Is a DBA a systems person or an apps person??

From: Janene Carey <janene_at_metz.une.edu.au>
Date: 1995/11/17
Message-ID: <48glor$ksk_at_metz.une.edu.au>#1/1

Here is an administrative query for you. What sort of group do you fit into in your organization? As an Oracle DBA are you considered to be concerned with Applications or Systems matters?

Here at the University of New England the two DBAs are in the Applications Support Group (ASG),
and are making a case that we should be in the Network and Systems Group (NSG).
The ASG consists of programmers and the DBAs, the NSG consists of the unix system admin people and a novell admin person.  

BTW at a recent meeting our case (below) was waved aside and the discussion got bogged down on the issue of whether the auditors would worry if the DBA was given the root password for the unix machine..

Here are the points we presented -

 DBAs Do The Same Kind of Work as NSG

---

 The function of Oracle Database Administrator is to support the  underlying system upon which databases run. The main duties of the  DBA involve security, disk space, backup, upgrades, troubleshooting,  performance monitoring and tuning. These duties are directly  analogous to those performed by the Unix System Administrator.  They are not at all similar to those performed by applications  programmers.  

 DBAs Need to Work Closely with NSG

---

 Most aspects of the DBAs' work intersects with the realm of unix  administration. With respect to security both Unix level security  (login and file permissions) and Oracle level security (login and  grants) need to be taken into consideration. Increasing disk space  for Oracle or balancing the load on the disks frequently involves  shuffling data onto different disks, changing partition sizes, the  addition of extra disks or controller cards - all of which fall  into the realm of Unix administration. Backups of the database are  a Unix administration job. Restoration of the database from a backup  involves both the Unix administrator and the DBA. Upgrades to the  Oracle database require the use of the root password if a new database  is to be created. Troubleshooting performance problems often require  collaborative work to determine whether the source of the problem  is at the Unix level or the Oracle level. Some aspects of Oracle  database tuning are closely tied to the operating system, eg. memory,  SGA size, and IO load. The DBAs frequently need to consult with,  and request that work be done by, the Unix system administrators.  Conversely the DBAs rarely need to work closely with applications  programmers. Any liason with the people working at the applications  level is adequately handled via email to the group coordinators.  

 DBAs Could Be More Effective in NSG

---

 During out of hours work it would be more efficient for the DBAs  to be able to exercise some of the powers of the Unix system  administrator. This would avoid the need for two people to be  doing overtime instead of one, and would allow the work to be  done more quickly. Both DBAs have in the past been frustrated  in their attempts to deal with urgent tasks by the lack of  authorisation to perform such tasks as terminating processes  and initiating backup and recovery.
 --  

-- 
Janene Carey, Oracle Database Administrator 
University of New England, Armidale, 2351, NSW, Australia. 
Email: janene_at_metz.une.edu.au 

Received on Fri Nov 17 1995 - 00:00:00 CET