I, too, have straddled the DBA-developer fence for many years, and found little company. Recruitment, job descriptions, and even the Oracle certifications tend to peg you as one or the other. The problem is that problems (usually though not always related to performance) can cross the boundary, so that a DBA who can’t program (and I don’t count scripting) plus a developer who thinks that Oracle is a black box are likely to have trouble finding a solution.

No matter where you are in the IT cake, you need some knowledge of the layer just above you and the one just below.

Its part of the corporate culture at some places. I find its usually all or nothing i.e all DBAs are “difficult” or all are more accommodating. I have also found that DBAs who used to be developers can be easier to work with.

I think Richard Gowan hit the nail on the head when he said “It’s as if they are being paid to prevent change – while developers are being paid to create changes”.

This is why clashes can occur, a lot also depends on the structure of the organisation.
Im thankful that at the moment I have a project manager whose job is to get the app delivered, acts as my back up when these issues arise with DBAs.

I would say that many infrastructure teams have a negative attitude. It’s as if they are being paid to prevent change – while developers are being paid to create changes. In some (more software oriented) companies the relationship is much closer. Having the same employer helps.

Infrastructure staff have to (I think) understand that they’re ‘goodies’ arise from new business projects. ie they’ll get more new stuff and more funding if they allow and promote development. Likewise, apps/programming staff can assist support with run schedules, trace tools, and arrangement of family friendly maintenance slots.

So a cooperative relationship is possible. I guess many DBAs have been burnt by bad dev staff.

Anyways… I had one particularly funny “app vs DBA” moment… with a client that probably did very little real development. Well a new machine had arrived on a pallet. A decent investment there. After cautiously waiting for a week, I rang support about getting an account.

What machine they ask. I tell them.
We haven’t heard of it they say.
It’s new I reply… (they find it, after some checking).
What application runs on it they ask.
“None”. I tell them…
Puzzlement on the other end.
“I’m writing one” I explain.

(Laughing).

What about the DBA’s who cross the boundaries and also wear developer hats (I happen to have to wear both hats)? I guess we would end up sitting at the boundary between the DBA’s and developers…

I attended your Open World presentation (was also the technical content leader that selected your presentation for the conference), and I’m sorry your presentations were cancelled. Sounds like a shame without knowing the finer details of what transpired, as I thought your presentation was quite interesting.

I hope that your experience won’t lead to your not submitting papers for the other conferences, such as ODTUG’s Kaleidoscope conference.

Take care! I enjoy your site whenever I actually get the time to view it.

Thanks, Mike

I wish I was! I was accepted for two of my presentations, but IOUG has seen fit to cancel them and officially disallow me from the event. I taught a paid class aboard a cruise ship, which I guess is grounds for telling an Oracle ACE, published SELECT Journal author, OpenWorld speaker, and local non-profit User Group President they can’t come to their party. Ah well. Sorry that came out less cheerful and more rantish than the “sure am!” you were expecting!

Thanks for posting!

I like the ppt! The conclusion of the story can also be to hire consultants
Are you going to IOUG Collab 07?

Hope to meet you again (maybe in LV),
Dimitri

Just for fun, it’ll usually be the same story with server/network admins and desktop support.

The dba-developer schism has baffled me too. The subject came up back in September on Oracle WTF: http://oracle-wtf.blogspot.com/2006/09/year-of-wtfs_09.html and an interesting, if inconclusive, discussion followed.

Cheers,
Dave.