Re: venting my spleen

Sybrand Bakker wrote:

> On Sat, 29 Jun 2002 19:36:51 +0100, "Paul Brewer"
> <paul_at_paul.brewers.org.uk> wrote:
>
> >"Tom Barnes" <barnest_at_san.rr.com> wrote in message
> >news:ae6b6116.0206261659.49fb18b1_at_posting.google.com...
> >> Part of the problem seems to be the lack of communication between the
> >> DBAs and the developers. I recommend that you don't separate your
> >> people into two camps of "DBAs" and "developers". You'll need to work
> >> together constantly!
> >
> >Sorry, but I disagree with sentence 2. The responsibilities,
> >accountabilities and skillsets differ, so IMHO, in other than the smallest
> >shop, there should be a demarcation line.
> >But I agree entirely with sentences 1 and 3; developers and DBAs do need to
> >work together cooperatively to build, deploy and maintain successful
> >applications, and given a set of intelligent, mature adults I see no reason
> >why this should present any problem.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Paul
> >
> >
>
> Most organisations I have been consulting for have *Chinese Walls*
> between dba's and developers, with developers looking down on DBAs
>
> Regards
>
> Sybrand Bakker, Senior Oracle DBA
>
> To reply remove -verwijderdit from my e-mail address

And visa versa. DBAs refusing even the most reasonable developer requests such as granting SELECT on some v$ objects.

The problem comes from both camps. And ultimately should be laid at the feet of management that doesn't understand that there is no such (singular) position as DBA. The solution, in my view, is to separate production DBAs from developerment DBAs. Production DBAs should rule as gods over their databases and keep developers, testers, hackers, and everyone else out ... especially including management types.

Development DBAs need to be flexible and support the coders by leading architecture and code reviews before things are built, while they are being built, and after they are built and are heading for QA/QC.

DBA is not one job. And just because the same three initials are used to describe all of the various flavors of DBA does not mean they have the same skills or do the same work.

Daniel Morgan Received on Mon Jul 01 2002 - 11:47:28 CDT