Re: Becoming ORACLE DBA

<fitzjarrell_at_cox.net> wrote in message
news:1120305987.015300.253230_at_f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>>
>> So you think it does take 3 years experience as a UNIX system
>> administrator
>> to become an Oracle DBA?
>
> Yes, it does, trust me and others who have stated the same in this
> thread. Oracle is run on Windows, yes, but the majority of Oracle
> installations are on UNIX/Linux and, as such, you need, yes NEED, a
> good understanding of UNIX system administration. Such knowledge even
> helps those who find themselves in Windows shops. Again, trust me on
> this as I've been in both worlds working production Oracle databases
> and, even with Windows, I wouldn't have had much chance without the
> UNIX administration knowledge I gained when I started some 17 years
> ago.
>

I didn't say someone can be an Oracle DBA without any knowledge of the OS. But if you are an Oracle DBA on Windows, you don't need UNIX experience, much less 3 years working as a UNIX admin. The original statement may have been predicated on the assumption that Windows is not an appropriate platform for Oracle, and any sane person would eventually migrate it to another platform. If that is true, the that should have been stated instead of claiming that Oracle for Windows DBA's need UNIX experience.

> If a person cannot manage a UNIX installation, including kernel
> patches, user administration, resource allocation, etc. one cannot
> truly hope to be a qualified Oracle DBA. You simply do not paint half
> a portrait and sell it as a finished product.
>

Every place I have worked as a DBA, there is a separate group of UNIX admins, and DBA's don't have root access. If I ever tried to mess with the kernal, I would get fired. Obviously, if there is no UNIX admin, and the DBA is expected to fill that role also, then that person needs to also be a UNIX admin.

> Knowledge of Oracle is not enough. One must be capable of assuming the
> role of backup system administrator as well. There is no compromise on
> this. Research how often Oracle is installed on UNIX compared to
> Windows; when you do, you'll find it is the most often selected
> operating system for Oracle. Then ask other DBAs in those shops what
> qualifications they need. You'll find, as Daniel and Sybrand have
> indicated, that UNIX System adminsitration is at the top of their
> lists. And, the best Oracle DBA's I've had the pleasure to meet or
> with whom I've worked have been excellend UNIX sys admins. You are
> deceiving yourself if you think otherwise.
> David Fitzjarrell
>

Clearly, one needs a decent knowledge of the OS where Oracle is installed to be a DBA on that platform. But I really question whether one needs to work 3 years as UNIX admin before hand. That is a bit of exaggeration.

There is one aspect of working as a DBA that has not been mentioned and is often more important. That is as a database designer. The physical database design has a huge impact on the success of a project and the ability to come up with a flexible, but well-performing database design is one of the most important aspects of a DBA. This requires a knowledge of the business, application development, and the ability to work well with development teams. Poor database designs are the number one reason that application development projects fail.

But the truth is that some DBA's also function as UNIX admins (and many don't), many DBA's do database design (and some don't), so it depends a lot on the specific job. Many companies have more than one DBA and it is rare to find one person who does everything extremely well.

In my opinion, UNIX admins are a dime a dozen, but a good database designer is priceless. Received on Sat Jul 02 2005 - 11:35:21 CDT