On a professional note, I am obliged to Ronald Rood, Kamran Agayev, Mohan Dutta, and Marcel Hoefs who reviewed the book with their own insights and perspectives. I was excited with the fact that the technical reviewers of my book are Oracle ACEs, highly respected, and recognized experts in the industry. I am grateful to Ronald who judged the worth of the book from the DBA perspective and helped me to extend my limits on the administrative aspect as well. Thanks to Kamran Agayev who consistently encouraged my writing styles and gave valuable inputs on the chapters. My obligations to Mohan Dutta and Marcel Hoefs who invested their valuable time in my work and added to the quality of the content. I would also like to express my gratitude for Arup Nanda, who has always been a great source of inspiration for me. His sessions and articles, covering all areas of Oracle database, have always been a great source of knowledge and motivation for me.

I would like to extend the appreciation to Packt Publishing for considering my proposal and accepting to go ahead on this book. My sincere thanks to Rukshana Khambatta, the Acquisition Editor at Packt for coordinating the kick-off activities of the book. I deeply appreciate the efforts of the Project Coordinator, Alka Nayak; the Lead Technical Editor, Pramila Balan; and the Technical Editors Vrinda Amberkar and Prasad Dalvi, whose diligent work and coordination added extra miles to the project. There was great tuning established between us and I am glad we worked parallely on the editorial process while abiding by the timelines.

It is correctly said that a man's personal and professional achievements are a showcase of his family's support and encouragement. I dedicate all my efforts and works to my parents, Suresh Chandra Gupta and Swadesh Gupta and family for their inevitable support, motivation, and sacrifices, and nurturing me towards all my achievements. Sincere thanks to my wife, Neha, and Sir J.B. Mall for their love, consistent support, and confidence in my endeavors and for being with me during my tough times.