What are the new Oracle9i online data reorganization capabilities?
Oracle8i introduced many useful online data reorganization features such as creating, rebuilding, and coalescing indexes online; moving and reorganizing index-organized tables (IOTs) online. Oracle9i further extends Oracle online capabilities: support for IOT secondary indexes and new index types and the new analyze validate structure online capability. But the most exciting new online feature in Oracle9i is the online data redefinition feature. The new feature allows Oracle database administrators to redefine tables online. For example administrators can now transform a heap table to an IOT or change a non-partition table to a partition table online. Moreover, during the redefinition administrators can change the table physical or storage attributes, move the table to a new tablespace, modify the table structure, or transform data in the table. See additional details in the following technical white papers “Oracle9i Online Data Reorganization and Redefinition” and “Oracle8i and Oracle
Oracle8i introduced many useful online data reorganization features such as creating, rebuilding, and coalescing indexes online; moving and reorganizing index-organized tables (IOTs) online. Oracle9i further extends Oracle online capabilities: support for IOT secondary indexes and new index types and the new analyze validate structure online capability. But the most exciting new online feature in Oracle9i is the online data redefinition feature. The new feature allows Oracle database administrators to redefine tables online. For example administrators can now transform a heap table to an IOT or change a non-partition table to a partition table online. Moreover, during the redefinition administrators can change the table physical or storage attributes, move the table to a new tablespace, modify the table structure, or transform data in the table.
