Beginning Oracle Database 11g Administration From Novice to Professional

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CHAPTER 15 THE BIG PICTURE AND THE TEN DELIVERABLES
How I Became a DBA
I became an Oracle DBA by accident. I was supporting another database technology
when Big Bob, the Oracle DBA at my then employer, suddenly resigned. I was asked to
take over because I had expressed an interest in becoming an Oracle DBA.
I created a documentation template and asked Bob to spend his remaining time documenting
each database using the template. He protested that he did not have the time
to provide so much detail and suggested that we meet for an hour or two.
At the meeting, Bob told me not to worry and that I was a smart kid and would soon
learn my way around. We ran through the list of databases in about half an hour, spending
less than a minute on each while I hastily scribbled notes.
But it wasn’t Big Bob’s fault at all, because documentation and record- keeping were
not organizational priorities. When the time came for me to take over from him, Big Bob
had little more for me than a few passwords, a firm handshake, and lots of good wishes.
THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
Which kind of database administrator would you want to maintain your database? One whose speech
was sprinkled with incomprehensible Oracle terminology or one who communicated with you in language
you understood? I mentioned previously that all the interviews that I attended during my job
searches, with one single exception, focused on my knowledge of Oracle syntax. A U.S.-based provider
of remote DBA services called Database Specialists uses a very unusual approach to interviewing Oracle
DBA candidates. Questions about Oracle syntax are not asked. Instead, the interview focuses on the
candidate’s ability to communicate.
Database Specialists uses a systematic institutional approach to database administration, and the
linchpin of the process is communication with its customers. A daily report on every database that is maintained
by Database Specialists is sent to the appropriate distribution list. This is not a computer- generated
report or graph but an actual memo from a live person. This gives customers visibility into database operations
and reassures them that a systematic process of database administration is being followed, even if
a memo might sometimes say only “No new issues at this time.” All the daily reports are available online in
a customer- accessible Internet portal, and they constitute a historical record of all the issues with the database.
Here is an example—names and details have been changed to protect customer confidentiality: