RE: So, What is a 'Production DBA'?

I know I'm probably going to regret replying to this thread. I'm one of those people who spent years as a programmer...and wound up somewhere in between applications and tech support because I couldn't get the tech support I needed. When we got "SAP'd" in '93, I finally gave in to becoming a so-called "DBA" to keep the legacy systems running (not Oracle based) AND keep the SAP project afloat. So I'm probably one of those SAP "babysitters." I would love to be able to hire a "development" or "applications" DBA (we also have non-SAP Oracle databases) but the skill set I need in an individual to actually reduce my work load is much broader than the typical Oracle "development" or "applications" person. I know there can be exceptions, of course, but I haven't found "development" or "applications" people to be too concerned about the context in which a database lives let alone know what IT auditors would be looking for. I mean, the role I play doesn't seem to have any technical boundaries because, again, anything that can impact the application (be it SAN, OS, network, presentation layer, security, hardware, maybe even Sun spots...) is of concern to me. On the other hand, a DBA without an understanding of the demands put on developer/applications people is a problem, too.

Or maybe I needed to whine a bit because I've been up at 2am and 5am a couple of days in a row.

Sleepless in California,
Kip Bryant

|I'd take that pay differential thing with a grain of salt.

|The definitions for Production DBA's, Apps, DBA's, and Development DBA's are
|merely organizational interpretations. Each organization custom creates
|these "titles" so PHB's can put labels on people.

|In many cases a production DBA is merely a database babysitter and a
|Development/Apps DBA requires higher skills for the overall architecture. In
|other cases an apps "DBA" may just be someone who knows how to maintain a
|particular 3rd party application but their knowledge of the database engine
|is suspect. I once knew an "HR Database Administrator," AKA Apps DBA, who
|knew nothing about databases but lots about some weird, off the wall,
|non-mainstream, proprietary HR application. This person's skills were not
|marketable but their title was. ;-)

|Aspiring chief cook and bottle washer,
|Steve Orr

|-----Original Message-----
|Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2002 10:06 AM
|To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

|Thanks to all who responded. The debate on the list
|is just as lively as the one around the water cooler.
|I did like the response about a 50% pay differential
|for production DBAs. That will make the bosses hair
|stand on end!

|--- Peter Barnett <regdba_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
|> We are having this debate. What is a 'Production
|> DBA'? Right now all of the DBAs do some of
|> everything. In an effort to focus more DBA time on
|> infrastructure, damagement is floating the idea of
|> Production and Applications DBAs. The DBA group has
|> loosely translated this into the group that is
|> always
|> on-call and the group that gets their weekends off.
|>
|> I would appreciate some input from those of you who
|> are Production DBAs.
|>
|>
|>
|> =====
|> Pete Barnett
|> Lead Database Administrator
|> The Regence Group
|> pnbarne_at_regence.com
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|Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.com
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|Author: Orr, Steve
| INET: sorr_at_rightnow.com

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