Beginning Oracle Database 11g Administration From Novice to Professional

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CHAPTER 11 FIXING PROBLEMS
Extremely Important
Keeping Records
Fixing Root Cause
Updating Documentation
Fixing Immediate Problem
Not Urgent
Extremely Urgent
Watching YouTube Video
Cell Phone Call
Not Important
Figure 11-1. Classifying activities into four quadrants
Systematic Five- Step Problem- Solving Method
In his book The Art and Science of Oracle Performance Tuning, Christopher Lawson
describes a systematic five- step method for solving a performance- tuning problem.
The method applies to any problem, not just to a performance problem. Oracle Database
versions and software tools may change, but the five steps always remain the same.
A problem may be simple and require only a few minutes of your time or it may be tremendously
complex and require weeks, but the five steps always remain the same:
1. Define the problem. This requires patient listening, skillful questioning, and
even careful observation. “Is the database having a problem?” is a question, not
a problem statement. “The users are complaining” is a poorly defined problem
statement. “I cannot connect to the database” is very precise. Ask the user for the
history of the problem. Ask what previous efforts have been made to solve the
problem. Ask what changed recently in the environment, for example, software or
hardware upgrades. Ask whether all users are affected or only some. Ask whether
the problem occurs at specific times of the day or week. Ask whether all parts of
the application are equally affected or just parts. Avoid confusing the problem
with the solution—for example, “The problem is that we need to reboot the server.”
A good way to end this phase is with a reproducible test case or with one or more
Oracle error codes.
2. Investigate the problem and collect as much pertinent evidence as possible.
A good place to start is the Oracle alert log.