Re: Deadly sins againts database performance/scalability

From: Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu>
Date: Thu, 04 Dec 2003 09:39:29 -0800
Message-ID: <1070559600.951861@yasure>

Comments in-line.

Jeff wrote:

> In article <2687bb95.0312031145.3dc3fb7f_at_posting.google.com>, Mark.Powell_at_eds.com (Mark D Powell) wrote:
>
>

>>The problem with code walk-throughs is that by the time they happen it
>>is offen too late to change the design.  Developers need to involve
>>the DBA with a design walk-thru before code is written.  In my
>>experience the majority of the time the DBA does not see the code
>>until there is a production performance problem.  By then major design
>>changes and different approaches are "too late".

>
>
> I agree 100% that a DBA should be part of the design team along with
> developers. If they aren't... if DBA's are only brought in at production time
> or after the "design concrete" has set, I'd say that's a management problem,
> not a developer problem. Maybe I'm naive or we've different ideas of what a
> "developer" does.

You are naive. There are many organizations, I think most, where the DBA is the last one to see the application.

> Aside to Joel: I've never worked in a top-down environment... nor have I a lot
> of experience (none positive, that's for sure) with working with outside
> vendors/consultants. So, I'm rather speaking to permanent shops with
> permanent employees.

The one thing that needs to be added to this discussion is the huge number of Oracle DBAs that think their job consists of install, patch, lock down, backup and recover. And most pray they never have to do the recover step because they've never done it before.

If DBAs want to be considered valuable to a development team they must:

Learn to read and write PL/SQL well enough to give advice.
Develop OO, Java, UML, and other skills to match development.
Keep their skills up to the current version.
Not treat developers like they are the enemy. There is not harm in giving developes select on v_$session or access to dbms_profiler.

Too often the DBA's attitude and skills (or the lack thereof) are the root reason the DBA is excluded.

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)

Received on Thu Dec 04 2003 - 11:39:29 CST