I have just spent a few days in Holland. I was invited to attend a session held by Jeroen Evers from the Company Fameus (soon Miracle Benelux), called MasterClass Sessions.
The Ordina MasterClass Sessions are actually trying to achieve the same as the MEEP, but over a longer period of time; To produce Database Experts by letting them read good books (at the moment they are reading ‘Cost Based Oracle Fundamentals’ by Jonathan Lewis) supported by using practical hands on exercises.
They have to finish the whole thing in 18 months. The final goal is to make all the DBA´s from Ordina (one of the largest and best Oracle consultancy companies in Holland) skilled in the art and science of maintaining a real life system in a proactive way, based on the understanding of the logic of the Oracle Database.
The Technical level in the MasterClass session was a bit too high for me to participate, but the good thing was, that I every once in a while recognized things that I had read in the Tom Kyte book.
So I guess that, if I was to go through the Tom Kyte book again in a few weeks, I would benefit even more. So I guess I will be doing just that :-)
During the session, I realized that throwing in a few sessions like this, into MEEP would be a good idea. A full day, where you go through relevant topics and where you can work with the stuff you have read about.
The idea requires that one of the skilled consultants from Miracle would be able to take the time to prepare a few exercises and would have the patience to teach and help.
This is not meant as a test, but more as a kind of Workshop, where the student would have the opportunity to develop his skills and also ask all the stupid questions.
Anyway, I gave a small presentation about the Miracle Extreme Education Programme to the class, consisting of about 20 DBA´s.
I spoke about how Mogens Nørgaard came up with the idea and how the programme is set up, which books are going to be read etc. I also spoke about my own background and how I go through the material and finally a little bit about the expected outcome of the programme.
After the presentation the DBA´s had the opportunity to ask questions, and many of them did.
It was a very good experience for me. I wish to thank Jeroen and all the Ordina guys for giving me the opportunity to participate.
From next week, it´s back to the Tom Kyte book again. By then, I will have finished the Lex de Haan book about SQL. But I have a strange feeling, that I´m not quite done with that book. And I will keep it close to do the excellent exercises once in a while.
Book 2: 'Mastering Oracle SQL and SQL*Plus' by Lex de Haan.Finally the SQL is starting to make sense. I had some help running the script, installing the seven tables that Lex de Haan uses in this book. The seven Tables are the basis for all the exercises and examples in the book. After doing this, I have been running through the first 4 Chapters, doing all the examples. And the nice thing is, that most of it makes sense so far. I have always been a better learner if I could mess with the stuff at the same time.
Not that I couldn´t do any of the examples in the Tom Kyte book. The big difference is, that in this book, I learn about the SQL that I put in, before I execute it. In the Tom Kyte book, you just put in a lot of code to proove a point in Oracle, but not going into details about what is the meaning of the SQL (which, of course, isn´t the objective with the Tom Kyte book either).
Book 2: 'Mastering Oracle SQL and SQL*Plus' by Lex de Haan.Today I had a status-meeting with my 'mentor' Lenn Mikkelsen. He is the one who helps me through this programme. He helps me if I have difficulties understanding somethings or if I have suggestions to the Programme. He has listened to me, regarding my problems with the SQL. Therefore, I will start reading the Lex de Haan book: 'Mastering Oracle SQL and SQL*Plus'. This means that the Tom Kyte Book is on Standby. I have read Chapter 1 - 11. This has given me an overall understanding of Oracle. What it Constists of and how it works on a very basic level. There will surely be a lot of things which I haven´t understood also. But I will get back to this book after learning some SQL.
Book 1: 'Expert Oracle Database Architecture' by Tom Kyte.Finally, I feel better again. I have now read chapter 10 about Database Tables again. Apart from the bit about Object Tables, it was OK.
Today I´m starting up on chapter 11: Indexes.
On the 22nd of november, I will join Anjo Kolk and Jeroen Evers in Holland where I will attend a training session. I will also do a small presentation of MEEP and my Experiences with the programme.
Book 1: 'Expert Oracle Database Architecture' by Tom Kyte.The last few days, I have been forced to take a little TimeOut from the education. I have been pretty sick, caughfing and fewer and I have even lost my voice. I can only whisper.
But since I´m getting pretty bored, just staying in bed the whole time, I have decided to start up on the reading again tomorrow. I will re-read chapter 10, since I couldn´t really focus on it when I read it the first time.
I will write again soon, when I have read a little more and hopefully feel better.
