Michelle Malcher - Pro Oracle Database 18c Administration: Manage and Safeguard Your Organization’s Data

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Cloud, automation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are all keywords for the direction of technology. The interesting thing about these areas is that data is still plays a very important role. Obviously, it is something good for the database administrator or the guardian of the data.

With these new environments and Oracles Autonomous Database in the cloud, the question is being asked if DBAs are needed. Self-driving, tuning, and provisioning of databases are the future of the environment. However, there are definitely different tasks that the DBAs are going to be performing along with being the people to go to for migrations to the cloud and automating processes.

So, why write a book about Oracle 18c database administration? This is an easy question to answer. Even though the tasks are changing, understanding the database is critical. Even with processes being automated, there are issues that might need troubleshooting and automations put into place. Applications need database objects designed, created and maintained, and tuned for performance. Is the job now just troubleshooting issues and automating the rest? No, there are design and strategy for data, application, and security. But this book is not just about the transitioning role of the DBA, but to provide administration skills that are still relevant in the database environment. It is also important to know that the internal understanding of the database helps with all of these areas including previous versions.

Data are being integrated, migrated, and maintained in several databases. The structures of these environments are what is needed and what it takes to create consistent, reliable, and always-accessible data. Administration is needed for these systems and support applications with database design and development.

This book provides details about the tasks that are needed to create Oracle 18c databases and provide administration for the environments because it is more than just building a database but managing it with the data and active applications. It provides an inside look of the Oracle database, hardware, storage, and servers that are required to run Oracle. Some of the tasks that are presented are now and should be done through automated processes but stated in ways to being able to work through issues and troubleshoot any problems.

There was careful consideration for including chapters and sections in this book to make sure it was providing the right topics to understand the database along with previous versions, support the design and performance tuning of database objects, and give DBAs the tools they need to be successful.

Backups and recovery are discussed heavily because scenarios of recovery are difficult to automate. There are consistent themes throughout the book to look to create repeatable tasks for automation, securing the environments, and utilizing the new features and tools that come with the new releases of the database. DBAs play an important role in creating backup and security strategies as there are several discussions that support this.

Many of these topics are the same if the database is on-premise or in the cloud. Understanding the difference and how the DBAs can support the migrations to the cloud are included in the notes and sections of the chapters. Databases in the cloud serve many purposes in the enterprise, and DBAs are the perfect resource to assist in migrations and make sure the data are secure and integrated from the cloud environment.

There are many examples, tips, and notes to provide any DBA with Oracle database the tools they need to design, implement, and administer Oracle 18c database environments.

Every time I sit down to write or prepare a presentation, I spend a few minutes reflecting on how I got to this place in my career. There are many people that I am thankful for: to have their influence, guidance, and encouragement in my life. A few of these people I might have told I was done writing books, four books ago. I enjoy seeing their smiles and getting teased when they hear that another one is done.

The friendships that I have made in the database community have encouraged me to learn more and share. I appreciate each of these fun database people who are passionate about what they do and enjoy bringing along others by teaching, mentoring, and supporting others. What an opportunity to be in this career and working with others passionate about databases and being the best guardians of the data! Thank you!