Re: Are Oracle DBAs trivialized?

From: Lewis C <lewisc_at_excite.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 22:47:07 GMT
Message-ID: <m2vl519ub7aiia0occfli5vb5f1cq0suv3@4ax.com>

On 11 Apr 2005 17:20:17 GMT, xhoster_at_gmail.com wrote:

>When I waited for the DBA to model and write the DDL, it simply never
>got done. I was forced, as a developer (well, not even that, more
>like as an advanced end user, really) to do the modelling and DDL myself
>if I actually wanted to have a schema. And then when I gave the DDL to the
>then DBA to implement (along with expected growth rates), he complained it
>didn't have storage clauses. You are the DBA, how about you add the
>storage clauses?
>

That happens. If you developed the DDL as a compromise (becasue they didn't have the time), the DBAs should have made their expectations known and let you know in advance what kind of storage they were looking for.

>> - I got laughed at for naming NOT NULL constraints in my CREATE TABLE
>> scripts
>
>Well, this one I kind of see. Why would a numeric not null column need a
>separately named not null constraint any more than it needs a separately
>named numericity constraint. Both of these constraints are inherent to the
>column definition, are they not?
>

Export and import mostly. Named constraints are good. If you have an unamed not null constraint, export the schema, import to a different database with an unnamed constraint of the same name, kerblooey. If a constraint is not explicitly named, oracle will name it for you. SQL standards would help there as would using a design tool instead of hand coding everything.

>> - I get apps tossed at me with hundreds of poorly written queries
>> (correlated subqueries everywhere, NOT EXISTS, etc.) that I have to
>> rewrite for speed.
>
>Well, isn't that part of your job? Is your complaint that the developers
>aren't tuning their own queries (which if they did would make DBAs even
>more trivial) or that developers are even writing queries in the first
>place?

That really depends on the environment. I've been places where developers were expected to tune things themselves and places where the DBAs had to babysit. If the developers have the skills, or want to learn them, that should be supported by the DBAs. If they don't have the skills, the DBAs should communicate to their management the problem of tuning complete applications after they've been built. This one would probably require a management change.

>>
>> Is it just me, or does this go on everywhere?
>
>Not just everywhere, but with every other profession as well.
>

Yep. I agree with that.

Lewis

Lewis R Cunningham

Author, ItToolBox Blog: An Expert's Guide to Oracle http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/oracle/guide/

Topic Editor, Suite101.com: Oracle Database http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/oracle

Received on Mon Apr 11 2005 - 17:47:07 CDT