If it's running Oracle - you need to get your DBA to run a statspack and explain his highest activity in each section, and then he must work to tune those pieces of code. He'll need to refine code by working with development teams, create indexes, schedule gathers, work with 3rd party vendors to streamline processes. He also needs work with you and review setup of shared memory spaces, buffer caches, and operating system file I/O cache areas. He/she needs to examine what code out there is experiencing waits, and find ways for that code to have less impact on system for tuning. Also, have that person review their cache hit ratios and total I/O - which can sometimes be reduced with bigger buffer_cache areas, depending on lots of variables (initrans, free space allocation, redo log interleaving, temp spaces, code caching, etc). It's very involved, make sure he/she has good experience or at least good reference materials and tools. Methinks your team is probably light in the DBA area though, otherwise you probably wouldn't be asking these questions.
We are the people our parents warned us about --Jimmy Buffett
