As Published In November/December 2003

Paper, Photomasks, and Performances

By Blair Campbell

The responsibilities and lives of Oracle DBAs and performing artists

Glen Stromquist

Peer Specs Company: Alberta Pacific Forest Industries, a 2,000-metric-ton-a-day kraft pulp mill Job Title/Description: Oracle database administrator (DBA), overseeing databases for operation of the pulp mill, including information systems for the Woodlands division Location: Boyle, Alberta, Canada Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle8i), with 10 years of experience using Oracle products

If you could add a feature to Oracle Database, what would it be? A Linux install that's as easy as a Microsoft Windows install.

What unique DBA tasks does working at a pulp mill require? I look after nine Oracle databases, each dedicated to a certain stage of the pulp-mill production process, from when wood fiber is harvested and transported to the mill to real-time tracking of actual pulp production. Five of these databases are also 24/7, so keeping them running smoothly and efficiently is my biggest focus.

How do wireless technologies help facilitate the mill's operations? We originally used wireless technology through an 800MHz radio system to transmit data from the field directly to the Oracle database, which allowed live validation checks and greatly reduced user error. We also sent live GPS locations to our central site to track vehicles in the field. Today we're gathering even more information from the field, and we're looking at the latest wireless solutions to get the increased volume to the databases at headquarters.

Jayesh Patel

Peer Specs Company: Photronics, a leading manufacturer of photomasks for the semiconductor industry Job Title/Description: Oracle-applications DBA, responsible for creating and maintaining Oracle applications, data warehouses, and manufacturing databases Location: Brookfield, Connecticut Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle9i), with 10 years of experience using Oracle products

How did you get your start in database administration? I earned my master's degree in computer applications in 1992 from Gujarat University in India, where I'm from. After that, I worked as an Oracle programmer. I quickly realized DBA skills were the most in demand, so I began to teach myself database management—with the help of Oracle Technology Network, MetaLink, and Oracle Press books.

What technology has most changed your life? Oracle Enterprise Manager and Oracle9i—they've made my job much easier. If you compare to Oracle8, there's so much more functionality now, including reduced cost of downtime, maximum availability with Oracle9i Real Application Clusters, the ability to control data access down to the row level, and data encryption for security.

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work? I used to play cricket a lot in India. In the United States, I haven't found anywhere that has competitive cricket, so I just enjoy it on TV.

Elizabeth Cully

Peer Specs Company: New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) Job Title/Description: Database analyst Location: Newark, New Jersey Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle8i), with four years of experience using Oracle products

You earned your Oracle certification after taking a DBA FastTrack class at Oracle University. What led you to take the class? I was working at a startup as a product manager and needed information from the database to get my job done. We were very understaffed, so I had to learn how to interact with the database myself. I found that I really liked it, and decided to pursue it. For me, the FastTrack class was great, because it just covered everything, A to Z.

Tell us about NJPAC and your role there. NJPAC is a venue for performing-arts groups from around the world. When I started, NJPAC had transitioned to a new ticketing software built on Oracle9i and needed reports for marketing, ticket services, finance—every division that needed information from the database. My first task was to write those reports.

Do you enjoy the cultural aspect of the job? Definitely. Working for a nonprofit that deals in the arts is fun, especially when the report you're working on is for Elvis Costello or the Boston Pops or Dave Brubeck, rather than a straight financial prediction.