My favorite marquee feature in Oracle Database 12c is Database In-Memory. With the introduction of Database In-Memory in 12.1.0.2, data can now be populated into memory both in a row format (the buffer cache) and a new in-memory optimized column format, simultaneously.
The database maintains full transactional consistency between the row and columnar formats, just as it maintains consistency between tables and indexes. The Oracle Optimizer is fully aware of what data exists in the column format and automatically routes analytic queries to the column format and OLTP operations to the row format, ensuring both outstanding performance and complete data consistency for all workloads without any application changes.
So, what can you expect from Database In-Memory in 12.2?
Juan Loaiza, provides an excellent overview of what’s new in Oracle Database In-Memory since its initial release, including enhancements in Oracle Database 12.1 and the latest capabilities in 12.2 in the video below.
You can also find a short summary of each of the 12.2 new features on the Database In-Memory blog. Going forward, I will provide a more detailed description and worked examples of each of these capabilities.