ALTER SESSION

Purpose

Use the ALTER SESSION statement to specify or modify any of the conditions or parameters that affect your connection to the database. The statement stays in effect until you disconnect from the database.

Prerequisites

To enable and disable the SQL trace facility, you must have ALTER SESSION system privilege.

To enable or disable resumable space allocation, you must have the RESUMABLE system privilege.

You do not need any privileges to perform the other operations of this statement unless otherwise indicated.

Syntax

alter_session::=

Text description of alter_session

alter_session_set_clause::=

Text description of alter_session_set_clause

Semantics

ADVISE Clause

The ADVISE clause sends advice to a remote database to force a distributed transaction. The advice appears in the ADVICE column of the DBA_2PC_PENDING view on the remote database (the values are 'C' for COMMIT, 'R' for ROLLBACK, and ' ' for NOTHING). If the transaction becomes in doubt, then the administrator of that database can use this advice to decide whether to commit or roll back the transaction.

You can send different advice to different remote databases by issuing multiple ALTER SESSION statements with the ADVISE clause in a single transaction. Each such statement sends advice to the databases referenced in the following statements in the transaction until another such statement is issued.

CLOSE DATABASE LINK Clause

Specify CLOSE DATABASE LINK to close the database link dblink. When you issue a statement that uses a database link, Oracle creates a session for you on the remote database using that link. The connection remains open until you end your local session or until the number of database links for your session exceeds the value of the initialization parameter OPEN_LINKS. If you want to reduce the network overhead associated with keeping the link open, then use this clause to close the link explicitly if you do not plan to use it again in your session.

ENABLE | DISABLE COMMIT IN PROCEDURE

Procedures and stored functions written in PL/SQL can issue COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements. If your application would be disrupted by a COMMIT or ROLLBACK statement not issued directly by the application itself, then specify DISABLE COMMIT IN PROCEDURE clause to prevent procedures and stored functions called during your session from issuing these statements.

You can subsequently allow procedures and stored functions to issue COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements in your session by issuing the ENABLE DISABLE COMMIT IN PROCEDURE.

Some applications (such as SQL*Forms) automatically prohibit COMMIT and ROLLBACK statements in procedures and stored functions. Refer to your application documentation for more information.

PARALLEL DML | DDL | QUERY

The PARALLEL parameter determines whether all subsequent DML, DDL, or query statements in the session will be considered for parallel execution. This clause enables you to override the degree of parallelism of tables during the current session without changing the tables themselves. Uncommitted transactions must either be committed or rolled back prior to executing this clause for DML.

ENABLE Clause

Specify ENABLE to execute subsequent statements in the session in parallel. This is the default for DDL and query statements.

• DML: The session's DML statements are executed in parallel mode if a parallel hint or a parallel clause is specified.
• DDL: The session's DDL statements are executed in parallel mode if a parallel clause is specified.
• QUERY: The session's queries are executed in parallel mode if a parallel hint or a parallel clause is specified

Restriction on the ENABLE clause

You cannot specify the optional PARALLEL integer with ENABLE.

DISABLE Clause

Specify DISABLE to execute subsequent statements serially. This is the default for DML statements.

• DML: The session's DML statements are executed serially.
• DDL: The session's DDL statements are executed serially.
• QUERY: The session's queries are executed serially.

Restriction on the DISABLE clause

You cannot specify the optional PARALLEL integer with DISABLE.

FORCE Clause

FORCE forces parallel execution of subsequent statements in the session. If no parallel clause or hint is specified, then a default degree of parallelism is used. This clause overrides any parallel_clause specified in subsequent statements in the session, but is overridden by a parallel hint.

• DML: Provided no parallel DML restrictions are violated, subsequent DML statements in the session are executed with the default degree of parallelism, unless a degree is specified in this clause.
• DDL: Subsequent DDL statements in the session are executed with the default degree of parallelism, unless a degree is specified in this clause. Resulting database objects will have associated with them the prevailing degree of parallelism.

  Using FORCE DDL automatically causes all tables created in this session to be created with a default level of parallelism. The effect is the same as if you had specified the parallel_clause (with default degree) with the CREATE TABLE statement.

• QUERY: Subsequent queries are executed with the default degree of parallelism, unless a degree is specified in this clause.

PARALLEL integer

Specify an integer to explicitly specify a degree of parallelism:

• For FORCE DDL, the degree overrides any parallel clause in subsequent DDL statements.
• For FORCE DML and QUERY, the degree overrides the degree currently stored for the table in the data dictionary.
• A degree specified in a statement through a hint will override the degree being forced.

The following types of DML operations are not parallelized regardless of this clause:

• Operations on clustered tables
• Operations with embedded functions that either write or read database or package states
• Operations on tables with triggers that could fire
• Operations on tables or schema objects containing object types, or LONG or LOB datatypes.

RESUMABLE Clauses

These clauses let you enable and disable resumable space allocation. This feature allows an operation to be suspended in the event of an out-of-space error condition and to resume automatically from the point of interruption when the error condition is fixed.

ENABLE RESUMABLE

This clause enables resumable space allocation for the session.

TIMEOUT

TIMEOUT lets you specify (in seconds) the time during which an operation can remain suspended while waiting for the error condition to be fixed. If the error condition is not fixed within the TIMEOUT period, then Oracle aborts the suspended operation.

NAME

NAME lets you specify a user-defined text string to help users identify the statements issued during the session while the session is in resumable mode. Oracle inserts the text string into the USER_RESUMABLE and DBA_RESUMABLE data dictionary views. If you do not specify NAME, then Oracle inserts the default string 'User username(userid), Session sessionid, Instance instanceid'.

DISABLE RESUMABLE

This clause disables resumable space allocation for the session.

alter_session_set_clause

Use the alter_session_set_clause to set the parameters that follow (session parameters and initialization parameters that are dynamic in the scope of the ALTER SESSION statement). You can set values for multiple parameters in the same alter_session_set_clause.

COMMENT lets you associate a comment string with this change in the value of the parameter.

Initialization Parameters and ALTER SESSION

All initialization parameters that can be set using an ALTER SYSTEM statement are documented at ALTER SYSTEM. The initialization parameters that are dynamic in the scope of ALTER SESSION are listed in Table 10-1 with cross-references to their descriptions in ALTER SYSTEM. The only difference in behavior is that when you set these parameters using ALTER SESSION, the value you set persists only for the duration of the current session.

A number of parameters that can be set using ALTER SESSION are not initialization parameters. That is, you can set them only with ALTER SESSION, not in an initialization parameter file. Those session parameters are described after Table 10-1.

Table 10-1  Initialization Parameters You Can Set with ALTER SESSION

Parameter	Comments
CURSOR_SHARING	See also Oracle9i Database Performance Tuning Guide and Reference for information on setting this parameter in these and other environments.
DB_BLOCK_CHECKING	The setting made by ALTER SESSION SET DB_BLOCK_CHECKING will be overridden by any subsequent ALTER SYSTEM SET DB_BLOCK_CHECKING statement.
DB_CREATE_FILE_DEST	--
DB_CREATE_ONLINE_LOG_DEST_n	--
DB_FILE_MULTIBLOCK_READ_COUNT	--
FILESYSTEMIO_OPTIONS	--
GLOBAL_NAMES	See "Referring to Objects in Remote Databases" and Oracle9i Heterogeneous Connectivity Administrator's Guide for more information on global name resolution and how Oracle enforces it.
HASH_AREA_SIZE	--
HASH_JOIN_ENABLED	--
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_n	--
LOG_ARCHIVE_DEST_STATE_n	--
LOG_ARCHIVE_MIN_SUCCEED_DEST	--
MAX_DUMP_FILE_SIZE	--
Globalization Support (NLS_) Parameters: When you start an instance, Oracle establishes globalization support based on the values of initialization parameters that begin with "NLS". You can query the dynamic performance table V$NLS_PARAMETERS to see the current globalization attributes for your session. For more information about NLS parameters, see Oracle9i Database Globalization Support Guide.
NLS_CALENDAR	--
NLS_COMP	--
NLS_CURRENCY	--
NLS_DATE_FORMAT	See "Date Format Models" for information on valid date format models.
NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE	--
NLS_DUAL_CURRENCY	See "Number Format Models" for information on number format elements.
NLS_ISO_CURRENCY	--
NLS_LANGUAGE	--
NLS_LENGTH_SEMANTICS	--
NLS_NCHAR_CONV_EXCP	--
NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS	--
NLS_SORT	--
NLS_TERRITORY	--
NLS_TIMESTAMP_FORMAT	--
NLS_TIMESTAMP_TZ_FORMAT	--
OBJECT_CACHE_MAX_SIZE_PERCENT	--
OBJECT_CACHE_OPTIMAL_SIZE	--
OLAP_PAGE_POOL_SIZE	--
OPTIMIZER_DYNAMIC_SAMPLING	See Oracle9i Database Performance Tuning Guide and Reference for information on how to set this parameter.
OPTIMIZER_INDEX_CACHING	--
OPTIMIZER_INDEX_COST_ADJ	--
OPTIMIZER_MAX_PERMUTATIONS	--
OPTIMIZER_MODE	See Oracle9i Database Concepts and Oracle9i Database Performance Tuning Guide and Reference for information on how to choose a goal for the cost-based approach based on the characteristics of your application.
ORACLE_TRACE_ENABLE	--
PARALLEL_INSTANCE_GROUP	--
PARALLEL_MIN_PERCENT	--
PARTITION_VIEW_ENABLED	For important information on partition views, see "Partition Views".
PLSQL_COMPILER_FLAGS	--
QUERY_REWRITE_ENABLED	--
QUERY_REWRITE_INTEGRITY	--
REMOTE_DEPENDENCIES_MODE	--
SESSION_CACHED_CURSORS	--
SORT_AREA_RETAINED_SIZE	--
SORT_AREA_SIZE	--
STAR_TRANSFORMATION_ENABLED	--
STATISTICS_LEVEL	--
TIMED_OS_STATISTICS	--
TIMED_STATISTICS	--
TRACE_ENABLED	--
UNDO_SUPPRESS_ERRORS	--
WORKAREA_SIZE_POLICY	--

Session Parameters and ALTER SESSION

The following parameters are session parameters only, not initialization parameters:

CONSTRAINT[S]

Syntax:

CONSTRAINT[S] = { IMMEDIATE | DEFERRED | DEFAULT }

The CONSTRAINT[S] parameter determines when conditions specified by a deferrable constraint are enforced.

• immediate indicates that the conditions specified by the deferrable constraint are checked immediately after each DML statement. This setting is equivalent to issuing the SET CONSTRAINTS ALL IMMEDIATE statement at the beginning of each transaction in your session.

• deferred indicates that the conditions specified by the deferrable constraint are checked when the transaction is committed. This setting is equivalent to issuing the SET CONSTRAINTS ALL DEFERRED statement at the beginning of each transaction in your session.

• default restores all constraints at the beginning of each transaction to their initial state of DEFERRED or IMMEDIATE.

CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES

Syntax:

CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES = {TRUE | FALSE | 'category_name'}

The CREATE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter determines whether Oracle should automatically create and store an outline for each query submitted during the session.

• true enables automatic outline creation for subsequent queries in the same session. These outlines receive a unique system-generated name and are stored in the DEFAULT category. If a particular query already has an outline defined for it in the DEFAULT category, then that outline will remain and a new outline will not be created.
• false disables automatic outline creation during the session. This is the default.
• category_name has the same behavior as TRUE except that any outline created during the session is stored in the category_name category.

CURRENT_SCHEMA

Syntax:

CURRENT_SCHEMA = schema

The CURRENT_SCHEMA parameter changes the current schema of the session to the specified schema. Subsequent unqualified references to schema objects during the session will resolve to objects in the specified schema. The setting persists for the duration of the session or until you issue another ALTER SESSION SET CURRENT_SCHEMA statement.

This setting offers a convenient way to perform operations on objects in a schema other than that of the current user without having to qualify the objects with the schema name. This setting changes the current schema, but it does not change the session user or the current user, nor does it give you any additional system or object privileges for the session.

ERROR_ON_OVERLAP_TIME

Syntax:

ERROR_ON_OVERLAP_TIME = {TRUE | FALSE}

The ERROR_ON_OVERLAP_TIME determines how Oracle should handle an ambiguous boundary datetime value--that is, a case in which it is not clear whether the datetime is in standard or daylight savings time.

• Specify TRUE to return an error for the ambiguous overlap timestamp.
• Specify FALSE to default the ambiguous overlap timestamp to the standard time. This is the default.

FLAGGER

Syntax:

FLAGGER = { ENTRY | INTERMEDIATE | FULL | OFF }

The FLAGGER parameter specifies FIPS flagging, which causes an error message to be generated when a SQL statement issued is an extension of ANSI SQL92. FLAGGER is a session parameter only, not an initialization parameter.

In Oracle, there is currently no difference between Entry, Intermediate, or Full level flagging. Once flagging is set in a session, a subsequent ALTER SESSION SET FLAGGER statement will work, but generates the message, ORA-00097. This allows FIPS flagging to be altered without disconnecting the session. OFF turns off flagging.

INSTANCE

Syntax:

INSTANCE = integer

The INSTANCE parameter in a Real Application Clusters environment accesses database files as if the session were connected to the instance specified by integer. INSTANCE is a session parameter only, not an initialization parameter. For optimum performance, each instance of Real Application Clusters uses its own private rollback segments, freelist groups, and so on. In a Real Application Clusters environment, you normally connect to a particular instance and access data that is partitioned primarily for your use. If you must connect to another instance, then the data partitioning can be lost. Setting this parameter lets you access an instance as if you were connected to your own instance.

ISOLATION_LEVEL

Syntax:

ISOLATION_LEVEL = {SERIALIZABLE | READ COMMITTED} 

The ISOLATION_LEVEL parameter specifies how transactions containing database modifications are handled. ISOLATION_LEVEL is a session parameter only, not an initialization parameter.

• SERIALIZABLE indicates that transactions in the session use the serializable transaction isolation mode as specified in SQL92. That is, if a serializable transaction attempts to execute a DML statement that updates rows currently being updated by another uncommitted transaction at the start of the serializable transaction, then the DML statement fails. A serializable transaction can see its own updates.
• READ COMMITTED indicates that transactions in the session will use the default Oracle transaction behavior. Thus, if the transaction contains DML that requires row locks held by another transaction, then the DML statement will wait until the row locks are released.

PLSQL_DEBUG

Syntax:

PLSQL_DEBUG = { TRUE | FALSE }

The PLSQL_DEBUG parameter sets the default for including or not including debugging information during compile operations. Setting this parameter to TRUE has the same effect as adding the DEBUG keyword to ALTER {FUNCTION | PROCEDURE | PACKAGE} COMPILE statements.

SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES

Syntax:

SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES = { TRUE | FALSE }

The SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES parameter controls the use and reporting of tables with unusable indexes or index partitions. SKIP_UNUSABLE_INDEXES is a session parameter only, not an initialization parameter.

• TRUE disables error reporting of indexes and index partitions marked UNUSABLE. This setting allows all operations (inserts, deletes, updates, and selects) on tables with unusable indexes or index partitions.

  Note: If an index is used to enforce a UNIQUE constraint on a table, then allowing insert and update operations on the table might violate the constraint. Therefore, this setting does not disable error reporting for unusable indexes that are unique.

• FALSE enables error reporting of indexes marked UNUSABLE. This setting does not allow inserts, deletes, and updates on tables with unusable indexes or index partitions. This is the default.

SQL_TRACE

Syntax:

INSTANCE = integer

SQL_TRACE is an initialization parameter. However, when you change its value with an ALTER SESSION statement, the results are not reflected in the V$PARAMETER view. Therefore, in this context it is considered a session parameter only.

TIME_ZONE

Syntax:

TIME_ZONE =  '[+ | -] hh:mm' 
             | LOCAL 
             | DBTIMEZONE 
             | 'time_zone_region'

The TIME_ZONE parameter specifies the default local time zone displacement for the current SQL session. TIME_ZONE is a session parameter only, not an initialization parameter. To determine the time zone of the current session, query the built-in function SESSIONTIMEZONE (see SESSIONTIMEZONE).

• Specify a format mask ('[+|-]hh:mm') indicating the hours and minutes before or after UTC (Coordinated Universal Time--formerly Greenwich Mean Time). The valid range for hh:mm is -12:00 to +14:00.
• Specify LOCAL to set the default local time zone displacement of the current SQL session to the original default local time zone displacement that was established when the current SQL session was started.
• Specify DBTIMEZONE to set the current session time zone to match the value set for the database time zone. If you specify this setting, then the DBTIMEZONE function will return the database time zone as a UTC offset or a time zone region, depending on how the database time zone has been set.
• Specify a valid time_zone_region. To see a listing of valid region names, query the TZNAME column of the V$TIMEZONE_NAMES dynamic performance view. If you specify this setting, then the SESSIONTIMEZONE function will return the region name.

  Note: You can also set the default client session time zone using the ORA_SDTZ environment variable. Please refer to Oracle9i Database Globalization Support Guide for more information on this variable.

USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES

Syntax:

USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES = { TRUE | FALSE | category_name }

The USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES parameter lets you control the use of private outlines. When this parameter is enabled and an outlined SQL statement is issued, the optimizer retrieves the outline from the session private area rather than the public area used when USE_STORED_OUTLINES is enabled. If no outline exists in the session private area, then the optimizer will not use an outline to compile the statement. USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES is not an initialization parameter.

• TRUE causes the optimizer to use private outlines stored in the DEFAULT category when compiling requests.
• FALSE specifies that the optimizer should not use stored private outlines. This is the default. If USE_STORED_OUTLINES is enabled, then the optimizer will use stored public outlines.
• category_name causes the optimizer to use outlines stored in the category_name category when compiling requests.

Restriction on USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES

You cannot enable this parameter if USE_STORED_OUTLINES is enabled.

USE_STORED_OUTLINES

Syntax:

USE_STORED_OUTLINES = { TRUE | FALSE | category_name }

The USE_STORED_OUTLINES parameter determines whether the optimizer will use stored public outlines to generate execution plans. USE_STORED_OUTLINES is not an initialization parameter.

• TRUE causes the optimizer to use outlines stored in the DEFAULT category when compiling requests.
• FALSE specifies that the optimizer should not use stored outlines. This is the default.
• category_name causes the optimizer to use outlines stored in the category_name category when compiling requests.

Restriction on USED_STORED_OUTLINES

You cannot enable this parameter if USE_PRIVATE_OUTLINES is enabled.

Examples

Enabling Parallel DML: Example

Issue the following statement to enable parallel DML mode for the current session:

ALTER SESSION ENABLE PARALLEL DML;

Forcing a Distributed Transaction: Example

The following transaction inserts an employee record into the employees table on the database identified by the database link remote and deletes an employee record from the employees table on the database identified by local:

ALTER SESSION
   ADVISE COMMIT; 

INSERT INTO employees@remote
   VALUES (8002, 'Juan', 'Fernandez', 'juanf@hr.com', NULL, 
   TO_DATE('04-OCT-1992', 'DD-MON-YYYY'), 'SA_CLERK', 3000, 
   NULL, 121, 20); 

ALTER SESSION
   ADVISE ROLLBACK; 

DELETE FROM employees@local
   WHERE employee_id = 8002; 

COMMIT;  

This transaction has two ALTER SESSION statements with the ADVISE clause. If the transaction becomes in doubt, then remote is sent the advice 'COMMIT' by virtue of the first ALTER SESSION statement and local is sent the advice 'ROLLBACK' by virtue of the second.

Closing a Database Link: Example

This statement updates the jobs table on the local database using a database link, commits the transaction, and explicitly closes the database link:

UPDATE jobs@local SET min_salary = 3000
   WHERE job_id = 'SH_CLERK';

COMMIT; 

ALTER SESSION
   CLOSE DATABASE LINK local;

Changing the Date Format Dynamically: Example

The following statement dynamically changes the default date format for your session to 'YYYY MM DD-HH24:MI:SS':

ALTER SESSION 
   SET NLS_DATE_FORMAT = 'YYYY MM DD HH24:MI:SS';

Oracle uses the new default date format:

SELECT TO_CHAR(SYSDATE) Today
   FROM DUAL; 

TODAY 
------------------- 
2001 04 12 12:30:38

Changing the Date Language Dynamically: Example

The following statement changes the language for date format elements to French:

ALTER SESSION 
 SET NLS_DATE_LANGUAGE = French;

SELECT TO_CHAR(SYSDATE, 'Day DD Month YYYY') Today
 FROM DUAL; 

TODAY 
--------------------------- 
Jeudi    12 Avril     2001

Changing the ISO Currency: Example

The following statement dynamically changes the ISO currency symbol to the ISO currency symbol for the territory America:

ALTER SESSION
   SET NLS_ISO_CURRENCY = America; 

SELECT TO_CHAR( SUM(salary), 'C999G999D99') Total
   FROM employees; 

TOTAL
------------------
     USD694,900.00

Changing the Decimal Character and Group Separator: Example

The following statement dynamically changes the decimal character to comma (,) and the group separator to period (.):

ALTER SESSION SET NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS = ',.' ;

Oracle returns these new characters when you use their number format elements:

ALTER SESSION SET NLS_CURRENCY = 'FF';

SELECT TO_CHAR( SUM(salary), 'L999G999D99') Total FROM employees;

TOTAL
---------------------
         FF694.900,00

Changing the NLS Currency: Example

The following statement dynamically changes the local currency symbol to 'DM':

ALTER SESSION
   SET NLS_CURRENCY = 'DM'; 

SELECT TO_CHAR( SUM(salary), 'L999G999D99') Total
   FROM employees; 

TOTAL
---------------------
         DM694.900,00

Changing the NLS Language: Example

The following statement dynamically changes to French the language in which error messages are displayed:

ALTER SESSION
   SET NLS_LANGUAGE = FRENCH; 

Session modifiee.

SELECT * FROM DMP;

ORA-00942: Table ou vue inexistante

Changing the Linguistic Sort Sequence: Example

The following statement dynamically changes the linguistic sort sequence to Spanish:

ALTER SESSION
   SET NLS_SORT = XSpanish; 

Oracle sorts character values based on their position in the Spanish linguistic sort sequence.

Enabling SQL Trace: Example

To enable the SQL trace facility for your session, issue the following statement:

ALTER SESSION 
   SET SQL_TRACE = TRUE; 

Enabling Query Rewrite: Example

This statement enables query rewrite in the current session for all materialized views that have not been explicitly disabled:

ALTER SESSION SET QUERY_REWRITE_ENABLED = TRUE;