Oracle SQLPlus [Electronic resources] : The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition نسخه متنی

12.5 Where to Find More Tuning Information

Tuning Oracle SQL is a complex subject. The information in this
chapter provides only a brief overview of some of
Oracle's features to help you during the tuning
process.

To start with, read the manual. The Oracle Database
Performance Tuning manual contains much tuning information
although some of it is more oriented toward tuning the database
server rather than tuning individual SQL statements.
You'll find detailed information and examples on
Oracle hints, the use of EXPLAIN PLAN, and the use of the TKPROF
utility. TKPROF is difficult to use but can provide a great deal more
information about the cost of a query than you will get from EXPLAIN
PLAN.

I can recommend two good O'Reilly books on tuning.

Optimizing Oracle Performance
By Cary Millsap and Jeff Holt. Cary and Jeff's book
gives you the tools you need to find and diagnose performance
problems in your database. Often, those performance problems are
related to poorly performing SQL statements, and
that's where the next book comes into play.

SQL Tuning
By Dan Tow. This is the only book I've seen that
presents a reliable and methodical approach that you can use to
determine the optimal (or near-optimal) execution plan for a query.
This book will help you determine which hints to apply, if any, to
improve the performance of a SQL statement.