Re: DBA Skill tree

From: Rich <richa03_at_gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 2009 19:06:18 -0700
Message-ID: <26279fb90904061906i340c61afgea706b67483c6f12_at_mail.gmail.com>

I feel Mark is right on the mark - pun intended - as to the base which should be required before Oracle DBA.
I'd like to expand on this by adding the following Oracle skills - in order: [different amounts of knowledge in these areas would indicate the level in that area - basic, standard and advanced]

Backup and recovery - this should be the first thing a DBA learns (and repeats after substantial DB change, and creates written procedures for).

Install and configuration of Oracle [DB] software - custom and silent installs, etc.

Tuning SQL - starting with explain plan and ALL the functions by which Oracle accesses blocks, moving through the optimizer and finally newer features like AWR, SQL tuning sets, profiling, etc. Add to this the different methods by which the execution plan can be influenced - stats, hints, profiles/outlines, etc.

Tuning the Oracle server. Understanding the pluses and minuses of each parameter (both visible and some of the more common hidden [underscore] parameters). Knowledge of how oracle processes work - what they are responsible for and how they use memory, disk and CPU to accomplish their charge. Wait interface and more of each wait type. More competent DBAs will know latches, locks and enqueues from the common ones through the corner cases, their function and the "fix". Being able to detail what the positives and negatives are in relationship to the "fix". Should include the newer mutex types and why Oracle made this structural change.

Some of the more common "edge cases" - like partitioning, special datatypes like comparing LONG RAW with BLOB with SecureFiles, RAC, etc.

I can expand more on this, however, Is this the type of info you are seeking?

On Fri, Apr 3, 2009 at 9:08 AM, Dan Norris <dannorris_at_dannorris.com> wrote:

> I'd again have to disagree on using experience as a measuring tool of
> anything. I think instead of experience, you mean proficiency or competency
> (hope I'm not putting words into your keyboard). I'm sure we can all think
> of people we've known or worked with in the past that were "experienced" but
> not competent to perform the tasks that were part of their job. At least I
> can. Part of my work is made possible by those fine individuals :).
>
> Dan
>
> Bobak, Mark wrote:
>
> Going along w/ Kerry’s comments about a certain threshold of experience
> being important, it seems to me, the best people are the ones who have at
> least some level of experience as C programmers and unix admins **before**
> entering the DBA arena.
>
>
>
> Honestly, if someone asked me the required skills to be a great DBA,
> they’d be:
>
> - Good solid understanding of algorithms and data structures
>
> - 3-5 years experience as a C programmer
>
> - 3-5 years experience doing unix admin
>
> - 2-3 years doing storage admin
>
> - 2-3 years doing Oracle development (SQL, PL/SQL, Pro*C, Java,
> etc)
>
>
>
> If someone starts with that base of experience, and can manage to enter the
> DBA field and still be curious and interested in learning, they’ll soar to
> the top in no time. Then, it becomes a matter of staying there. Staying
> engaged, interested, and ready to learn more. Cause you know the next
> Oracle release is always around the corner, and ready to unleash a bunch of
> new features.
>
>
>
> -Mark
>
>
>
> -- http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l

--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l

Received on Mon Apr 06 2009 - 21:06:18 CDT