I Want To Learn Oracle and Become an Oracle Database Administrator

[MEL]

i want to learn how to use oracle and become an expert in using and administering oracle to the extent that i can develop oracle databases on my own so i want a step where to start in Oracle i have some knowlegde in Sql

[jkoopmann]

the best advice i can give is to start with the oracle manuals. install the database and start playing with it.

after getting familiar with it then you might think about taking some courses or testing your level of expertise.

visit the many oracle database admin web sites and ask many questions when you are stumped.

it seems like an easy answer but all the "gurus" have started this way but just playing with the database.

[yparesh]

I agree with James and in addition I would suggest that you use a tool to expedite your learning process (please do make yourself familiar with what happens behind the scene when you use a click-and-do kind of tool).

Good luck and happy learning.
Paresh
www.saintTechnologies.com

[hookono]

i was on the path to learn Oracle, but got side tracked. Now I am picking it up again. what had gotten me side-tracked was the Sybex Intro to Oracle. It seemed like a reference book than a book to learn from.

Any suggestions to what other books i can buy to self-educate for the OCA exam?

[yparesh]

Hookono,

It is good to know that you are trying to get OCP designation. Let me tell you something about becoimng an OCP. OCP is great to have but it is also necessary to know the hands on stuff as the hiring managers look for both so don't relax once you get the OCP.

There are many good books to learn Oracle and the best is to read Oracle Concepts Manual. It has the best info however not an easy read. If your target is just getting OCP there are many cooks books available and you can also use the preparation tests by self test software. I haven't used both so I will not be able to recommend one.

I hope this helps,
Paresh
www.dbSaint.com

[jkoopmann]

I would highly recomend you first use the Oracle manuals. And as Paresh states please do some hands on work with Oracle. It is not about book smarts here and practicle experience and practice will help a lot in the long run.


Also go to their web site on OCA certification at http://www.oracle.com/education/cert...ba10g_oca.html and take a look at the bottom of the page.

They have literally spelled out the objectives of the test and given you the reference material it comes from. There is also an online test.

Only after going through this procedure would i look for something else. In which case you can purchase some practice tests from a variety of vendors.

[hookono]

thanks koopmann and paresh for your advices.

[mcleom]

I would strongly recommend as the others mentioned to install oracle and start playing with it. Also there a large number of books available, something along the lines of "Oracle Database Administration Fundamentals" if you want to become a DBA. However if you are more inclined to become a developer/administrator I would concentrate more on the various packages and functions within oracle and designing efficient physical and logical data models. Very often understanding these techniques are limited and very poor database architectures are the result.

If database administration is your goal then you will need Linux or UNIX skills. The GUI's for Oracle are relatively good these days however you will always be in a situation where you need to understand command line options. You can install Solaris X86 or Linux on you home PC using VMWare and run Windows XP, Linux, Windows 2000 and UNIX all at the same time, provided you have enough system resources. This will give you a virtual network with very little configuration.

Finally depending on your skill level, I find the best books for any situation are the O'Reilly Pocket Reference Books. They assume you have a certain degree of knowledge on the subjects they reference but they are also a great way of getting started, once you have Oracle installed.

[johnking]

Download a software and use it to play with your database, soon you will get better idea on how it works.

There are many good tools out there, check out http://www.quest.com or http://www.embarcadero.com or check out our company's website at http://www.agileinfollc.com