There's no such thing as a self-driving database. If you expect your Oracle databases to perform consistently at high levels, you need to have a maintenance program. The first part of that program is an assessment: How is my database performing, and are there any problems? It sounds simple, but for most modern complex database environments, a proper assessment requires a variety of tools and a lot of experience interpreting the results. This white paper takes readers step-by-step through an Oracle database health check. We'll look at issues related to size, space, configuration, performance, security, and best practices. We’ll also see why in many cases it's prudent to bring in an independent third party to perform your database assessments.