I work on Oracle environments that have to keep running: production systems where downtime is planned to the minute and every change can be rolled back. Most engagements combine several of the areas below.
Database administration
Day-to-day care for Oracle production and test databases: backup and recovery with RMAN, space and capacity management, users and privileges, monitoring, and fixing what the monitoring finds. Everything I set up is scripted and documented, so your own team can run it after I leave.
Oracle E-Business Suite (Apps DBA)
Administration of Oracle E-Business Suite environments, from the database to the application tier: patching, cloning test and development environments from production, applying critical patches and customizations, and keeping the whole stack consistent across environments.
Patching, upgrades and cloning
Release updates and critical patch updates applied on a fixed rhythm, with a tested rollback plan for every step. For larger jumps, such as bringing a 19c estate from an old release update to a current one, I plan the sequence across environments so that production is the last and least eventful step.
High availability and disaster recovery
Oracle Data Guard set up, monitored and exercised: regular switchover tests, documented failover procedures, and RMAN backups that have actually been restored. A standby database is only useful if you know it works on the day you need it.
Performance management and tuning
Finding out why a system is slow and fixing the cause rather than the symptom: AWR and ASH analysis, SQL tuning, instance and storage configuration, and capacity trends that warn before users do.
Migration to AWS
Moving Oracle workloads to Amazon Web Services, with a choice per database between Amazon RDS for Oracle, Oracle on EC2, or a move to Aurora PostgreSQL. Where the target allows it, the cut-over is a Data Guard switchover, which keeps downtime short and leaves the old environment ready as a fallback. The surrounding infrastructure is defined in code with Terraform.
Support, security and documentation
Third-line support for Oracle databases and applications, including handling service requests with Oracle Support. Security proposals for hardening and access control, and system administration of the servers underneath. Every change comes with documentation: change records, work instructions and installation protocols.
Ways of working together
From structural management of your Oracle infrastructure, through support at an agreed level, to ad-hoc consultancy for a single question or project. Small business or complex application landscape: the approach is tailored to what you actually need.
Considering an independent Oracle (Apps) DBA or consultant? Get in touch.