PL/SQL Performance problem

Question

I am facing a performance problem with my current application (PL/SQL packaged procedure)
My application takes data from 4 temporary tables, does a lot of validation and
puts them into permanent tables.(updates if present else inserts)
One of the temporary tables is parent table and can have 0 or more rows in
the other tables.
I have analyzed all my tables and indexes and checked all my SQLs
They all seem to be using the indexes correctly.
There are 1.6 million records combined in all 4 tables.
I am using Oracle 8i.
How do I determine what is causing the problem and which part is taking time.
Please help.
The skeleton of the code which we have written looks like this
MAIN LOOP ( 255308 records)-- Parent temporary table
-----lots of validation-----
update permanent_table1
if sql%rowcount = 0 then
insert into permanent_table1
Loop2 (0-5 records)-- child temporary table1
-----lots of validation-----
update permanent_table2
if sql%rowcount = 0 then
insert into permanent_table2
end loop2
Loop3 (0-5 records)-- child temporary table2
-----lots of validation-----
update permanent_table3
if sql%rowcount = 0 then
insert into permanent_table3
end loop3
Loop4 (0-5 records)-- child temporary table3
-----lots of validation-----
update permanent_table4
if sql%rowcount = 0 then
insert into permanent_table4
end loop4
-- COMMIT after every 3000 records
END MAIN LOOP
Thanks
Ashwin N.

Answer 1

Do this intead of ditching the PL/SQL.
DECLARE
TYPE NumTab IS TABLE OF NUMBER(4) INDEX BY BINARY_INTEGER;
TYPE NameTab IS TABLE OF CHAR(15) INDEX BY BINARY_INTEGER;
pnums NumTab;
pnames NameTab;
t1 NUMBER(5);
t2 NUMBER(5);
t3 NUMBER(5);
BEGIN
FOR j IN 1..5000 LOOP -- load index-by tables
pnums(j) := j;
pnames(j) := 'Part No. ' || TO_CHAR(j);
END LOOP;
t1 := dbms_utility.get_time;
FOR i IN 1..5000 LOOP -- use FOR loop
INSERT INTO parts VALUES (pnums(i), pnames(i));
END LOOP;
t2 := dbms_utility.get_time;
FORALL i IN 1..5000 -- use FORALL statement
INSERT INTO parts VALUES (pnums(i), pnames(i));
get_time(t3);
dbms_output.put_line('Execution Time (secs)');
dbms_output.put_line('---------------------');
dbms_output.put_line('FOR loop: ' || TO_CHAR(t2 - t1));
dbms_output.put_line('FORALL: ' || TO_CHAR(t3 - t2));
END;
Try this link, http://download-west.oracle.com/docs/cd/B10501_01/appdev.920/a96624/05_colls.htm#23723