ORACLE DEBUTS ORACLE9i DATABASE

Oracle Corp introduced the next major version of its flagship database, Oracle9i, With Oracle9i, Oracle redefines quality of service through patented "Cache Fusion" database technology delivering an order of magnitude improvement in both performance and reliability. As e-businesses move to consolidate global IT infrastructure and bring all of their customers, employees and suppliers online, only Oracle9i provides a transparent way for e-business applications to keep pace.

Central to Oracle's new database is Oracle9i Real Application Clusters (see separate release), featuring patented "Cache Fusion" cluster technology that produces linear scalability and unprecedented reliability. Oracle9i also delivers an impressive array of configurations for keeping databases available during scheduled maintenance and even unplanned disasters; for providing flexible levels of security and for automating many routine administration and database management tasks. In addition to these major quality of service enhancements, the new Oracle9i Database also includes dynamic web content syndication, and real-time personalization. Together these new features allow Corporate IT departments, ASPs and B2B exchanges to support thousands of companies and tens of thousands of simultaneous users on a single database instance, with personalized content and fine-grained security, preventing even those who administer the database from viewing sensitive information.

"The need for e-Business integration and the promise of the Internet as an integration platform are driving a tectonic shift in IT," said Philip Russom, director of business intelligence at Hurwitz Group. "Many e-Businesses are consolidating data and applications on a few large Internet-enabled servers. This shift back to a more centralized computing model supporting hosted services eases the integration pains of e-Business, but requires a scalable database server with a high quality of service and many embedded capabilities -- ranging from business intelligence to collaboration-as found in Oracle9i."

The Quality of Service features of Oracle9i Database include new developments in scalability and performance, high availability, security, and manageability.

Scalability and Performance

• Oracle9i Real Application Clusters -- delivers a breakthrough in database design, exploiting the Oracle Cache Fusion architecture to enable virtually limitless application scaling, and application availability without application or data reconfiguration. With the addition of each computer to speed throughput, database performance increases dramatically. (see separate release).

High Availability

• Oracle Data Guard -- offers zero data loss due to human error and disaster recovery capabilities
• Flashback Query -- enables self-service recovery from human error by enabling users and applications to quickly access data as it previously appeared before the error occurred.
• 17-second failover -- Oracle9i Real Application Clusters also deliver super-fast recovery in the event of a system failure.

Security

• Single Sign-on -- using Oracle9i Proxy Authentication technology, Oracle9i Database verifies the user throughout even the most complex multi-tiered environments.
• Virtual Private Database with Security Labels -- will enable ASPs to securely host multiple concurrent customers on a single database, and will give users the ability to selectively label shared data to provide access to only privileged users.
• Selective Encryption -- enables the encryption of sensitive data so that even system administrators and the highest levels of privileged users can not access sensitive data, like customer credit card numbers.

Systems Management

• Self-tuning and self-managing database -- Oracle9i Database offers intelligent self-tuning of memory, CPU and disk to reduce the amount of time needed to administer the database.
• End-to-End Management -- produces business-impact and enterprise-wide service level reporting of the entire Oracle stack including the entire Oracle E-Business Suite and Oracle9i Database and Oracle9i Application Server.
• Increase DBA Productivity -- through advice-driven diagnostics, routine task automation and simplified wizard-driven administration.

Oracle9i Database provides features for building dynamic, collaborative hosted services:

• Dynamic Services -- a new Oracle technology for easily connecting Internet content providers, like news services and currency exchanges, with subscriber services like Internet portals.
• XML-based Internet messaging -- for seamless interoperating between supplier and customer e-business applications.
• eFoundation Services -- enable rapid development of hosted applications by handling user profile management, authentication and service-oriented access.
• Service Portability -- with transparent portability of data (via integrated XML support), of applications (through Java2 Enterprise Edition, Java Server Pages and Java Servlet Support), and transactions (through rich SQL support).
• Location-enabled wireless capabilities -- enables integration of collaborative services and portal applications to deliver personalized information to any user at any location.

Oracle9i Database also introduces Internet-Scale Business Intelligence featuring:

• Real-time Personalization -- technology built into Oracle9i Database that delivers personalized information in real-time for e-businesses' Web sites, estores, call centers or other customer interaction centers.
• Integrated OLAP, ETL and Data Mining -- Oracle9i Database offers one repository for all analytical data instead of four separate repositories typically required by a non-integrated database, OLAP database, ETL and data mining software. Oracle's integrated approach gives e-businesses real-time, complete analyses of important business performance metrics.

"The Oracle9i Database redefines quality of service allowing new and existing businesses to transparently scale their infrastructure, and never compromise reliability," said Chuck Rozwat, executive vice president of Server Technologies at Oracle Corporation. "In addition, Oracle9i's unique embedded OLAP and data mining capabilities ensure that not just the biggest and best Web sites run on Oracle, but also the most personalized."

Availability

Oracle9i Database is scheduled to become generally available in the first half of 2001.

About Oracle

Oracle Corporation provides the software that powers the Internet. For more information about Oracle, please call 650-506-7000.

Contact Kristin Kryway of Oracle Corp, 650-506-6338 or kristin.kryway@oracle.com.