Grow from a junior DBA to a senior DBA [1]

I should be oneDBA?

 

One of the questions I have asked is whether a person should be engaged in a profession like DBA. This question is not easy to answer because it varies from person to person. Some people have the talent they need to become a good DBA. Others do not think it is easy to master the secret of becoming a DBA. The DBA profession must have certain skills. It also requires unnecessary requirements for other IT occupations. Therefore, to answer this question, I usually describe the requirements necessary for the DBA profession to become a DBA. In the following sections, I will end with a question. Take some time to think about and answer these questions before you proceed.

 

Many people are determined to become DBAs for many reasons. One of the main reasons is salary. DBA is one of the highest-paying jobs in the IT industry. Others want to become DBAs because they like to praise DBAs for their honors, or because they look cool! I personally think it is worthwhile to become a DBA. It is an interesting and exciting career. So why do you consider DBA as a possible career choice?

 

Unless you are prepared in advance, you may find that your DBA career is full of setbacks and headaches. A database exists between the operating system and the end user application. Similarly, DBAs must be very proficient in the operating system where their database is located. DBA does not necessarily need to know all the operating system knowledge, but the more he knows, the better. The database is closely related to the operating system. It is necessary to understand this association. DBA also needs to know the server hardware and how it affects and helps the database. At the same time, DBA must understand the application software. DBA may be required to help developers create reliable and sound database applications. Also, the most important thing is the most obvious. DBAs must thoroughly understand the database engine, how it works, and how all engines are combined, and how it affects the ability of the database engine to transmit data to end users and applications. The best dba I have ever seen has a deep understanding, not just in the database itself. They know about system management and application development. Many times they have one or two backgrounds before becoming a DBA. In any case, it also requires a lot of background knowledge to become a qualified DBA rather than a good DBA. Are you ready to start learning until you feel that you cannot continue learning?

 

Many people who have talked with me and who have encountered difficulties in their DBA career will actually have some problems when trying to absorb a large amount of information required by DBAs. After all, the system administrator takes full time to learn the details of the operating system. Application developers are dedicated to learning how to write programs. DBAs should not only understand these two different jobs, but also spend more time understanding the database architecture, and understand how each piece of everything is combined! Does it sound daunting? Many people think this way when they fail, and regard DBA work as a very difficult task. There are also people who disseminate and understand all this information and use it to make a sound technical decision. As I used to say when I was a DBA, all these seem like a big mystery to me. Combining all these together is a challenge. Who are you?

 

Many DBAs are waiting for their lives at any time. They will receive calls during the day or night to solve their database's fatal problems. Databases are an essential part of the basic organization of commercial information technology. Without data, there is no need to own a computer system. Data drives business. What will happen if the website Amazon.com cannot search for products in the database and no one can place orders for their products? It won't be in business for a long time. When the database goes down, even if it is just a short time, the company will suffer significant losses. For this reason, the DBA must solve the problem as quickly as possible after arriving at the site. Many companies have their own DBA teams so that they can take turns. These DBAs maintain database applications within 24x7 hours. If your work is needed, are you ready to wait?

 

Some DBAs are responsible for patching software or making some changes to the database. Generally, these operations cannot be performed by company employees because the database must be run so that they can work. This means that DBAs often have to finish their work long or late at night or even on weekends. Are you ready to work in an abnormal time, or are you looking for a job of 9 to 5?

 

For DBAs, an important thing to master is what is often referred to as "soft technology. DBAs need to work well in the team. Generally, the team is changing, such as system administrators, network administrators, application developers, project managers, and others. DBAs must be able to explain complex technical concepts in fluent English, so that others in the team can understand them. DBA should also be able to direct team members on database-related issues. How is your soft technology?

 

Not all of the following lists, but include the typical responsibilities of DBA:

· Monitor database instances as daily necessities to ensure their availability. Solve the Problem of unavailability.

· Collect system statistics and performance information for targeted and Configuration Analysis.

· Configure and adjust database instances to achieve optimal performance under specific application requirements.

· Analyze and manage database security. Controls and monitors user access to the database. Audit database usage if necessary.

· Monitor the backup program. Provide recovery if necessary. Test the backup and recovery procedures.

· Upgrade RDBMS Software and use Patches when necessary. Upgrade or migrate database instances if necessary.

· Support application developers through database-related actions.

· Follow the database trend and technology. Use new technologies when applications are available. Install, test, and evaluate new Oracle-related products.

· Perform storage and physical design. Balanced design issues to optimize performance.

· Create, configure, and design a database instance.

· Diagnosis, fault detection, and resolution of any database problems. If necessary, contact Oracle support personnel to solve the problem.

· Ensure that the Oracle network software (SQL * Net, net8, names, OID) is well configured and run.

· Work with the system administrator (UNIX & NT) to ensure that Oracle-related transactions are well handled.

· Create any necessary scripts for effective and regular database maintenance.

 

The problem in the previous sections is to let you consider what a DBA should do and help you decide whether this is suitable for your career. I don't mean that if you want to become a DBA, this will stop you. I just tried to show some facts. I have seen that some DBAs will be lost once they are hit by actual work. They spent time, energy, and money getting their first DBA job. I personally think this profession is very valuable. And I can't imagine what else will happen. Therefore, this section helps you decide whether or not you want to engage. If it is, do everything you can to get it!