Re: DBA : what's the manpower you need to do the job?

From: Youri N. Podchosov <ynp_at_ynp.dialup.access.net>
Date: 1995/06/04
Message-ID: <3qsgrv$nq5_at_news.panix.com>#1/1

David Roth writes:

> fjbolata_at_info.vub.ac.be (Frank Bolata) wrote:
>
>
> >We are going to start moving to a client/server environment. We've still
> >not decided what database to use (oracle, sybase, MS SQL server, informix).
>
>
> >One of our concerns is the time that has to be spent on database adminstration.
> >Could you please inform me what kind of manpower you need to do the job?
> >Is there much difference between the different DBMS's and between Windows NT
> >and UNIX, qua DBA manpower?
 

> >thanks for helping us out,
 

> >Frank.
>
> The DBA job can be part time or can require a whole department!
> How big is your database? How many users? How active? How much
> downtime is available for backups? Can you afford to lose any data?
> How much? Any special security/audit requirements?
>
> The list of questions goes on and on and all need to be answered
> before you can really scope the DBA job. Note that they all should be
> answered before you choose a database. If you pick the wrong one for
> your environment everything changes including the magnitude of the DAB
> job.
>

From personal experience:

Don't know about Access etc., but as to Oracle, I'd put it this way: if your DB system is big enough (like in the range of tens of Gigs of data, dozens/hundreds of interactive users, several [heterogenous] hosts) then it's highly probably you'll need _more_than_one_DBA_!

The one (two?) providing OS-related support and maintenance, i.e. treating Oracle as another big software package, developing policies and techniques of its peaceful and - most probably - efficient co-existance with the rest of UNIX-based applications deployed in the organization. I think the scope of responsibilities for such a system DBA (SDBA) might include:

- participation in installation and initial configuration process,
- development of resources consumption patterns wrt Oracle's specific requirements,
- control over loads and overheads that Oracle puts on the system,
- designing safe and painless procedures for scheduled backups which take in consideration Oracle DB stuff pecularity,
- porting of software/methodology developed on some particular architecture

to different platforms ( yeah, applications developed using Oracle tools are _very_ portable, but not to the extent completely eliminating any need in an intervention from human side :)

Another one (or should be N of them?) is/are to be application-oriented DBA(s): her/their primary responsibility could be to cope with Oracle DB design, implementation and support with respect to all/particular application system developed by means of Oracle and using its database. This job may not require too much knowledge about how Oracle is "seen" from UNIX standpoint, but instead it requires deep penetration into data/infological models on which applications are based, their proper implementation in terms of database objects and manipulating procedures, as well as some - preferably good - skills in dealing with Oracle development and deployment tools. For not too many rather similar application systems, one application ADBA might be sufficient, otherwise assigning a separate ADBA for each (group of) applications should be considered. Received on Sun Jun 04 1995 - 00:00:00 CEST