Oracle Trace File Analyzer helps you collect and analyze diagnostic data.

As a DBA, you are expected to do more work with fewer resources all the time. You are under pressure to keep the mission-critical applications up and running. When something goes wrong, everyone looks to you to understand what went wrong and how to fix it.

It is not always easy. You have to run the right tools at the right time. If you're using Oracle Grid Infrastructure, then you also have to collect diagnostic data from all the database nodes. Collecting this data can require you to use tools that you rarely use. Needless to say, each tool has its own syntax.

The amount of data you collect can be huge. Only a fraction of the data that you collect is useful, but how can you know which part is relevant? You must collect it all, quickly, before the data is overwritten. In the meantime, you have still got a problem that costs your company time and money.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer enables you to collect diagnostic data. Collecting diagnostic data is a crucial step to resolving problems that occur with your Oracle Database.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer monitors your logs for significant problems that potentially impact your service. Oracle Trace File Analyzer also automatically collects relevant diagnostics when it detects any potential problems.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer can identify the relevant information in log files. It trims log files to just the parts that are necessary to resolve an issue. Oracle Trace File Analyzer also collects data across cluster nodes and consolidates everything in one place.

Using important database diagnostic tools is easy with Oracle Trace File Analyzer. Oracle Trace File Analyzer hides the complexity by providing a single interface and syntax for them all.

You can use Oracle Trace File Analyzer with all supported versions of Oracle Database and Oracle Grid Infrastructure.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer works on the following operating systems:

• Linux OEL

• Linux RedHat

• Linux SuSE

• Linux Itanium

• zLinux

• Oracle Solaris SPARC

• Oracle Solaris x86-64

• AIX

• HPUX Itanium

• HPUX PA-RISC

• Microsoft Windows 64-bit

Oracle Trace File Analyzer is supported on the operating system versions supported by Oracle Database. Use a Java Runtime Edition of version 1.8.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer is shipped with Oracle Gird Infrastructure since versions 11.2.0.4 and 12.1.0.2. However, this install does not include many of the Oracle Database tools. Oracle releases new versions of Oracle Trace File Analyzer several times a year. These new releases include new features and bug fixes.

Ensure that you get the latest Oracle Trace File Analyzer with Oracle Database support tools bundle from My Oracle Support note 1513912.1.

To obtain the fullest capabilities of Oracle Trace File Analyzer, install it as root.

1. Download appropriate Oracle Trace File Analyzer zipped file, copy the downloaded file to the required machine, and then unzip.
2. Run the installTFA command:

   $ ./installTFA-platform

If you are unable to install as root, then install Oracle Trace File Analyzer as the Oracle home owner.

Oracle Trace File Analyzer has reduced capabilities in this installation mode.

You cannot complete the following tasks:

• Automate diagnostic collections

• Collect diagnostics from remote hosts

• Collect files that are not readable by the Oracle home owner, for example, /var/log/messages, or certain Oracle Grid Infrastructure logs

To install as the Oracle home owner, use the –extractto option. Using the –extractto option tells Oracle Trace File Analyzer where to install to. Also, use the –javahome option to indicate which JRE to use. Use the JRE already available in the Oracle home, unless you have a later version available.

./installTFA-platform -extractto install_dir -javahome jre_home

1. Download appropriate Oracle Trace File Analyzer zipped file, copy the downloaded file to one of the required machines, and then unzip.
2. Open a command prompt as administrator and then run the installation script by specifying a Perl home.

   For example:

   install.bat -perlhome D:\oracle\product\12.2.0\dbhome_1\perl

1. Download appropriate Oracle Trace File Analyzer zipped file, copy the downloaded file to one of the required machines, and then unzip.
2. Open a command prompt as administrator and then run the installation script.

   tfa_home\bin\tfactl.bat -setupnd

Based on your installation type, the ora_home and the bin directories can differ.

If you have installed Oracle Trace File Analyzer with Oracle Grid Infrastructure, then TFA_HOME will be GRID_HOME/tfa/hostname/tfa_home.

The tfactl tool functions as command-line interface, shell interface, and menu interface.

Masking sensitive data is an optional feature that you can configure Oracle Trace File Analyzer to mask sensitive data in log files.

1. Create a file called mask_strings.xml in the directory tfa_home/resources.
2. Define a mask_strings element then within that a mask_string element, with original and replacement for each string you wish to replace:
   For example:

   <mask_strings>
        <mask_string>
             <original>WidgetNode1</original>
             <replacement>Node1</replacement>
        </mask_string>
        <mask_string>
             <original>192.168.5.1</original>
             <replacement>Node1-IP</replacement>
        </mask_string>
        <mask_string>
             <original>WidgetNode2</original>
             <replacement>Node2</replacement>
        </mask_string>
        <mask_string>
             <original>192.168.5.2</original>
             <replacement>Node2-IP</replacement>
        </mask_string>
   </mask_strings>

   Oracle Trace File Analyzer automatically locates the mask_strings.xml files, and starts replacing the sensitive data in the diagnostics it collects.

Running tfactl commands is restricted to authorized users.

1. To uninstall Oracle Trace File Analyzer, run the uninstall command as root, or install user.

   $ tfactl uninstall