Guess Oracle DBA as Superhero. Can you think like this?

Do you think to characterize Oracle DBA as Superhero like Superman or super magician?

Answer: Are you kidding or joking? How can you say DBA as Superhero? No, I do not believe it.

But I have some arguments for same and it may be proved. Obviously it is my own thinking and opinion.

People may have several reasons to assume him or her (DBA) to be Superman or Superhero. Especially I.T management always is guessing this type of understanding in special cases. But maybe they are not mis interpreting or wrong impression of Oracle DBA.

Here I am providing some reasons and examples for same topic.

Assume 1st Scenario:

Database crashed and didn’t start up. Oracle DBA was trying to recover database. Everybody was waiting for database became available to work and usable. Oracle DBA was restoring backup to Database server. It was taking time to restore whole database. Due to this reason everybody was worrying when it would be available. Management was worrying about “business losses”.  Application team was trying to translate same errors in their own way for getting answerable reasons. Same time Oracle DBA was trying understood those errors which were thrown during database start time. After 2 or 3 hours, restore task was finished. Now Oracle DBA was starting to recover database and executing several recover commands. Unfortunately he was getting errors during each command execution. Everybody was standing surrounding behind Oracle DBA, and throwing their own opinions to Oracle DBA with worries. DBA was  being tensed too much, due to these all reasons. Management was calling to get help from outside or Oracle Support. Everybody was trying to solve this problem as their own way. But nobody was getting success. Suddenly DBA was cheering and shouting that “Database is going to be up” and problem got resolved.  Joyful moment begun. Everybody got relax and tried to understand “how mysterious problem has been resolved by DBA”. After not getting success to understand same, they think some magic has been done by Oracle DBA with his super natural power and now database is working properly.

In this scenario what was actual problem that only knew by Oracle DBA because he was quite capable to understand technical reason and root cause of problem. Means if you do not know root cause of problem then you never are part of problem solving. Anyone assume DBA as “Magician” or “Superman” or “Superhero” at same moment.

Assume 2nd Scenario:

Suddenly database was hanging and nobody could do work in same. Online transaction was becoming stuck and people were not getting new connections. No error was generated this time and no trace file was generated. Application team tried to get rid of this problem and executing some fixer but it was getting stuck also. All IT staff was tensed. Some of them were trying to call anybody for fixing same problem and some of them were searching in “google” for getting proper solution. Any kind of single advice they were being gotten, immediately they were trying to follow instructions. But nobody got success to solve this problem. Same time system administrator advised for server rebooting. But question was for pending transaction “what about pending transaction which is already going on”.

Same time freelancer Oracle DBA was coming to office and started to understand present situation. He executed some commands in operating system. In very few or couple of minutes he was able to get connection in database. And within very few moments everybody was connecting to database. Now application was working properly and everything became all right. How was possible? What was problem and why this thing happened? In future will it happen again? What was root cause? What did you? Many questions were raised to Oracle DBA. Oracle DBA was seeing so many surprised faces with same type of questions. He was throwing smile to everyone and moves away.

In second scenario, same thing is continuing “lack of skill set and technical knowledge” in specific area of expertise. And Freelancer DBA has super power and depth knowledge to judge problem. Due to this he became “Superhero” or “Superman”. In real time there are lots of similar type scenarios we can see. This can be proving DBA as Superhero or Superman or Magician.

Actually Superman is human being with some extra super power in fiction. He accepts every challenge and faced every challenge. Day by day writer made this character more powerful and more invincible. He fights with every evil power and defeat it. He is capable to fly.  He has magic power. He makes more and more adventures which needed not logical explanation. He lives in every teenager heart as super strong hero character in world.

Database Administrator is human being with some extra ordinary skill set. He or she is able to manage your database in more difficult environment. He can understand problem very deeply and able to search rectification easily. But they are not like “Superman” or”Spiderman” because they are always being human being.

But in this high tech world some of DBA is able to develop super power with some extra skill set and experience. They are developing and converting their technical expertise to super power. They develop their own art of skill set using own experience. Due to this reason people are wondering and guessing as “Superman” or “Spiderman”. Simple reason behind, they are able to do some amazing work. They have more power to understand problem and can able to survive your database in more critical and exotic situation. Their technical expertise is known as super magic power of DBA. Because they have some extra ordinary expertise to solve problem where normal DBA can’t able to resolve mystery of database.

In my own word I am saying them “SuperDBA” not “Superman”. But you can say them “Superhero” because it is very nearby meaning of same. Definition of SuperDBA is “he can able to solve mysterious problems of database where normal DBA doesn’t understand problem”.

Now kindly stop reading of this article and try to find out those “Superheroes” which are called as “SuperDBA”. It becomes easier your life if you are connecting with any database. He can help you to survive any of your drastic and critical problems of database.

Next time I would discuss some extra topic like same HUMOR.

Author:

Gitesh Trivedi

Dbametrix Solutions