AWR stands for Automatic Workload Repository, a kind of report collection tool used by databases in the Oracle platform or environment. Through AWR, users can extract the status or performance of a particular application and get a report of various events and tasks. When there are database issues and problems for example, it is through the AWR or Automatic Workload Registry that one can retrieve event performance. The AWR performance reporting tool is available in various Oracle database versions including Oracle 8i, Oracle 9i, and Oracle 10g among many others. In the past AWR is part of the stats pack or statistics package of older Oracle database versions. Starting with Oracle 10g, the previous stats pack became Oracle’s Automatic Workload Repository.

As a performance reporting tool, Oracle’s AWR literally waits for events in the database and analyze its performance status. If there are problems in a particular event of the database, a report will be created by the AWR tool. It is also through the AWR that data regarding time models are recorded. Through this feature, the time needed by the database to process a certain task or event is calculated. ASH or active session history is also recorded through the AWR tool. Other data components that are recorded under Oracle’s AWR include object usage status, and various statistics on database sessions, processes, and events.

Oracle’s Automatic workload Repository works hand in hand with ADDM or Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor. The ADDM is the tool that analyzes the overall health and functionality of the Oracle database and it uses data from the AWR to know which part of the Oracle system has a performance concern or problem. Through the ADDM with the use of AWR data, bottlenecks in every session or process are identified and addressed. In typical database scenarios, some events may cause performance issues within the Oracle framework and the reports and statistics provided by AWR become very useful.