Oracle ADB DevOps

3. Prefer least privilege and reversible operations before applying changes.
4. Capture before and after evidence (SQL output, OCI command output, AWR snapshots when relevant).

Workflow

1. Classify the task

• Use Performance for slow SQL, CPU spikes, wait events, or throughput degradation.
• Use Security for encryption, access controls, auditing, Data Safe, or SQL Firewall.
• Use HA/DR for standby, PITR, backup restore, clone, switchover, or failover.
• Use Operations for start, stop, scale, backup, and OCI lifecycle automation.
• Use Development for SQL/PLSQL patterns, vector search, JSON duality, and schema design.

2. Pick tooling path

• Use SQLcl or MCP SQL execution for SQL diagnostics and schema operations.
• Use OCI CLI for lifecycle operations and infrastructure-level actions.
• Use Oracle documentation MCP search when syntax or version behavior is uncertain.

3. Apply safety gates

• Verify environment and target OCIDs before executing commands.
• Use bind variables and deterministic ordering in queries.
• Create a backup or restore point before high-risk changes.
• Plan rollback for every production-impacting operation.

4. Validate and report

• Validate with execution plans, runtime metrics, and operation status.
• Report what changed, why, and how to roll back.

Decision Tree

Database task required:

• Performance issue: use references/sql-patterns.md, then add AWR or ADDM evidence if needed.
• Security task: use references/adb-security.md.
• HA/DR task: use references/adb-ha-dr.md.
• CLI automation task: use references/oci-cli.md.
• MCP-assisted investigation: use references/mcp-tools.md.

Version Notes

Feature coverage by version:

When a command or feature is version-sensitive, confirm behavior with the documentation MCP server or Oracle docs before execution.

Command Guardrails

• Use FETCH FIRST n ROWS ONLY; do not use LIMIT.
• Use bind variables for runtime SQL.
• Avoid broad grants and default to explicit object privileges.
• Close MCP database connections after task completion.
• Record timestamps in UTC for backup and restore operations.

External Documentation

• Oracle Database 26ai Documentation
• Oracle Autonomous Database Documentation
• OCI CLI Command Reference
• Oracle MCP Servers Documentation
• SQLcl Documentation