Re: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA

From: Guillermo Alan Bort <cicciuxdba_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:02:57 -0300
Message-ID: <CAJ2dSGTfDXz2EtwJNZ5yFa_Wdd-zr5w9Ojqr7OEq+bm-GXFKjg_at_mail.gmail.com>



If I had decision making power in a company and an outsourced provider did something like that (even in a non-production database) i'd immediately break the contract and ban them from the provider list.

To err is human, but there are *some* errors that are unforgivable... lack or environment awareness is one of them, lack of common sense (in my opinion) is the worse: WHY THE HELL ARE YOU COMPRESSING SOMETHING WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS? This is like the automated script to "truncate/rotate/delete/etc" *.log throughout the system... and why I like ASM so much... DB files won't come up in regular mindless scripted "find -size" done by incompetent "system administrators" (and I use the term loosely)

That being said, other than a couple of mistakes during refresh operations (overwrote an agent home here or there, or something like that) I have been lucky enough to work with some very good SAs... who haven't actually killed any database... (I've had more trouble with inexperienced dbas who lacked common sense than with SAs...

And the worse discussion I've had was with a "manager" who had been a DBA back in the oracle 7 days and and hadn't kept up to date with the latest releases... so basically she was against RMAN and her choice for backups was: Cold backups and exports. Most of their prod databases were not in archivelog either... when I pointed out the several problems with that and the fact that every single sensible company out there is using RMAN online backups she basically asked that I'd be transferred to another project. (I was in an outsourcing company at the time). She won, their databases are still using cold backups, and I left that company some time ago... I hope they don't ever have to do a restore... I still have some friends there and I'd hate them to have to go through a manual restore of one of those DBs..

Cheers
Alan.-

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 9:37 AM, Upendra N <nupendra_at_hotmail.com> wrote:

> Here is the worst conversation I heard:
>
> Conversation between Ops Support guy (recently outsourced) and a DBA who is
> being woken up in the middle of the night.
>
> Ops Support: Database xxx doesn't respond. can you take a look?
> DBA: Do you see any errors or queries doesn't respond?
> Ops Support: Earlier there were a few alarms generated, we took care of it.
> After sometime db doesn't respond.
> DBA: What alarms were they?
> Ops Support: Alarms for free space. We took care of it before it filled up.
> DBA: What did you do?
> Ops Support: We compressed a few files.
> DBA: What files did you compress?
> Ops Support: We compressed a few large files under /u03/oradata/xxx and
> /u04/oradata/xxx
> DBA: Oh S**t.
>
> PS: We ended up doing a PITR.
>
> -Upendra
>
>
> > Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:00:13 -0600
> > Subject: Re: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA
> > From: kellyn.potvin_at_ymail.com
> > To: pythianbrinsmead_at_gmail.com; Marco.Gralike_at_amis.nl
> > CC: Chris.Stephens_at_adm.com; andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com;
> oracle-l_at_freelists.org
>
> >
> > Mark,
> > Are you telling us you had valuable information and held back?? (Said
> with a Southern Bell lilt) Well I jus never heard of such a thang! :)
> > Kellyn(aka Skippy)
> >
> > Mark Brinsmead <pythianbrinsmead_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > >I sat through the OCP Oracle 11g course a few months back, and noted
> that
> > >they do, indeed, still tell you to name your redo logs with ".LOG".
> > >
> > >I nearly interrupted the instructor to mention that this is an unsafe
> > >practice (having seen a number or databases trashed by some do-gooder
> > >"deleting some huge log files" in response to a filesystem storage
> page).
> > >Then I remembered that the purpose of the course is to teach people how
> to
> > >pass the exam, not how to be a DBA.
> > >
> > >If it comes up on the exam, you will undoubtedly be expected to say that
> > >".LOG" is the best extension to use for online redolog members.
> > >
> > >*sigh*
> > >
> > >
> > >On Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 1:26 PM, Marco Gralike <Marco.Gralike_at_amis.nl
> >wrote:
> > >
> > >> BTW
> > >>
> > >> I also never use those file extensions anymore, but then again DBCA
> still
> > >> has that practice and I would not be surprised if it turned up in OCP
> > >> manuals etc.
> > >> I once created an enhancement request saying that "this new APEX
> *core*directory, regarding naming is probably not a good idea to implement".
> > >> They didn't get the point, or I didn't got my point across, that old
> unix
> > >> admin methods / people (maybe still also on linux nowadays) have a
> practice
> > >> to delete from time to time *core* files and *core* directories on
> their
> > >> filesystems…
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> From: "Stephens, Chris" <Chris.Stephens_at_adm.com>
> > >> Date: Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:02:52 +0200
> > >> To: Marco Gralike <marco.gralike_at_amis.nl>, "andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com"
> <
> > >> andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com>, Oracle-L <oracle-l_at_freelists.org>
> > >>
> > >> Subject: RE: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a DBA
> > >>
> > >> Which is the #1 reason I no longer allow redo logs to end in ‘.log’!
> J****
> > >>
> > >> ** **
> > >>
> > >> I have that as a check implemented in a procedure that runs each night
> to
> > >> ensure every database in our environment complies with a few standards
> that
> > >> I don’t consider to be debatable.****
> > >>
> > >> ** **
> > >>
> > >> *From:* oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [
> > >> mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org <oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org>]
> *On
> > >> Behalf Of *Marco Gralike
> > >> *Sent:* Wednesday, July 27, 2011 9:57 AM
> > >> *To:* andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com; ORACLE-L
> > >> *Subject:* RE: all time worst question I have been ever asked as a
> DBA****
> > >>
> > >> ** **
> > >>
> > >> Be happy that he asked. Sometimes they just delete log files because
> they
> > >> need the space.****
> > >> ------------------------------
> > >>
> > >> *Van:*oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org]
> namens
> > >> Andrew Kerber [andrew.kerber_at_gmail.com]
> > >> *Verzonden:* dinsdag 26 juli 2011 21:38
> > >> *Aan:* ORACLE-L
> > >> *Onderwerp:* all time worst question I have been ever asked as a
> DBA****
> > >>
> > >> So, I am getting this error on one of our virtual Linux servers:
> > >>
> > >> ORA-00210: cannot open the specified control file
> > >> ORA-00202: control file:
> '/u01/app/oracle/datafiles/devdb/control01.ctl'
> > >> ORA-27086: unable to lock file - already in use
> > >>
> > >> Its probably due to a stale NFS lock. The question from my sys
> admin:****
> > >>
> > >> -rw-r----- 1 oracle oinstall 10076160 Jul 22 13:33 control01.ctl****
> > >>
> > >> can that file just be removed****
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> Ok, I am a little frustrated with him...
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Andrew W. Kerber
> > >>
> > >> 'If at first you dont succeed, dont take up skydiving.'****
> > >>
> > >> CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
> > >> This message is intended for the use of the individual or entity to
> which
> > >> it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged,
> confidential
> > >> and exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If the reader of this
> > >> message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent
> responsible
> > >> for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby
> > >> notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this
> > >> communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
> > >> communication in error, please notify us immediately by email reply.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >Cheers,
> > >-- Mark Brinsmead
> > > Senior DBA,
> > > The Pythian Group
> > > http://www.pythian.com/blogs
> > ��i��0���zX���+�� n��{�+i�^
>

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Received on Fri Jul 29 2011 - 11:02:57 CDT

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