Re: Operational Excellence - True or False? (Feel free to explain if so inclined)

I've been thinking about this exact subject since the email chain started....  I've carried the "Multi-Platform DBA" title for almost a decade now and I definitely try to keep my knowledge in both platforms up to date, but my area of grey matter allocated towards Oracle is starting to really over-shadow the sections given to SQL Server these days.  I also am having the added difficulty of allocating brain space to MySQL.  All I've been able to do is successsfully specialize in Oracle performance tuning and then keep a base knowledge of SQL Server and MySQL so if and when I am needed to do some "heavy-lifting" in one of those platforms, I have a good foundation to work from... 

That's the best I can offer or my brain is going to require a major upgrade... :)
Kellyn Pot'Vin
Sr. Database Administrator and Developer
dbakevlar.com


________________________________
From: "Uzzell, Stephan" <SUzzell_at_MICROS.COM>
To: "'norman.dunbar.capgemini_at_environment-agency.gov.uk'" <norman.dunbar.capgemini_at_environment-agency.gov.uk>; "ChrisDavid.Taylor_at_ingrambarge.com" <ChrisDavid.Taylor@ingrambarge.com>; "oracle-l@freelists.org" <oracle-l@freelists.org>
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 4:26 AM
Subject: RE: Operational Excellence - True or False? (Feel free to explain if so inclined)

Norm, Norm,

You can verb anything, dontcha know?

To the question at hand - I think people have said it better than I could. But my feeling tends to be that while many people may be able to achieve some level of competence in both Oracle and SQL Server, true excellence in the both of them is out of the range of us mere mortals.

Just my $.02

Stephan Uzzell

-----Original Message-----
From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org [mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of Dunbar, Norman (Capgemini)
Sent: Friday, 29 July, 2011 02:55
To: ChrisDavid.Taylor_at_ingrambarge.com; oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: RE: Operational Excellence - True or False? (Feel free to explain if so inclined)

Morning all,

>> ... (That is, to achieve operational excellence in regard to 
>> enterprise data management of large data stores managed by 
>> both Oracle and SQL Server, you need individuals who 
>> specialize in each technology).

I tend to disagree, but as ever, it depends. It depends on who the
person in question actually is. If it was me, for example, then my brain
is getting far too old to remember everything I already know about
Oracle (and Firebird) to add even more to the pile with SQL Server.

In fact, I recently turned down some free (And I'm a Jock living in
Yorkshire!) SQL Server training for this very reason (plus the fact that
I actually have an inbuilt hatred for SQL Server - don't ask me why, I
just do!).

If, on the other hand, the person was Jonathan Lewis, then I'd expect
him to end up as a person of excellence in both disciplines. Simply
because he can (or appears to) dedicate large periods of time in
research mode testing things, investigating and learning what goes on
under the covers.

Tanel Poder, I think, would also be another guru if he decided he wanted
to be. There are others, some on this list, who would also be able (in
my opinion) to take on the roles of Oracle & SQL Server DBA to a high
standard.

I often wonder, when I read Tanel or Jonathan's blogs, just *how* they
find out information about the internal workings of Oracle.

And I also have to add, I absolutely loathe and detest the use of
certain words as verbs when they are simply not verbs, a thing much
loved by "right on" management - "we are going to leverage ....", "we
need to architect a new ...." and this morning's one from another post,
luckily tongue in cheek, "I shall have to socialize (socialise) this in
the office" - Aaargh!

Maybe I'm just a grumpy old codger? ;-)


Cheers,
Norm.

Norman Dunbar
Contract Senior Oracle DBA
Capgemini Database Team (EA)
Internal : 7 28 2051
External : 0113 231 2051


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