DBA 3.0 – Database Administration in the Cloud

“The interesting thing about cloud computing is that we’ve redefined cloud computing to include everything that we already do … The computer industry is the only industry that is more fashion-driven than women’s fashion.” – Larry Ellison, CTO, Oracle

DBA 1.0 -> DBA 2.0 -> DBA 3.0: Definitely, the versioning of DBAs is falling behind the database versions of Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, etc. Mainframe, client-server, internet, grid computing, cloud computing…

The topic on the DBA profession and how it changes, how it evolves and how it expands has been of interest among top experts in the industry:

Penny Arvil, VP of Oracle Database Product Development, stated that DBAs are being asked to understand what businesses do with data rather than just the mechanics of keeping the database healthy and running.

Kellyn Pot’Vin-Gorman claims that DBAs with advanced skills will have plenty of work to keep them busy and if Larry is successful with the bid to rid companies of their DBAs for a period of time, they’ll be very busy cleaning up the mess afterwards.

Tim Hall said that for pragmatic DBAs the role has evolved so much over the years, and will continue to do so. Such DBAs have to continue to adapt or die.

Megan Elphingstone concluded that DBA skills would be helpful, but not required in a DBaaS environment.

Jim Donahoe hosted a discussion about the state of the DBA as the cloud continues to increase in popularity.

First time I heard about DBA 2.0 was about 10 years ago. At Oracle OpenWorld 2017 (next week or so), I will be listening to what DBA 3.0 is: How the life of a Database Administrator has changed! If you google for DBA 3.0 most likely you will find information about how to play De Bellis Antiquitatis DBA 3.0. Different story…

But if I can also donate something to the discussion is probably the fact that ever since a database vendor automated something in the database, it only generated more work for DBAs in the future. More DBAs are needed now as ever. Growing size and complexity of IT systems is definitely contributing to that need.

These DBA sessions in San Francisco are quite relevant to the DBA profession (last one on the list will be delivered by me):

– Advance from DBA to Cloud Administrator: Wednesday, Oct 04, 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. | Moscone West – Room 3022
– Navigating Your DBA Career in the Oracle Cloud: Monday, Oct 02, 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Moscone West – Room 3005
– Security in Oracle Database Cloud Service: Sunday, Oct 01, 3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Moscone South – Room 159
– How to Eliminate the Storm When Moving to the Cloud: Sunday, Oct 01, 1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Moscone South – Room 160
– War of the Worlds: DBAs Versus Developers: Wednesday, Oct 04, 1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Moscone West – Room 3014
– DBA Types: Sunday, Oct 01, 1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Marriott Marquis (Yerba Buena Level) – Nob Hill A/B

And finally, a couple of quotes about databases:

– “Database Management System [Origin: Data + Latin basus “low, mean, vile, menial, degrading, ounterfeit.”] A complex set of interrelational data structures allowing data to be lost in many convenient sequences while retaining a complete record of the logical relations between the missing items. — From The Devil’s DP Dictionary” ― Stan Kelly Bootle
– “I’m an oracle of the past. I can accurately predict up to 1 minute in the future, by thoroughly investigating the last 2 years of your life. Also, I look like an old database – flat and full of useless info.” ― Will Advise, Nothing is here…

DBA Statements

“A statement is persuasive and credible either because it is directly self-evident or because it appears to be proved from other statements that are so.” Aristotle

In Oracle 12.2, there is a new view called DBA_STATEMENTS. It can helps us understand better what SQL we have within our PL/SQL functions, procedures and packages.

There is too little on the Internet and nothing on Metalink about this new view:

PL/Scope was introduced with Oracle 11.1 and covered only PL/SQL. In 12.2, PL/Scope was enhanced by Oracle in order to report on the occurrences of static and dynamic SQL call sites in PL/SQL units.

PL/Scope can help you answer questions such as:
– Where and how a column x in table y is used in the PL/SQL code?
– Is the SQL in my application PL/SQL code compatible with TimesTen?
– What are the constants, variables and exceptions in my application that are declared but never used?
– Is my code at risk for SQL injection and what are the SQL statements with an optimizer hint coded in the application?
– Which SQL has a BULK COLLECT or EXECUTE IMMEDIATE clause?

Details can be found in the PL/Scope Database Development Guide or at Philipp Salvisberg’s blog.

Here is an example: how to find all “execute immediate” statements and all hints used in my PL/SQL units? If needed, you can limit the query to only RULE hints (for example).

1. You need to set the PLSCOPE_SETTINGS parameter and ensure SYSAUX has enough space:

SQL> SELECT SPACE_USAGE_KBYTES FROM V$SYSAUX_OCCUPANTS 
WHERE OCCUPANT_NAME='PL/SCOPE';

SPACE_USAGE_KBYTES
------------------
              1984

SQL> show parameter PLSCOPE_SETTINGS

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- -------------------
plscope_settings                     string      IDENTIFIERS:NONE

SQL> alter system set plscope_settings='STATEMENTS:ALL' scope=both;

System altered.

SQL> show parameter PLSCOPE_SETTINGS

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- -------------------
plscope_settings                     string      STATEMENTS:ALL

2. You must compile the PL/SQL units with the PLSCOPE_SETTINGS=’STATEMENTS:ALL’ to collect the metadata. SQL statement types that PL/Scope collects are: SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, DELETE, MERGE, EXECUTE IMMEDIATE, SET TRANSACTION, LOCK TABLE, COMMIT, SAVEPOINT, ROLLBACK, OPEN, CLOSE and FETCH.

-- start
SQL> select TYPE, OBJECT_NAME, OBJECT_TYPE, HAS_HINT, 
SUBSTR(TEXT,1,LENGTH(TEXT)-INSTR(REVERSE(TEXT), '/*') +2 ) as "HINT" 
from DBA_STATEMENTS
where TYPE='EXECUTE IMMEDIATE' or HAS_HINT='YES';

TYPE              OBJECT_NAME   OBJECT_TYPE  HAS HINT
----------------- ------------- ------------ --- ------------------
EXECUTE IMMEDIATE LASKE_KAIKKI  PROCEDURE    NO  
SELECT            LASKE_KAIKKI  PROCEDURE    YES SELECT /*+ RULE */

-- end

Check also the DBA_STATEMENTS and ALL_STATEMENTS documentation. And the blog post by Jeff Smith entitled PL/Scope in Oracle Database 12c Release 2 and Oracle SQL Developer.

But finally, here is a way how to regenerate the SQL statements without the hints:

-- start
SQL> select TEXT from DBA_STATEMENTS where HAS_HINT='YES';

TEXT
------------------------------------------------------------
SELECT /*+ RULE */ NULL FROM DUAL WHERE SYSDATE = SYSDATE

SQL> select 'SELECT '||
TRIM(SUBSTR(TEXT, LENGTH(TEXT) - INSTR(REVERSE(TEXT), '/*') + 2))
as "SQL without HINT"
from DBA_STATEMENTS where HAS_HINT='YES';

SQL without HINT
-------------------------------------------------------------
SELECT NULL FROM DUAL WHERE SYSDATE = SYSDATE

-- end