The Changing Role of the Database Administrator

March 1996

Technology Changes Roll of Database Administrator

The database administrator (DBA) is responsible for managing and coordinating all database activities. The DBA's job description includes database design, user coordination, backup, recovery, overall performance, and database security. The database administrator plays a crucial role in managing data for the employer. In the past the DBA job has required sharp technical skills along with management ability. (Shelly, Cashman, Waggoner 1992). However, the arrival on the scene of the relational database along with the rapidly changing technology has modified the database administrator's role. This has required organizations to vary the way of handling database management.

(Mullins 1995)

Traditional database design and data access were complicated. The database administrator's job was to oversee any and all database-oriented tasks. This included database design and implementation, installation, upgrade, SQL analysis and advice for application developers.. The DBA was also responsible for back-up and recovery, which required many complex utility programs that run in a specified order.

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DBA COG Bucket

This was a time-consuming energy draining task. (Fosdick 1995)

Databases are currently in the process of integration. Standardizing data, once done predominately by large corporations, is now filtering down to medium-size and small companies. The meshing of the old and new database causes administrators to maintain two or three database products on a single network. (Wong 1995)

Relational database management systems incorporate complex features and components to help with logic procedures. This requires organizations to expand the traditional approach to database management and administration. The modern database management systems not only share data, they implement the sharing of common data elements and code elements. (Mullins 1995)

Currently, the more sought after relational database products are incorporating more and more complex features and components to simplify procedural logic. Due to the complexity of todays relational database, corporations are changing the...