DBA Environments

For a DBA, there are two types of environments 

·         Development Environment

·         Production Environment

• Development Environment

There are 4 stages in this environment 

·         DEV Env.- Development

This is the starting phase of a project. The following tasks are accomplished within this period.

Ø  E-R Modeling

Ø  Database Design

Ø  Database Creation

Ø  Schema/table Creations

Ø  Client- Server configuration.

Ø  Coordinating the team mates to solve day-to-day issues

Ø  Backup and Recovery

Ø  Tuning

·         IT Env.- System Integration Test

After Development stage, vendors (i.e, Projects Developers/ Management) will test all the modules for the validity (both functional and technical). If they find any issues the project will be handed over to developers to fix those issues

·         UAT Env.- User Acceptance Test

This environment is mainly used by the PT (Performance Testing) Team.

The following tasks are done in the phase of the cycle

Ø  DB server CPU Utilization

Ø  DB server IO Utilization

Ø  DB server Memory Utilization

Ø  Application server CPU Utilization

Ø  Application server IO Utilization

Ø  Application server Memory Utilization

Ø  Highly CPU/IO/Memory Utilized Modules

·         OAT Env.- Operations Acceptance Test

This environment is used by Clients. It holds 1 year data or Maximum retention period of production data. Client will test all his functionality and do PT as per his requirements.

·         PRD Env.- Production environment

Testing is no more performed in the environment. This holds real data from the customer/client. This environment will be handled by Client’s DBA or Production DBA.

Ø  PRD Database Creation

Ø  Backup and Recovery

Ø  Schema Refresh from OAT to UAT/SIT/DEV

Ø  Performance Tuning

Ø  Implementing Changes

• PRODUCTION Environment

There will be more than 2000 databases to be handled. Generally, these databases will be in data centers. The DBAs will work on 24X7 shifts to maintain these databases. The DBAs may work from Client’s place, Data Center or even connect from home. DBAs might sit in different locations and they may get the requests through emails or in the form of tickets. Requests are also called as tickets, work orders, tasks etc. In most cases, DBAs work in shift and they work from various geographical locations.

How Tickets Work?

If the DBAs get requests through mail, they will discuss via chat (chat software like ibm -same time or mind-align etc) and assign the request among themselves.

In some organizations they use ticketing software like ‘remedy’ where the DBAs can assign tickets/requests within themselves or a Team lead will assign the tickets to any of them randomly. Once the request is completed the dba will close the tickets. Once the shift time (normally 8 hrs) of a DBA is over and if he has a task to perform that takes about 3 hours, the task is handed over to the colleague of the subsequent shift and it is called ‘Hand Over’.

The general terms that is used 

·         GOLIVE –To implementation on production

·         SIGN OFF - acceptance mail from client.

·         HANDSHAKE – handing over the incomplete job to another dba after shift timing.

·         WINDOW TIME – maintenance time for database.

·         BOUNCE DB - restart the database.

·         SLA – Service level agreement. Agreement between client and vendor.

·         CLIENT – Who gives work/project

VENDOR- Who does the service