessary noting whether a parameter is specific to BasicFiles LOB or SecureFiles LOB storage.
Table 4-1 Parameters of CREATE TABLE Statement Related to LOBs
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
|
Specifies BasicFiles LOB storage, the original architecture for LOBs. If you set the Oracle Database compatibility mode to 10g, the LOB storage behavior is identical to that of Oracle Database 10g (parameter Starting with Oracle Database 12c, you must explicitly specify the parameter See "Initialization, Compatibility, and Upgrading". For BasicFiles LOBs, specifying any of the SecureFiles LOB options results in an error. |
|
|
Specifies SecureFiles LOBs storage. Starting with Oracle Database 12c, the SecureFiles LOB storage type, specified by the parameter A SecureFiles LOB can only be created in a tablespace managed with Automatic Segment Space Management (ASSM). |
|
|
For BasicFiles LOBs, specifies the chunk size when creating a table that stores LOBs.
For SecureFiles LOBs, it is an advisory size provided for backward compatibility. |
|
|
Configures the LOB column to store old versions of LOB data in a specified manner. In Oracle Database Release 12c, this parameter specifies the retention policy.
For details of the |
|
|
Specifies the upper limit of storage space that a LOB may use. If this amount of space is consumed, new LOB data blocks are taken from the pool of old versions of LOB data blocks as needed, regardless of time requirements. |
|
|
Specifies the number of |
|
|
Specifies logging options:
|
|
|
For SecureFiles LOBs, the following applies:
See "LOGGING / NOLOGGING Parameter for BasicFiles LOBs" and "Ensuring Read Consistency". For a non-partitioned object, the value specified for this clause is the actual physical attribute of the segment associated with the object. For partitioned objects, the value specified for this clause is the default physical attribute of the segments associated with all partitions specified in the CAUTION: For LOB segments with
See the Oracle Database Backup and Recovery User's Guide for a discussion of data protection, media failure, and instance failure. |
|
|
Specifies the number of process freelists or freelist groups, respectively, allocated to the segment; |
|
|
Specifies the percentage of used BasicFiles LOB data space that may be occupied by old versions of the LOB data pages. Under Release 12c compatibility, this parameter is ignored when SecureFiles LOBs are created. |
|
|
The Note that setting table or index compression does not affect Advanced LOB Compression. |
|
|
The |
|
|
The |
This section provides usage notes and examples for features specific to SecureFiles LOBs used with CREATE TABLE.
Note:
Clauses in example discussions refer to the Backus Naur (BNF) notation "BNF for CREATE TABLE". Parameters are described in "CREATE TABLE LOB Storage Parameters".This section covers:
This section discusses Advanced LOB Compression when used in the CREATE TABLE statement.
This section contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using the CREATE TABLE statement and Advanced LOB Compression:
Advanced LOB Compression is performed on the server and enables random reads and writes to LOB data. Compression utilities on the client, like utl_compress, cannot provide random access.
Advanced LOB Compression does not enable table or index compression. Conversely, table and index compression do not enable Advanced LOB Compression.
The LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH options provide varying degrees of compression. The higher the compression, the higher the latency incurred. The HIGH setting incurs more work, but compresses the data better. The default is MEDIUM.
The LOW compression option uses an extremely lightweight compression algorithm that removes the majority of the CPU cost that is typical with file compression. Compressed SecureFiles LOBs at the LOW level provide a very efficient choice for SecureFiles LOB storage. SecureFiles LOBs compressed at LOW generally consume less CPU time and less storage than BasicFiles LOBs, and typically help the application run faster because of a reduction in disk I/O.
Compression can be specified at the partition level. The CREATE TABLE lob_storage_clause enables specification of compression for partitioned tables on a per-partition basis.
The DBMS_LOB.SETOPTIONS procedure can enable and disable compression on individual SecureFiles LOBs. See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for further information.
The following examples demonstrate how to issue CREATE TABLE statements for specific compression scenarios.
Example 4-2 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with LOW Compression
CREATE TABLE t1 (a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE(
COMPRESS LOW
CACHE
NOLOGGING
);
Example 4-3 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with MEDIUM (default) Compression
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
COMPRESS
CACHE
NOLOGGING
);
Example 4-4 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with HIGH Compression
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
COMPRESS HIGH
CACHE
);
This section discusses Advanced LOB Deduplication when used in the CREATE TABLE statement.
This section contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using CREATE TABLE and Advanced LOB Deduplication:
Identical LOBs are good candidates for deduplication. Copy operations can avoid data duplication by enabling deduplication.
Duplicate detection happens within a LOB segment. Duplicate detection does not span partitions or subpartitions for partitioned and subpartitioned LOB columns.
Deduplication can be specified at a partition level. The CREATE TABLE lob_storage_clause enables specification for partitioned tables on a per-partition basis.
The DBMS_LOB.SETOPTIONS procedure can enable or disable deduplication on individual LOBs.
The following examples demonstrate how to issue CREATE TABLE statements for specific deduplication scenarios.
Example 4-7 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with Deduplication
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
DEDUPLICATE
CACHE
);
Example 4-8 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with Disabled Deduplication
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
KEEP_DUPLICATES
CACHE
);
Example 4-9 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with Deduplication on One Partition
CREATE TABLE t1 ( REGION VARCHAR2(20), a BLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
CACHE
)
PARTITION BY LIST (REGION) (
PARTITION p1 VALUES ('x', 'y')
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
DEDUPLICATE
),
PARTITION p2 VALUES (DEFAULT)
);
Example 4-10 Creating a SecureFiles LOB column with Deduplication Disabled on One Partition
CREATE TABLE t1 ( REGION VARCHAR2(20), ID NUMBER, a BLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
DEDUPLICATE
CACHE
)
PARTITION BY RANGE (REGION)
SUBPARTITION BY HASH(ID) SUBPARTITIONS 2 (
PARTITION p1 VALUES LESS THAN (51)
lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p1
(SUBPARTITION t2_p1_s1 lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p1_s1,
SUBPARTITION t2_p1_s2 lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p1_s2),
PARTITION p2 VALUES LESS THAN (MAXVALUE)
lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p2 ( KEEP_DUPLICATES )
(SUBPARTITION t2_p2_s1 lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p2_s1,
SUBPARTITION t2_p2_s2 lob(a) STORE AS a_t2_p2_s2)
);
This section discusses SecureFiles Encryption when used in the CREATE TABLE statement.
This section contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using CREATE TABLE and SecureFiles Encryption:
Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) supports encryption of LOB data types.
Encryption is performed at the block level.
The encrypt_algorithm indicates the name of the encryption algorithm. Valid algorithms are: AES192 (default), 3DES168, AES128, and AES256.
The column encryption key is derived from PASSWORD, if specified.
The default for LOB encryption is SALT. NO SALT is not supported.
All LOBs in the LOB column are encrypted.
DECRYPT keeps the LOBs in clear text.
LOBs can be encrypted only on a per-column basis, similar to TDE. All partitions within a LOB column are encrypted.
Key management controls the ability to encrypt or decrypt.
TDE is not supported by the traditional import and export utilities or by transportable-tablespace-based export. Use the Data Pump expdb and impdb utilities with encrypted columns instead.
See Also:
"Oracle Database Advanced Security Guide for information about using theADMINISTER KEY MANAGEMENT statement to create TDE keystoresThe following examples demonstrate how to issue CREATE TABLE statements for specific encryption scenarios.
Example 4-11 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with a Specific Encryption Algorithm
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB ENCRYPT USING 'AES128')
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
CACHE
);
Example 4-12 Creating a SecureFiles LOB column with encryption for all partitions
CREATE TABLE t1 ( REGION VARCHAR2(20), a BLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
ENCRYPT USING 'AES128'
NOCACHE
FILESYSTEM_LIKE_LOGGING
)
PARTITION BY LIST (REGION) (
PARTITION p1 VALUES ('x', 'y'),
PARTITION p2 VALUES (DEFAULT)
);
Example 4-13 Creating a SecureFiles LOB Column with Encryption Based on a Password Key
CREATE TABLE t1 ( a CLOB ENCRYPT IDENTIFIED BY foo)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
CACHE
);
The following example has the same result because the encryption option can be set in the LOB_deduplicate_clause section of the statement:
CREATE TABLE t1 (a CLOB)
LOB(a) STORE AS SECUREFILE (
CACHE
ENCRYPT
IDENTIFIED BY foo
);
You can modify LOB storage with an ALTER TABLE statement, or with online redefinition using the DBMS_REDEFINITION package. See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference.
You can use ALTER TABLE or online redefinition to enable compression, deduplication, or encryption features for a LOB column. The ALTER TABLE statement supports online operations (see Oracle Database SQL Language Reference) and Oracle Database supports parallel operations on SecureFiles LOBs columns, making this a resource-efficient approach.
As an alternative to ALTER TABLE, you can use online redefinition to enable one or more of these features. As with ALTER TABLE, online redefinition of SecureFiles LOB columns can be executed in parallel.
See "Migrating Columns from BasicFiles LOBs to SecureFiles LOBs" for details of online redefinition.
Note that the SHRINK option is not supported for SecureFiles LOBs.
Example 4-15 provides the syntax for ALTER TABLE in Backus Naur (BNF) notation, with LOB-specific parameters in bold. See "CREATE TABLE LOB Storage Parameters" for these parameter descriptions and the ALTER TABLE statement, Oracle Database SQL Language Reference, for complete reference.
Example 4-15 BNF for the ALTER TABLE Statement
LOB-specific keywords are in bold.
ALTER TABLE [ schema.]table
[ alter_table_properties
| column_clauses
| constraint_clauses
| alter_table_partitioning
| alter_external_table_clauses
| move_table_clause
]
[ enable_disable_clause
| { ENABLE | DISABLE }
{ TABLE LOCK | ALL TRIGGERS }
[ enable_disable_clause
| { ENABLE | DISABLE }
{ TABLE LOCK | ALL TRIGGERS }
]...
] ;
<column_clauses> ::=
{ { add_column_clause
| modify_column_clause
| drop_column_clause
}
[ add_column_clause
| modify_column_clause
| drop_column_clause
]...
| rename_column_clause
| modify_collection_retrieval
[ modify_collection_retrieval ]...
| modify_LOB_storage_clause
[ modify_LOB_storage_clause ] ...
| alter_varray_col_properties
[ alter_varray_col_properties ]
}
<modify_LOB_storage_clause> ::=
MODIFY LOB (LOB_item) ( modify_LOB_parameters )
<modify_LOB_parameters> ::=
{ storage_clause
| PCTVERSION integer
| FREEPOOLS integer
| REBUILD FREEPOOLS
| LOB_retention_clause
| LOB_deduplicate_clause
| LOB_compression_clause
| { ENCRYPT encryption_spec | DECRYPT }
| { CACHE
| { NOCACHE | CACHE READS } [ logging_clause ]
}
| allocate_extent_clause
| shrink_clause
| deallocate_unused_clause
} ...
Table 4-2 summarizes the parameters of the ALTER TABLE statement that relate to LOB storage, where necessary noting whether a parameter is specific to BasicFiles LOB or SecureFiles LOB storage.
Table 4-2 Parameters of ALTER TABLE Statement Related to LOBs
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
|
Configures the LOB column to store old versions of LOB data in a specified manner. Altering |
|
|
Enables or disables Advanced LOB Compression. All LOBs in the LOB segment are altered with the new setting. |
|
|
Enables or disables Advanced LOB Deduplication. The option |
|
|
Enables or disables SecureFiles LOB encryption. Alters all LOBs in the LOB segment with the new setting. A LOB segment can be only altered to enable or disable LOB encryption. That is, |
This section provides usage notes and examples for using features specific to SecureFiles LOBs with ALTER TABLE.
Note:
Clauses in example discussions refer to the Backus Naur (BNF) notation "BNF for the ALTER TABLE Statement". Parameters are described in "ALTER TABLE LOB Storage Parameters".This section covers these topics:
This section discusses Advanced LOB Compression when used in the ALTER TABLE statement and contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using ALTER TABLE and Advanced LOB Compression:
This syntax alters the compression mode of the LOB column.
The DBMS_LOB.SETOPTIONS procedure can enable or disable compression on individual LOBs.
Compression may be specified either at the table level or the partition level.
The LOW, MEDIUM, and HIGH options provide varying degrees of compression. The higher the compression, the higher the latency incurred. The HIGH setting incurs more work, but compresses the data better. The default is MEDIUM. See "CREATE TABLE with Advanced LOB Compression".
The following examples demonstrate how to issue ALTER TABLE statements for specific compression scenarios.
Example 4-16 Altering a SecureFiles LOB Column to Enable LOW Compression
ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY
LOB(a) (
COMPRESS LOW
);
Example 4-17 Altering a SecureFiles LOB Column to Disable Compression
ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY
LOB(a) (
NOCOMPRESS
);
This section discusses Advanced LOB Deduplication in reference to the ALTER TABLE statement and contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using ALTER TABLE and Advanced LOB Deduplication:
The ALTER TABLE syntax can enable or disable LOB-level deduplication.
This syntax alters the deduplication mode of the LOB column.
The DBMS_LOB.SETOPTIONS procedure can enable or disable deduplication on individual LOBs.
Deduplication can be specified at a table level or partition level. Deduplication does not span across partitioned LOBs.
The following examples demonstrate how to issue ALTER TABLE statements for specific deduplication scenarios.
Example 4-20 Altering a SecureFiles LOB Column to Disable Deduplication
ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY
LOB(a) (
KEEP_DUPLICATES
);
This section discusses SecureFiles Encryption when used in the ALTER TABLE statement.
This section contains the following topics:
Consider the following when using ALTER TABLE and SecureFiles Encryption:
ALTER TABLE enables and disables SecureFiles Encryption. This syntax also allows the user to re-key LOB columns with a new key or algorithm.
ENCRYPT and DECRYPT options enable or disable encryption on all LOBs in the specified SecureFiles LOB column.
The default for LOB encryption is SALT. NO SALT is not supported.
The DECRYPT option converts encrypted columns to clear text form.
Key management controls the ability to encrypt or decrypt.
LOBs can be encrypted only on a per-column basis. A partitioned LOB has either all partitions encrypted or not encrypted.
The following examples demonstrate how to issue ALTER TABLE statements for specific encryption scenarios.
Example 4-23 Altering a SecureFiles LOB Column by Encrypting Based on a Specific Algorithm
Enable LOB encryption using 3DES168.
ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY
( a CLOB ENCRYPT USING '3DES168');
This is another example of enabling LOB encryption using 3DES168.
ALTER TABLE t1 MODIFY LOB(a)
(ENCRYPT USING '3DES168');
This section discusses LOB initialization and compatibility parameters and how they interact with each other.
This section covers these topics:
All features described in this document are enabled with compatibility set to 11.2.0.0.0 or higher. There is no downgrade capability after 11.2.0.0.0 is set.
If you want to upgrade BasicFiles LOBs to SecureFiles LOBs, you must use typical methods for upgrading data (CTAS/ITAS, online redefinition, export/import, column to column copy, or using a view and a new column). Most of these solutions require twice the disk space used by the data in the input LOB column. However, partitioning and taking these actions on a partition-by-partition basis lowers the disk space requirements.
Using the DB_SECUREFILE initialization parameter, the database administrator can modify the initial settings that the COMPATIBILITY parameter sets as default, changing the circumstances under which SecureFiles LOBs or BasicFiles LOBs are created or allowed. The DB_SECUREFILE parameter is typically set in the file init.ora. See "Compatibility and Upgrading".
See Also:
Oracle Database ReferenceThe DB_SECUREFILE initialization parameter is dynamic and can be modified with the ALTER SYSTEM statement. Example 4-26 shows the format for changing the parameter value:
Example 4-26 Setting DB_SECUREFILE parameter through ALTER SYSTEM
ALTER SYSTEM SET DB_SECUREFILE = 'ALWAYS';
The valid values for DB_SECUREFILE are:
NEVER prevents SecureFiles LOBs from being created. If NEVER is specified, any LOBs that are specified as SecureFiles LOBs are created as BasicFiles LOBs. If storage options are not specified, the BasicFiles LOB defaults are used. All SecureFiles LOB-specific storage options and features such as compress, encrypt, or deduplicate throw an exception.
IGNORE disallows SecureFiles LOBs and ignores any errors that forcing BasicFiles LOBs with SecureFiles LOBs options might cause. If IGNORE is specified, the SECUREFILE keyword and all SecureFiles LOB options are ignored.
PERMITTED allows SecureFiles LOBs to be created, if specified by users. Otherwise, BasicFiles LOBs are created.
PERFERRED attempts to create a SecureFiles LOB unless BasicFiles LOB is explicitly specified for the LOB or the parent LOB (if the LOB is in a partition or sub-partition). PREFERRED is the default value starting with Oracle Database 12c.
ALWAYS attempts to create SecureFiles LOBs but creates any LOBs not in ASSM tablespaces as BasicFiles LOBs, unless the SECUREFILE parameter is explicitly specified. Any BasicFiles LOB storage options specified are ignored, and the SecureFiles LOB defaults are used for all storage options not specified.
FORCE attempts to create all LOBs as SecureFiles LOBs even if users specify BASICFILE. This option is not recommended. Instead, PREFERRED or ALWAYS should be used.
This section presents methods of migrating LOBs columns.
Migrating BasicFiles LOB columns generates redo data, which can cause performance problems.
Redo changes for the table are logged during the migration process if the CREATE TABLE statement had the LOGGING clause set.
Redo changes for a column being converted from BasicFiles LOB to SecureFiles LOB are logged if LOGGING is the storage setting for the SecureFiles LOB column. The logging setting (LOGGING or NOLOGGING) for the LOB column is inherited from the tablespace in which the LOB is created.
To prevent redo space generation during migration, specify the NOLOGGING storage parameter for any new SecureFiles LOB columns. You can turn LOGGING on when the migration is complete.
Online redefinition is the recommended method for migration of BasicFiles LOBs to SecureFiles LOBs. It can be done at the table or partition level.
You can also migrate a table using Online Redefinition. Online Redefinition has the advantage of not requiring the table to be off line, but it requires additional free space equal to or even slightly greater than the space used by the table. Example 4-27 demonstrates how to migrate a table using Online Redefinition.
Example 4-27 Example of Online Redefinition
REM Grant privileges required for online redefinition.
GRANT EXECUTE ON DBMS_REDEFINITION TO pm;
GRANT ALTER ANY TABLE TO pm;
GRANT DROP ANY TABLE TO pm;
GRANT LOCK ANY TABLE TO pm;
GRANT CREATE ANY TABLE TO pm;
GRANT SELECT ANY TABLE TO pm;
REM Privileges required to perform cloning of dependent objects.
GRANT CREATE ANY TRIGGER TO pm;
GRANT CREATE ANY INDEX TO pm;
CONNECT pm
// ALTER SESSION FORCE parallel dml;
DROP TABLE cust;
CREATE TABLE cust(c_id NUMBER PRIMARY KEY,
c_zip NUMBER,
c_name VARCHAR(30) DEFAULT NULL,
c_lob CLOB
);
INSERT INTO cust VALUES(1, 94065, 'hhh', 'ttt');
-- Creating Interim Table
-- There is no requirement to specify constraints because they are
-- copied over from the original table.
CREATE TABLE cust_int(c_id NUMBER NOT NULL,
c_zip NUMBER,
c_name VARCHAR(30) DEFAULT NULL,
c_lob CLOB
) LOB(c_lob) STORE AS SECUREFILE (NOCACHE FILESYSTEM_LIKE_LOGGING);
DECLARE
col_mapping VARCHAR2(1000);
BEGIN
-- map all the columns in the interim table to the original table
col_mapping :=
'c_id c_id , '||
'c_zip c_zip , '||
'c_name c_name, '||
'c_lob c_lob';
DBMS_REDEFINITION.START_REDEF_TABLE('pm', 'cust', 'cust_int', col_mapping);
END;
/
DECLARE
error_count pls_integer := 0;
BEGIN
DBMS_REDEFINITION.COPY_TABLE_DEPENDENTS('pm', 'cust', 'cust_int',
1, TRUE,TRUE,TRUE,FALSE, error_count);
DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('errors := ' || TO_CHAR(error_count));
END;
/
EXEC DBMS_REDEFINITION.FINISH_REDEF_TABLE('pm', 'cust', 'cust_int');
-- Drop the interim table
DROP TABLE cust_int;
DESC cust;
-- The following insert statement fails. This illustrates
-- that the primary key constraint on the c_id column is
-- preserved after migration.
INSERT INTO cust VALUES(1, 94065, 'hhh', 'ttt');
SELECT * FROM cust;
You can redefine a SecureFiles LOB column in parallel, if the system has sufficient resources for parallel execution.
For parallel execution of online redefinition, add the following statement after the connect statement in Example 4-27, "Example of Online Redefinition" in the last section:
ALTER SESSION FORCE PARALLEL DML;
This section discusses PL/SQL packages that are used with BasicFiles LOBs and SecureFiles LOBs, with an emphasis on changes made to accommodate SecureFiles LOBs and DBFS.
This section includes the following topics:
The DBMS_LOB package provides subprograms to operate on, or access and manipulate specific parts of a LOB or complete LOBs. The package applies to both SecureFiles LOB and BasicFiles LOB. See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference, DBMS_LOB package for the complete details of this package.
The following sections describe modifications made to the DBMS_LOB constants and subprograms with the addition of SecureFiles LOB and Database File System (DBFS), which is introduced in Chapter 5.
Table 4-3 lists constants that support DBFS Link interfaces. For complete information about constants used in the PL/SQL DBMS_LOB package, see Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference.
Table 4-3 DBMS_LOB Constants That Support DBFS Link Interfaces
| Constant | Description |
|---|---|
DBFS_LINK_NEVER |
DBFS link state value |
DBFS_LINK_YES |
DBFS link state value |
DBFS_LINK_NO |
DBFS link state value |
DBFS_LINK_CACHE |
Flag used by |
DBFS_LINK_NOCACHE |
Flag used by |
DBFS_LINK_PATH_MAX_SIZE |
The maximum length of DBFS pathnames; |
CONTENTTYPE_MAX_SIZE |
The maximum 1-byte ASCII characters for content type; |
Table 4-4 summarizes changes made to PL/SQL package DBMS_LOB subprograms.
Be aware that some of the DBMS_LOB operations that existed before Oracle Database 11g Release 2 throw an exception error if the LOB is a DBFS link. To remedy this problem, modify your applications to explicitly replace the DBFS link with a LOB by calling the DBMS_LOB.COPY_FROM_LINK procedure before they make these calls. When the call completes, then the application can move the updated LOB back to DBFS using the DBMS_LOB.MOVE_TO_DBFS_LINK procedure, if necessary.
Other DBMS_LOB operations that existed before Oracle Database 11g Release 2 work transparently if the DBFS Link is in a file system that supports streaming. Note that these operations fail if streaming is either not supported or disabled.
Table 4-4 DBMS_LOB Subprograms
| Subprogram | Description |
|---|---|
|
|
Appends the contents of the source LOB to the destination LOB |
|
|
Compares two LOBs in full or in parts |
|
|
Converts the character data of a |
|
|
Converts the binary data of a |
|
|
Copies all or part of the source LOB to the destination LOB |
|
|
Copies an existing DBFS link into a new LOB |
|
|
Copies the specified LOB data from DBFS HSM Store into the database |
|
|
Returns a unique file path name for creating a DBFS Link |
|
|
Erases all or part of a LOB |
|
|
Deletes a specified fragment of the LOB |
|
|
Inserts a fragment of data into the LOB |
|
|
Moves a fragment of a LOB from one location in the LOB to another location |
|
|
Replaces a fragment of a LOB with new data |
|
|
Returns the DBFS path name for a LOB |
|
|
Returns the linking state of a LOB |
|
|
Retrieves the content type string of the LOB data |
|
|
Retrieves the previously set options of a specific LOB See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference See Also the Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information on the corresponding OCI LOB function |
|
|
Determines if a LOB is a SecureFiles LOB |
|
|
Loads |
|
|
Loads If the |
|
|
Loads |
|
|
Moves the specified LOB data from the database into DBFS HSM Store |
|
|
Reads data from a LOB |
|
|
Links a LOB with a DBFS path name |
|
|
Sets the content type string of the LOB data |
|
|
Sets new options for a specific LOB See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference See also Oracle Call Interface Programmer's Guide for more information on the corresponding OCI LOB function |
|
|
Returns a fragment of a LOB |
|
|
Trims the LOB to a specified length |
|
|
Writes data to a LOB |
|
|
Appends data to the end of a LOB |
The DBMS_SPACE PL/SQL package enables you to analyze segment growth and space requirements.
The existing DBMS_SPACE.SPACE_USAGE procedure is overloaded to return information about LOB space usage. It returns the amount of disk space in blocks used by all the SecureFiles LOBs in the LOB segment. See Oracle Database PL/SQL Packages and Types Reference for more information.