Checkpoint VS switch logfile

Alter system checkpoint;

“alter system checkpoint;” flushes dirty buffers to data files and records SCN in data file header and control file. It changes the status of current redo log file group from active to inactive so that we could drop that redo log group.



Alter system switch logfile;

“alter system switch logfile;” causes a checkpoint later and then switches to next logfile and returns control to user right away.It’s faster than “alter system archive log current;”, which will wait to archive current log file out until the checkpoint completes.


LOG SWITCH triggers checkpoint
CHECKPOINT does not trigger LOG SWITCH