DATABASE DEVELOPMENT LIFE CYCLE - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 110

application data request gets executed by the DBMS, which in turn depends on the
operating system for input and output operations. The operating system must be
robust enough and compatible with standard commercial database management
systems. In a database environment, security, reliability, and scalability are impor-
tant considerations in the choice of operating systems. The business analysts, with
the help of other database practitioners, ascertain the necessary capabilities of the
required operating systems. The analysts make recommendations for version
upgrades to the existing operating system or for a new and more powerful system.
The business analysts must also look closely at the existing network operating
system. Now with a database system, network traffic patterns and data transfer
volumes are likely to change drastically. This is especially true in a distributed data-
base environment. Will the current network operating system be up to the task in
the proposed environment? Can it be upgraded or augmented with third-party
tools? Or should the current network operating system be replaced with a better
and more suitable system?
Skills Review
Review of skills and listing of recommendations form the key activities of the oper-
ational feasibility study. Business analysts must proceed systematically to list the
necessary skills demanded by the database project. Next, they must take an inven-
tory of the skills currently available in the organization. On the basis of the infor-
mation gathered in these tasks, the business analysts make recommendations for
actions to make up the deficiencies.
Necessary Skills The first part of the operational feasibility study entails making
a list of all the skills necessary for the successful completion of the project. The busi-
ness analysts must seek the help of others, including the project manager and the
database administrator, to determine the types of skills needed for each phase of
DDLC. If the database administrator function is not fully staffed yet, this fact goes
on the list first. Each phase needs different kinds of special skills. You need people
with different types of experience and training in the various phases. At this point,
do not make a list of the types of persons needed but only the types of skills needed.
For example, in the design phase, you would need data modeling skills. In the
requirements definition phase, you would need interviewing skills.
After determining the types of needed skills, the business analysts can translate
and relate these skills to the qualifications of the types of people needed for the
project. Sometimes, you may be able to find people with multiple skills who can be
assigned to more than one type of activity. A person well versed in logical database
design may also be able to lay out the physical files and records.
People Inventory What is the availability of people for the database project in
your organization? Do you have analysts who are experts in interviewing tech-
niques? Are there data modelers? Do you already have database administrators?
Do you have programmers experienced in writing data conversion programs? The
business analysts have the task of noting the skills and experience of each person
already assigned to the project. This must be done in sufficient detail so that the
right person may be given the right assignment.