18c
Oracle Machine Learning notebooks
With the recent release of Oracle’s Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud (ADWC), Oracle has given data scientists a new tool for data discovery and machine learning on the ADWC. Oracle Machine Learning is based on Apache Zeppelin and gives us a new machine learning tool for accessing the in-database machine learning algorithms and in-database statistical functions.
Oracle Machine Learning (OML) SQL notebooks provide easy access to Oracle’s parallelized, scalable in-database implementations of a library of Oracle Advanced Analytics’ machine learning algorithms (classification, regression, anomaly detection, clustering, associations, attribute importance, feature extraction, times series, etc.), SQL, PL/SQL and Oracle’s statistical and analytical SQL functions. Oracle Machine Learning SQL notebooks and Oracle Advanced Analytics’ library of machine learning SQL functions combined with PL/SQL allow companies to automate their discovery of new insights, generate predictions and add “AI” to data viz dashboards and enterprise applications.
The key features of Oracle Machine Learning include:
- Collaborative SQL notebook UI for data scientists
- Packaged with Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse Cloud
- Easy access to shared notebooks, templates, permissions, scheduler, etc.
- Access to 30+ parallel, scalable in-database implementations of machine learning algorithms
- SQL and PL/SQL scripting language supported
- Enables and Supports Deployments of Enterprise Machine Learning Methodologies in ADWC
Here is a list of key resources for Oracle Machine Learning:
- Oracle Machine Learning Notebooks
- Video overview of Oracle Machine Learning
- Download sample Oracle Machine Learning notebooks
- Quick Start Tutorial for getting started with Oracle Machine Learning
- Documentation: Using Oracle Machine Learning
Oracle 18c New Oracle Advanced Analytics (Machine Learning) features
With each release of the Oracle Database we get new Machine Learning features, under the umbrella term of Oracle Advanced Analytics option (OAA).
With Oracle 18c we get the following new features, that include new machine learning algorithms, improvements to machine learning algorithms, and meta-data improvements for registering new R based algorithms.
These new OAA features include:
New Time-Series function : This new function forecasts target value based solely on a known history of target values and uses the popular auto-regressive modelling method.
New Model Detail Views : Previously you could inspect the details of a model using a function. This is being phased out and replaced by model view, with the format DM$VA
New Neural Networks Algorithm : With the growing interest in deep learning, Oracle have now included a neural network algorithm into the database, thus providing SQL and PL/SQL interfaces to all for easy of use and easy of integration into applications.
New Random Forest Algorithm : Random Forests has been proven over the past few years to be very accurate for certain types of classification problems. This algorithm has now been included in the database, with SQL and PL/SQL interfaces.
Improved Sampling for Association Rules : A new specialised sampling approach is introduced for Association Rules. This is to improve performance, while maintaining accuracy, for large/big data sets.
Algorithm Meta Data Registration : Simplifies the integration of new algorithms in the R extensibility framework. This feature allows a uniform consistent approach of registering new algorithm functions and their settings.
New Exponential Smoothing Algorithm : This allows for users to make predictions from time series data, and includes 14 models, including the popular Holt (trend) and Holt-Winters (trend and seasonality) models, and the ability to handle irregular time series intervals.
New CUR Decomposition-based Algorithm for Attribute and Row Importance : Most algorithms focus on identifying columns or rows that are important within their data sets. This algorithm has the added feature of also identifying important rows.
As you can see there are a lot of machine learning new features in Oracle 18c. Each one of these new features will be explored in more detail in separate blog posts.
Oracle 18c DBaaS Cloud Setup
The 18c Oracle DBaaS is now available. This is the only place that Oracle 18c will be available until later in 2018. So if you want to try it out, then you are going to need to get some Oracle Cloud credits, or you may already have a paying account for Oracle Cloud.
The following outlines the steps you need to go through to gets Oracle 18c setup.
1. Log into your Oracle Cloud
Log into your Oracle Cloud environment. Depending on your access path you will get to your dashboard.
Select Create Instance from the dashboard.
2. Create a new Database
From the list of services to create, select Database.
3. Click ‘Create Instance’
4. Enter the Database Instance details
Enter the details for your new Oracle 18c Database. I’ve called mine ‘db18c’.
Then for the Software Release dropdown list, select ‘Oracle Database 18c’.
Next select the Software Edition from the dropdown list.
5. Fill in the Instance Details
Fill in the details for ‘DB Name’, ‘PDB Name’, ‘Administration Password’, ‘Confirm Password’, setup the SSH Public Key, and then decide if you need the Backup and Recovery option.
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6. Create the DBaaS
Double check everything and when ready click on the ‘Create’ button.
7. Wait for Everything to be Create
Now is the time to be patient and wait while your cloud service is created.
I’ve created two different version of the 18c Oracle DBaaS. The Enterprise Edition to 30 minutes to complete and the High Performance service too 47 minutes.
No it’s time to go play.
18c is now available (but only on the Cloud)
On Friday afternoon (16th February) we started to see tweets and blog posts from people in Oracle saying that Oracle 18c was now available. But is only available on Oracle Cloud and Engineered Systems.
It looks like we will have to wait until the Autumn before we can install it ourselves on our own servers 😦
Here is the link to the official announcement for Oracle 18c.
Oracle 18c is really Oracle 12.2.0.2. The next full new release of the Oracle database is expected to be Oracle 19.
The new features and incremental enhancements in Oracle 18c are:
- Multitenant
- In-Memory
- Sharding
- Memory Optimized Fetches
- Exadata RAC Optimizations
- High Availability
- Security
- Online Partition Merge
- Improved Machine Learning (OAA)
- Polymorphic Table Functions
- Spatial and Graph
- More JSON improvements
- Private Temporary Tablespaces
- New mode for Connection Manager
And now the all important links to the documentation.
To give Oracle 18c a try you will need to go to cloud.oracle.com and select Database from the drop down list from the Platform menu. Yes you are going to need an Oracle Cloud account and some money or some free credit. Go and get some free cloud credits at the upcoming Oracle Code events.
If you want a ‘free’ way of trying out Oracle 18c, you can use Oracle Live SQL. They have setup some examples of the new features for you to try.
NOTE: Oracle 18c is not Autonomous. Check out Tim Hall’s blog posts about this. The Autonomous Oracle Database is something different, and we will be hearing more about this going forward.
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