Re: How do i get started as a Jr. DBA

Daniel,

> money twofold. I'm no Oracle expert, but i know Developer functions
> have nothing to do with what a DBA does, except for the basic SQL,
> PL/SQL...
I think that you will find many (including myself) who would disagree with this statement. A database is essentially the backend to a developed application. The more you understand about applications and how they work, the better DBA you will become. Also, in my role as a DBA at my company, I am expected to be the definitive resource for all Oracle related development. Every time a developer needs a question on Oracle development, they call our DBA team. Without development experience behind me, I wouldn't be able to answer their questions as effectively.

Unlike Jerry's answer, I have met DBAs who did not start off as developers. But every single DBA who I have met without previous development experience started off as a Systems Administrator instead. Since a database is strongly dependent on the system that it runs on, a strong background in systems administration is also strongly desired.

There are two sides to the database in this instance, the applications that run on the database and the system that the database runs on. A good DBA needs to have a good idea of both of these sides. Learn as much about each and it will help your DBA career in the long run!

Good Luck,
Brian

-- 
========================================
Brian Peasland
Raytheons Systems at
  USGS EROS Data Center
These opinions are my own and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of my 
company!
========================================