Re: Data Constraints Vs Application Constraints

"FrankHamersley" <FrankHamersleyZat_at_hotmail.com> wrote in message news:yMBYd.194541$K7.26278_at_news-server.bigpond.net.au...

> True - I'm not convinced the tools and techniques have advanced as far
> as the demands. My recent experience has been on systems that don't
> have fat windows of free time to put the system into single user mode
> whilst the schema is broken for a data fix so I like to avoid
> intractable problems. As you know Murphy's Law applies to these
situations.

True- Avoiding intractable problems is better than fixing them.

As far as windows of free time, I'm quite dogmatic myself: 365x24 is a fool's paradise.
You can't do all the routine maintenance on a big database whenever February 29 rolls around
(subtle humor). Airliners are just as valuable as databases, and they regularly take them out of service for routine maintenance.

Expectations need to be lowered to the point where a DBA can meet them by being competent and professioanl, but without sacrificing a life in order to make a living.

As far as tools go, I got spoiled early in this game by DEC Rdb/VMS. The tools it has (going back at least to 1990) for helping with diagnosis of errors, monitoring performance, and all the other DBA type work were quite advanced and superbly engineered. You had to be smart to use those tools. You had to be wise enough to realize that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. But you didn't have to work like crazy. Other products are coming along, but I still liked working with those tools. Received on Sat Mar 12 2005 - 15:04:36 CET