Re: Documenting databases

Alan,
 When I started working at my present job there was zip,nada,zilch.. for database documentation. I started with the basics of: describe every table.
describe the table data source location and provider and method of loading the data into the table.
describe who or how the data in the table is used. document the database creation (create scripts to create the database, tablespaces,tables,triggers,etc..) and keep the scripts updated as conditions change. I periodically burn a CDROM with the scripts in case of a hardware failure and after a lot of changes in the scripts ( like year end work for the next year's tables) Describe the packages and objects that are used in the database (non Oracle created).
create a daily/weekly/monthly(as you feel you are comfortable with) tablespace usage report to plan on new storage needs. In all cases document every thing. or CYA I hope this will get you started and remember that database documentation is an ever ending task.
Ron

>>> alan.aschenbrenner_at_ihs.com 12/09/2003 5:49:25 PM >>>

    Recently our database manager has asked us to do the unthinkable....
document our databases! To make matters worse, and without our input, he
went ahead and created a schema and put it in an Access database (using
tables to make it look like a speadsheet). Either we use his idea or come
up with something else.

    So, I thought I'd ask everyone on the list how you do it. Text files?
In a database (oracle, or other)? Spreadsheets? What are the pros and
cons? Etc....

Thanks,

Alan

Alan Aschenbrenner
Oracle DBA
IHS Group
alan.aschenbrenner_at_ihs.com

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