dbasim — learn to fix Oracle from real incidents
dbasim plants a "the database is broken" incident in Oracle Database Free on your own computer. A simulated app keeps using it the whole time. You find the cause, fix it, and dbasim checks whether your fix really worked.
⚠️ dbasim creates and drops users and tablespaces in the database it points at. Only use it with Oracle Free on your own machine. It refuses to run against anything that is not Free and never drops a
SHOPuser it did not create.
Requirements
- Docker (on Windows: Docker Desktop + WSL2)
- About 3GB free RAM and 10GB free disk
- Python 3.9 or newer
1. Start Oracle Database Free
docker run -d --name dbasim-oracle -p 1521:1521 \
-e ORACLE_PWD=ChangeMe123 \
container-registry.oracle.com/database/free:latest
docker logs -f dbasim-oracle # wait for DATABASE IS READY TO USE!
Downloading and using Oracle Database Free is governed by the Oracle Free Use Terms and Conditions, between you and Oracle.
2. Install dbasim
pip install dbasim
3. Configure
export DBASIM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=ChangeMe123 # Windows PowerShell: $env:DBASIM_ADMIN_PASSWORD="ChangeMe123"
export DBASIM_DSN=localhost:1521/FREEPDB1 # default
export DBASIM_SCALE=0.3 # smaller data for slow machines
dbasim doctor
4. Play
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
dbasim list |
List scenarios and your scores |
dbasim start s01 |
Start a scenario (plants the problem + starts the simulated app) |
dbasim logs |
Read the app's log, like when a ticket comes in |
dbasim status |
Time spent, score, and the password of user SHOP |
dbasim hint |
Get a hint (-15 points each) |
dbasim check |
Check your fix; once solved you see a senior DBA's write-up |
dbasim solution --yes |
Give up and see the solution (0 points) |
dbasim lang th / en |
Switch language: English is the default (or set DBASIM_LANG) |
dbasim reset |
Remove everything dbasim created and undo settings the scenarios invite you to change |
Use any tool you like: SQL*Plus, SQLcl, SQL Developer, connected as SYSTEM to FREEPDB1.
Every scenario can be solved with what Oracle Free ships (v$ views, DBMS_XPLAN, trace).
No AWR/ASH needed.
Scenarios
| ID | Scenario | Level | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| s01 | Order search page is slow | Easy | Free |
| s02 | Month-end report slow after data migration | Easy | Free |
| s03 | The nightly batch fails every night | Easy | Free |
| s04 | Payment entry screen hangs | Medium | Pro (coming soon) |
| s05 | CPU spikes after a new app release | Medium | Pro (coming soon) |
The first three scenarios are free forever: no sign-up and no licence key. Pro scenarios are not on sale yet (coming soon). Watch this repository to hear when they launch.
Found a problem, or want to suggest a scenario? Open an issue at https://github.com/kulchartt/oracledbasim/issues
Metadata
Release files for dbasim 0.3.2
For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.
Source distribution (sdist)
| File | Size | Uploaded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| dbasim-0.3.2.tar.gz | 37.1 kB | Details |
Built distribution (wheel)
| File | Interpreter | ABI | Platform | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dbasim-0.3.2-py3-none-any.whl | Python 3 | none | any | Details |
Total release size: 79.1 kB
Release files / dbasim-0.3.2.tar.gz
| Download URL | dbasim-0.3.2.tar.gz |
|---|---|
| Size | 37.1 kB |
| Tags | Source |
|
SHA-256 checksum How to use checksums |
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Yes |
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twine/7.0.0 CPython/3.13.14
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Transparency logRelease files / dbasim-0.3.2-py3-none-any.whl
| Download URL | dbasim-0.3.2-py3-none-any.whl |
|---|---|
| Size | 42.0 kB |
| Tags | Python 3 |
|
SHA-256 checksum How to use checksums |
9cd99cfac7ea2a2cbd2b38af8a429e8d88c0987a2b972e114aca18d8895c1b7b
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034530d2327285d64a8d18f845ff63133d9204401965e293bdb79b800cc42bf5
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| Upload date | |
|
Uploaded using Trusted Publishing? What is trusted publishing? |
Yes |
| Uploaded via |
twine/7.0.0 CPython/3.13.14
|
Provenance
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PyPI Publish Attestation
PyPI verified that this artifact, at this checksum, originated from the publisher listed below.
Signed by GitHub Actions, verified by PyPI on Oct 5, 2026.
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