Oracle 11G Release 2 available (Linux only though)

Linux only at the moment

 http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/database/oracle11g/index.html

  11GR2 documentation

 http://www.oracle.com/pls/db112/homepage

 11GR2 new features

 http://download.oracle.com/docs/cd/E11882_01/server.112/e10881/toc.htm

  new features index page shows the following (of which I will be looking at ASM first)

 1.1 Application Development

• • 1.1.1 Oracle Application Express
    • 1.1.1.1 Application Date Format
    • 1.1.1.2 Custom Themes
    • 1.1.1.3 Declarative BLOB Support
    • 1.1.1.4 Documented JavaScript Libraries
    • 1.1.1.5 Enhanced Report Printing
    • 1.1.1.6 Forms Conversion
    • 1.1.1.7 Improved Security
    • 1.1.1.8 Interactive Reporting Region
    • 1.1.1.9 Runtime-Only Installation
  • 1.1.2 Other General Development Features
    • 1.1.2.1 Support WITH HOLD Option for CURSOR DECLARATION in Pro*C
    • 1.1.2.2 Pro*C Support for 8-Byte Native Numeric Host Variable for INSERT and FETCH
    • 1.1.2.3 Pro*COBOL Support for 8-Byte Native Numeric Host Variable for INSERT and FETCH
    • 1.1.2.4 JDBC Support for Time Zone Patching
    • 1.1.2.5 JDBC Support for SecureFile Zero-Copy LOB I/O and LOB Prefetching
    • 1.1.2.6 OCI Support for 8-Byte Integer Bind/Define
• 1.2 Availability
  • 1.2.1 Backup and Recovery
    • 1.2.1.1 Automatic Block Repair
    • 1.2.1.2 Backup to Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) Using OSB Cloud Computing
    • 1.2.1.3 DUPLICATE Without Connection to Target Database
    • 1.2.1.4 Enhanced Tablespace Point-In-Time Recovery (TSPITR)
    • 1.2.1.5 New DUPLICATE Options
    • 1.2.1.6 New SET NEWNAME Clauses and Format Options
    • 1.2.1.7 Tablespace Checks in DUPLICATE
  • 1.2.2 Online Application Maintenance and Upgrade
    • 1.2.2.1 Edition-based Redefinition
    • 1.2.2.2 Enhance CREATE or REPLACE TYPE to Allow FORCE
    • 1.2.2.3 Fine-Grained Dependencies for Triggers
    • 1.2.2.4 IGNORE_ROW_ON_DUPKEY_INDEX Hint for INSERT Statement
  • 1.2.3 Oracle Data Guard
    • 1.2.3.1 Compressed Table Support in Logical Standby Databases and Oracle LogMiner
    • 1.2.3.2 Configurable Real-Time Query Apply Lag Limit
    • 1.2.3.3 Integrated Support for Application Failover in a Data Guard Configuration
    • 1.2.3.4 Support Up to 30 Standby Databases
• 1.3 Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing
  • 1.3.1 Improved Analytics
    • 1.3.1.1 Analytic Functions 2.0
    • 1.3.1.2 Recursive WITH Clause
  • 1.3.2 Improved Data Loading
    • 1.3.2.1 EXECUTE Privilege for DIRECTORY Objects
    • 1.3.2.2 Preprocessing Data for ORACLE_LOADER Access Driver in External Tables
  • 1.3.3 Improved Partitioning
    • 1.3.3.1 Allow Virtual Columns in the Primary Key or Foreign Key for Reference Partitioning
    • 1.3.3.2 System-Managed Indexes for List Partitioning
  • 1.3.4 Improved Performance and Scalability
    • 1.3.4.1 In-Memory Parallel Execution
    • 1.3.4.2 Minimal Effort Parallel Execution – Auto Degree of Parallelism (DOP) and Queuing
    • 1.3.4.3 The DBMS_PARALLEL_EXECUTE Package
    • 1.3.4.4 Significant Performance Improvement of On-Commit Fast Refresh
  • 1.3.5 Oracle Warehouse Builder
    • 1.3.5.1 Advanced Find Support in Mapping Editor
    • 1.3.5.2 Business Intelligence Tool Integration
    • 1.3.5.3 Copy and Paste of Operators and Attributes in Mapping Editor
    • 1.3.5.4 Current Configuration Dropdown List in Design Center Toolbar
    • 1.3.5.5 Enhanced Support for Flat File Imports
    • 1.3.5.6 Enhanced Table Function Support
    • 1.3.5.7 Experts Available in Editor Menu
    • 1.3.5.8 Expression Editing in Operator Edit Dialog
    • 1.3.5.9 Grouping and Spotlighting of Objects in Mapping Editor
    • 1.3.5.10 Improved Management of Locations Registered in Multiple Control Centers
    • 1.3.5.11 Improved User Interface for Managing Locations
    • 1.3.5.12 Key Lookup Operator Enhancements
    • 1.3.5.13 Mapping Debugger Enhancements
    • 1.3.5.14 New JDeveloper-Style User Interface
    • 1.3.5.15 Operator References Included in Generated PL/SQL Code
    • 1.3.5.16 Quick Mapper
    • 1.3.5.17 Repository Browser Changes
    • 1.3.5.18 Simplified Oracle Warehouse Builder Repository Upgrades
    • 1.3.5.19 Support for Extracting Data From Tables Containing LONG Data Type
    • 1.3.5.20 Support for Subqueries in Join Operator
• 1.4 Clustering
  • 1.4.1 Oracle Real Application Clusters Ease-of-Use
    • 1.4.1.1 Configuration Assistants Support New Oracle RAC Features
    • 1.4.1.2 Enhanced Cluster Verification Utility
    • 1.4.1.3 Integration of Cluster Verification Utility and Oracle Universal Installer
    • 1.4.1.4 Cluster Time Service
    • 1.4.1.5 Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR) Enhancements
    • 1.4.1.6 Grid Plug and Play (GPnP)
    • 1.4.1.7 Oracle Restart
    • 1.4.1.8 Policy-Based Cluster and Capacity Management
    • 1.4.1.9 Improved Clusterware Resource Modeling
    • 1.4.1.10 Role-Separated Management
    • 1.4.1.11 Agent Development Framework
    • 1.4.1.12 Zero Downtime Patching for Oracle Clusterware and Oracle RAC
    • 1.4.1.13 Enterprise Manager-Based Clusterware Resource Management
    • 1.4.1.14 Enterprise Manager Provisioning for Oracle Clusterware and Oracle Real Application Clusters
    • 1.4.1.15 Enterprise Manager Support for Grid Plug and Play
    • 1.4.1.16 Enterprise Manager Support for Oracle Restart
    • 1.4.1.17 Configuration Assistant Support for Removing Oracle RAC Installations
    • 1.4.1.18 Oracle Universal Installer Support for Removing Oracle RAC Installations
    • 1.4.1.19 Improved Deinstallation Support With Oracle Universal Installer
    • 1.4.1.20 Downgrading Database Configured With DBControl
    • 1.4.1.21 Oracle Restart Integration with Oracle Universal Installer
    • 1.4.1.22 Out-of-Place Oracle Clusterware Upgrade
    • 1.4.1.23 OUI Support for Out-of-Place Oracle Clusterware Upgrade
    • 1.4.1.24 Server Control (SRVCTL) Enhancements
    • 1.4.1.25 Server Control (SRVCTL) Enhancements to Support Grid Plug and Play
    • 1.4.1.26 SRVCTL Support for Single-Instance Database in a Cluster
    • 1.4.1.27 Universal Connection Pool (UCP) Integration with Oracle Data Guard
    • 1.4.1.28 UCP Integration With Oracle Real Application Clusters
    • 1.4.1.29 Universal Connection Pool (UCP) for JDBC
    • 1.4.1.30 Java API for Oracle RAC FAN High Availability Events
• 1.5 Database Overall
  • 1.5.1 General
    • 1.5.1.1 Flashback Data Archive Support for DDLs
    • 1.5.1.2 Instance Caging
  • 1.5.2 Improvements to Oracle Scheduler
    • 1.5.2.1 E-mail Notification
    • 1.5.2.2 File Watcher
    • 1.5.2.3 Multiple Destination Jobs
    • 1.5.2.4 Remote Database Jobs
  • 1.5.3 Improvements to Utilities
    • 1.5.3.1 Data Pump Legacy Mode
  • 1.5.4 IPv6 Support
    • 1.5.4.1 Complete IPv6 Support for JDBC Thin Clients
    • 1.5.4.2 Complete IPv6 Support for JVM and Java Debuggers
• 1.6 Diagnosability
  • 1.6.1 Support Workbench
    • 1.6.1.1 Enterprise Manager Support Workbench for ASM
• 1.7 Performance
  • 1.7.1 General Server Performance
    • 1.7.1.1 Stored Outlines Migration to SQL Plan Management
    • 1.7.1.2 Client Result Cache Using Table Annotations Support
    • 1.7.1.3 Support 4 KB Sector Disk Drives
• 1.8 Security
  • 1.8.1 Audit Data Management
    • 1.8.1.1 Audit Trail Cleanup
  • 1.8.2 Encryption Key Management
    • 1.8.2.1 Tablespace Master Key Rekey
• 1.9 Server Manageability
  • 1.9.1 Automatic Storage Management for All Data
    • 1.9.1.1 ASM Cluster File System (ACFS)
    • 1.9.1.2 ASM Dynamic Volume Manager (DVM)
    • 1.9.1.3 ASM FS Snapshot
    • 1.9.1.4 Oracle Cluster Registry (OCR) and Voting Disk on ASM
    • 1.9.1.5 ASM Intelligent Data Placement
    • 1.9.1.6 ASM Storage Management Configuration Assistant
    • 1.9.1.7 Automatic Storage Management (ASM) File Access Control
    • 1.9.1.8 ASMCMD Command Extensions
    • 1.9.1.9 Enterprise Manager Support for ASM Cluster File System (ACFS)
    • 1.9.1.10 Enterprise Manager Integration for ASM File Access Control
  • 1.9.2 Database Management
    • 1.9.2.1 EMCA Supports New Oracle RAC Configuration for Enterprise Manager
    • 1.9.2.2 Patch Application with DBControl
    • 1.9.2.3 Automatic Patching of Time Stamp With Time Zone Data
    • 1.9.2.4 Prevent Data Loss for Time Zone with Local Time Zone Data Type
    • 1.9.2.5 Segment Creation on Demand
    • 1.9.2.6 Zero-Size Unusable Indexes and Index Partitions
    • 1.9.2.7 Metadata SXML Comparison Tool
    • 1.9.2.8 Compare Period Report
    • 1.9.2.9 Compare SQL Tuning Sets
    • 1.9.2.10 Enable Sampling for Active Data Guard
    • 1.9.2.11 Exadata Simulation
    • 1.9.2.12 Global Oracle RAC ASH Report + ADDM Backwards Compatibility
    • 1.9.2.13 Oracle MTS and Streams Support
    • 1.9.2.14 Parallel Query + Alt Plan Recording, Export STS Enhancements
    • 1.9.2.15 Synchronization Controls
• 1.10 Unstructured Data Management
  • 1.10.1 Enhanced Oracle Multimedia and DICOM Support
    • 1.10.1.1 Attribute Extraction of Requested Attributes Only
    • 1.10.1.2 Client-Side DICOM Attribute Extraction
    • 1.10.1.3 DICOM Enhancements
    • 1.10.1.4 Watermarking and Image Processing Enhancements
  • 1.10.2 Enhanced Oracle Spatial Support
    • 1.10.2.1 3D Visualization Framework
    • 1.10.2.2 Network Data Model Enhancements
    • 1.10.2.3 New GeoRaster JAVA API
    • 1.10.2.4 Raster Reprojections and Ground Control Point-Based (GCP) Georeferencing
    • 1.10.2.5 Routing and Geocoding Enhancements
  • 1.10.3 Oracle SecureFiles
    • 1.10.3.1 Database File System (DBFS)
    • 1.10.3.2 LZO Support for SecureFiles
  • 1.10.4 Oracle XML DB Scale and Performance Improvements
    • 1.10.4.1 Binary XML Enhancements
    • 1.10.4.2 Oracle XML DB Repository Performance Improvements and Guidelines

1.10.4.3 XMLIndex Enhancements