As Published In September/October 2003

Peer-to-Peer

By Blair Campbell

Oracle technologists on database basics, fun in the sun, and the wireless way to get things done

Yin Hong

Peer Specs Company: Motorola, an industry leader in communications solutions Job Title/Description: Principal staff software engineer, serving as Oracle data-warehouse developer and administrator Location: Arlington Heights, Illinois Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle8i) and Oracle-certified developer (Oracle6i Internet Developer) with seven years of experience using Oracle products

If you could change a feature of Oracle Database, what would it be? I'd like to see the database handle more data types.

How did you get started in IT? I graduated from college in 1995 and got a master's degree in computer science. At the time, the internet was not that popular, but people had started using database tools to generate a lot of stored information, create reports, and extract data. The role of database architect had just emerged, so I thought that would be a good place to start.

What advice do you have for those who want to get into Web and database development? Database development is more basic than Web development, because Web development deals more with the front end and the database is mostly back-end. But in order to understand how the data is driven, you really need to understand the database. If you're really interested in both kinds of development, try to first learn about relational databases and other database concepts.

Farzin Ismail

Peer Specs Company: Deloitte & Touche, the U.S.-based practice of professional-services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Job Title/Description: Manager, security services, specializing in business-risk analysis Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Length of Time Using Oracle Products: Four years

What's your favorite tool or technique on the job at Deloitte & Touche? Oracle Alerts and Workflow are both very cool. Coming from a risk perspective, I'm always looking for ways an organization can leverage its business applications to automate security and controls. Well-designed workflow and alerts can save millions in the event of a security breach.

Tell us about your work with the Oracle E-Business Suite. I've been working with the suite's Oracle Financials applications for the past four years—specifically, Releases 10.7, 11, and 11i. I work with organizations that are implementing the suite to design and develop automated controls and security for the business processes they have defined. This requires thorough knowledge of Oracle product functionality—in particular, the various configurable options available—so that an organization can design integrity into its business operations.

What's your favorite nonwork activity? Anything outdoors. Living on the West Coast, there are so many recreational opportunities: Skiing, sailing, roller-blading—the list goes on.

Queyon Zeng

Peer Specs Company: Systems Xcellence, a software-development company Job Title/Description: Oracle DBA (independent contractor), responsible for ensuring database availability, functionality, and performance, as well as providing solutions to developers' technical issues Location: Milton, Ontario, Canada Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle8, Oracle8i, Oracle9i) with 10 years of experience using Oracle products

If you could add a feature to Oracle Database, what would it be? The ability to rename a tablespace without re-creating it.

You've taken an Oracle DBA course through Oracle University. What led you to do this? In 1997, when I was a project leader on a core billing system at Ricsson Enterprise in Guangzhou, China, I was urged to attend the advanced Oracle7 Release 7.3 course in Beijing. I'd been working with Oracle Database on UNIX for a few years, teaching myself on the job, so the advanced training was exactly what I was looking for. My skills were greatly improved by having a complete understanding of the database.

What technology has most changed your life? The combination of Oracle, UNIX, and programming skills gives me the confidence to confront any difficulty.

How do you currently use wireless technologies? I have wireless intranet access in my home office and a shared internet connection with a wireless router. I also use a wireless keyboard and mouse.