Re: ORACLE DBA questions for INTERVIEW

Nice set of questions. Comments interspersed "Daniel Morgan" <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message news:3DB72B8C.440097DB_at_exesolutions.com...
> Korilu wrote:
>
> > What would you ask an ORACLE DBA candidate??
> > (Also send answers if possible to your questions)
> >
> > Is there a location where I can find this type of information?
> >
> > I will post all the results here.
> >
> > Thanks
>
> Depends on whether they have an OCP.
>
> If they have an OCP I'd start with:
> 1. What is the difference between the WHERE CLAUSE and the HAVING CLAUSE
> on a SQL statement?

A good question for everyone not just OCP's I'd have thought. (WHERE is faster to type as it only has 5 letters <g>)
> 2. What is SQL.BSQ?

Frankly I think that in 90% of cases this is an irrelevance (naturally it makes an appearance in the OCP). As with undocumented parameters I'd want a very strong case for ever altering this file. As ever this is a matter of opinion.
> 3. What is the difference between a static and a dynamic cursor and when
> would you choose one over the other?

> Then, likely, I'd show them to the door. But if they passed I'd continue
> with questions reserved for those with real experience on their resume.
>
> 4. Describe the most difficult crash and restore you have ever had to
> deal with in great and painful detail.
Great and nasty question
>
> If none ... out the door again or we continue with:
I think I'd ask a follow up to the answer none describing say an accidental drop of the transactions table in a financial system which hasn't been noticed for 45 minutes. I'd be most interested in step 1 (backup your disaster), and consideration of business needs (it might be better not to do point in time at all. )

>
> 5. What dba_ and v$ objects should be available to developers and why?
> 6. Go to the whiteboard and demonstrate your knowledge of ALL ASPECTS of
> the Oracle Security Model.
> 7. Explain the difference between UNDO and ROLLBACK as implemented in
> Oracle 9i and explain why you would use one rather than the other.
Good question for shops running or considering 9i.
> 8. Then I would ask about what they would do if they received a
> half-dozen or so common error messages including ORA-00600 and ORA-01555
> and make sure they understood multiversioning and other basic
> architecture matters.

One hopes ORA-00600 isn't that common :(.
> 10. Finally I'd ask how they feel about not having a life and carrying a
> pager 24 hours a day.

Again dependent on if its a high availability shop. In fact the major comment I'd offer on these questions is that they are (IMO) rather heavily biased towards the DBA in a site where a lot of Oracle development goes on. There are a large number of sites that run packaged apps where development skills are more or less redundant and tuning apps where there is limited opportunity to get at the SQL is a key skill :(.

--
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
Audit Commission UK
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