PART I: THE JOB OF THE ORACLE DBA

These chapters provide a warmup for the rest of the book. Part 1 begins with some
introductory discussions on the job and the tasks associated with it. An introduction
to the history of databases is provided for those who are curious about the origin of
these systems. An overview of the Oracle family and how it fits into various
computer environments is followed by a discussion of the tools of the trade for the
database administrator.

PART II: UNDERSTANDING HOW ORACLE WORKS
Although the primary focus of the book is on the job itself, a little theory is required
to ensure that the DBA really understands what is happening when the database
is operational. Some of the topics are heavily theoretical, such as discussions on
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Oracle memory structures. Others are practical, such as the discussions on backups
and privileges. All the chapters benefit DBAs by providing a true understanding of
what Oracle is and how it works.
PART III: INSTALLING AND UPGRADING THE
ORACLE SOFTWARE
What takes an almost insignificant percentage of the total time on the job, but
causes the most worry and concern? Installations and upgrades, in many cases.
Installation of the software and creation of a new database is often the first task that
a DBA is assigned. These tasks need to be performed correctly. The keys stressed
in these chapters are the planning processes and checklist development that can
make this a relatively painless evolution.
PART IV: DEVELOPING A DATABASE
ADMINISTRATION SCHEME
This is the part mentioned previously in which you take the technical foundations
and task descriptions explored earlier and form the overall scheme of operation for
your database. Topics discussed include laying out where the files will be located,
developing a routine maintenance schedule, and developing scripts to automate
many of the DBA tasks.
PART V: THE DAILY ROUTINE
These chapters focus on how to perform the tasks that make up the bulk of the day’s
work for an Oracle DBA. This includes user account maintenance, tablespace
maintenance, and database object maintenance.
PART VI: MONITORING THE DATABASE’S HEALTH
Databases can be very busy places. Data flows in and out. Developers are busily
writing new applications. It is important to keep an eye on things within the
database so that you can detect situations that may lead to problems before they
actually become problems. This part describes some monitoring tasks that you can
perform to detect the common problems that grow within a database, such as
running out of space, security violations, and a lack of certain key system resources.
PART VII: DEALING WITH PROBLEMS
In the ideal world, everything works perfectly. This is not the ideal world. However,
a sound approach to dealing with problems—classifying, determining the cause,
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forming solutions, and knowing where to get help—can reduce the number of gray
hairs received in the line of duty. This part provides some techniques that can help
DBAs deal with problems when they arise.
PART VIII: SUPPORTING USERS AND DEVELOPERS
In many database installations, DBAs are seen as the gurus of data storage. They
need to be able to provide guidance to developers and users about how to get the most
from their systems. These chapters discuss some of the common subjects of
discussion.
PART IX: ADVANCED ORACLE TECHNICAL FEATURES
This part covers more detailed technical topics, such as locks and parallel processing,
that are not for everyone. You can see these chapters as a place to go with
unusual questions or a series of topics that will lift you one level higher in the DBA
plane of existence.
APPENDIXES
The appendixes contain command syntax, definitions, and useful lists that will
make the job of finding key data a little easier. Almost all this information exists
somewhere within the Oracle documentation set. However, these appendixes
reduce the number of books you have to look through for answers.
SUMMARY
Remember, you are not expected to read Oracle DBA Survival Guide in one sitting
and become an immediate DBA. Do not be intimidated by the large volume of
material. Most DBA tasks require information from only one or two chapters at a
time. You can learn about the job gradually, as you need it.