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Home -> Community -> Mailing Lists -> Oracle-L -> RE: d/b health check
I agree with your point that users many not know when something isn't =
working right or not understand the significance of something they =
observe. I have visited users on site and watched as they clicked =
through warnings, exceptions and errors without comment to get to the =
problem that is really bugging them. So yes, people do ignore obvious =
problems if the pain is tolerable. But my approach would be to engage =
my users rather than try instrument the database in such a way that =
would reduce my dependence on prompt disclosure of issues from my users. =
You haven't said anything I disagree with but, personally, I have more =
confidence in my ability to extract the details of my users experience =
through communication and observation than setting up a health check. =
I'm in a position to do that with my users though and I'm sure many =
DBA's don't have that kind of contact.
-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org]On Behalf Of Daniel W. Fink
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 9:32 AM
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: Re: d/b health check
Just because no-one is complaining (that you know about) does not mean=20 that nothing is wrong. Within most organizations that I have been a part =
of, the gap between the users and IT usually limited the communication=20 about performance problems. Users may become conditioned to accept=20 things the way they are and just complain amongst themselves and never=20 to management or IT. Management and IT don't seem all that eager to go=20 looking for problems, when they usually have enough to deal with = already.
If we use the analogy of a health check in the medical fashion, we need =
to consider the difference between reactive and preventative actions.=20 When we have pain, illness or something just does not feel right, we are =
being reactive. We can describe the symptoms and have an idea of the=20 resolution (stop the pain, feel better, etc.). This is the strength of=20 Method-R (IMHO). It enables you to really drill down to a root cause of=20
the problem. What about times where something is wrong, but you either=20 ignore the problem (and accept it as a part of life) or don't have any=20 symptoms that you are aware of? Not to be morbid, but this illustrates=20the point. Cancer of the stomach is one of the deadliest because=20 symptoms do not usually arise until it is too late. Aneurisms(sp?) in=20 the brain are very similar. There are tests to determine if there are=20 these types of problems, but I don't think they are all that common in=20 practice.
Just food for thought,
Daniel Fink
Freeman, Donald wrote:
>I may be wrong but the first thing I got out of Carey and Jeff's book =
is =3D
>to ask the question, "Is anybody complaining?" I have long thought =
that =3D
>should be the primary indicator that something needs checked<g>. When =
I =3D
>look long enough, and hard enough, I will undoubtably find something =
=3D
>that needs to be messed with, often to my detriment.
>-----------------
> =20
>
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