Solution to ORA-14552: The DDL, commit, or rollback cannot be executed during a query or DML operation
I encountered the ORA-14552 error while working with an Oracle database. This error occurs when attempting to execute a Data Definition Language (DDL) statement, such as CREATE, ALTER, or DROP, while a Data Manipulation Language (DML) operation or query is in progress. The key reason for this behavior is that Oracle locks the table during DML operations and queries, preventing any schema changes until these operations complete.
To resolve this issue, I followed these steps:
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Identify the Current Operations: Checked if there are any ongoing DML operations or long-running queries by querying the V$SESSION and V$LOCK views. This helped me understand which session might be holding locks.
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Wait for Completion: If possible, allowed the current query or DML operation to finish before executing the DDL statement. This ensured that no locks were held during the DDL execution.
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Optimize Queries/DML: Evaluated if there were any optimizations I could make to reduce the duration of long-running queries or DML operations, such as indexing missing columns or partitioning tables.
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Use Proper DDL Commands: Ensured that I used appropriate DDL commands and scheduled them during periods of lower database activity to minimize interference with ongoing operations.
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Check for Open Transactions: Verified if there were any open transactions in my session using COMMIT or ROLLBACK. If necessary, I rolled back the transaction to release locks before proceeding.
By following these steps, I resolved the ORA-14552 error and ensured smooth execution of both DML and DDL operations. It’s crucial to manage database operations carefully, especially in environments with concurrent access, to avoid such errors.