I was reminded today, it is good to be a DBA. A DBA can mean so many things and have many different roles. It definitely keeps my life interesting.
Data can be very helpful to the business and provide important information to make decisions, execute transactions and keep things moving. The problem for the DBA is to keep things moving. Existing system can be monitored to check if queries are executing efficiently or if there is anything bogging the system down. One day things might be running great and the next day it only one query is barely getting through. What happened? Things might have changed, a batch job could have run long. Are backups still running? Statistics? If applications are running slow, the question comes back what is wrong with the database.
At this point if you are a pro-active DBA you have a question back! is this a normal process or is this something new? It seems like we are pulling more data, new data loaded? Thank goodness for tools and those monitoring scripts that are in place. How can I tell this point can you quantifiy the problem.? Only if you have some benchmarks, you can then tell if there is more data, how much slower things might be running. Simple benchmarks on basic application queries, backup times, how long to gather statics can help with how slow or fast things are running. Space benchmarks, object counts and object changes also provide good benchmarks for the system. If gathering this information, the benchmarks are there for changes. Because I have to ask if you make improvements and can't tell anyone how much you improved, what fun is that!
Another nice things about proactively monitoring the performance, when there are issues, you already have quick information and can start looking into other things for the problem. Monitoring the performance is something you are continuously doing, because things do change.
Systems van be designed and configured for performance. The initial build and implementation should take performance into consideration.
I am looking forward to an upcoming IOUG Training Day that addresses this topic of real world performance and archectiting database systems to get the information fast. Real World Performance
Showing posts with label IOUG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IOUG. Show all posts
Friday, February 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Black Belt Attitude
I started martial arts recently, and our instructor was describing to us the how important attitude is during class and outside of class. The questions were posed do you have a "Black Belt Attitude"? Do you have a "Can Do" attitude? Black belts have a positive attitude and they can get it done no matter what it takes. So, I can look at class with the thought that I am just a white belt, there is no way I can do these things yet that he is asking, or I can be there trying every move, being enthusiastic that I am going to get it and setting my goal for the black belt.
The attitude doesn't stop with class. This is something that can easily be carried over to other parts of life, especially work.
A positive attitude at work goes along way for how things get accomplished. Taking ownership for the task at hand and to do it to the best of your abilities, setting goals to develop new skills and keep other skills and knowledge current, willing to take on new responsibilities or even ones that others don't want, these are all part of that "Black Belt" attitude.
There are tasks I don't want to do and people I may not want to deal with that pull me away from my goal of developing this attitude. There are projects being cut, people being given less incentive to do their current tasks, but this should push us even more to do what we can with what we have. Those of us who stay positive and work now maybe a little harder and smarter will be reaching that goal even sooner.
Just like I can't go from being a white belt to a black belt tomorrow this attitude also can't happen over night. There is training that is needed with in both technical and mental skills. Developing the attitude of "I can do this" and learning to maintain that good attitude is a key part to the mental area. Along with this training, focusing on a goal is helpful. My goal is to earn a black belt, learn something new and conquer a challenge. I am also not alone, so when my bad attitude surfaces there are people who can assist. It is good to have accountability for meeting goals and staying on track. Having people I can learn from and encourage is important and good attitudes are contagious. For martial arts, I have a class to go to with my girls, but for work I have IOUG, user group network. I think that this is a main reason that I have been active in the user group community and enjoy sharing and learning from others. So, I encourage you to get involved in a community to help sharpen your skills and have the accountability to do an attitude check.
Just image what would happen if we all came to work with a "Black Belt Attitude". The encouragement, positive outlook and the willingness to get things done could make projects happen that you never thought possible.
The attitude doesn't stop with class. This is something that can easily be carried over to other parts of life, especially work.
A positive attitude at work goes along way for how things get accomplished. Taking ownership for the task at hand and to do it to the best of your abilities, setting goals to develop new skills and keep other skills and knowledge current, willing to take on new responsibilities or even ones that others don't want, these are all part of that "Black Belt" attitude.
There are tasks I don't want to do and people I may not want to deal with that pull me away from my goal of developing this attitude. There are projects being cut, people being given less incentive to do their current tasks, but this should push us even more to do what we can with what we have. Those of us who stay positive and work now maybe a little harder and smarter will be reaching that goal even sooner.
Just like I can't go from being a white belt to a black belt tomorrow this attitude also can't happen over night. There is training that is needed with in both technical and mental skills. Developing the attitude of "I can do this" and learning to maintain that good attitude is a key part to the mental area. Along with this training, focusing on a goal is helpful. My goal is to earn a black belt, learn something new and conquer a challenge. I am also not alone, so when my bad attitude surfaces there are people who can assist. It is good to have accountability for meeting goals and staying on track. Having people I can learn from and encourage is important and good attitudes are contagious. For martial arts, I have a class to go to with my girls, but for work I have IOUG, user group network. I think that this is a main reason that I have been active in the user group community and enjoy sharing and learning from others. So, I encourage you to get involved in a community to help sharpen your skills and have the accountability to do an attitude check.
Just image what would happen if we all came to work with a "Black Belt Attitude". The encouragement, positive outlook and the willingness to get things done could make projects happen that you never thought possible.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
IOUG Security Patching Survey Report
It is great to have an opportunity through the IOUG to participate in the creation of a survey, and it is even better when, working collaboratively with Oracle, you get to see how the results of that survey are being used. So, today IOUG is releasing the results of a survey that collected information about the security practices of IOUG members around the Critical Patch Update (CPU). The survey was designed in collaboration with Oracle’s Global Product Security organization, under the leadership of Mary Ann Davidson.
There were a couple main goals for the survey. From an Oracle perspective, there was a desire to better understand customer security patching behaviors. For the IOUG, this was also important as well as providing the feedback collected back to Oracle through IOUG’s participation in Oracle’s Security Customer Advisory Council (SCAC).
The survey includes responses from 150 participants, who indicated that they are directly involved with applying CPUs and patching the Oracle environment. As initially planned, the results of the survey was presented to the Security Customer Advisory Council. IOUG’s participation to the SCAC reflects IOUG’s customer advocacy role. It provides a voice to IOUG members to provide feedback to Oracle about its product security roadmaps and assurance activities.
The survey was designed to look into security patching policies, practices around the application of the patches, their importance to Oracle users, and was intended to identify factors that would contribute to easing the application of patches. Check out the survey report on the IOUG website: http://www.ioug.org/.
What I found interesting in the results, only about 1/3 of the respondents has organizational policies requiring regular applications of the CPU. Another 1/3 need to justify the patch, and the last 1/3 has no policy to apply Oracle security patches (or other vendors’).
The CPU is generally considered to be important to maintain a proper security posture, and 55% of the respondents reported that they have applied the latest CPU or are one cycle behind. This leaves the other half several months behind (two or more CPU cycles late) or not applying the patches.
The survey then asked what factors would help with timely and more consistent application of the CPUs. Responses were very consistent. According to the respondents, organizational policies are as important to CPU applications as tools or documentation to test before their deployment. Each of these answer were reported by roughly 1/3 of the respondents. (Another 16% indicated that a massive malware outbreak would “help” in getting the patches applied more consistently.)
Our database environments tend to be more complex with several different applications accessing several databases. Applying patches tends to bring the fear of what is going to break, so having organizational patching policies would help offset having to justify the patching. In addition, having documentation or tools to better be able to test changes to the environment before the actual deployment of the CPUs would help reduce the risk of outages, and possibly reduce the cost and time required to implement a security patching policy.
Again, security patches are important to the Oracle environments, and the general feedback was positive here with the concern of how to test and get proper policies in place. Such feedback is valuable to the IOUG! It allows us to come up with a prioritized list of improvements, recommendations to Oracle, and other educational outreach, which can be offered to members to help them promote better security practices with their Oracle environment.
Education to the IOUG community is being achieved through webcasts, and through the Collaborate 09 conference. There are several presentations on best practices related to securing the Oracle environment, as well as sessions specifically dedicated to the application of CPUs.
Check out more information about Collaborate 09.
From an Oracle perspective, this survey allowed them to develop initiatives to help customers with testing CPUs such as enhancements to the CPU documentation, and additional features being made available through “My Oracle Support” portal which allows customers to identify the system that needs to be patched.
Also check out Eric Maurice’s comments about the results: http://blogs.oracle.com/security
CPU Security Survey Report: http://enterprisesig.oracle.ioug.org/
Collaborate 09: http://ioug.org/collaborate09/
Previous blog and information about the objects of this survey: http://blogs.oracle.com/security/2008/07/ioug_security_survey_.html
There were a couple main goals for the survey. From an Oracle perspective, there was a desire to better understand customer security patching behaviors. For the IOUG, this was also important as well as providing the feedback collected back to Oracle through IOUG’s participation in Oracle’s Security Customer Advisory Council (SCAC).
The survey includes responses from 150 participants, who indicated that they are directly involved with applying CPUs and patching the Oracle environment. As initially planned, the results of the survey was presented to the Security Customer Advisory Council. IOUG’s participation to the SCAC reflects IOUG’s customer advocacy role. It provides a voice to IOUG members to provide feedback to Oracle about its product security roadmaps and assurance activities.
The survey was designed to look into security patching policies, practices around the application of the patches, their importance to Oracle users, and was intended to identify factors that would contribute to easing the application of patches. Check out the survey report on the IOUG website: http://www.ioug.org/.
What I found interesting in the results, only about 1/3 of the respondents has organizational policies requiring regular applications of the CPU. Another 1/3 need to justify the patch, and the last 1/3 has no policy to apply Oracle security patches (or other vendors’).
The CPU is generally considered to be important to maintain a proper security posture, and 55% of the respondents reported that they have applied the latest CPU or are one cycle behind. This leaves the other half several months behind (two or more CPU cycles late) or not applying the patches.
The survey then asked what factors would help with timely and more consistent application of the CPUs. Responses were very consistent. According to the respondents, organizational policies are as important to CPU applications as tools or documentation to test before their deployment. Each of these answer were reported by roughly 1/3 of the respondents. (Another 16% indicated that a massive malware outbreak would “help” in getting the patches applied more consistently.)
Our database environments tend to be more complex with several different applications accessing several databases. Applying patches tends to bring the fear of what is going to break, so having organizational patching policies would help offset having to justify the patching. In addition, having documentation or tools to better be able to test changes to the environment before the actual deployment of the CPUs would help reduce the risk of outages, and possibly reduce the cost and time required to implement a security patching policy.
Again, security patches are important to the Oracle environments, and the general feedback was positive here with the concern of how to test and get proper policies in place. Such feedback is valuable to the IOUG! It allows us to come up with a prioritized list of improvements, recommendations to Oracle, and other educational outreach, which can be offered to members to help them promote better security practices with their Oracle environment.
Education to the IOUG community is being achieved through webcasts, and through the Collaborate 09 conference. There are several presentations on best practices related to securing the Oracle environment, as well as sessions specifically dedicated to the application of CPUs.
Check out more information about Collaborate 09.
From an Oracle perspective, this survey allowed them to develop initiatives to help customers with testing CPUs such as enhancements to the CPU documentation, and additional features being made available through “My Oracle Support” portal which allows customers to identify the system that needs to be patched.
Also check out Eric Maurice’s comments about the results: http://blogs.oracle.com/security
CPU Security Survey Report: http://enterprisesig.oracle.ioug.org/
Collaborate 09: http://ioug.org/collaborate09/
Previous blog and information about the objects of this survey: http://blogs.oracle.com/security/2008/07/ioug_security_survey_.html
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