In Oracle Autonomous Database, what is the purpose of automatic indexing?

In Oracle Autonomous Database, the primary purpose of automatic indexing is to enhance query performance by autonomously creating, dropping, and modifying indexes based on the actual workload. This feature analyzes the queries being run on the database and identifies opportunities to improve performance through indexing strategies that would otherwise require manual intervention.

Automatic indexing ensures that the workload changes over time do not hinder performance, as it adjusts the indexing automatically to accommodate new usage patterns and data distributions. It operates continuously in the background, monitoring the database’s performance and making decisions on indexing that reflect the most current state of query activity, which is a significant advantage for optimizing database operations.

In contrast, manually creating and modifying indexes would be a time-consuming process that requires significant expertise and attention to shifting workloads. The other options either suggest a narrow focus that does not capture the full scope of automatic indexing or relate to aspects of database management that are not directly addressed by this feature.