Re: Opinion on "expert" DBA

blah wrote:
>
> What is the opinion here of a DBA who says they are an expert, yet the
> following is
> performance:
>
> 1. Default settings on all tablespaces, and tables carrrying over these
> defaults

This is generally a good thing if they know that they are doing - it can avoid
space allocation dramas as long as the number of extents doesn't get ridiculous
in size.

> 2. Doesn't know how a temporary tablespace is set up (and thus sets up
> temp tablespaces as permanant objects).
Not so good...

> 3. Says they only perform an hour of DBA work each day -- with five
> multi GB databases.

Depends on the db..

> 4. Says the databases are "all running fine" and thus doesn't have
> anything to do.

As long as they can justify this

> 5. Doesn't have any documentation on schema or monitoring
Not so good

> 6. When asked about performance monitoring to MAKE SURE the databases
> are running fine, shows you a couple of shell scripts to check for cache
> hit ratios.

Ask them to justify the wait stats to you

> 7. Says they want to upgrade to a new release of Oracle "without
> implementing the features or telling anyone they are upgrading". (in a
> 24X7 shop where at two of the applications aren't even supported on the
> realease). Doesn't know the new release either. Says it's just the
> same (i.e. Oracle 8 (running snapshots) vs. Oracle 8.1)

8.0 definitely does not equal 8.1

>
> etc. etc. etc.
>
> Just curious as to what is going on with this DBA, as I was brought in
> as a consultant to clean up a production machine that seemed to be used
> for both production and development. Sorry if this isn't an appropriate
> post for this board, but ....

Answers inline

-- 
===========================================
Connor McDonald
http://www.oracledba.co.uk

We are born naked, wet and hungry...then things get worse