Re: oinstall vs. dba UNIX Group

From: Niall Litchfield <niall.litchfield_at_dial.pipex.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:40:59 +0000
Message-ID: <oJSdnfy95YOCyUXYnZ2dnUVZ8t-nnZ2d@pipex.net>

Mark D Powell wrote:
> On Feb 16, 6:44 pm, "hpuxrac" <johnbhur..._at_sbcglobal.net> wrote:
<snip>

>> The only "pro" to using oinstall is IF you have people that will be
>> installing and maintaining oracle software that are NOT part of the
>> dba group.
>>

>
> I think oinstall exists at least partially for those sites that have
> split the DBA job function into Infrastructure DBA and Application DBA
> where the Application DBA's work with the developers but are not
> responsible for installation, configuration, or tuning of the database
> itself. The Infrastructure DBA does that along with applying all the
> patches. The Infrastructure DBA does not create objects (except via
> Oracle provided scripts like catalog, catproc, etc...), touch user
> data, or issue any application grants.
>
> I agree with hpuxrac that there is no real benefit at this point in
> time to not using DBA if you have not split the DBA job function.

That's certainly one advantage. I think however the primary benefit of this design involves considering more than just the one database, or more than just the one piece of software.

Two examples.

First up, you may consider it sensible to host more than one database on the same hardware for different groups within a business. Either because you want to run different versions, or for political or security reasons, particularly in the latter case it isn't a great stretch to imagine that you'd want two different sets of dbas, with appropriate dba group memberships. You'd be unlikely however to wish to have two separate inventories.

Second, Oracle corp do sell more than just the database software. It isn't at all inconceivable that you might run an application server and a database server on the same box. Again in this situation it isn't a great leap to imagine that you might wish to separate the roles of software maintenance from straight dba responsibility.

Having the two groups gives more flexibility than if there were just the one. It's a shame therefore to my mind, that on windows the installer has to be a local administrator of the server, and on *nix that root access is needed.

-- 
Niall Litchfield
Oracle DBA
http://www.orawin.info/services

Received on Sun Feb 18 2007 - 07:40:59 CST