The 3-circle analysis method may seem strange and even uncomfortable at first, but once you do it a few times, you'll be amazed at how fast, thorough, and spot-on your diagnosis will be. Of course, you also need a good understanding of Oracle's architecture and its interaction with the operating system, which is what you'll get from this book.

People want a good story. One of the natural results of a 3-circle analysis is the story. You can use the 3-circle analysis method to structure your presentation, a formal document, or even a simple email. When I start a performance analysis, I create a blank document structured similarly to the 3-circle analysis method. As I perform my analysis, I will see the story unfold before me. It's amazing to watch this happen.

Regardless of the communication form-whether it is verbal, written, or in a presentation-the story and the resulting documentation will naturally inherit 3-circle analysis characteristics. For example, upon analysis completion, it takes very little effort to create a short email message summarizing your work. Or for the operating system-focused audience, you could simply provide the Performance Summary Analysis and the Operating System Performance Analysis sections (described next). You can scale and customize your communications very quickly, without sacrificing technical integrity or performing needless rewrites.