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WHAT EXACTLY IS A DBA? (1)

The position of Database Administrator -- DBA for short -- means many things to many people. In a small development shop the duties are much broader than in a highly stratified major corporation. Whether a company is doing development or adopting a third part package will also determine the needs of the DBA position. Knowing what is expected of the position and knowing how the position envisioned fits within the company hierarchy is critical. In "ORACLE 8.0 Administration and Management" I list the following as a list of DBA job functions:

1. Installing and upgrading the ORACLE Server and application tools.
2. Allocating system storage and planning future storage requirements for the database.
3. Creating primary database storage structures (tablespaces) once developers have designed an application.
4. Creating primary database objects (tables, views, indexes) once application developers have designed an application.
5. Modifying the database structure, as necessary, from information given by application developers.
6. Enrolling users and maintaining system security.
7. Ensuring compliance with Oracle License agreements.
8. Controlling and monitoring user access to the database.
9. Monitoring and optimizing the performance of the database.
10. Planning for backup and recovery of database information.
11. Maintaining archived data on appropriate storage devices.
12. Backing and restoring the database.
13. Contacting Oracle Corporation for technical support.

PERSONALITY TRAITS OF A DBA Many times managers concentrate on technical qualities and overlook personality. Virtually every category shown above means a DBA will have to interface with other personnel, be they vendors, users, developers or managers. This indicates the a DBA should exhibit the following traits:

* Self Confidence
* Curiosity
* Tenacity
* Tactful
* Self starter
* Detail oriented

Why are these traits important?
As a beginning DBA under a full-charge DBA this may be all right but if the person is the full--charge DBA then who are they going to depend on for their decisions if they have no self confidence? Interview questions should include ones on problems and how they were solved. The answers should demonstrate self confidence. One thing to remember is that it is not bad to not know an answer, but to not know where to find an answer is bad.
The Oracle database system is constantly changing. Not all of these changes are documented. Curiosity is a requirement to be a good DBA. If a DBA isn't curious they are passive and wait for things to be told them. A curious DBA will install the latest version and immediately begin searching out the differences and improvements and how they can be applied to make his or her job better (read easier). A curious DBA will have multiple references they purchased with their own money and will have read them. Curiosity will also drive them to understand the Oracle data dictionary and any utilities or packages provided by Oracle. Lack of knowledge about the data dictionary tables and views and the Oracle provided utilities and packages is unforgivable in a full--charge DBA.
Trouble shooting requires a bulldog like tenacity, getting a hold and not letting go until the problem is solved. Many times a DBA will give up on a problem that would have been solved with the next solution they tried.
A self-starting employee is important for any position. Doubly so for a DBA. A DBA must be able to wade in and make things happen, not just wait for things to happen. A self-starting DBA obtains or develops their own scripts to monitor such items as table sizes, tablespace usage, SGA usage in short, all of the items that can get them in trouble if ignored. Questions dealing with level of experience in PL/SQL, SQL and SQL*Plus will show how many scripts the DBA candidate has developed. Some operations in PL/SQL and SQL*Plus are generally only used by DBAs so questions concerning specific techniques will expose those who have written their own scripts and those who haven't.
Dealing with developers and managers, not to mention users, requires tact. A tactless DBA will make nothing but enemies for your department. Tact has been called the ability to tell someone to go to Hades and have them anxious for the trip. Many times developers, managers and users will make unreasonable requests, the DBA must have tact to field and deflect these requests without burning bridges. How a person acts during the interview process will show their level of tact. The final trait, being detail--oriented, is very important. Being detail--oriented means that they don't have to be told to cross check details. It also means they actively document quirks in the installation "Just in case". The indications of a detail--oriented person are such things as bringing a daytimer or scheduler to the interview, showing up ahead of time, and asking questions that indicate they have researched the company they are interviewing with. This detail-orientation will show up in them knowing the Oracle internals and understanding the relationships between the views, tables and dynamic performance tables. Usually a detail--oriented person will take the time to research the database on their own.

A Unique Vantage Point

The DBA is responsible for designing and maintaining an enterprise's databases, placing the DBA squarely at the center of the business. The DBA has the opportunity to learn about many facets of business and how they interrelate. The DBA can explore groundbreaking technologies as they are adopted by the organization. Exposure to new technology keeps the job stimulating—but frustrating if you are trying to figure out how a new technology works for the first time. The DBA is often working alone in these endeavors; he does not have access to additional expertise to assist when troubles arise. Therefore, a good DBA needs to enjoy challenges and be a good problem solver.

(Continued on next part...)