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All Oracle databases support some type of application that the Oracle DBA would need to have some knowledge of. What makes an Oracle Applications DBA different than this? Does the term mean that they support the Oracle Applications and not the database, or does it include responsibilities for both the Oracle Applications and the database. If the latter then this seems to be done differently than every other type of application that can run with an Oracle back end. For example, you don't see Oracle .NET DBAs. Can someone clear up my limited understanding on this topic?

Update: It seems very clear from the two answers so far that I did not word the question well enough. My context is not Application DBA in the Developer DBA sense vs. Production DBA. I am asking about the particular job title of "Oracle Applications DBA" or "Oracle Apps DBA". Do a search for the phrase and you'll get results like the following:

http://becomeappsdba.blogspot.com/
http://appsdba.info/
http://teachmeoracle.com/interview.html
etc.

The best explination I have found so far is from http://www.club-oracle.com/articles/what-is-oracle-applications-259/ which says:

Oracle Applications is an Enterprise Resource Planning Software, which is run by large industries to control their industry-wide operations. This software involves separate segments known as modules for separate business processes. Each module is basically a collection of forms (with some data displaying reports) where at each stage of the business process, data needs to be entered. The forms enforce industry best-practices controls on data input and process flow.

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  • Aah, as in PeopleSoft, Siebel, or Oracle Fusion.
    – Richard
    Aug 23 '11 at 12:20
  • Thanks! I'm an Oracle recruiter and this really helped alot.
    – user23749
    May 14 '13 at 10:14
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As your own question answers: "Oracle Applications is an [ERP]." An "Oracle Apps DBA" will be someone who is experienced in working with the particular schema and tooling around this ERP. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of packages, tables, stored procedures, and interfaces that are specifically built for the ERP. It is not a trivial database to admin. You can get a brief glimpse into some of the things in their ERP by looking around - for example, this blog - or by logging into a Metalink account as someone who is a customer of their ERP solution, where you can get ERDs and other documentation.

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  • So I take it you would consider an Oracle Application DBA to need all the skill of an Oracle DBA and additional knowledge of Oracle's E-Business Suite. That is, more additional knowledge than a DBA would normally have regarding the applications running on the database. Is that correct?
    – Leigh Riffel
    Aug 24 '11 at 1:37
  • That's correct - you need to be both a skilled Oracle DBA, as well as have a good knowledge of the particulars of their ERP. You can probably "get there" if you are an Apps DBA, but it's not trivial by any means.
    – TML
    Aug 24 '11 at 2:15
  • So is the modern apps dba primarily an operational, administrative or project consultant (implementation, integration etc) type of role? - I mostly remember insane patch dependency maps that were not always accurate, technically challenged business consultants and their generally challenged managers, chronic Oracle iAS induced headaches, a steady stream of meetings that all seemed exactly like The Expert (aka Perpendicular Lines) find it on youtube haven't seen it and finally, whenever you saw it all through to the end of another month; some utterly silly amount of money.
    – Roy
    Sep 5 '16 at 22:20

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