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annecarterfredi@gmail.com - 22 Feb 2008 01:43 GMT

I am sure lot of people like me have this question...
How to become a DB2 DBA?

Almost all employers needs experienced DBAs, and to get REAL DBA
experience, one has to work as a DBA. DBAs in this forum - could you
guys share how you got into DBA work..?

A SQL developer can learn coding from books and start working easily.
But, for someone to read a book and to become DBA is going to tough(I
am sure he/she wouldn't even be able to clear the interview)...and
things like DPF are even complicated...so, if you share how one can
become a DBA, it will help me lot...because, I wanna be a DB2 UDB
(LUW) DBA and doing all those hifi DPF stuffs!!

thanks for sharing!

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Mark A - 22 Feb 2008 02:48 GMT

>I am sure lot of people like me have this question...
> How to become a DB2 DBA?
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> thanks for sharing!

IMO, the most valuable DBA's are people with programming experience,
typically having some contact with DB2 at least from a programming aspect.
So I would start out as a programmer first.

Some people come to DBA jobs with system admin experience (instead of
programming) but they typically lack database design skills. However, they
may have better skills than a programmer in understanding some of the very
technical parts of DB2 and the OS platform it is being run on.

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annecarterfredi@gmail.com - 22 Feb 2008 10:17 GMT

Thanks Mark!
I am a SQL Developer (some times I do Application DBA work like Create
& Alter database objects). I want to become a System DBA. Could you
please guide me What I should do to become a System DBA.

Thanks again.

> <annecarterfr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> may have better skills than a programmer in understanding some of the very
> technical parts of DB2 and the OS platform it is being run on.

Reply to this Message

Mark A - 23 Feb 2008 05:13 GMT

> Thanks Mark!
> I am a SQL Developer (some times I do Application DBA work like Create
> & Alter database objects). I want to become a System DBA. Could you
> please guide me What I should do to become a System DBA.
>
> Thanks again.

Download a free copy of DB2 Express-C for Linux and put it on a Linux box at
home and start learning DB2 database administration. Just about any old PC
will run a free copy of Linux from Red Hat or SUSE that is suitable.

You will have to learn a little about Linux and networking to set this up to
your Windows PC running a Putty ssh session (or DB2 Control Center), but
these are also skills you will need. I would do as much as you can with
Putty Command Line instead of using a GUI interface. This means you will
need some basic vi (Linux/UNIX editor) skills.

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Ian - 22 Feb 2008 22:55 GMT

> IMO, the most valuable DBA's are people with programming experience,
> typically having some contact with DB2 at least from a programming aspect.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> may have better skills than a programmer in understanding some of the very
> technical parts of DB2 and the OS platform it is being run on.

I agree with your assessment, but you're implying that programmers have
database design skills. I would suggest that this is definitely *not*
the norm (at least in my experience on LUW). Executing "create table
foo" <> "database design skills". I have spent half of my career
fixing bonehead database "designs" that programmers came up with.

So, I'd add the following $0.02:

Programmers ==> App DBAs
Sys Admins ==> System DBAs

Programmer + Sys Admin ==> YEAH! :-)

Ian

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Mark A - 23 Feb 2008 05:16 GMT

> I agree with your assessment, but you're implying that programmers have
> database design skills. I would suggest that this is definitely *not*
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Programmer + Sys Admin ==> YEAH! :-)
> Ian

I will admit that there a lot of bonehead programmers these days. This is
especially true of Java programmers (who may or may not know java very
well). But if one is not a good programmer (or a good SA) then they will not
make a good DBA either.

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Dan van Ginhoven - 22 Feb 2008 19:57 GMT

Hi!

Keep reading and learning.
One day you'll be the one around who has got the good answers when problems arise
/dg

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News - 24 Feb 2008 00:17 GMT

On 22 fév, 02:43, "annecarterfr...@gmail.com"
<annecarterfr...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I am sure lot of people like me have this question...
> How to become a DB2 DBA?
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> thanks for sharing!

Install at home a free copy of the database. Read administration and
tunning guides. Look at white papers and others materials on the web.
Invent yourself an experience as DBA but you better be very good
depending on which people you will meet on interview. Most people
working in computer science field have nothing to do with this
science. If you are wise smart and skilled you have an opportunity to
become anyone you want.

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annecarterfredi@gmail.com - 26 Feb 2008 03:00 GMT

> On 22 fév, 02:43, "annecarterfr...@gmail.com"
>
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> science. If you are wise smart and skilled you have an opportunity to
> become anyone you want.

Thank you all for your inputs! I get an idea now...

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