Oracle 8.0.x and 8.1.

x Database Limits

Datatype Limits

Datatypes Limit Comments

BFILE maximum size: 4GB The maximum number of BFILEs is
maximum size of file name: 255 limited by SESSION_MAX_OPEN_FILES,
characters which is itself limited by the maximum
maximum size of open number of open
BFILEs: see comments files the operating system will allow.
BLOB 4GB maximum The number of LOB columns per table is
limited only by the maximum number
of
columns per table (i.e., 1000)
CHAR 2000 bytes maximum
CHAR VARYING 4000 bytes
CLOB 4GB maximum The number of LOB columns per table is
limited only by the maximum number
of
columns per table (i.e., 1000)
Literals (characters or 4000 characters maximum
numbers in SQL or PL/SQL
LONG 231-1 bytes (2GB) maximum Only one LONG column allowed per
table
NCHAR 2000 bytes
NCHAR VARYING 4000 bytes
NCLOB 4GB maximum The number of LOB columns per table is
limited only by the maximum number
of columns per table (i.e., 1000)
NUMBER 999...(38 9's)x10 to power of 25 Can be represented to full 38-digit
maximum value precision (the mantissa).
-999...(38 9's)x 10 to power of 125
minimum value
Precision 38 significant digits
RAW 2000 bytes maximum
VARCHAR 4000 bytes maximum
VARCHAR2 4000 bytes maximum

Physical Database Limits

Item Type of Limit Limit Value

Database Block Size minimum 2048 bytes; must be a multiple of O/S
physical block size
maximum O/S-dependent never more than 32KB
Database Blocks minimum in initial extent of a 2 blocks
segment platform dependent; typically 2 to power
maximum per datafile of 22 blocks
Controlfiles number of controlfiles 1 minimum: 2 or more (on separate
devices) strongly recommended
size of controlfile dependent on O/S and database creation
options; maximum of 20,000 x (database
block size)
Database files maximum per tablespace O/S dependent, usually 1022

maximum per database 65533; may be less on some operating

systems; limited also by size of database
 blocks, and by the DB_FILES init parameter
for a particular instance
Database file size maximum O/S dependent, limited by maximum O/S
file size; typically 2 to power of 22 or 4M
blocks
MAXEXTENTS default value derived from tablespace default storage or
DB_BLOCK_SIZE

maximum unlimited
Redo Log Files maximum number of logfiles LOG_FILES initialization parameter, or
MAXLOGFILES in CREATE DATABASE;
controlfile can be resized to allow more
entries; ultimately an O/S limit

Unlimited
maximum number of logfiles per
group
Redo Log File Size minimum size 50K bytes
maximum size O/S limit, typically 2GB
Tablespaces maximum number per database 64K ; Number of tablespaces cannot
exceed the number of database files, as
each tablespace must include at least one
file.

Logical Database Limits

Item Type Limit

GROUP BY clause maximum length The group-by expression and all
of the
non-distinct aggregate (e.g., sum,
avg)
need to fit within a single
database block.
Indexes maximum per table Unlimited

total size of indexed column 40% of the database block size

minus some overhead.
Columns table 1000 columns maximum
indexed (or clustered index) 32 columns maximum
bitmapped index 30 columns maximum
Constraints maximum per column Unlimited
Nested Queries maximum number 255
Partitions maximum length of linear 4KB - overhead
partitioning key
maximum number of columns in 16 columns
partition key
maximum number of partitions 64K-1 partitions
allowed per table or index
Rollback Segments maximum number per database no limit; limited within a session
by
MAX_ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS init
parameter
Rows maximum number per table no limit
SQL Statement Length maximum length of statements 64K maximum; particular tools
may impose lower limits
Stored Packages maximum size PL/SQL and Developer/2000 may
 have limits on the size of stored
rocedures they can call. Consult
your PL/SQL or Developer/2000
documentation for details. The
limits typically range from 2000-
3000 lines of code.
Trigger Cascade Limit maximum value O/S dependent, typically 32
Users and Roles maximum 2,147,483,638
Tables maximum per clustered table 32 tables
maximum per database unlimited

Schema Object Naming

Item Limit
Names of databases 8 bytes
Names of database links 128 bytes
All other schema objects 30 bytes

Process / Runtime Limits

Item Type Limit

Instances per database maximum number of OPS O/S dependent
instances per database
Locks row-level unlimited
Distributed Lock Manager O/S dependent
SGA size maximum value O/S dependent, typically 2-4 GB for 32-
bit O/S, > 4 GB for 64 bit O/S

Oracle8i ONLY

Advanced Queuing Processes maximum per instance 10

Oracle8i ONLY

Job Queue Processes maximum per instance 36

I/O Slave Processes maximum per background 15
process (DBWR, LGWR, etc.)

maximum per Backup session 15

Sessions maximum per instance 32K, limited by PROCESSES and
SESSIONS init parameters
LCK Processes maximum per instance 10
MTS Servers maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS init
parameters, for instance
Dispatchers maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS init
parameters, for instance.
Parallel Execution Slaves maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS init
parameters, for instance.
Backup Sessions maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS init
parameters, for instance.
9i Database Limits

Datatype Limits

VARCHAR2 Maximum size is 4000

NVARCHAR2 Maximum size is determined by the national
character set definition, with an upper limit of 4000
bytes
NUMBER( p,s) The precision p can range from 1 to 38. The scale s
can range from -84 to 127
LONG up to 2 gigabytes, or 231 -1 bytes
DATE range from January 1, 4712 BC to December 31,
9999 AD
TIMESTAMP( fractional_seconds_precision) fractional_seconds_precisionis the number of digits
in the fractional part of the SECOND datetime field.
Accepted values of fractional_seconds_precision are
0 to 9. The default is 6
TIMESTAMP( fractional_seconds_precision) WITH fractional_seconds_precisionis the number of digits
TIME ZONE in the fractional part of the SECOND datetime field.
Accepted values are 0 to 9. The default is 6
TIMESTAMP( fractional_seconds_precision)WITH same as TIMESTAMP( fractional_seconds_precision)
LOCAL TIME ZONE WITH TIME ZONE
INTERVAL YEAR( year_precision) TO MONTH year_precision is the number of digits in the YEAR
datetime field. Accepted values are 0 to 9. The
default is 2
INTERVAL DAY (day_precision) TO SECOND day_precision is the maximum number of digits in
( fractional_seconds_precision) the DAY datetime field. Accepted values are 0 to 9.
The default is 2

fractional_seconds_precision is the number of digits

in the fractional part of the SECOND field. Accepted
values are 0 to 9. The default is 6
RAW( size) Maximum size is 2000 bytes
LONG RAW up to 2 gigabytes
ROWID Base 64 string representing the unique address of a
row in its table
UROWID [( size)] Base 64 string representing the logical address of a
row of an index-organized table. The optional size is
the size of a column of type UROWID. The maximum
size and default is 4000 bytes
CHAR( size)[BYTE |CHAR] Fixed-length character data of length size
bytes.Maximum size is 2000 bytes. Default and
minimum size is 1 byte
NCHAR( size) Fixed-length character data of length size
characters. Maximum size is determined by the
national character set definition, with an upper limit
of 2000 bytes. Default and minimum size is 1
character
CLOB Maximum size is 4 gigabytes
NCLOB Maximum size is 4 gigabytes
BLOB Maximum size is 4 gigabytes
BFILE Maximum size is 4 gigabytes
Physical Database Limits

Database Block Size Minimum 2048 bytes; must be a multiple of operating system
physical block size

Maximum Operating system dependent; never more than 32

KB
Database Blocks Minimum in initial 2 blocks
extent of a
segment
Platform dependent; typically 222-1 blocks
Maximum per
datafile
Controlfiles Number of control 1 minimum; 2 or more (on separate devices)
files strongly recommended

Size of a control Dependent on operating system and database

file creation options; maximum of 20,000 x (database
block size)
Database files Maximum per Operating system dependent; usually 1022
tablespace

Maximum per 65533. May be less on some operating systems

database Limited also by size of database blocks and by the
DB_FILES initialization parameter for a particular
instance
Database extents Maximum 2 GB, regardless of the maximum file size allowed
by the operating system
Database file size Maximum Operating system dependent. Limited by maximum
operating system file size; typically 222 or 4M
blocks
MAXEXTENTS Default value Derived from tablespace default storage or
DB_BLOCK_SIZE initialization parameter

Maximum Unlimited
Redo Log Files Maximum number Limited by value of MAXLOGFILES parameter in the
of logfiles CREATE DATABASE statement. Control file can be
resized to allow more entries; ultimately an
operating system limit
Maximum number
of logfiles per Unlimited
group
Redo Log File Size Minimum size 50 KB
Maximum size Operating system limit; typically 2 GB
Tablespaces Maximum number 64 KB Number of tablespaces cannot exceed the
per database number of database files, as each tablespace must
include at least one file
Logical Database Limits
GROUP BY clause Maximum length
Indexes Maximum per table
total size of indexed column
Columns Per table
Per index (or clustered
index)
Per bitmapped index
Constraints Maximum per column
Subqueries Maximum levels of
subqueries in a SQL
statement
Partitions Maximum length of linear
partitioning key
Maximum number of
columns in partition key
Maximum number of
partitions allowed per table
or index
Rollback Segments Maximum number per
database
Rows Maximum number per table
SQL Statement Length Maximum length of
statements
Stored Packages Maximum size
Trigger Cascade Limit Maximum value
Users and Roles Maximum
Tables Maximum per clustered
table Maximum per
database
Process and Runtime Limits
Instances per database Maximum number of cluster
database instances per database
Locks Row-level
The GROUP BY expression and all of the
nondistinct aggregates functions (for example,
SUM, AVG) must fit within a single database
block.
Unlimited
75% of the database block size minus some
overhead
1000 columns maximum
32 columns maximum
30 columns maximum
Unlimited
Unlimited in the FROM clause of the top-level
query;
255 subqueries in the WHERE clause
4 KB - overhead
16 columns
64 K-1 partitions
No limit; limited within a session by
MAX_ROLLBACK_SEGMENTS initialization
parameter
Unlimited
64 KB maximum; particular tools may impose
lower limits
PL/SQL and Developer/2000 may have limits on
the size of stored procedures they can call. The
limits typically range from 2000 to 3000 lines of
code. See Also: Your PL/SQL or Developer/2000
documentation for details
Operating system-dependent, typically 32
2,147,483,638
32 tables
Unlimited
Operating system-dependent
Unlimited

SGA size
Advanced Queuing Processes
Job Queue Processes
I/O Slave Processes
Sessions
Global Cache Service Processes
Shared Servers
Dispatchers
Parallel Execution Slaves
Backup Sessions
Distributed Lock Manager Operating system dependent
Maximum value Operating system-dependent;
typically 2 to 4 GB for 32-bit
operating systems, and > 4 GB
for 64-bit operating systems
Maximum per instance 10
Maximum per instance 1000
Maximum per background 15
process (DBWR, LGWR, etc.)
Maximum per Backup session 15
Maximum per instance 32K; limited by PROCESSES and
SESSIONS initialization
parameters
Maximum per instance 10
Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS
initialization parameters, for
instance
Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS
initialization parameters, for
instance
Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS
initialization parameters, for
instance
Maximum per instance Unlimited within constraints set
by PROCESSES and SESSIONS
initialization parameters, for
instance