The database developer looks into and plans the performance and integrity of the company's databases. He or she is also given the task of development and customized troubleshooting. With specialized job profiles coming up in recent times, there is a demand for DBA's. Along with system analysis and security management, database administrators play a significant role in the information technology team of an organization. The growing demand for database administrators has resulted in a growth of job opportunities.
Responsibilities of the database administrator
The database administrator is responsible for all aspects related to the database. Their job profile includes taking care of the development and testing of data, along with its protection and security. The other responsibilities of the DBA include data integrity, up time and data loss prevention. Installing and upgrading new software is also the responsibility of the database administrators, who are expected to coordinate and share their discoveries with database users and information technology personnel for ensuring correct functioning of the respective database. Any problems in the existing hardware and software need to be handled immediately.
A lot of database administrators are restricted to management of existing databases only, although the scope of growth is massive. They can also create new databases while managing and securing the existing ones. The database administrator has to design, manage and write database systems to ensure delivery of right information to different hierarchical levels. They develop mechanism and essential authorization protocols for preventing confidential information from being released. They help business manager's plan out strategic activities and make well-informed decisions. The DBA also has control of computer databases for preventing any duplication of information, and facilitating quicker updates of recent files. They also try to recover and restore any corrupt databases and files that were clustered or mirrored.
Requirements
Educational qualifications
The educational qualifications for a database administrator includes being familiar with multiple operating systems. A degree in computer science would help them to get associated with database technologies and management systems.
Skills required by a database administrator
The database administrator can have careers in computer programming. Apart from SQL training, database professionals can also be hired in industries essential to business operations. If you are not technology savvy, you can access tools that have made database design and development much easier. The database administrator should be skilled in interacting with other group members and thus possessing additional attributes is vital.
These include excellent communication and organizational skills to attain solid teamwork ethic. There are organizational needs to be taken care of, along with working in collaboration with other departments. Hence, the database administrator has to deal with technical, informational, security personnel and related operational areas. He or she should be able to perform a multitude of tasks for generation of massive data.
Training and Prior Experience
Structured query language or SQL is also vital to adapt to changing organizational requirements. Experience with working on server databases like Microsoft SQL Server is preferred by a lot of organizations.
Areas of expertise
Some of the areas of their expertise include Oracle, Microsoft Access, SQL, and Ingres. As a database administrator you can be focused on only Windows or Unix, or even a combination of both. Additional knowledge in this profession is vital for being a successful database administrator. What kind of database administrator you want to become would largely depend on the choice of software and hardware used by your employer.
Employment Outlook
Career Prospects and Salary
The growing demand for database administrators and the technical educational qualifications has made this profession a high paying one. The newcomer can expect salaries ranging from $30,000 to $40,000 on an average. And those with more experience, and educational qualifications can get $70,000 to $90,000.
Database administrators require having a good memory along with being impeccable in technicalities. This ensures that they are able to retain most of the programming details in their minds, and thus prevent careless errors. A lot of DBAs, as they are known, choose freelancing and even work on a contractual basis for making the most of their specialized skills. They might focus on a smaller database or be a part of a large project with big names in the IT industry.
