Today Oracle Database 12.1.0.2 released. New Features and some key notes

I found no issues whatsoever with downloading, installing the software and creating a container database plus enabling the in-memory option.

Here are few useful links:

1. Oracle Database 12.1.0.2 Software Download
2. Oracle 12cR1 Documentation
3. MOS 1905806.1 about 12.1.0.2
4. Oracle Database Blog: 12.1.0.2 is available!!!

When you setup the IM option, note the inmemory area specified in the output below:

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SQL> startup ORACLE instance started.   Total System Global Area  838860800 bytes Fixed Size          2929936 bytes Variable Size         511707888 bytes Database Buffers       50331648 bytes Redo Buffers            5455872 bytes In-Memory Area        268435456 bytes Database mounted. Database opened. SQL> show parameter inmemory   NAME                     TYPE                  VALUE ------------------------------------ --------------------------------- ------------------------------ inmemory_clause_default          string inmemory_force               string                DEFAULT inmemory_max_populate_servers        integer                   1 inmemory_query               string                ENABLE inmemory_size                big integer               256M inmemory_trickle_repopulate_servers_ integer                   1 percent optimizer_inmemory_aware         boolean                   TRUE

Let me show you how one can see the incredible speed of the inmemory option:

SQL> alter table SALES inmemory;   Table altered.   SQL> select max(price) most_expensive_order from sales;   MOST_EXPENSIVE_ORDER --------------------            91978   Elapsed: 00:00:02.50   SQL> alter session set inmemory_query="DISABLE";   Session altered.   Elapsed: 00:00:00.03   SQL> select max(price) most_expensive_order from sales;   MOST_EXPENSIVE_ORDER --------------------            91978   Elapsed: 00:01:25.51

Check the following new commands and views related to the in-memory option:

SQL> alter table SALES inmemory memcompress for capacity high;   Table altered.   SQL> alter table SALES no inmemory (client);   Table altered.   SQL> select segment_name, inmemory_size, inmemory_compression, bytes/inmemory_size comp_ratio from v$im_segments;   SEGMENT_NAME         INMEMORY_SIZE INMEMORY_COMPRESSION       COMP_RATIO -------------------- ------------- ------------------------------ ---------- SALES             24969216 FOR CAPACITY HIGH          11.6325459   SQL> select table_name, cache, inmemory_compression comp, inmemory_priority priority, inmemory_distribute RAC from dba_tables where table_name = 'SALES';   TABLE_NAME   CACHE  COMP             PRIORITY   RAC ------------ ---------- -------------------- ---------- ---------- SALES        N  FOR CAPACITY HIGH    NONE   AUTO   SQL> select view_name from dba_views where view_name like 'V_$IM%';   VIEW_NAME ---------------------------------------- V_$IM_SEGMENTS_DETAIL V_$IM_SEGMENTS V_$IM_USER_SEGMENTS V_$IM_TBS_EXT_MAP V_$IM_SEG_EXT_MAP V_$IM_HEADER V_$IM_COL_CU V_$IM_SMU_HEAD V_$IM_SMU_CHUNK V_$IM_COLUMN_LEVEL   10 rows selected.

Some of the most interesting new features are:

Oracle Database In-Memory
In-Memory Aggregation and In-Memory Column Store
Oracle Big Data SQL
Advanced Index Compression
Automatic Big Table Caching
Zone Maps for full table access
New and optimized SQL function, APPROX_COUNT_DISTINCT()
Full Database Caching
Rapid Home Provisioning based on gold images stored in a catalog of pre-created homes
New database parameter: DBFIPS_140