Hiring the Best Database Administrator Questions and Answers

Are you a Database Administrator? Need to update DBA technical knowledge or need to prepare for a job interview? Check out this collection of Hiring the Best Database Administrator Questions and Answers...

What is the most important job function for a database administrator?
Do You Help Others?
If I asked you to learn how to make a query faster, what would you do?
How do you troubleshoot problems in your current role?
What�s the Largest Database You�ve Worked With?
Who is the most important user of a database?
Hyper-V or VMWare?
What frustrated you most at your previous job?
SQL Server DBA - Solve the FizzBuzz problem with SQL code.
How do you plan for upgrades?
SQL Server DBA- I�m a manager, and you�re my Senior DBA. Explain to me why we shouldn�t switch to MySQL or Oracle.
I�m a developer. Explain why I need a unique key on my table.
A project manager needs a new SQL Server. What do you ask her?
What trends do you see coming in the next 3 years that will impact your role the most?
Which is faster: Inserting one million rows of data, or updating one million rows of data?
What is a database?
Can you give me references from other DBAs and developers who aren�t at your company?
SQL Server - Explain why DBAs don�t like cursors.
SQL Server - Where do you like business logic � in the app or in the database? Why?
How do you learn new things?
For Junior DBA�s - Are You a Problem Solver?
How can you tell if a query will scale for production?
Why do You Want to be a DBA?
Can you provide quality examples of your previous projects?
Do you Have a Personal Development Plan?
What�s the fastest way to get a thousand records into the database?
SQL Server - What is the difference between a primary key and a clustered index?
For Junior DBA�s - Do You Know The Primary Responsibility of a DBA?
Why are you here?
Ask stressful questions.
SQL Server - Explain when and how transactions should be used.
What third party database tools are your favorites?
SQL Server - Explain referential integrity and where it can be enforced.
Junior DBA�s - What do You Know About Database Backups?
Junior DBA�s - Can you Demonstrate Overcoming Adversity?
Junior DBA�s - Do You Have a Basic Grasp of the Relational Model?
Junior DBA�s - Do You Have Any Goals?
Junior DBA�s - Do You Know What You Don�t Know?
Oracle Apps DBAs - How would you know that your applications setup is a using shared APPL_TOP configuration ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - How would you know that your applications setup is a using shared APPL_TOP configuration ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What is difference between shared APPL_TOP and shared Application Tier ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - How would you know about which servers are running on a particular node ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - Adsplice �I have a 3 node installation: 1. Forms 2. Web 3. CM/Admin/Reports and DB which node I will run the adsplice on, to install a new product ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - There are four Oracle Databases running on a mahine. How would you check the location of their Oracle Homes ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - How would you check if the tablespace is in backup mode ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - When Database is up, listener is up. listener.ora and tnsnames.ora both are configured properly, still client is not being able to make a connection to the database. What may be the possible issues ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What is �Custom TOP� in apps ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - if you find that under $FND_TOP/secure directory, there are many .dbc files, how would you know which is the correct one ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - Which user you use to install Oracle Apps 11i/R12 on Unix/Linux ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - Which script/executable you use to install Oracle Apps 11i/R12 �runInstaller� or �rapidwiz� ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - When you install apps (11i/R12) it stores configuration in text file , what is name of this file and where is this stored ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What are hosts file entry requirement for 11i/R12 in Linux/Unix ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What is staging area ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - How to create staging area
Oracle Apps DBAs - If you wish to install Apps 11i/R12 using Virtual Host Name instead of actual name , Is it possible and if Yes how ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - If your installation fails for some reason , is it possible to restart installation ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What is port pool ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What is express install ?
Oracle Apps DBAs - Give overview of pre installation checks you would do before Oracle Apps Installation on Unix/Linux?
Oracle Apps DBAs - What software you need to install Oracle Application on Windows ?
ORACLE_HOM - What is opmnctl/adopmnctl ?
ORACLE_HOM - What is INST_TOP in Oracle Apps ?
ORACLE_HOM - Why do we get error when we run �opmnctl status� from ....
ORACLE - Why I need shared APPL_TOP ?
ORACLE - What is Shared Application Tier ?
ORACLE - Limitation with Shared APPL_TOP , Application Tier ?