Automatic Storage Management is a feature provided in Oracle 10g (since rev2) that aims to simplify the database files management. To do so, ASM provides file system and volume management capabilities directly inside the Oracle database kernel, allowing volumes and disks management with familiar SQL statements in Oracle. Therefore, the DBA doesn't need extra skills on specific file systems or volume managers usually provided by the operating system. With ASM:
- IOs can be spread over all the disks available
- Automatic online redistribution when you add or remove some storage capacities
- Maintains redundant copies and provides 3rd party RAID functionalities
- Support 3rd party multipathing IO technologies (failover or load balancing to SAN access, etc.)
