Data Masking

Data Masking
Recently I came across few Oracle links which tells a lot about Data Masking. Here are few links which gives you a great idea about the data masking feature of Oracle and the usage. It also covers the licensing part too.
Oracle Data Masking Pack:
Oracle Data Masking Pack provides a comprehensive easy-to-use solution to share production data with internal and external entities while preventing sensitive or confidential parts of the information from being disclosed to unauthorized parties. The solution replaces sensitive data in databases with realistic-looking, scrubbed data based on masking rules and conditions. QA staff can now use real data to represent authentic application and database scenarios in their testing processes without violating privacy policies or laws.
https://shop.oracle.com/pls/ostore/f?p=ostore:product:3264476248645124::NO:RP,3:P3_LPI,P3_PROD_HIER_ID:4509221213031805719914,4509951127051805720010#

Replacing Sensitive Data Using the Data Masking Pack:
This tutorial shows you how to identify sensitive data, select appropriate mask formats for the sensitive fields, apply the mask and then replace the sensitive fields in the production version.
This tutorial covers the following topics:
Overview
Prerequisites
Managing the Data Masking Format Library
Identifying Sensitive Data for Masking
Creating Data Masking Definitions for Your Application Schema
Exporting Mask Definitions to XML
Importing Data Masking Definitions
Creating and Applying a User-Defined Mask
Summary
Refer the below link for more details and screen shots.
http://www.oracle.com/technology/obe/obe10gemgc_10204/datamask/datamask.htm
Oracle Data Masking Pack Demo:
Refer the below link for a demo on Data masking.
http://download.oracle.com/technology/products/oem/screenwatches/data_masking/index.html

Active Data Guard and Snapshot Standby Features Of 11G

Active Data Guard and Snapshot Standby Features Of 11G
This is a nice database article to see active data guard and snapshot standby features in 11G. It also covers the below topics:
1: Activate Real Time Query on a physical standby database
2: Convert a physical standby database to snapshot standby mode
3: Utilize a snapshot standby database for testing application changes
4: Convert a snapshot standby database back to physical standby mode
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/oracle/article.php/3834931/article.htm

Configuring Dataguard Broker

Configuring Dataguard Broker:
This is a beautiful database article to configure dataguard broker in 11G . It also covers the below topics:
1: Demonstrates how to set up and utilize Data Guard Broker features in Oracle Database 11g.
2: Configuration of standby redo logs on the standby database.
3: Configuration of the primary and standby databases to ensure successful setup of Data Guard Broker
4: Data Guard Broker configuration on primary and standby database servers
5: Using Data Guard Broker to perform a switchover operation
6: Using Data Guard Broker to perform a switchback operation
http://www.databasejournal.com/features/oracle/article.php/3822176/Configuring-Data-Guard-Broker.htm
I hope the above link will definitely help you to configure and use data guard broker in your environment.

Installing Solaris 10 Virtual Machine Using Oracle VM Manager

Installing Solaris 10 Virtual Machine Using Oracle VM Manager:
Hope this will help. A stepwise process to install solaris 10 virtual machine.
http://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/2010/02/installing_solaris_10_virtual.html

Oracle VM

Techincal Information Of Oracle VM:
Oracle VM is free, next generation, scalable server virtualization software that supports Oracle and non-Oracle applications. Oracle VM provides an easy-to-use graphical interface for creating and managing virtual server pools running on x86 and x86-64-based systems across an enterprise; both Linux and Windows guests are supported. Part of Oracle VM includes the Xen hypervisor, and Oracle's engineering team contributes heavily to feature development of Xen mainline software. Refer the link below to collect technical information related to Oracle VM.
http://www.oracle.com/us/technologies/virtualization/024974.htm

Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison:
If you do not know who is Larry Ellison then read this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Ellison

Global Product Security

The Oracle Global Product Security Blog:
If you are looking for a place to watch security related information for Oracle products, refer the below blog:
http://blogs.oracle.com/security/

Oracle Virtualization

Oracle Virtualization:
If you are looking for Oracle Virtualization, the right place to go is:
http://blogs.oracle.com/virtualization/

I hope most of your queries will be answered here.

Oracle Press Releases

Oracle Press Releases:
See the latest news for Oracle Corporation. Follow the below link:
http://pressroom.oracle.com/search/search?group=PressReleases&keyword=

Oracle Licenses and Price

Oracle Licenses and Price:
Oracle products offering and pricing are given in more details at below link:
http://www.oracle.com/corporate/pricing/pricelists.html

Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server

Oracle Exadata: Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server:
Sun Oracle Exadata Storage Server is a storage product highly optimized for use with the Oracle database. Exadata delivers outstanding I/O and SQL processing performance for data warehousing applications by leveraging a massively parallel architecture to enable a dynamic storage grid for Oracle Database 11g deployments. Exadata is a combination of software and hardware used to store and access the Oracle database. It provides database aware storage services, such as the ability to offload database processing from the database server to storage, and provides this while being transparent to SQL processing and your database applications. Exadata storage delivers dramatic performance improvements, with unlimited I/O scalability, is simple to use and manage, and delivers mission-critical availability and reliability to your enterprise. Refer the below URL for more information
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/db/exadata/index.html

Sun Oracle Database Machine

Oracle Exadata: Sun Oracle Database Machine:
The Sun Oracle Database Machine provides an optimal solution for all database workloads, ranging from scan-intensive data warehouse applications to highly concurrent OLTP applications. With its combination of smart Oracle Exadata Storage Server Software, complete and intelligent Oracle Database software, and the latest industry standard hardware components from Sun, the Database Machine delivers extreme performance in a highly-available, highly-secure environment. With Oracle's unique clustering and workload management capabilities, the Database Machine is also well-suited for consolidating multiple databases onto a single grid. Delivered as a complete pre-optimized and pre-configured package of software, servers, and storage, the Sun Oracle Database Machine is simple and fast to implement and ready to tackle your large-scale business applications. Refer below URL for more details
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/db/exadata/index.html

Oracle Exadata

Oracle Exadata:
Do you know about Oracle Exadata?
"The world's first OLTP database machine with Sun flashfire technology."

Follow the below links for more information:
Oracle Unveils Exadata Version 2: The First Database Machine for OLTP:
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/033684

Sun Oracle Database Machine and Exadata Storage Server:
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/db/exadata/index.html

Refer the "Techical Information" section of the above link.