Meeting a new Database

Your thoughts, opinions...?

When you go to the Doctor they do a cursory examination first: he/she takes pulse, BP, weighs, listens to heart/lungs, looks in your ears/throat, asks a few questions. This initial exam/interview gives them a pretty good overview of your health, and then they order further tests as needed. (then you get the bill)

As a DBA, what do you do when you meet your new database? I've learned DBA duties gradually over years with the same database (a rarity I know)... my skills developed as the database grew. I now will change jobs, and will jump into an existing system and was wondering what the best ways are to get quick feel for the system. (then give them the bill;)

There's so many areas of Oracle to explore. What tools/techniques do many of you use to get a quick opinion of the health of your database... before you start jumping into advanced diagnostics and tuning? What are biggest red flags? I realize there are probably as many opinions as there are DBA's on this matter.

(the Dr's have it easier here... human anatomy and physiology is pretty much the same person to person, but those dang databases are all built different. I vote that good DBA's should make 6 figures plus) Received on Sat Oct 16 1999 - 07:45:01 CDT