Job Description

Role Summary

We are seeking a Senior Exadata Administrator with deep expertise across Oracle Exadata on-premises (X8M/X9M/X10M) and Exadata Cloud Service (ExaCS/ExaCC) on OCI. This role is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of Exadata environments from deployment, patching, and performance engineering to high availability, disaster recovery, and capacity management ensuring mission-critical Oracle database workloads run at peak performance and resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Exadata On-Premises Administration

Deploy, configure, and manage Exadata Database Machine racks (X8M, X9M, X10M) including compute nodes, storage servers, InfiniBand/RoCE networking, and ILOM.
Perform quarterly and ad-hoc patching using dbaascli, exadcli, PatchMgr, and opatchauto across grid infrastructure, database homes, and storage cells.
Manage Exadata storage (cell disks, grid disks, flash cache, PMEM) including cell-level administration using CellCLI and ExaCLI.
Configure and tune Smart Scan, Storage Indexes, Hybrid Columnar Compression (HCC), and Smart Flash Cache for optimal offload performance.
Manage ASM disk groups, rebalancing operations, and storage allocation across database workloads.
Perform firmware and component upgrades for ILOM, switches, PDUs, and InfiniBand/RoCE switches.

Exadata Cloud Service (ExaCS / ExaCC on OCI)

Provision and manage Exadata Cloud Infrastructure, VM Clusters, and database homes via OCI Console, CLI, Terraform, and REST APIs.
Administer Exadata Cloud@Customer (ExaCC) deployments including infrastructure maintenance scheduling and VM cluster lifecycle.
Manage OCI IAM policies, compartment structures, and network configurations (VCNs, subnets, NSGs) specific to ExaCS/ExaCC.
Perform scaling operations (OCPU, storage, node additions) and manage elastic configurations.
Automate provisioning and lifecycle operations using Terraform OCI provider and OCI Resource Manager stacks.

High Availability & Disaster Recovery

Configure and manage Oracle RAC and RAC One Node across Exadata environments.
Implement and maintain Oracle Data Guard (Active Data Guard) for HA/DR across on-premises and cloud.
Design and test switchover/failover procedures, including cross-platform DR (on-prem ↔ ExaCS).
Manage RMAN backup strategies including backup to OCI Object Storage, Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance (ZDLRA), and local FRA.
Implement and monitor Oracle Maximum Availability Architecture (MAA) best practices.

Performance Engineering & Tuning

Monitor and optimize Exadata-specific performance using AWR, ASH, ADDM, cell metrics, and Exadata Storage Server software utilities.
Tune Smart Scan offload ratios, I/O Resource Management (IORM), and database resource plans.
Analyse cell server statistics, flash cache hit rates, and storage index efficiency using ExaWatcher and OSWatcher.
Conduct capacity planning and workload characterization to inform scaling and consolidation decisions.
Leverage OCI Operations Insights and Database Management for cloud-hosted Exadata performance monitoring.

Security & Compliance

Implement Exadata security hardening following Oracle Maximum Security Architecture guidelines.
Configure Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), Oracle Key Vault integration, and network encryption.
Manage Oracle Database Vault, Audit Vault, and Data Masking for compliance-driven environments.
Apply CIS benchmarks and security patches in alignment with organizational change management processes.

General

Develop and maintain operational runbooks, architecture documentation, and DR test plans.
Collaborate with solution architects, DBA teams, and client stakeholders on capacity planning and platform roadmaps.
Provide technical leadership and mentoring to junior administrators.
Participate in on-call rotations, incident management, root cause analysis, and problem management.

Required Skills & Experience

7–8 years of progressive experience in Oracle Database and infrastructure administration with a minimum of 4 years focused on Exadata platforms.
Strong hands-on expertise with Exadata on-premises (X-series) including CellCLI, ExaCLI, dbaascli, ILOM, and InfiniBand/RoCE networking.
Proven experience with Exadata Cloud Service (ExaCS) or Exadata Cloud@Customer (ExaCC) on OCI.
Deep knowledge of Oracle RAC, ASM, Data Guard, and RMAN in Exadata contexts.
Strong understanding of Exadata Smart software features: Smart Scan, Storage Indexes, HCC, Smart Flash Cache, PMEM.
Proficiency in Exadata patching lifecycle and tooling (opatchauto, PatchMgr, dbaascli).
Experience with Oracle Database versions 19c and 23ai on Exadata.
Working knowledge of Linux administration (Oracle Linux / RHEL), shell scripting, and Python for automation.
Strong understanding of networking concepts relevant to Exadata (InfiniBand, RoCE, client/backup networks, VLANs).
Excellent communication skills with the ability to produce clear operational documentation and present to technical and client stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

Oracle certifications: Oracle Exadata Database Machine Administrator Certified Professional, Oracle Database Administration Certified Professional, OCI Architect Associate/Professional.
Experience with Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) 13c Cloud Control for Exadata monitoring and management.
Familiarity with Terraform (OCI provider) for automating ExaCS/ExaCC provisioning.
Experience with Oracle GoldenGate for real-time replication on Exadata.
Knowledge of Oracle Autonomous Database on Dedicated Exadata Infrastructure.
Experience with Oracle Zero Data Loss Recovery Appliance (ZDLRA).
Familiarity with OCI Operations Insights, Database Management, and Performance Hub.
Experience with database consolidation and multi-tenant (CDB/PDB) architectures on Exadata.
ITIL Foundation or equivalent service management awareness.
Experience working in managed services or consulting delivery environments.