DBA Tasks, Responsibilities and Skills Required

$Date: 23-Mar-1998 $
$Revision: 1.1 $
$Author: Frank Naudé $

Topics

The job of the DBA seems to be everything that everyone else either doesn't want to do or doesn't have the ability to do. We get the wonderful task of figuring out all the things too hard for everyone else to figure out.

More seriously though, there is a list of typical DBA responsibilities:

• Installation, configuration and upgrading of Oracle server software and related products

• Evaluate Oracle features and Oracle related products

• Establish and maintain sound backup and recovery policies and procedures

• Take care of the Database design and implementation

• Implement and maintain database security (create and maintain users and roles, assign priviledges)

• Do database tuning and performance monitoring

• Do application tuning and performance monitoring

• Setup and maintain documentation and standards

• Plan growth and changes (capacity planning)

• Work as part of a team and provide 7x24 support when required

• Do general technical trouble shooting and give consultation to development teams

• Interface with Oracle Corporation for technical support.

• Good understanding of the Oracle database, related utilities and tools

• A good understanding of the underlying operating system

• A good knowledge of the physical database design

• Ability to perform both Oracle and operating system performance tuning and monitoring

• Knowledge of ALL Oracle backup and recovery scenarios

• A good knowledge of Oracle security management

• A good knowledge of how Oracle acquires and manages resources

• A good knowledge Oracle data integrity

• Sound knowledge of the applications systems at your site

• Experience in code migration, database change management and data management through the various stages of the development life cycle

• A sound knowledge of both database and system performance tuning

• A DBA should have sound communication skills with management, development teams, vendors and systems administrators

• Provide a strategic database direction for the organisation

• A DBA should have the ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines

• A DBA should possess a sound understanding of the business

• Must be certified as an Oracle DBA

• Preferably a BS in computer science or related engineering field

• Lots and lots of EXPERIENCE

General Questions
• Tell us about yourself/ your background.
• What are the three major characteristics that you bring to the job market?
• What motivates you to do a good job?
• What two or three things are most important to you at work?
• What qualities do you think are essential to be successful in this kind of work?
• What courses did you attend? What job certifications do you hold?
• What subjects/courses did you excel in? Why?
• What subjects/courses gave you trouble? Why?
• How does your previous work experience prepare you for this position?
• How do you define 'success'?
• What has been your most significant accomplishment to date?
• Describe a challenge you encountered and how you dealt with it.
• Describe a failure and how you dealt with it.
• Describe the 'ideal' job... the 'ideal' supervisor.
• What leadership roles have you held?
• What prejudices do you hold?
• What do you like to do in your spare time?
• What are your career goals (a) 3 years from now; (b) 10 years from now?
• How does this position match your career goals?
• What have you done in the past year to improve yourself?
• In what areas do you feel you need further education and training to be successful?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why do you want to work for this company. Why should we hire you?
• Where do you see yourself fitting in to this organization . . .initially? . . .in 5 years?
• Why are you looking for a new job?
• How do you feel about re-locating?
• Are you willing to travel?
• What are your salary requirements?
• When would you be available to start if you were selected?

  General Oracle Questions

• Did you use online or off-line backups?
• What version of Oracle were you running?
• Haw many databases and what sizes?
• If you have to advise a backup strategy for a new application, how would you approach it and what questions will you ask?
• If a customer calls you about a hanging database session, what will you do to resolve it?
• Compare Oracle to any other database that you know. Why would you prefer to work on one and not on the other?