D

database character set

The encoded character set that is used to store text in the database. This includes CHAR, VARCHAR2, LONG, and fixed-width CLOB column values and all SQL and PL/SQL text.

database incarnation

A separate version of a physical database that is created every time the database is opened with the RESETLOGS option. New with Oracle Database10g, you can recover backups from prior incarnations if the redo log information is available.

database point-in-time recovery (DBPITR)

See incomplete recovery.

Database Resource Manager (DRM)

An Oracle service that allows the management and prioritization of resources to be controlled by Oracle as opposed to being controlled by the operating system.

datetime datatype

Standard Oracle datatypes used to store date- and time-related data. Datetime datatypes include DATE, TIMESTAMP, TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE, and TIMESTAMP WITH LOCAL TIME ZONE.

DB_BLOCK_CHECKING

A database parameter that sets block checking at the database level. This causes Oracle to checksum a block every time it is modified.

DB_FLASHBACK_RETENTION_TARGET

A parameter value that determines how far back in time you can recover the flashback database.

DB_TIME

The most important of all the time model statistics, DB_TIME tracks the total time spent in database calls for all statistics categories. This allows system analysis based on time metrics and enables Oracle to accurately calculate time-savings benefits through optimization recommendations.

DBMS_REPAIR package

A PL/SQL package that is made up of a set of procedures to detect and fix corrupt blocks.

DBMS_RESOURCE_MANAGER package

An Oracle PL/SQL package that constitutes the application programming interface (API) to the Database Resource Manager. This package contains procedures used to manage most of the functionality in DRM.

DBMS_RESOURCE_MANAGER_PRIVS package

An Oracle PL/SQL package used to manage Database Resource Manager privileges.

DBMS_SERVER_ALERT package

A PL/SQL package to configure and retrieve warning and critical threshold levels for tablespace space usage and other database resources.

DBPITR

See incomplete recovery.

DBVERIFY utility

An Oracle utility that is used to see whether corruption exists in a particular datafile.

DEFAULT_CONSUMER_GROUP

The resource consumer group assigned automatically to any session not assigned to a resource consumer group.

diacritic

A mark near or through a character or combination of characters that alters the sound of the character. Also called an accent.

differential incremental backup

A type of incremental backup that backs up all blocks changed since the last level 0 or level 1 incremental backup. See also incremental backup.

disk group

A group of disks treated as a unit in an ASM instance for both redundancy and performance.

DRM

See Database Resource Manager.

dynamic rebalancing

An ASM feature that automatically reallocates extents within an ASM file when a disk in an ASM disk group is added, deleted, or fails.