Re: Oracle 8i Training

Tim Burroughs wrote:
> Thanks, Daniel.
>
> I start a new job in 2 weeks and part of my responsibilities will be DBA
> for a current Oracle 7i that will be upgraded to 8i. My new director wants
> me to research available training and put together a training plan to get me
> up to speed.
>
> I'm fluent in ANSI SQL and have been working with MS SQL Server for
> several years.
>
> What would be the downside to taking 9i classes? I would assume there are
> features and differences in 9i that I would not be using in 8i and perhaps
> vice versa?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Time

1. There has never been an Oracle 7i ... Oracle went from 7.3.4 to 8.0.x (x = 3 through 6). Then 8i an then 9i.
2. Where are you located, geographically speaking? If you contact me off-line I can make recommendations. Generally speaking though ... stay away from OCP mills. Their sole purpose is to prepare people to take a test that has no relationship to job skills and includes, quite frankly, learning some incorrect answers to pass the test.
3. ANSI SQL from MS SQL Server won't get you a cup of black coffee in an Oracle shop: Especially with 8i. You'll need to unlearn as much as you will need to learn. I'd run, not walk, to the nearest book seller and get a copy of Tom Kyte's book "Expert one-on-one Oracle" and read the first three chapters until you truly understand them. Then reread them, create and run the examples, and complete the book: No better resource will be found.

I would definitely go to http://www.psoug.org and bookmark Morgan's Library, build and run many of the demos. I wish there was more there but how much time can a guy have available when at 4:20 in the morning, after a RAC class on Saturday and another one coming up tomorrow ... make that today in five hours, he's sitting at his computer writing this? Also find the Products & Services links and bookmark that. There you will find links to pages from all over the place including from some of the most senior people contriubting to the c.d.o. usenet groups.

Finally. Go to http://tahiti.oracle.com and bookmark that too. This is a valuable resource. Given your background spend a lot of time on the concepts and architecture docs.

Until you understand multiversion read consistency and why building temp tables is one of the worst things you can do you'll be making big big messes in Oracle.

Also, don't be surprised if most of the 'Oracle' people in the shop are writing code that would make many senior developers shake their heads in disgust. Take a good look at the demos in Morgan's Library on Bulk Binding and FORALL.

Best wishes.

-- 
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)