Release Update 19.30
This page describes the features and behavioral changes that are new in Release Update 19.30.
PRE_PAGE_SGA
PRE_PAGE_SGA remains a supported initialization parameter in Oracle Database 19c, Release Update 19.30. Removing its deprecated flag keeps automated duplicate and standby creation workflows from failing when the parameter is inherited from a source SPFILE.
Restoring full support for PRE_PAGE_SGA lets you keep legacy configurations in place without disrupting DBCA duplicate, Data Guard standby, or RMAN clone operations, eliminating ORA-32006 interruptions for fleets that cannot immediately drop the parameter.
Restricting Directory Paths for PDBs Configured Without PATH_PREFIX
A new CDB-level parameter, DIRECTORY_PREFIXES_ALLOWED, lets administrators restrict which operating system directories PDBs can reference when creating new DIRECTORY objects, even if the PDB was originally created without the PATH_PREFIX clause. When this parameter is set, any newly created DIRECTORY object in a PDB is validated to ensure its path falls under one of the approved directory prefixes. Existing DIRECTORY objects continue to function unchanged for backward compatibility. However, potentially noncompliant directory objects can be identified using DBA_DIR_PREFIX_VIOLATIONS and will appear as warnings in PDB_PLUG_IN_VIOLATIONS after a restart.
This security feature allows the CDB administrator to restrict directory object paths created or accessed from within PDBs to one or more specific operating system directories. It acts as a guardrail for the CDB by preventing PDBs that were created without the PATH_PREFIX clause from accessing or modifying sensitive operating system files or CDB$ROOT container datafiles and metadata files.
Select AI
Through the DBMS_CLOUD_AI package, Select AI serves as an AI gateway enabling users, developers, and applications to interact with Oracle AI Database using natural language supporting multiple generative AI use cases. Select AI provides functionality supporting natural language to SQL, including automatically generating, running, and explaining SQL, and through the DBMS_CLOUD_AI_AGENT package, providing a framework for building, managing, and running AI agents in the database. It also supports synthetic data generation and text summarization and translation. Select AI provides PL/SQL and Python APIs.
Together with the broader foundational Cloud Developer packages, they enable you to integrate AI capabilities directly from the database and support end-to-end workflows that deliver greater data insight with AI.
Select AI enables business users and developers to use a wide range of AI providers and models supporting many AI-enabled use cases and application scenarios. Select AI helps to simplify the adoption of AI in enterprises and organizations across both on-premises and cloud systems. Users get insights faster using natural language without waiting on manual SQL query generation. This can reduce IT bottlenecks and accelerate AI-enabled application development. Using Select AI, enterprises benefit from database security mechanisms and protocols.