Role of a DBA -- what servers should he administer

A question has arisen as to whether the Oracle DBA should also be handling application servers which talk to the database.
Should the DBA also be in charge of

1. Installing
2. Configuring
3. Maintaining
4. Startups and Shutdowns of "application servers" like
5. Apache Web Server, including SSL configuration ii. JRun iii. Oracle 9iAS iv. Oracle iFS
6. Oracle Portal services (in 9iAS) vi. Oracle Discoverer services (in 9iAS) vii. Any othes (eg. PTC's Windchill, InfoEngine etc)

The opinion has been raised that the DBA must only handle the Database. He must not handle "application servers"
(like the above).

In my opinion, the DBA must extend his scope beyond the database alone. Any application/web server component
(whether from Oracle Corporation or not) that continuously
communicates with the Database (and more so particularly if it is on the same server / grouping of servers as the Database) should be handled by the DBA. Why

1. Scheduling downtime for maintenance and executing steps to shutdown and restart is easier if one person handles all the services
2. Debugging of problems ("where is the error ?", "what caused the error" ?) requires both the database server and application server
3. Performance review and tuning applies in both areas
   (including the underlying network, represented by SQLNet).
   

Unix and NT administration is already being done by seperate persons. Should the DBA relinquish such "application servers" as listed above ? Particularly, if he is asked to relinquish them to the "Business Systems" group which handles identification of new application requirements, installation of applications by vendors, implementation of applications and development of customisations by contractors.

What's your opinion ? What is the practice in other large  IT departments ?

Hemant
Hemant K Chitale Received on Wed Dec 19 2001 - 08:21:57 CST