Craig Shallahamer : “Oracle Tuning Is Like War”

"Performance War", Craig Shallahamer : "Every great Greek battle commander (Pausanias, Themistocles, Aristides, just to name a few) was either exiled, sacked, indicted, or fined by the very people he sought to save. Do you DBAs feel like that sometimes? We often think, "Well, why even try?" But we continue on because performance optimization is what many of us love to do and do best! Yet, it requires teamwork, bravery, expediency, and rest.

Those of us who love extremely intense performance situations, who love to battle, get a kind of strange thrill out of it all -- whether performance is bad, good, or stupendous. And while it may look to many that the performance recovered was because of our epic single-handed exploits, those of us who continually thrive in real performance crises will tell you, the complexities are so intense that a mature DBA's desire for personal distinction must be subordinate. It's the young DBA who commonly tries to do it all himself and goes home dissatisfied, frustrated, and confused ...

... Before you enter the battle, you need to do everything you can to set it up in such a way so as to ensure you will win quickly, enabling a season of rest --time to return to the farm and family. It's the young DBA who never rests, is always looking for the next battle instead of training and fortifying when there is no battle. Slowly his energy will be sapped and when the battle comes, he will die.

Being a fantastic performance specialist, just like being a great Greek battle commander, is not easy and the very people you try to help may hate you the most. But we can take steps to continue on from battle to battle and day to day. Don't be too proud to ask for help. Be brave when you need to be. Savor peace when it's around. Most DBAs have not discovered these secrets. Look around and you'll notice there are not too many performance specialists in their forties and beyond. When you find one, ask them their secrets and their stories. You'll be amazed."