Here's a Quick List of 5 Most Common Tablespace Operations

A Tablespaces is a logical unit of Data storage in database, all objects like tables, indexes are
stored into tablespaces. A tablespace is a logical representation of data storage while actual data
is stored into datafiles of the database. A tablespace can have multiple datafile, while a datafile
can be a part of only one tablespace.

Every time when you create a database object like table, index, materialized view etc DBA has to
specify tablespace name in which this object will store, if not given this will go to default
tablespace.

Here's a Quick List of 5 Most Common Tablespace Operations

1. Find Datafile Location and Size for a Tablespace: As I have

explained, Each tablespace has corresponding datafiles to store data which are stored at OS
Storage device, when storage device utilization goes high. Then DBA has to either resize the
datafiles of tablespace or to move them from one place to another place. To achive this
Database Administrator must know the exact location and size of data files.
SQL> select tablespace_name,file_name,bytes/(1024*1024) size_in_mb from
dba_data_files;
TABLESPACE_NAME
FILE_NAME SIZE_IN_MB
------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------- ------------

SYSTEM
/opt/oracle/datafile/system.dbf 700
SYSAUX
/opt/oracle/datafile/sysaux.dbf 740
UNDOTBS1
/opt/oracle/datafile/undotbs1.dbf 225
UNDOTBS2
/opt/oracle/datafile/undotbs2.dbf 200
USERS
/opt/oracle/datafile/users.dbf 5
SIZETEST
/opt/oracle/sizetest1.dbf 240
TEST
/opt/oracle/test.dbf 100
7 rows selected.
Here, Tablespace_name shows name of tablespaces in database, File_name is actual file name
at OS Location and Size of file is shown as SIZE_IN_MB. Since, Temp files are not covered in
this view. Command to fine temp tablespace datafile.
SQL> select tablespace_name,file_name,bytes/(1024*1024) size_in_mb from
dba_temp_files;
TABLESPACE_NAME
FILE_NAME SIZE_IN_MB
------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------- ------------
TEMP
/opt/oracle/tempfile/temp.dbf 22

2. Creating and Resizing Tablespace: Usually, Database Administrator two

types of tablespaces Data and Index tablespaces, though there is no difference in physical and
logical structure of tablespaces but this is normally done to achieve better performance. Suppose
DBA wants to make a tablespaces of size 1G at "/opt/oracle" location, before making
tablespaces make sure "/opt/oracle" location has enough free spaces to keep datafile of size 1G
for tablespace.

SQL> CREATE TABLESPACE lmtbsb DATAFILE '/opt/oracle/lmtbsb01.dbf' SIZE 50M;

In above query I have making a tablespace with name "lmtbsb" at location "/opt/oracle/" with
data file name "lmtbsb01.dbf" having size 50 MB. After completion of this script DBA can
cross check tablespaces creation using #1 in this post.

When tablespaces is full and doesn't have free space to occupy newly added data, In that case
Database Admin can face "ORA-1653 unable to extend table %s.%s by # in tablespace %s".I
would suggest to use below query to keep an eye on tablespace utilization.
SQL> SELECT b.tablespace_name, b.tablespace_size_mb,
sum(nvl(fs.bytes,0))/1024/1024 free_size_mb,
(sum(nvl(fs.bytes,0))/1024/1024/b.tablespace_size_mb *100) free_percent
FROM dba_free_space fs,
(SELECT tablespace_name, sum(bytes)/1024/1024 tablespace_size_mb FROM
dba_data_files
GROUP BY tablespace_name
) b
where fs.tablespace_name = b.tablespace_name
group by b.tablespace_name, b.tablespace_size_mb;

TABLESPACE_NAME TABLESPACE_SIZE_MB FREE_SIZE_MB FREE_PERCENT

------------------------------ ------------------ ------------ ------------
SYSAUX 740 38.1875 5.16047297
SIZETEST 30720 30717 99.9902344
UNDOTBS2 200 183.75 91.875
USERS 5 .5 10
SYSTEM 700 308 44
UNDOTBS1 225 206.75 91.8888889
TEST 100 99 99

7 rows selected.
If tablespace is above 90% utilized, I would suggest to increase tablespace size using either
adding datafile to tablespace or resizing existing datafiles.

Resize of datafile. Here I am resizing ASM datafile. Use same command to resize Non ASM
datafile.
SQL> alter database datafile '+DATA/odadata/datafile/users.262.817709621'
resize 10M;
Database altered.

Adding Datafile to Tablespace

SQL> ALTER TABLESPACE lmtb ADD DATAFILE '/u02/oracle/data/lmtbsb02.dbf' SIZE
100M;

Above command will add 100M of datafile to tablespace lmtb. There are few more options to
solve this issue "ORA-1653 unable to extend table %s.%s by # in tablespace %s"

3. Renaming and Relocating Tablespace Datafiles: Renaming and

Relocating Tablespace Datafiles doesn't have so much difference. In renaming we just rename
the datafile, while in relocating we move datafile from one place to another place. There are
many situation, where DBA has to move or rename tablespace datafiles. few are like.

1. Datafile name is not correct.

2. Disk space is full, So DBA has to move datafile from one mount point to another mount
point.

We will do renaming in three steps:

A. Offline candidate tablespace containing datafile to be renamed.

B. move datafile using OS Command.
C. Rename datafile using alter command.
SQL> alter tablespace TEST offline;
Tablespace altered.

SQL> select FILE_NAME,DT.TABLESPACE_NAME,DT.STATUS from dba_tablespaces dt,

dba_data_files df where dt.tablespace_name like 'TEST' and
dt.tablespace_name=df.tablespace_name;
FILE_NAME
TABLESPACE_NAME STATUS
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ ---------
/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example02.dbf
TEST OFFLINE

SQL> !

[oracle@database ~]$ cd /etc/oracle/oradata/orcl

[oracle@database orcl]$ mv example02.dbf example03.dbf
[oracle@database orcl]$ ls example*
example01.dbf example03.dbf
[oracle@database orcl]$ exit;
SQL> alter tablespace TEST rename datafile
'/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example02.dbf' to
'/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example03.dbf';
Tablespace altered.

SQL> alter tablespace TEST online;

Tablespace altered.

SQL> select FILE_NAME,DT.TABLESPACE_NAME,DT.STATUS from dba_tablespaces dt,

dba_data_files df where dt.tablespace_name like 'TEST' and
dt.tablespace_name=df.tablespace_name;
FILE_NAME
TABLESPACE_NAME STATUS
--------------------------------------------------
------------------------------ ---------
/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example03.dbf
TEST ONLINE

Rename of datafile is sucessfully done.

Relocation of tablespaces datafile has a small change, Instead of renaming datafile we will move
datafile from one place to another place. I am only showing command which is different in
Relocation here.

A. Offline candidate tablespace containing datafile to be renamed (same as rename datafile).

B. copy datafile using OS Command from source to destination location (show below).
C. Rename datafile using alter command (same as rename datafile).

Suppose DBA wants to move datafile "/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example03.dbf" to

"/etc/oracle/oradata" location. He should use below command to move datafile rest of the
command are same as Renaming a datafile.
[oracle@database orcl]$ cp /etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example03.dbf
/etc/oracle/oradata/example03.dbf

4. Read Only Tablespace: In organizations, We have some data which change

occassionaly or doen't change at all. To keep this kind of data, Database Administrator should use
Read only tablespace. These are nomal tablespaces but changed to read only mode, which means
writing on these tablespaces is not allowed.

When tablespaces is in read write mode it will show status as "online", when you change it to
read only this will display status as "READ ONLY" in DBA_TABLESPACES view.
SQL> alter tablespace test read only;
Tablespace altered.

SQL> select TABLESPACE_NAME,STATUS from dba_tablespaces where tablespace_name

like 'TEST';
TABLESPACE_NAME STATUS
------------------------------ ---------
TEST READ ONLY

To make it Write enable use below command.

SQL> alter tablespace test read write;

Tablespace altered.

5. Dropping a Datafile or Tablespace: When Database Administrator doen't

need content of a tablespaces or datafile, he can drop the them. DBA can drop only data file from
tablespace or whole tablespace. To drop a datafile, datafile must be empty, datafile should not be
the only datafile into tablespace and it should not be first datafile of tablespace.

SQL> alter tablespace test drop datafile '/etc/oracle/oradata/orcl/example04.dbf';

Tablespace altered.

DBA can also drop whole tablespaces with it's datafile using below command.

SQL> drop tablespace test including contents and datafiles;

Tablespace dropped.

This is usually done, when you need some free space at OS level, This is a critical activity, so
make sure you don't need data from this tablespace.
Please share your views about this article !!