Oracle-L: RE: POLL: Database to DBA ratio

From: MacGregor, Ian A. <ian_at_SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2003 10:20:18 -0800
Message-ID: <F001.005667A2.20030311102018@fatcity.com>

We currently have twenty-one databases, thirteen production and eight which are either test or development. Of the thirteen production databases five need to be up on a 24 X 7 basis; physics experiments and or accelerator monitoring depend on them. Nine of the production databases are Oracle back ends for third-party products including Peoplesoft and Remedy. All the above databases all administered by one DBA.

We do have Peoplesoft Administrators, Remedy Administrators, System Administrators to take some of the load off, but I am responsible for the installation, upgrade, maintenance, tuning, and backup of all databases and Oracle software. This includes Internet Developer Suite and Internet Application Server, although as to the latter, I'm in the process of unloading it.

This all works quite well most of the time. A problem can arise when I must devote my attention to fixing a pressing problem. In which case the reading of some reports on the non-24x7 databases may be postponed and the database then pages me about trouble which I could of fixed proactively had I read the reports.

Larry E. talks of having a single database with third party certifications to consider and with multiple applications requiring 24 X 7 service this is impossible. We do of course have to negotiate down times for even the 24 X 7 applications, but their operational schedules make it impossible to have them all down at once.

I do get vacations. A cell phone and a wide-area pager is a necessity, and I don't necessarily have to be at work from eight to five.

Ian MacGregor
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
ian_at_SLAC.Stanford.edu

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 8:24 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

Chuck,
At this location we have a total of 5 databases and 1 DBA. Time off without an electronic teather is a thing of the past. My last location was 4 production databases with 1 DBA and a backup DBA from the development arena of 2 development databases and 1 DBA. Ron

>>> chuckh_at_softhome.net 03/11/03 09:59AM >>> I'm trying to build a case for management that we need additional DBAs so I'd like to take a quick poll if I may. What is the ratio of Oracle databases to DBAs in your shop? This includes development and production databases. At our shop it's 33:1.

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Author: Chuck Hamilton
INET: chuckh_at_softhome.net

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Author: Ron Rogers
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