Database Reference
In-Depth Information
implemented in the data center. Nevertheless tight security checks and measures should be implemented early during
the product deployment stage to prevent frantic activity should audit points be discovered. This has become even
more important after recent successful attacks on many high-profile services.
Security in the cloud
One aspect has not been discussed yet: security. Security is a big complex, and sometimes a psychological barrier
more than a technical one. And when it comes to storing sensitive information in the cloud the mere thought of that
rings the alarm bells with many. Who, for example, would want his mortgage data or other sensitive information to
be stored in the public cloud? Even if such a storage option was one hundred percent secure from a technical point of
view, it would be very hard to communicate that fact to customers.
For these reasons it would appear very unlikely for large enterprises with sensitive data to make use of the public
cloud. And coincidentally this aspect is key in a design choice! The cloud hype has impacted the way infrastructure
projects are managed in many ways and potentially changed the IT landscape profoundly. Management especially
is keen to leverage the benefits the cloud computing paradigm offers, and this plays into the hands of the
consolidation expert.
Use for the cloud hype
With many aspects of cloud computing hype, it is difficult to differentiate between plain wrong and correct
information. I am hoping to have made the main aspects clearer for the reader, and especially why I think
consolidation, automation, and the most suitable concepts taken from the cloud computing revolution fit into a
bigger picture. Combining these properly we are well suited to fulfill the goals upper management sets to operations
and engineering to help cut cost and streamline operations.
Automation
Another major keyword heard quite often in recent times is “automation.” Most often it goes hand-in-hand with
consolidation, and each greatly benefits from the other. Automation is a very important concept, and many routine
maintenance tasks will undoubtedly be automated in the near future. The introduction to this topic already stated the
fact that many production teams are more than busy trying to keep production systems ticking over. Additionally the
time spent by a team on mundane tasks such as unlocking user accounts or extending tablespaces is enormous.
To counter the trend many large enterprises try to hire labor in less cost-intensive countries. But even these
decisions are now questioned, and an automated task sounds like the answer to the problem. However, automation
needs to be done properly, which applies to every aspect of business life. Many large companies have especially
stringent audit requirements, and an automated process needs to leave information in an audit trail which must be
machine-readable and stored for as long as the regulating body requires it.
Processes with the potential for automation
There are a large number of database administration processes that can potentially be automated. When considering
whether or not a process can be automated, audit requirements are to be taken into consideration as well. In recent
times auditors have asked much more pertinent questions, and security problems have moved into focus. As an
example, the following processes could be automated:
•
Extension of a tablespace
•
Taking a hot backup
•
Unlocking a user
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