In this presentation I will cover the basics of SQL tuning. I will talk about using and understanding Explain Plan and what the COST of a step or statement really means. I will show you SQL Monitor and what it adds to understanding the Explain Plan. HINTs will be covered and the ways to use indexes and partitions to aid SQL performance. I will also cover come of the information the CBO uses to understand your database and decide on the execution plan. No prior tuning knowledge is required but by the end of the talk I aim to have shown you enough to understand generally how the CBO works and how to understand the Explain Plan and spot when things are wrong.