Re: Care and feeding of OnLine

> Okay, > > I was hoping that by being vague, I would get a wider range of > responses. I see now, though, that I was too vague. I'll try again > to get the ball rolling. > > What my client-oriented customer is looking for is some simple > steps they can perform to keep their OnLine databases happy. They > do have some access to DBAs (myself included...). But, in the past, > we've only been called in after things have gone to hell. For > example, once upon a time, they had problems creating backups. This > didn't bother them enough to ask anyone until they lost their > database. That's when they called me and expected me to pull a > backup out of my... well, out of thin air. > [...proto-discussion about DBA tasks deleted...] > > I've gotten notes from several people interested in the outcome > of this discussion, so let's go! What kinda tricks do you use to > keep things going? > > --Craig (craig@chemistry.utah.edu) This is an old answer to a previous post in the same vein. Make of it what you will... *BEGIN OLD POSTING***** Anyway, the DBA wears a pretty big hat, and is responsible for making the database run well. This can include everything from adding and maintaining user accounts (the entire sysadmin function) to setting up tables on the disk (a proper DBA function) to performing data analysis and making process recommendations (a user function.) The database community has a pretty well defined set of functions that a DBA definitely performs: Installing and Setting up the engine Managing database space Data Archiving and Restoration Managing database memory Managing database and table-level user permissions Performance tuning These are the chapter headings from the Informix OnLine Administrator's Guide and the Informix OnLine System Administration Student Book. A longer list includes: (from an earlier post) If you are running Informix SE then very little DBA work is required, and one of your in-house people could do it (probably.) If you use OnLine, especially version >=6, you can expect a lot of work to make it all come out right. At our site the DBA does a tremendous amount of work, including: ---------------------------------------------------------------- Tune databases -set appropriate extent sizes for tables -define tables large enough to fit inside 8 extents (max) -monitor dbspace -adjust purges and db size IAW company requirements -adjust locks, logs, high-water marks, buffers, etc -move logs from same dbspace as main data -map db usage for each db (chunks, mirrors, sizes) -reduce test db resources -maintain DBA logs of tuning & adjustments -maintain backup copies of schemas, tbconfigs, startup, backup, and shutdown scripts, crontab entries -update statistics periodically Keep abreast -keep abreast of informix newsgroup on internet -attend user conferences -attend classes and upgrade seminars Maintain databases -maintain connection permissions at db level -maintain user permissions at table level (systabauth table) -provide backup of raw dbspace (do_ol_backup.sh) -institute "watcher" program (from internet) to automatically monitor database numbers -install new informix software -migrate databases to new platforms New Development -integrate all shop floor systems into "distributed db" -upgrade systems to latest versions all for EACH system (we have around 20 or 30). Good luck (you'll need it), (end of earlier post...) You would do well to buy Joe Lumbley's book, and Cathy Kipp's book, too, if you get the responsibility for managing an Informix database. There are several others that apply to Oracle that are useful, I'm sure, though I don't have any in reach. To sum it all up, it takes a lot to be a real DBA in any non-trivial environment. The people who flamed you have been working long and hard to get to a level of competence that lets them claim to be a DBA (and charge the big $$ for it, too!) They eat, live, breathe, and die DBA stuff, including this forum. OTOH, we all got here somehow, usually by taking on a job that was too much for us to do right, and by screwing things up so bad that we learned in the process. That's the HARD way... ;) Good judgement is the product of experience... Experience is the product of bad judgement! __________________________________________________________________ | Clem Akins Standard Disclaimers Apply | |Reynolds Metals Co, Alloys Plant "Climb High, Cave Deep!" | | Muscle Shoals, Alabama USA cwakins@leia.alloys.rmc.com | |________________________________________________________________|