Good morning RRDBAs,
Request
Reason
Examples
My opinion
Conclusion
Benefit
Thank you for your consideration. All ideas and suggestions are welcome.
Respectfully,
Request
- Is there now, or could you please make available, a permanent DB-generated report (like an ongoing log), sorted in most-recent-to-oldest order, that lists all system/page name-changes that have been made anywhere in the DB?
(This might need to include names of newly created pages, to cover the situation when multiple DB pages are consolidated into one new page.)
Reason
- When a system (or page) gets renamed in the DB, the related Wiki page (the one with the same name as the DB page's old name) can easily become "disconnected" from the DB and in some cases basically "lost" until a Wiki-Admin or Wiki-editor stumbles across the Wiki-page. and then only if the page-name difference is discovered.
Since many of the DB-related Wiki-pages do not yet have "Return to DB page" links that clearly match the Wiki page to a specific existing (or former) DB page, it is not always obvious that a DB-page's name has changed, without navigating first to the DB, navigating to the target county, and verifying manually that the system/page in-question still exists or has been renamed.
Examples
- An example of how easily a Wiki-page (or pages) can become disconnected from the DB is the recent name-change applied to the DB page: FleetConnect (158). Until very recently, it was named "TURBO CONNECT Plus (158)‎".
When this system was renamed, it became disconnected from the related "TURBO CONNECT Plus (158)‎" page in the Wiki.
Thankfully, soon after the DB page-name was changed, someone noticed the "disconnection" and began the process of updating the Wiki so that the corresponding Wiki page would be "reconnected" to the DB. (The person who started updating the Wiki happened to be a DBA, but wasn't the one who had changed the DB-page's name. Someone else helped finish updating the 34 other Wiki-pages that also had to reflect the system-name change.)
- Other examples:
In the current review and update of the Wiki's aviation related pages, and in previous reviews of TRS pages, quite a few Wiki-pages have been discovered that were "disconnected" from the DB as a result of a system/page being renamed in the DB, like when multiple airport-pages were consolidated into one.
Again, please notice that these "disconnections" were "stumbled upon" by chance, not by intent.
My opinion
- I very easily could be wrong, but from what I've read in older threads in the Forums, it seems that many, if not most, of the RRDBAs are very well skilled and experienced in maintaining the DB, but might not have the same skill, experience, and comfort-level, with Wiki-editing, not to mention the additional time it requires.
And, even though their efforts to help maintain the Wiki and avoid problems like this are greatly appreciated, in my opinion,- RRDBAs should not need Wiki-proficiency in order to be a DBA, and
- the Wiki's accuracy should not be.dependent on a DBA remembering to update the Wiki when a DB-page's name changes.
- In my opinion, the Wiki-Admin(s) and Wiki-editors should be able to view a DB-driven report that lists the system/page name-changes that are made anywhere in the DB, so that they can quickly and correctly adjust the corresponding Wiki-pages' name(s) accordingly.
Conclusion
- Both the DB and the Wiki have grown significantly in recent years, and can be expected to grow significantly in the near future, especially with the release of ProVoice, DMR, and NXDN -capable scanners. Statistically speaking, the problem of Wiki pages becoming "disconnected" from their corresponding DB pages will only increase over time, as the DB and Wiki grow overall, and as their structure is updated accordingly.
- The question is how to reliably and easily identify such "disconnection" situations.
Benefit
- A DB-driven report or log of system/page name-changes, sorted from most-recent-to-oldest, would
(1) help lift the individual Wiki-editing burden from any particular DBA who needs to rename a DB page, and
(2) allow anyone (whether another DBA, or any Wiki-editor) to intentionally investigate and verify, instead of stumbling upon, a "disconnection", and
(3) allow anyone to make the necessary adjustments in the Wiki, and make them sooner rather than later.
Thank you for your consideration. All ideas and suggestions are welcome.
Respectfully,
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