Automatic Storage Management (ASM) is a feature provided by Oracle Corporation within the Oracle Database from release Oracle 10g (revision 1) onwards. ASM aims to simplify the management of database files. To do so, it provides tools to manage file systems and volumes directly inside the database, allowing database administrators (DBAs) to control volumes and disks with familiar SQL statements in standard Oracle environments. Thus DBAs do not need extra skills in specific file systems or volume managers (which usually operate at the level of the operating system).
With ASM:
- IO channels can take advantage of data striping and software mirroring
- DBAs can automate online redistribution of data, along with the addition and removal of disks/storage
- the system maintains redundant copies and provides 3rd-party RAID functionality
- Oracle supports third-party multipathing IO technologies (such as failover or load balancing to SAN access)
- the need for hot spares diminishes
Read more about Automatic Storage Management: Features, Architecture Overview, Implementation and Usage, Functionality, Striping, Redundancy, Directory Structure, Comparison With Other LVMs, Advantages For Database Administrators
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