Many organizations tend to concentrate on
technical knowledge and overlook personality. Like most IT roles, the role of
DBA is customer -service oriented. The DBA will have to interface with a
variety of people: users, developers, administrators, vendors, and managers.
Consequently, these traits should be consider
when filling the DBA role:
• Communication
skills
• Confidence
• Curiosity
• Detail
oriented
• Determination
Base Responsibilities
Architecture
• The
DBA needs be familiar with sizing, file placement and specification of storage
media. Expertise in RAID, failover, networking, disk shadowing, solid state
disks, and their application to the Oracle database environment are important.
The DBA needs to be familiar with installation and updates for the database
server platform. For the UNIX operating system, DBA’s should be familiar with
the drawbacks and benefits associated with use of raw devices.
Availability & Maintenance
• One
of the jobs of a DBA is monitoring and tuning of the database. Monitoring and
tuning requires a detailed understanding of the Oracle data dictionary, TKprof,
Explain Plan, cost based, rule based optimizers indexes, use of hints, and SQL
statement tuning.
Backup and Recovery
• A
DBA must understand all of the backup and recovery options. Use of the import
and export utilities, cold and hot backups. Recovery scenarios are subject
matter that a DBA must understand.
Business Processes & Requirements
• A
DBA should possess a sound understanding of the business requirements and how
they map to database methods and systems
Security
• An
understanding of Oracle security is critical to the DBA role. Knowledge of
roles, profiles, system, and object level privileges is essential for a DBA. In
addition, understanding how the operating system security interacts with Oracle
is equally important.
Identify the
root cause of the problem, resolve database problems, and develop methods for
preventing the problems
• Review
databases with developers, users, and management monthly to detect system or
operational problems
• Coordinate
on a timely basis to resolve problems discovered or brought to the attention of
the DBA
• Implement
and maintain methods and procedures for monitoring and maintaining database
systems
Maintain and
improve technical skills, environment and application knowledge
• Identify
training available in areas of needed improvement and attend training as
directed
• Four hours
monthly in reviewing available World Wide Web sources or trade publications
• Review
existing applications by study of documentation and discussions with
application developers
• Develop a
knowledgebase of the database, environment and associated software
• Assist
with support for all application development
• Review
reports/logs/dumps and other data to recommend corrective actions to maintain
database performance and efficiency
• Coordinate
performance and tuning actions with database developers
Review and
evaluate status of assigned projects and their impact upon the database systems
• Monitor project
progress, discusses major problems with other analysts and management
• When
discovered, resolve delays affecting project completion
• Provide
weekly status reports to Management
• Conduct
database walkthroughs with programmers, analysts, and users prior to
finalization of major recommendations
• Review
databases thoroughly before recommending new systems or system changes
Provide user
support through meetings, presentations, and preparation of documentation
• Establish
and maintain effective communication with user community
• Participate
actively in meeting with staff and users, demonstrate ability to interpret user
needs by preparing thorough summaries and recommendations
• Develop
and update user documentation
Prepare and
review database specifications, including testing and controls
• Review
database recommendations thoroughly with users and management, resolve problems
or differences before final recommendations are made
• Study new
database design principles, and developing knowledge of database principles by
applying them in projects
• Gather
information from users and staff when required by project tasks, to be
evaluated by supervisor through review of work, discussion with users, and
review with other analysts
Prepare
budgets, planning documents and maintain service contracts
• Prepare
requested material on time. Prepare requested material for fiscal year by
stated deadlines
Design,
create, and maintain physical and logical databases
• Participates
in logical model design or walkthroughs of the logical model design to gain an
understanding of the logical model design.
Present physical implementation concerns to the design teams and
management
• Create
physical databases using sound design principles including documentation of the
creation and access procedures
• Create, tests, and monitors backup procedures
for the physical or logical databases
• Maintain
the physical database by monitoring and recommending changes as needed to
management. Create quarterly reports on
physical storage needs, memory requirements, and database upgrades projected
for a two year time span
