New features in Oracle Database 21c every DBA should know

 Oracle Database 21c, the latest release from Oracle, introduces a wide array of new features and enhancements aimed at improving performance, security, automation, and cloud integration. As an Oracle DBA, staying on top of these new capabilities is crucial for optimizing database environments and supporting business requirements. Here are some of the key features in Oracle Database 21c that every DBA should know:

1. AutoML (Automated Machine Learning)

• What It Is: Oracle Database 21c introduces AutoML capabilities, allowing DBAs and developers to build machine learning models directly within the database without needing deep expertise in data science.
• Why It Matters: Machine learning integration directly within the database simplifies data analysis, predictive modeling, and decision-making, all without moving data outside of the database.
• Key Benefits:
  • Automated model training and evaluation.
  • Simplifies complex machine learning tasks like classification, regression, and clustering.
  • No need for separate data pipelines or tools.

2. Blockchain Tables

• What It Is: Oracle 21c introduces the concept of blockchain tables, where each row in a table is cryptographically secured, enabling tamper-proof data storage. These tables are ideal for use cases that require immutability and auditability, like financial transactions or supply chain tracking.
• Why It Matters: Blockchain tables can help ensure data integrity, enhance security, and provide an audit trail that guarantees the history of each transaction is immutable.
• Key Benefits:
  • Ensures immutability of data, making it ideal for audit-heavy use cases.
  • Integrates blockchain technology natively in the database.
  • Simplifies regulatory compliance by maintaining an incorruptible record of data changes.

3. JSON Enhancements

• What It Is: Oracle Database 21c brings enhanced support for JSON data types, with improved indexing, searching, and manipulation of JSON data. This includes support for "JSONPath," which allows for more advanced querying of JSON documents.
• Why It Matters: JSON continues to grow in popularity as a format for semi-structured data, especially with modern web applications and RESTful APIs. The enhancements in 21c make working with JSON data more efficient and flexible.
• Key Benefits:
  • Full support for JSONPath queries (similar to XPath in XML).
  • Improved performance for JSON-based operations.
  • New indexing options that make querying JSON data faster and more efficient.

4. In-Memory Enhancements

• What It Is: Oracle Database 21c enhances the In-Memory column store feature, which allows for faster query performance by storing frequently accessed data in memory. The new enhancements allow for better control and more flexibility in how data is stored and retrieved in-memory.
• Why It Matters: In-memory computing continues to be one of the most powerful tools for speeding up database workloads, especially for analytic queries and real-time processing.
• Key Benefits:
  • Improved performance for analytics and real-time applications.
  • Enhanced control over memory usage and in-memory data management.
  • Support for Hybrid In-Memory where both OLTP and OLAP workloads can coexist in-memory.

5. Auto DDL (Data Definition Language) Management

• What It Is: Auto DDL automatically detects changes to the underlying database schema, such as the addition of new tables or columns, and propagates these changes to dependent objects. This feature is particularly useful when managing large, complex environments with many schema objects.
• Why It Matters: Reduces the need for manual intervention when making schema changes, simplifying database management and improving overall efficiency.
• Key Benefits:
  • Automatically handles schema changes without manual DDL updates.
  • Reduces human error and administrative overhead.
  • Helps DBAs manage schema changes in large, complex systems.

6. Multicloud and Hybrid Cloud Support

• What It Is: Oracle 21c enhances its integration with multicloud and hybrid cloud environments, providing more seamless cloud-to-cloud and on-premises-to-cloud management for databases. This includes improved data replication and migration tools.
• Why It Matters: As businesses increasingly adopt multicloud strategies, the ability to seamlessly manage Oracle databases across multiple cloud providers is critical for maintaining flexibility and optimizing cost.
• Key Benefits:
  • Easier management and migration between Oracle Cloud, on-premises, and other cloud providers.
  • Improved cross-cloud data replication for high availability.
  • Support for hybrid cloud architectures, making it easier to run Oracle databases across different environments.

7. Sharding Enhancements

• What It Is: Sharding enables horizontal partitioning of large databases to improve scalability and performance. Oracle 21c introduces enhancements to the sharding capabilities, including the ability to automatically rebalance shards and improve query performance.
• Why It Matters: Sharding is a critical feature for large-scale applications requiring high availability and scalability. These improvements make sharding easier to manage and more efficient.
• Key Benefits:
  • Automated rebalancing of data across shards for improved performance and load balancing.
  • Enhanced support for multi-tenant applications.
  • Simplified sharding administration, making it easier to scale large Oracle databases.

8. Improved Database Security (Including Data Redaction and Advanced Auditing)

• What It Is: Oracle Database 21c enhances security features with capabilities such as dynamic data redaction, which automatically masks sensitive data from unauthorized users, and improved auditing for more granular control over database activity.
• Why It Matters: As data privacy regulations become stricter (e.g., GDPR), securing sensitive data and ensuring compliance is critical for DBAs.
• Key Benefits:
  • Improved data redaction for masking sensitive data in real-time.
  • Enhanced auditing for better tracking of database activity.
  • Integration with Oracle Key Vault for more robust encryption management.

9. Automatic Indexing

• What It Is: Oracle 21c introduces an automatic indexing feature that allows the database to automatically create, manage, and drop indexes based on workloads. This removes the manual effort involved in index management and improves database performance.
• Why It Matters: Index management is often time-consuming, and poor indexing can severely affect performance. Automatic indexing allows DBAs to focus on other tasks while optimizing query performance.
• Key Benefits:
  • Automatic creation and tuning of indexes based on query workloads.
  • Reduces the need for manual intervention in index management.
  • Improves query performance and reduces overhead for DBAs.

10. SQL Macros

• What It Is: SQL Macros allow users to create reusable SQL code snippets that can be inserted into other SQL queries. These macros are similar to functions but can be used across different SQL statements.
• Why It Matters: SQL Macros can greatly improve productivity by enabling code reuse, simplifying maintenance, and reducing errors in complex queries.
• Key Benefits:
  • Encourages code reuse, reducing duplication and errors.
  • Simplifies complex queries by modularizing logic.
  • Improves performance and efficiency for DBAs and developers.

11. Hybrid Columnar Compression (HCC) for More Data Types

• What It Is: Oracle 21c extends Hybrid Columnar Compression (HCC) to more data types, allowing greater compression and storage optimization for a wider range of data, particularly for archival data.
• Why It Matters: With large datasets being common, efficient data compression is essential for reducing storage costs and improving performance in large-scale Oracle databases.
• Key Benefits:
  • Supports compression for more data types (e.g., LOBs, JSON).
  • Reduces storage footprint and improves query performance.
  • Ideal for large-scale OLTP and OLAP environments.

Oracle Database 21c introduces several cutting-edge features designed to help DBAs optimize performance, improve security, enhance scalability, and leverage modern technologies such as machine learning and blockchain. Mastering these new features will help DBAs stay ahead in a rapidly evolving IT landscape, whether managing on-premise databases, hybrid cloud architectures, or fully cloud-based environments.