Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) continues to evolve, offering new features and enhancements that bring more flexibility, security, and efficiency to your cloud operations. Here’s a look at the latest functionalities released in January and February 2024.
Base Database: OCI Vault Integration for Cross-Region Data Guard
Services: Database Release Date: February 5, 2024
One of the significant updates in OCI’s database services is the integration of OCI Vault for cross-region Data Guard. This feature allows you to set up a cross-region Data Guard between two databases, even if their keys reside in a virtual private vault. This integration enhances security by ensuring that encryption keys are securely managed and that data replication across regions remains protected.
Use Case:
With this integration, businesses can ensure high availability and disaster recovery for their databases across different geographic locations. This is particularly beneficial for enterprises with global operations needing robust data protection and compliance with regional data regulations.
Named Credentials in Database Management
Services: Database Management Release Date: January 30, 2024
The introduction of named credentials in Database Management simplifies the process of storing, managing, and using database user credentials. Named credentials allow you to create and manage credentials securely within OCI, which can then be referenced and used in various database management operations.
Use Case:
This feature is designed to enhance security and streamline database operations by centralizing credential management. Administrators can easily update and maintain credentials without directly embedding them in scripts or applications, reducing the risk of exposure.
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Tags and Search in Database Management
Services: Database Management Release Date: February 27, 2024
Database Management now supports OCI Tagging and Search services. This update enables users to:
- Use tags to organize and categorize database resources.
- Search for database resources based on tags.
Use Case:
Tags provide a powerful way to manage and organize resources in a large cloud environment. By applying tags, you can easily track resource usage, cost allocation, and compliance. The search functionality allows quick retrieval of resources based on specific criteria, enhancing operational efficiency.
Enhanced Health Monitor Experience for Dedicated Virtual Machine Host
Services: Compute Release Date: January 29, 2024
The Enhanced Health Monitor Experience for Dedicated Virtual Machine Host is now generally available. This enhancement provides improved monitoring capabilities, allowing for better visibility into the health and performance of dedicated virtual machine hosts.
Use Case:
This feature is crucial for businesses relying on dedicated VM hosts for their critical workloads. Enhanced health monitoring ensures that any potential issues are detected early, enabling proactive management and maintenance to avoid downtime.
Disable Simultaneous Multithreading on VM Instances
Services: Compute Release Date: February 22, 2024
You can now disable simultaneous multithreading (SMT) on your virtual machine instances. SMT, also known as Hyper-Threading on Intel processors, can be turned off to improve performance for certain types of workloads that are sensitive to thread contention.
Use Case:
Disabling SMT can be particularly beneficial for applications that require high single-thread performance or are negatively impacted by SMT’s resource sharing. This feature gives administrators more control over VM performance tuning, ensuring that resources are optimally utilized for specific workloads.
Lastly, this is just the beginning, I am sure year-2024 is going to be a game changer in terms of new releases and adaptability of Generative AI in various Oracle products. Stay tuned!
IT-Noesis 