RE: How much OT/holidays do dba's work?

Bryan starts to wonder: >If I had to work that much overtime to support a database I would start to wonder about the database being used. > >It would appear this thread doesn't say much for Informix. Does it really require so much hand-holding? > >Just curious? I ran an Informix installation in a mission-critical application for more than 200 days with no engine downtime. There were two instances of Online up and running, each of which had databases for testing and development in addition to the production ones. During that time I worked a reasonable number of hours, completed an MBA program, and maintained a family and personal life. This during the time that I re-built an additional 10 instances of Online in similar critical applications, redefining the DBA role nearly single-handedly while the rest of the development team worked on new projects. This so inspired me in the solidity of the company's products that I came to work for Informix. This example, while literal and true, represents only one view of a large company's many products. Databases, like operating systems, can be run on the "bleeding edge" of their capabilities or in a manner that encourages stability and solidity. These limits are enormously application-specific, and depend so much on external factors such as power continuity, user-written program behaviour, and third-party products that making a judgement of an entire corporation based on one person's tale of woe is terribly rash. As rash as basing such a judgement on the above story... ;) _____________________________________________________________ Clem Akins (aka clem@informix.com) Menlo Park x5937 Customer Course Development Manager Informix Software, Inc Last seen: Picnicking on the beach at Point Reyes, California