Have PL/SQL Outputs in Real Time - sql

Question

Is it possible to have Outputs from PL/SQL in real time? I have a pretty huge package that runs for more than an hour and I'd like to see where the package is at a particular time.
Anyways, I currently do this with a log table, which gets filled up with hundreds of log descriptions per run, I'm just curious if this is possible.
Thanks!

Answer 1

This is the kind of thing I use (output can be seen in v$session and v$session_longops)...
DECLARE
lv_module_name VARCHAR2(48);
lv_action_name VARCHAR2(32);
gc_MODULE CONSTANT VARCHAR2(48) := 'MY_PROC';
-- For LONGOPS
lv_rindex BINARY_INTEGER;
lv_slno BINARY_INTEGER;
lc_OP_NAME CONSTANT VARCHAR2(64) := '['||gc_MODULE||']';
lv_sofar NUMBER;
-- This is a guess as to the amount of work we will do
lv_totalwork NUMBER;
lc_TARGET_DESC CONSTANT VARCHAR2(64) := 'Tables';
lc_UNITS CONSTANT VARCHAR2(64) := 'Rows';
CURSOR tab_cur
IS
SELECT owner, table_name
FROM all_tables;
BEGIN
<<initialisation>>
BEGIN
-- To preserve the calling stack, read the current module and action
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.READ_MODULE( module_name => lv_module_name
, action_name => lv_action_name );
-- Set our current module and action
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE( module_name => gc_MODULE
, action_name => NULL );
END initialisation;
<<main>>
BEGIN
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_ACTION( action_name => 'Part 01' );
NULL;
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_ACTION( action_name => 'Part 02' );
FOR tab_rec IN tab_cur
LOOP
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_CLIENT_INFO( client_info => 'Rows = ['||TO_CHAR( tab_cur%ROWCOUNT, '999,999,999' )||']' );
NULL;
END LOOP;
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_ACTION( action_name => 'Part 03' );
--Initialising longops
lv_rindex := DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_SESSION_LONGOPS_NOHINT;
lv_sofar := 0;
lv_totalwork := 5000; -- This is a guess, but could be actual if the query is quick
FOR tab_rec IN tab_cur
LOOP
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_CLIENT_INFO( client_info => 'Rows = ['||TO_CHAR( tab_cur%ROWCOUNT, '999,999,999' )||']' );
lv_sofar := lv_sofar + 1;
-- Update our totalwork guess
IF lv_sofar > lv_totalwork
THEN
lv_totalwork := lv_totalwork + 500;
END IF;
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_SESSION_LONGOPS( rindex => lv_rindex
, slno => lv_slno
, op_name => lc_OP_NAME
, sofar => lv_sofar
, totalwork => lv_totalwork
, target_desc => lc_TARGET_DESC
, units => lc_UNITS
);
END LOOP;
-- Clean up longops
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_SESSION_LONGOPS( rindex => lv_rindex
, slno => lv_slno
, op_name => lc_OP_NAME
, sofar => lv_sofar
, totalwork => lv_sofar
, target_desc => lc_TARGET_DESC
, units => lc_UNITS
);
END main;
<<finalisation>>
BEGIN
-- Reset the module and action to the values that may have called us
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_MODULE( module_name => lv_module_name
, action_name => lv_action_name );
-- Clear the client info, preventing any inter process confusion for anyone looking at it
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.SET_CLIENT_INFO( client_info => NULL );
END finalisation;
END;
/

Answer 2

I don't know if this is exactly what you want but I use dbms_application_info.set_module to see where my package is.
dbms_application_info.set_module(module_name => 'Conversion job',
action_name => 'updating table_x');
A query on v$session will show you which part of the procedure is running.

Answer 3

you could use autonomous transactions (as suggested in this SO for example).
This would allow you to write and commit in a log table without commiting the main transaction. You would then be able to follow what happens in your main script while it is running (incidentally, it will also allow you to time/tune your batch).

Answer 4

Use DBMS_PIPE to write a message to a named pipe. In another session you can read the messages from the pipe. Very simple, works like a charm !
procedure sendmessage(p_pipename varchar2
,p_message varchar2) is
s number(15);
begin
begin
sys.dbms_pipe.pack_message(p_message);
exception
when others then
sys.dbms_pipe.reset_buffer;
end;
s := sys.dbms_pipe.send_message(p_pipename, 0);
if s = 1
then
sys.dbms_pipe.purge(p_pipename);
end if;
end;
function receivemessage(p_pipename varchar2
,p_timeout integer) return varchar2 is
n number(15);
chr varchar2(200);
begin
n := sys.dbms_pipe.receive_message(p_pipename, p_timeout);
if n = 1
then
return null;
end if;
sys.dbms_pipe.unpack_message(chr);
return(chr);
end;

Answer 5

If your long-running job is processing a large number of fairly evenly sized tasks, you may find session longops a good way of monitoring the job progress, as well as allowing you to estimate how long the job will take to finish.
DBMS_APPLICATION_INFO.set_session_longops

Answer 6

If you have access to shell from PL/SQL environment you can call netcat:
BEGIN RUN_SHELL('echo "'||v_msg||'" | nc '||v_host||' '||v_port||' -w 5'); END;
/
v_host is a host running python script that reads data from socket on port v_port.
I used this design when I wrote aplogr for shell and pl/sql logs monitoring.