Re: Oracle versus MS Sql Server

In a valiant and sublime effort,Michael G. Schneider frowned, dipped a thumb in soot and doodled:

>Adminstration". Maybe me as a not natively English speaking person should
>not try to abstractely describe the word "Administration". But it definitely
>does not sound like "Design" or "Development". Some of the subjects that
>immediately come to my mind when hearing "Database Administration" are...
>
> - install and update
> - intialization parameters
> - monitoring memory usage
> - monitoring performance
> - adjusting disk layout
> - configuring net structure
>
>These items certainly are not complete. But the other items mentioned in
>this thread (primary keys, constraints, cursors, ...) do sound like
>development issues to me.In the course of a project, these are decided by me
>and are discussed with Database Designers.

Hehehe! Michael, a couple of history points about ORACLE:

• It was one of the very first relational databases to be available over the counter. As such, at the time there was bugger all knowledge of design (practical as well as theoretical) for this type of database.
• Since the year dot, ORACLE emphasized that a DBA had to know not only how to administer the database, but also how to best design for it. A dual role: administration and design.
• As such, most of the old hand ORACLE DBAs know a LOT about design issues and pride themselves in doing so. Most also have formal training in design disciplines.
• As a result, you'll find that most old-hand ORACLE DBAs consider design part and parcel of their job. Hence the clash with your views and others here.
• Unfortunately, a few years ago ORACLE decided to go with the "flow": that DBAs had to be trained to be only DBAs. Ie, trained monkeys who can react predictably to a ping in a screen. And design was not important: after all, hardware kept getting faster and faster and performance problems could easily be addressed by upgrades. Recognize the symptom? Yes, exactly!
• The end result has been that over the last 5 or so years, there has been a marked lack of proper relational design skills in the ORACLE market: abstracting from people who have a genuine interest in the subject, most modern DBAs know zilch about the subject. And ORACLE themselves have eliminated the Design discipline from their Certification programs.

Result: clash of cultures, absolutely brain-damaged development, abysmal quality of software ports, etc,etc.

They'll learn...

Cheers
Nuno Souto
nsouto_at_optushome.com.au.nospam Received on Fri Oct 26 2001 - 11:08:53 CDT