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Gitesh Trivedi ⁽²¹⁾ Iceland

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How To Check Oracle Processes In Windows Using Command Line?

Posted Sunday, November 22, 2009 (22 hours 37 minutes ago.) Viewed 2 times.

Is there any command in Windows like ps command in Unix for Oracle DBA?

How to check Oracle processes in windows. This is burning problem for every remote Oracle DBA.

In unix there is command called "ps". Using ps command Oracle DBA can check all type of processes which are running in system. Ps command is very useful to administrating and monitoring oracle in unix/linux systems for all Oracle DBA.

But unfortunately there is no command available in windows just like ps in unix! Means there is no way to find out running processes in windows system using command line! Only task manager option is available in windows system for Oracle DBA. Using task manager we can check running processes in windows system. Task manager is GUI tool. Sometimes it is very difficult to monitoring and administrating Oracle on windows systems for Oracle DBA using GUI tool.

Alternate of ps command in windows (Great tip for Oracle DBA):

Windows has own command to trace all running processes in the system. Using "tasklist" command Oracle DBA can able to trace all running processes in windows including oracle,sqlplus,exp,imp and others. Tasklist command is very closer to ps command. Using tasklist command Oracle DBA can able to access process ids, session ids, cpu time, and modules of running processes in Oracle on Windows.

No it is not TRUE. Really !!!

Please check help of tasklist command.

C:\>tasklist /?

TASKLIST [/S system [/U username [/P [password]]]] [/M [module] | /SVC | /V] [/FI filter] [/FO format] [/NH]

Description: This command line tool displays a list of application(s) and associated task(s)/process(es) currently running on either a local or remote system.

Parameter List:

/S system Specifies the remote system to connect to.

/U [domain\]user Specifies the user context under which the command should execute.

/P [password] Specifies the password for the given user context. Prompts for input if omitted.

/M [module] Lists all tasks that have DLL modules loaded in them that match the given pattern name. If the module name is not specified, displays all modules loaded by each task.

/SVC Displays services in each process.

/V Specifies that the verbose information is to be displayed.

/FI filter Displays a set of tasks that match a given criteria specified by the filter.

/FO format Specifies the output format.

Valid values: "TABLE", "LIST", "CSV". /NH S

pecifies that the "Column Header" should not be displayed in the output. Valid only for "TABLE" and "CSV" formats.

/? Displays this help/usage.

Filters: Filter Name Valid Operators Valid Value(s) ---– ----- ----–

STATUS eq, ne RUNNING | NOT RESPONDING

IMAGENAME eq, ne Image name

PID eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le PID value

SESSION eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Session number

SESSIONNAME eq, ne Session name

CPUTIME eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le CPU time in the format of hh:mm:ss. hh – hours, mm – minutes, ss – seconds

MEMUSAGE eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Memory usage in KB

USERNAME eq, ne User name in [domain\]user format

SERVICES eq, ne Service name

WINDOWTITLE eq, ne Window title

MODULES eq, ne DLL name

Examples:

TASKLIST

TASKLIST /M

TASKLIST /V

TASKLIST /SVC

TASKLIST /M wbem*

TASKLIST /S system /FO LIST

TASKLIST /S system /U domain\username /FO CSV /NH

TASKLIST /S system /U username /P password /FO TABLE /NH TASKLIST /FI "USERNAME ne NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" /FI "STATUS eq running"

Example:

C:\>tasklist

Image Name PID Session Name Session# Mem Usage

========================= ====== ================ ======== ============

System Idle Process 0 Console 0 16 K

oracle.exe 4 Console 0 282,100 K

smss.exe 636 Console 0 420 K

csrss.exe 692 Console 0 6,496 K

winlogon.exe 716 Console 0 1,336 K

services.exe 760 Console 0 4,020 K

lsass.exe 772 Console 0 7,188 K

svchost.exe 956 Console 0 5,568 K

Means using tasklist or tasklist -v command we can monitor and manage our oracle processes.

Now never tell that you don't have ps command for windows !!!

All the best,

Gitesh Trivedi

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Are you thinking to characterize Oracle DBA as Superhero like Superman?

Posted Saturday, November 07, 2009 (15 days 20 hours ago.) Viewed 341 times.

Answer: Are you kidding or joking? How can you say DBA as Superhero? No, I do not believe it.

But I have some arguments for same and it may be proved. Obviously it is my own thinking and opinion.

People may have several reasons to assume him or her (Oracle DBA) to be Superman or Superhero. Especially I.T management always is guessing this type of understanding in special cases. But maybe they are not mis interpreting or wrong impression of Oracle DBA.

Here I am explaning some reasons and examples for same topic.

Assume 1 st Scenario:

Database crashed and down. Oracle DBA was trying to recover database. Everybody was waiting for database became available to work and usable. Oracle DBA was restoring backup to Database server. It was taking time to restore whole database. Due to this reason everybody was worrying when it would be available. Management was worrying about "business losses". Application team was trying to translate same errors in their own way for getting answerable reasons. Same time Oracle DBA was trying understood those errors which were thrown during database start time. After 2 or 3 hours, restore task was finished. Now Oracle DBA was starting to recover database and executing several recover commands. Unfortunately he was getting errors during each command execution. Everybody was standing surrounding behind Oracle DBA, and throwing their own opinions to Oracle DBA with worries. DBA was being tensed too much, due to these all reasons. Management was calling to get help from outside or Oracle Support. Everybody was trying to solve this problem as their own way. But nobody was getting success. Suddenly DBA was cheering and shouting that "Database is going to be up" and problem got resolved. Joyful moment begun. Everybody got relax and tried to understand "how mysterious problem has been resolved by DBA". After not getting success to understand same, they think some magic has been done by Oracle DBA with his super natural power and now database is working properly.

In this scenario what was actual problem that only knew by Oracle DBA because he was quite capable to understand technical reason and root cause of problem. Means if you do not know root cause of problem then you never are part of problem solving. Anyone assume DBA as "Magician" or "Superman" or "Superhero" at same moment.

Assume 2 nd Scenario:

Suddenly database was hanging and nobody could do work in same. Online transaction was becoming stuck and people were not getting new connections. No error was generated this time and no trace file was generated. Application team tried to get rid of this problem and executing some fixer but it was getting stuck also. All IT staff was tensed. Some of them were trying to call anybody for fixing same problem and some of them were searching in "google" for getting proper solution. Any kind of single advice they were being gotten, immediately they were trying to follow instructions. But nobody got success to solve this problem. Same time system administrator advised for server rebooting. But question was for pending transaction "what about pending transaction which is already going on".

Same time freelancer or remote Oracle DBA was coming to office and started to understand present situation. He executed some commands in operating system. In very few or couple of minutes he was able to get connection in database. And within very few moments everybody was connecting to database. Now application was working properly and everything became all right. How was possible? What was problem and why this thing happened? In future will it happen again? What was root cause? What did you? Many questions were raised to remote Oracle DBA. Oracle DBA was seeing so many surprised faces with same type of questions. He was throwing smile to everyone and moved away.

In second scenario, same thing is continuing "lack of skill set and technical knowledge" in specific area of expertise. And Freelancer or remote DBA has super power and depth knowledge to judge problem. Due to this he became "Superhero" or "Superman". In real time there are lots of similar type scenarios we can see. This can be proving DBA as Superhero or Superman or Magician.

Actually Superman is human being with some extra super power in fiction. He accepts every challenge and faced every challenge. Day by day writer made this character more powerful and more invincible. He fights with every evil power and defeat it. He is capable to fly. He has magic power. He makes more and more adventures which needed not logical explanation. He lives in every teenager heart as super strong hero character in world.

Database Administrator is human being with some extra ordinary skill set. He or she is able to manage your database in more difficult environment. He can understand problem very deeply and able to search rectification easily. But they are not like "Superman" or"Spiderman" because they are always being human being.

But in this high tech world some of DBA is able to develop super power with some extra skill set and experience. They are developing and converting their technical expertise to super power. They develop their own art of skill set using own experience. Due to this reason people are wondering and guessing as "Superman" or "Spiderman". Simple reason behind, they are able to do some amazing work. They have more power to understand problem and can able to survive your database in more critical and exotic situation. Their technical expertise is known as super magic power of DBA. Because they have some extra ordinary expertise to solve problem where normal DBA can't able to resolve mystery of database.

In my own word I am saying them "Super Oracle DBA" not "Superman". But you can say them "Superhero" because it is very nearby meaning of same. Definition of SuperDBA is "he can able to solve mysterious problems of database where normal DBA doesn't understand problem".

Now kindly stop reading of this article and try to find out those "Superheroes" which are called as "SuperDBAs". It becomes easier your life if you are connecting with any database. He can help you to survive any of your drastic and critical problems of database.

Next time I would discuss some extra topic like same HUMOR.

Author:

Gitesh Trivedi

About The Author: Gitesh Trivedi is an Expert Oracle DBA and owner of Dbametrix. He has excellent 12 years experience. You can reach him on site http://www.dbametrix.com offers Remote DBA support and Offshore Oracle DBA support. All copyright reserved by @Dbametrix.com.

Contact mailto:info@dbametrix.com or at http://www.dbametrix.com/remote-dba.html

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