Oracle Exadata DMA Job Description

Multiple time many readers has asked us that what can be the Exadata job description if any organization hiring Oracle Exadata DMA so thought to write one post on that in which almost everything we have included for Exadata JD.

No doubt skills can be different for each level of DMA position but we have tried to put everything which includes basic to expert level tasks.

You can also provide your valuable thought and input by mentioning in comment which will help our readers.

Exadata Skill

• Good understanding of Exadata Architecture
• Clear understanding of Exadata features like Flash cache, Storage Index, HCC and IORM
• Solid exposure of Exadata hardware
• Understanding of Luns, Cell Disk and Grid disk
• Implementation experience of exadata features
• Understanding of CELLCLI and DCLI
• Performance tuning of Exadata component
• Understanding of Cell Storage software
• Troubleshooting experience

Database and RAC Skill

Exadata DMA Roles and Responsibility

Exadata administration can be done by single Exadata DMA (Database Machine Administration). There is no requirement of team for each domain.Only one specialist (DMA) is required to manage the Exadata.

Based on our experience we have given following list of tasks which need to be performed by DMA. We can add many tasks in this list but we have just covered most common tasks specially from Exadata perspective.

Roles and Responsibility of DMA

Hardware installation and maintenance: A database machine required periodic maintenance like firmware upgrade or replace any failure component of machine.

Network Administration: Exadata comes with CISCO ethernet switch for Management and ILOM network, infiniband swithces for cell and DB Node node connectivity so management of network is also includes in DMA's task. General knowledge of netwrok topology required to manage Infiniband switches.

Operating System Administration: Linux or Solaris OS administration. Also manage server availability during patching with high availability management. Setting up users,  applying patches, managing disk space, NFS mount, 

Exadata Storage Administration: Important component of Exadata. In depth knowledge is required to manage the cell servers as this is the main component of Exadata which also configured with Exadata Storage Software. It include monitoring of celldisk, griddisk, cell flash cache, flash disks, OS administration, infiniband connectivity  administration. Maintain storage availability during patching.

Grid Infrastructure Administration: Inlcudes clusterware, ASM disk group, mirrored cell group as Exadata managed mirroring on ASM level not cell level.

Database Administration: Includes single instance, single instance on ASM, one or more RAC node database. Exadata specific parameters.

Here DMA does not need to know full scale Linux , storage or network. Only few relevant concepts are required to manage the Exadata. 

Overall required skill for component wise in percentage as follows.

• 60% Database Administration
• 20% Cell Storage Administration
• 15% Linux Administration 
• 5% Miscellaneous (Infiniband, network, etc.)

You can follow our Exadata Certification Question Bank to achieve maximum success in your Exadata certification exam.