DBA Environments

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.
1. Gathering Requirements (by Project manager)
2. Prototype designing (by Project manager)
3. Screen Designing (by Programmers/Developers)
4. Coding (by Programmers/Developers)
5. Database Designing (DBA)
DBA Roles and Responsibilities in DEV Env.:

• E-R Modeling
• Database Design
• Database Creation
• Schema/table Creations
• Client- Server configuration.
• Coordinating the team mates to solve day-to-day issues
• Attending Team
• Version Control using VSS or CSS
• Backup and Recovery
• Tuning

• SIT Env.- System Integration Test – Holds approx.  2-3 Months of DATA

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. The volume of data will be about 2-3 months’ approx.
Here the following functions are performed.
1. Functional Testing (by project Leads/Managers)
2. Technical Testing (by project Leads/Managers)
DBA Roles and Responsibilities in SIT Env.:

• SIT Database Creation
• Client- Server configuration.
• Coordinating the team mates to solve day-to-day issues
• Attending Team
• Version Control using VSS or CSS
• Backup and Recovery
• Schema Refresh from SIT to DEV
• Tuning

• UAT Env.- User Acceptance Test – Holds approx 6-7 Months of DATA

This environment is mainly used by the PT (Performance Testing) Team. It holds 6 months data and rigorous testing is performed. The following tasks are done in the phase of the cycle.
1. Using WinRunner /Load Runner to do PT (by Testers)
2. Testers will report the following

• DB server CPU Utilization
• DB server IO Utilization
• DB server Memory Utilization
• Application server CPU Utilization
• Application server IO Utilization
• Application server Memory Utilization
• Highly CPU/IO/Memory Utilized Modules
• Sign OFF report if all the above is successful

DBA Roles and Responsibilities in UAT Env:

• UAT Database Creation
• Client- Server configuration.
• Coordinating the teammates to solve day-to-day issues
• Attending Team
• Version Control using VSS or CSS
• Backup and Recovery
• Schema Refresh from UAT to SIT/DEV
• Tuning

• OAT Env.- Operations Acceptance Test – Holds 12 Months/Total retention period of PROD DATA

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. He will provide SIGN OFF only if he is satisfied with his testing. Here the following jobs are done.
1. Functionality and PT Done by Client
2. All the changes are documented by Vendors.
3. TCR (Test Change Request) is implemented here.
DBA Roles and Responsibilities in DEV Env.:

• OAT Database Creation
• Client – Server configuration.
• Coordinating the team mates to solve day-to-day issues
• Attending Team Meetings
• Version Control using VSS or CSS
• Backup and Recovery
• Schema Refresh from OAT to UAT/SIT/DEV
• Performance Tuning
• Implementing Changes

• PRD Env.- Production environment- 12 Months/Total retention period of PROD DATA

This environment is used by Customers/end users of the Client. It holds 1 year data or maximum retention period of client’s requirement. 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. The DBA is responsible for the following activities:
1. Functional and PT Done by Client
2. All the changes are documented by Client DBA/Production DBA.
3. PCR (Production Change Request) is implemented here.
DBA Roles and Responsibilities in DEV Env.:

• PRD Database Creation
• Client – Server configuration.
• Attending Team Meetings
• Version Control using VSS or CSS
• Backup and Recovery
• Schema Refresh from OAT to UAT/SIT/DEV
• Performance Tuning
• 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.
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

• Severity tickets(sev-1, sev-2, sev-3, sev-4)
  •  Sev 1 :  Highly Critical database issues like DB has gone down or a customer is stuck with some critical issues.  DBAs show attend and try to solve immediately (ie. to provide high priority on this ticket) . Also after solving , must do RCA(root cause analysis). Most of the organizations with have a con-call with client and vendors and explain the cause. This con-call is called RCA call.
  • Sev 2  : The duration to attend the ticket varies for different clients say around 2 to 8 hrs. .For instance, a sql patch execution or tablespace going may exceed 85% or 90% with in 2 hrs and so on.
  • Sev 3 : The duration allowed may be from 1 to 2 days. This also depends on the clients. Example: adding mount points, adding new users, Schema refresh, DB refresh etc.
  • Sev 4 :  The duration may be with in a week.  Example: request of new database, additional need of SAN/NAS space  etc.

• GOLIVE – production implementation
•  SIGN OFF - acceptance certificate/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.