SharePlex 10.2.1 - Installation and Setup Guide

Use Oracle INDEX hints

Valid for: Oracle targets

When SharePlex performs UPDATEs and DELETEs on a target table, Oracle sometimes does not pick the most efficient index for SharePlex. Without the right index, the Post process slows down when multiple UPDATEs and DELETEs are performed. SharePlex enables you to make use of Oracle’s INDEX hints to enforce the use of the correct index on target objects.

To use INDEX hints, use the hints.SID file, where SID is the ORACLE_SID of the target instance. When Post applies a SQL statement, it reads the hints file. If the file contains entries, Post reads the data into memory and then checks each UPDATE and DELETE statement that it processes. If any of those operations involve tables listed in the hints file, Post sends the hints to Oracle.

Use hints only for tables that need them. For example, if Post is doing full-table scans on tables where there are defined indexes, use hints only for those tables. The use of hints causes Post to read the hints.SID file for each operation on tables listed in the file. This can slow down processing if numerous tables are listed.

The default maximum number of hints (table/index pairs) is 100. You can adjust this value with the SP_OPO_HINTS_LIMIT parameter. See the SharePlex Reference Guide for more information.

Make certain all indexes are valid. Although SharePlex will use an invalid index as a hint, Oracle ignores invalid hints and returns no errors. SharePlex writes the following information to the event_Log if it detects abnormal conditions relating to the specified hints.

15050 – hint file not found

17000 – error opening hint file

15051 – missing column in the hint file (either table or index name)

15052 – syntax error for tablename

15053 – syntax error for indexname

15054 – source table’s object_id not found in object cache

15055 – more than 20 valid entries were entered into the hints file

To use the hints file

There is a blank hints.SID file in the SharePlex variable-data directory on each system. Use the hints.SID file that resides on the target system. If a hints file does not exist, create one in this directory and make certain to use the hints.SID naming format.

1. Stop Post if it is running.
2. Open the file.
3. You can add comment lines anywhere in the file. Start a comment line with a pound symbol (#).

4. On a non-commented line, use the following template to specify a source table and the index that you want to use for that table. Put at least one space between the table name and the index name. Place each specification on a separate line.

   src_owner.table

   tgt_owner.index

   Example

   scott.emp

   scott.emp_index