remoteDBA - offering tailored solutions for clients' training and database needs

RemoteDBA is a division of Black Tusk Technologies (Pty) Ltd. Black Tusk was formed in 1997, providing a diverse range of services from database administration and software development, to email, web and application hosting. Black Tusk is recognised as a leader in Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server consulting, providing management and technical consulting support. RemoteDBA was formed, in response to growing demand for its specialised services, by channelling Black Tusk’s core competencies into a strong technical business unit that can best provide database consultancy services to companies using Oracle and SQL Server. The company’s database consultants have many years of experience in Oracle and SQL Server products and databases and are all industry standardised (OCP/MSCDA). They have provided database consulting to clients locally and internationally, across diverse industries. These clients include Veritas, Drive Control Corporation, Old Mutual Properties, Daimler Chrysler, Accenture, Siemens, Corporate & Investment Banking Division of Standard Bank, M3 Holdings, Afrox Healthcare, Independent Communications Authority SA, Propnet and MultiChoice. RemoteDBA’s service offerings Focusing on the Oracle and Microsoft arenas, RemoteDBA offers a comprehensive range of services including tailored training solutions (the company’s main focus); design, installation and configuration services; audit and health checks; backup/recovery; performance tuning; and database maintenance, to ensure a holistic solution for clients needing assistance with successful maintenance and administration of their databases. Tailored training solutions While the standard of IT in educational institutions in South Africa is high, there is a great demand for ‘on the job’ training of IT professionals within a company, who may be required to oversee an element of the company’s IT for which they have not been specifically trained. This is when the proficiency of trainers such as RemoteDBA becomes invaluable, as the client can skill up his IT team cost effectively and at a pace and time that suits the company. RemoteDBA provides training and re-training solutions to clients using Oracle databases. Introductory and expert training in Oracle is instructor led, with hands-on demonstrations by RemoteDBA instructors who have years of field experience. Training is always tailored to suit the client’s specific environment and their technical requirements, with on-site training being provided to ensure the minimum of disruption to key staff. As each client has a set of needs that are unique to the organisation, RemoteDBA ensures that trainers have a thorough understanding of these requirements and the client’s particular problems before putting a training package together. Training is therefore always structured to fit in with the client’s environment, requirements and staff workloads. Courses offered by RemoteDBA include: Oracle9i SQL Introduction Oracle9i PLSQL Language Introduction Oracle9i Advanced SQL Introduction Oracle & SQL Server performance tuning Optimising SQL Oracle RAC installation, configuration and internals Linux Oracle and RAC installation RMAN/HP Data Projector concepts and configuration RMAN concepts and configuration (including RAC) RMAN/Veritas Netbackup concepts and configuration Daimler Chrysler – a training success story DaimlerChrysler South Africa manufactures and markets quality vehicles and provides quality parts and service, to meet the transport and motoring needs of African and other emerging markets. The company currently markets a full range of passenger and commercial vehicles including Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles; freightliner custom-built trucks; Chrysler and Jeep vehicles; and Mitsubishi passenger cars and the Canter range of trucks. Daimler Chrysler aims to be the best in its industry and strives to achieve maximum customer and shareholder value, so highly skilled and competent staff is essential. RemoteDBA was called in to provide Oracle and Netbackup training in RMAN/Veritas Netbackup concepts and configuration, following a successful consulting project during which RemoteDBA provided database administration assistance to the team. The end result was a team that is now confident and comfortable in using RMAN/Veritas Netbackup on the Oracle database, which adds significant value to Daimler Chrysler as a whole, as it is no longer necessary to call in consultants every time the team requires assistance with RMAN//Veritas Netbackup. RemoteDBA’s relationship with Daimler Chrysler continues, with other training options currently being explored. Reghardt Joubert, System Administrator at Daimler Chrysler’s Debis Fleet, commenting on the training, said, “RemoteDBA provided us with training that perfectly suited our needs. We have a highly-demanding schedule, so flexibility and on-site training was a pre-requisite. Lee Jenkins of RemoteDBA has the ability to explain difficult concepts really clearly and his explanations were excellent. He evidently has extensive knowledge of, and experience in, Oracle and Netbackup, so our team received training that was not only tailored for our specific needs, but that was delivered simply yet highly effectively.”