Re: venting my spleen

Ed Stevens wrote:

> An application project is getting under way that, to me, has the smell of
> disaster written all over it. Please tell me my lack of dba experience is
> causing me unnecessary worry.
>
> Project is built around a purchased package. Said package will remain anonymous
> at this point, but I will say it is not SAP. As it turns out, the package
> requires tablespaces with specific names. And I am told that it requires
> certain tables to be placed in specified tablespaces. This looks like a tuning
> disaster waiting to happen.
>
> My first thought is that the only SQL the app could be issuing that would
> require a specific TS name would be a CREATE TABLE statement. Why would an app
> need to be creating tables? And what would be the justification for not using
> the default TS for the application's own userid?
>
> When the project was first started, we (DBA) were told to make a SYSDBA userid
> available to the development team. This gave me heartburn in and of itself.
> Then last week, while working with them on a non-DB performance problem, it came
> to light that they were concerned about gettng time on the server because they
> didn't even know they could connect with SQL*Plus from a client machine!!!
>
> I'm sure some of you have seen this kind of thing before. Do I have cause for
> concern? If so, what problems can I anticipate, and what can I do to minimize
> them?
>
> TIA.
> --
> Ed Stevens
> (Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of my employer.)

Your instincts are good. I'd do one of two things:

1. Get your resume polished and out to recruiters.
2. Go to management and ask for hazard pay.

This has ugly written all over it. It sounds like a SQL Server app ported to Oracle without near zero consideration to the differences between the two environments. Obviously someone did not adequately qualify the vendor before putting pen to paper. Don't be surprised if their solution to the problems they themselves have created is to go to your maangement, blame it on you folks, and ask for more money so that "their" experts can come in and fix the problems created by the clowns on the payroll. I've seen this done numerous times. The result being that the bandits get more money and the employees get a black eye.

Oh and 3 ... show the postings in response to your inquiry to your management so that they know you are not alone in your concern that your company is being set up for an expensive little mess.

Daniel Morgan Received on Tue Jun 25 2002 - 11:02:28 CDT