Renga@DBA
Goal:
To fix a performance issue by forcing a good execution plan using Oracle SQL Profile in a real-
time environment.
✅ What is coe_xfr_sql_profile.sql?
Oracle provides this script to capture a known good execution plan and apply it as a SQL
Profile, which can be used to consistently force the same execution plan even if the optimizer
changes.
📁 Script Location:
$ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin/coe_xfr_sql_profile.sql
(Part of the SQLT toolset — requires SQLT to be installed)
🛠️ Pre-requisites:
• You must have DBA privileges.
• SQLT must be installed in your database.
• You should have the SQL_ID of both the good plan and the bad plan.
🔍 Step-by-Step Execution:
Step 1: Identify the SQL_ID of the query
Find the SQL_ID for which you want to force a better plan:
SELECT sql_id, sql_text FROM v$sql WHERE sql_text LIKE
'%<part_of_your_query>%';
step 2: Find the plan_hash_values
List all execution plans for this SQL_ID:
SELECT sql_id, plan_hash_value, child_number, executions, elapsed_time,
buffer_gets
Renga@DBA
FROM v$sql
WHERE sql_id = 'your_sql_id'
ORDER BY elapsed_time;
Pick the plan_hash_value with the best performance (good plan) and note the SQL_ID.
Step 3: Run the coe_xfr_sql_profile.sql script
Connect as a user with DBA privileges (preferably SYS or SYSTEM).
From OS
cd $ORACLE_HOME/rdbms/admin
sqlplus / as sysdba
@coe_xfr_sql_profile.sql
It will prompt for:
1. SQL_ID → Enter the SQL ID (with the good plan)
2. PLAN_HASH_VALUE → Enter the good plan hash value
Example:
Enter SQL_ID: 9z1fyq91b5n1d
Enter PLAN_HASH_VALUE: 3468927368
Step 4: Review the generated script
After running, it generates a script named like:
coe_xfr_sql_profile_9z1fyq91b5n1d_3468927368.sql
Open and review it — It contains a call to DBMS_SQLTUNE.IMPORT_SQL_PROFILE to create
the profile.
Step 5: Execute the generated script
Run the generated .sql script to apply the SQL profile:
@coe_xfr_sql_profile_9z1fyq91b5n1d_3468927368.sql
Renga@DBA
This will output:
SQL Profile "COE_9z1fyq91b5n1d_3468927368" created.
Step 6: Validate the SQL is using the forced plan
Check again in AWR or v$sql to ensure the SQL is now using the desired plan:
SELECT sql_id, plan_hash_value, executions, elapsed_time
FROM v$sql
WHERE sql_id = 'your_sql_id';
Or verify the profile:
SELECT sql_id, sql_profile FROM dba_sql_profiles WHERE sql_id =
'your_sql_id';
✅ Optional: Fix plan issues if not working
If the plan is still not picked:
• Gather fresh stats.
• Ensure bind peeking/values are same.
• Drop and recreate the SQL Profile if needed:
EXEC DBMS_SQLTUNE.DROP_SQL_PROFILE('COE_9z1fyq91b5n1d_3468927368');
🧠 Real-Time Use Case Summary:
Task Action
Identify SQL Use v$sql to get SQL_ID
Use v$sql with
Get good plan hash
plan_hash_value
Run coe_xfr_sql_profile Generate profile script
Execute generated
Create SQL profile
script
Validate Ensure the plan is used
Renga@DBA
📎 Advantages:
• Non-invasive: No code changes required
• Can be removed anytime
• Helps stabilize production queries
