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About

Craig A. Shallahamer

Founder and President
OraPub, Inc.
Portland, OR
Voice +1.503.636.0228
Fax +1.510.740.3464 
Craig Shallahamer craig @orapub.com 
www.orapub.com

"An Oracle performance philosopher
who has a special place in history of Oracle performance management." Danisment Gazi Unal

" The NWOUG is proud to have our own northwest Oracle guru, Craig Shallahamer, as part of our summer conference. Craig is well respected in the Oracle community around the world and is a gifted speaker. His casual style, mixed with humor, easily conveys a highly technical message across to any audience." NWOUG

Mr. Shallahamer brings his unique experiences to thousands as a keynote speaker, a sought after teacher, a researcher, a writer, and author of the book, Forecasting Oracle Performance. He is also the designer and developer of both of OraPub's Advanced Reactive Performance Management and Forecasting Oracle Performance classes as well as the arthitect of HoriZone, OraPub's service level management solution. For over 20 years, he has been helping companies improve their service delivery by carefully managing and optimizing performance, service levels, and IT investment.

Mr. Shallahamer spent nine years at Oracle Corporation personally impacting literally hundreds of consultants, companies, database administrators, performance specialists, and capacity planners throughout the world. After co-founding Oracle's Core Technologies and System Performance Group, he left Oracle in 1998 to start OraPub, Inc. a company focusing on "Doing and helping others do" both reactive and proactive Oracle performance management. He has published over 20 technical papers and personally trained 1000s of DBAs on five continents in 20 countries.

When Mr. Shallahamer is not working on maximizing IT efficiency, he is fly fishing, praying, backpacking, bee keeping, riding his motorcycle, playing guitar, or just relaxing around a fire.

The Northern California Oracle User Group (NoCOUG) published an interview with Mr. Shallahamer. A transcript of the interview is found on page four of their journal.

Technical Publications

Mr. Shallahamer has always valued the experience of developing new ideas, writing them down, creating courseware, and then teaching them to others. The below publications are a tangible example of this. Most of the publications are available at OraPub's web site

  • Forecasting Oracle Performance. Originally published April 2007 by Apress. Available in stores and on-line.
  • Wait Interface Deceit. Originally published during July 2006.
  • Capacity Planning Using Roller Coaster Tycoon. Originally presented at the Fall OAUG 2004 and Oracle OpenWorld 2004 San Francisco. This paper continues to be presented at conference around the world.
  • Conquering Oracle Latch Contention. Originally presented at the RMOUG 2004 and Fall CFOUG 2004. This paper continues to be presented at conference around the world.
  • Oracle Wait Interface: A Practical Guide to Performance Diagnostics & Tuning (isbn 007222729X). Technically reviewed the entire book. The authors are Kirtikumar Deshpande and K. Gopalakrishnan. 2004
  • Responsibly Forecasting Oracle System Performance. Originally presented at the NWOUG 2003 and OOW-US 2003. This paper continues to be presented at conference around the world.
  • Oracle Response Time Analysis. Originally presented at the CMG 2002 and IOUG-A 2002. Since then the paper continues to be presented at conference around the world. This paper continues to be updated and expanded.
  • All About Oracle Touch Count Block Buffer Algorithm. Presented at IOUG-A 2002, NWOUG 2002, and RMOUG 2002 Training Days in Denver, Colorado.
  • The Effectiveness of Global Temporary Tables. 2001 research only paper.
  • Oracle Performance Tuning 101 (isbn 0-07-213145-4). Technically reviewed the entire book. The authors are Gaja Vaidyanatha, Kirtikumar Deshpande, and John Kostelac.
  • Oracle Essentials (isbn 1-56592-708-7). Technically reviewed the entire book. The authors are Rick Greenwald, Robert Stackowiak, and Jonathan Stern.
  • Oracle Performance Triage: Stop the Bleeding Presented at the 2001 RMOUG Training Days in Denver, Colorado and 2001 IOUG-A. This paper continues to be updated and expanded.
  • All About Oracle Database Fragmentation Originally presented at the RMOUG 2000. Since then the paper continues to be presented at conference around the world. This paper continues to be updated and expanded.
  • Web Applications Server Performance Optimization In A Three Tier Environment. Presented at the 1999 OAUG-A in San Diego, CA USA and the 1999 EOUG in Copenhagen.
  • Direct Contention Identification Using Oracle's Session Wait Event Views. Originally presented and published at the 1998 Openworld in Melbourne and Los Angeles. Since then the paper continues to be presented at conference around the world. This paper continues to be updated and expanded.
  • The Ratio Modeling Technique. Originally presented at the OAUG in 1995. Since then the paper continues to be presented at conference around the world. The Ratio Modeling technique is a low cost and low precision performance prediction modeling technique. This paper continues to be updated and expanded.
  • Avoiding A Database Reorganization. Presented/published originally in 1995 at the IOUG, OAUG, EOUG, and Oracle Magazine. This paper explains the real database reorganization issues and how a DBA should and ultimately must grow to completely avoid a database reorganization.
  • Predicting Computing System Throughput and Capacity. Presented/published originally in 1995 at OAUG and Oracle Magazine. This paper described method and tools to model and therefore predict throughput and capacity without performing costly exercises like "benchmarking."
  • Total Performance Management. Presented/published at OAUG 1994 and Oracle Magazine. This paper describes a method to bring a database environment characterized by reactive and "fire fighting" to one of proactive performance management.
  • Predicting the Utility of the Nonunique Index. Published in Oracle Magazine in 1993. This paper mathematically shows how one can quantitatively predict the usefulness of an index.
  • Work History

    BigBlueRiver, Inc.

    September 2002 - Present

    Title: Managing Member

    BigBlueRiver (BBR) is a grid computing provider that has created the "grid for the rest of us." BBR was created for simulation software vendors and their users, or for that matter anyone needing massive amounts of processing power. Using their simple web services interface, vendors can interface their software into BBR allowing their customers to perform much more granular simulations and allow them to truly optimize their models while providing a vital new revenue stream with virtually no sales effort. Simulation users can perform massive simulations at unheard of granularity resulting in true optimization at a fraction of the cost of home-grown solutions or other grid technologies.

    SELECT Magazine

    2001 - 2002

    Title: Contributing Editor

    As a Contributing Editor for SELECT magazine, Mr. Shallahamer is responsible for technically reviewing a number of Oracle server based technical papers as well as supplying directional and strategic input for the magazine.

    OraPub, Inc.

    August 1998 - Present

    Title: Founder and President

    OraPub is a product and services company focusing exclusively on helping you maximize Oracle system performance.

    When working with OraPub you receive the fruit from years of research, field testing, and published work. All of our offerings are field driven, scientifically researched, and field tested. We always have and will continue to push Oracle performance management forward.

    OraPub is the only Oracle-focused company offering both reactive and proactive (capacity planning) performance management publications, teaching, consulting, and products. Since OraPub's inception 10 years ago, we have been Oracle performance management creators and disseminators. OraPub was founded and is led by industry expert, Mr. Craig Shallahamer. More...

    Mr. Shallahamer is the lead designer of HoriZone™, a powerfully unique Oracle service level management solution. The product was brought to market in 2005. More...

    Worldwide Internal Services Education (WISE), Oracle Consulting Services,

    August 1997 - August 1998

    Titles: Practice Manager, Practice Director

    Worldwide Internal Services Education is commissioned to train Oracle consultants globally. Mr. Shallahamer's practice is responsible for developing curriculum plans for twelve technical roles, developing courseware (USDM budget), rolling out the courses globally, delivering globally, and maintaining the courseware.

    This position requires significant multi-organization collaboration. Politically powerful global consulting organization leaders vie for curriculum development priority and courseware development funding. There are complicating factors to meeting our objectives. Instructors, subject matter experts, and practice managers/directors do not have a direct financial or political motive to create quality training, and they do not report to Mr. Shallahamer. This combined with inherently bureaucratic, standards based, and non-field experienced support groups (e.g., materials management, curriculum standards) makes for a very exciting and challenging work environment.

    E*DBA, Oracle Consulting Services, June 1997 - August 1997

    Titles: Practice Manager

    Mr. Shallahamer was commissioned to create a business plan and initiate a new profit center about the following:

    E*DBA provides Oracle database customers with remote subscription and fixed-priced based performance optimization and database maintenance services. Many companies (all markets) can not financially justify on-site technical consulting engagements using the industry's best performance specialists, resulting in an unsatisfied business demand. With our business model, the use of very advanced technology, combined with exceptional performance specialists, enables us to provide performance optimization services at a very low cost.

    Mr. Shallahamer worked with directors from many organizations (consulting, corporate, direct sales, Business Alliance, etc.) to create the new service offering's plan. Oracle World Wide Support was the group who ultimate wanted to start the service. I choose not to start this group, but instead decided to head Consulting's technical internal training organization (i.e., WISE).

    System Performance Group (SPG), Oracle Consulting Services, May 1995 - Aug 1997

    Titles: Senior Principal Consultant, Practice Manager

    SPG is tasked to ensure Oracle Consulting's highest profile clients systems are well architected and performed (response time, throughput, availability) as expected. Mr. Shallahamer co-founded SPG with Mr. Cary Millsap and Mr. Dominic Delmolino. SPG's reputation grew to be recognized as the best technical consulting group within Oracle worldwide for its technical architecture design, performance modeling/prediction/validation/tuning/management, tool and method developing, and teaching. SPG has produced many award winning consultants that have consulted to literally hundreds of high profile Oracle customers around the world.

    In 1997, Mr. Shallahamer successfully transformed his practice from one characterized in solving very intense short-term (one to three weeks) reactive client performance problems, to a business based on longer term (three weeks to six months) proactive technical architecture and performance prediction.

    Mr. Shallahamer's initial mission was to start a growing, thriving, and profitable business. The group grew from revenues of 0.75M with six people in May 1995 to revenues of 2.75M and sixteen people in 1997. Margins (revenues minus expenses) consistently exceeded 40%.

    Core Technologies, Oracle Consulting Services, 1993 - May 1995

    Titles: Senior Consultant, Principal Consultant, Senior Principal Consultant

    The Core Technologies team was responsible for planning, installing, upgrading, migrating, and tuning the largest and most complex Oracle Applications implementations around the world. The team was also directed to create methods and tools, and disseminate the information to Oracle consultants via white papers, tool sets, speaking engagements, and courseware.

    As a co-founder of the Core Technologies team and its Northwestern USA manager, Mr. Shallahamer started and then transformed the practice from one of a strictly "install and upgrade" business to one of re-active and proactive performance management. Core Technologies was so successful Mr. Shallahamer was asked to develop curriculum and train consultants worldwide and Mr. Shallahamer was presented the "Hard Hat" award at Oracle Consulting's 1995 "club."

    National Product Specialist Team (NPST), Oracle Consulting Services, 1991 - 1993

    Titles: Staff Consultant, Senior Consultant

    The six person NPST team was created to "stop the bleeding" at strategic Oracle Applications sites. This group was truly a "fire fighting" group that performed very intense short duration client engagements. The group was also directed to create methods, tools, courseware, and to disseminate the information to others.

    Most work was centered around resolving performance response time and throughput issues. The work was very technical yet contained a deep understanding of specific Oracle Applications functional details that have a profound performance impact. The group was so successful, it was directed to grow and service a much larger client base and it's name changed to the Core Technologies team.

    Southwest Regional Practice, Oracle Consulting Services, November 1989 - 1991

    Titles: Staff Consultant

    Mr. Shallahamer specialized in Oracle's CASE methodology and custom development. After six months he was offered an opportunity to help build Oracle's Hong Kong technical delivery practice. After six months in Hong Kong, many clients received consulting in areas such as relational database design, project management, Oracle server internals, CASE methodology, and data modeling.

    Applications Systems Corporation (ASC), 1987-1989

    Titles: Senior Analyst, Manager of Product Development and Support

    ASC was the applications side of the PRO-IV (4GL) language development business. The main applications were a horizontal, ten module, integrated financial system. The system was based entirely on the 4GL, PRO-IV. The product was somewhat successful, but PRO-IV severely impeded the potential success of the applications and was ultimately why Mr. Shallahamer departed.

    Mr. Shallahamer joined ASC as an application developer and a technical support representative. After twelve months he was asked to take responsibility for and manage all development and support for the business.

    Timesharing And Consulting Services (TACS), 1986 - 1987

    Titles: Associate Consultant, Staff Consultant

    TACS was a small consulting company (less than 20 employees) specializing in FOCUS (IBI's 4GL) consulting and education. While learning FOCUS and the basics of consulting, Mr. Shallahamer was responsible for the development, maintenance, and use of in-house financial systems. By the time of his departure, Mr. Shallahamer had developed courseware and consulted at companies like Hughes Aircraft, First Interstate Bank, and American President's Line (APL).

    Other Relevant Experiences

    California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, 1981 - 1986

    Major: Economics with a concentration in Management Information Systems.

    Mr. Shallahamer started his university experience as an applied mathematics major. After two years of math, physics, and low level computer science studies, he changed majors to economics. This was a perfect match for his desires to develop a unique combination of business (economics, management, etc.) and science (mathematics, physics, computer science) knowledge.

    Distinctive Interests

    • Self-organizing systems (genetic algorithms, neural networks, artificial life)
    • Snowboarding
    • Fly Fishing
    • Backpacking

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