OVERVIEW OF ADMINISTRATION FUNCTIONS - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 417

of a database system. You will walk through the life cycle phases and observe the
administrative tasks required in each phase.
This chapter is intended as an overview of all administration functions. The
chapter will highlight the various responsibilities and tasks and the significance of
administration functions. In a general way, we will explore the significance of admin-
istration and establish why it is indispensable for a database system. Then we will
discuss the special skills and knowledge required for those responsible for admin-
istration functions. We will look at the specific tasks necessary for administra-
tion during every phase of database development, deployment, and even after
deployment.
Among these responsibilities are a few that are of crucial importance. Although
this chapter introduces database administration and provides you with a broad
overview, we will cover the important functions more extensively in separate chap-
ters. Database administration extends to maintaining the integrity of the database.
The data content should be correct and consistent. Chapter 15 deals exclusively with
data integrity. Chapter 16 covers database security. Safeguarding the database is a
prime responsibility of administration. The issues of who gets data access privileges
and to what extent must be carefully managed.
The administration functions do not cease when the database project is com-
pleted and the database system is up and running. Ongoing maintenance is a vital
part of administration. You will learn about ongoing maintenance in Chapter 17,
which is completely devoted to that topic.
SIGNIFICANCE OF ADMINISTRATION
Many organizations made the transition to database systems from their file-oriented
data systems in the 1970s and 1980s. Usage of database software, laying out the files,
keeping the data consistent and correct, safeguarding the data content from unau-
thorized users, ensuring continued availability of the data system to users—these
and many other tasks in the file-oriented environment were no match for those in
the by far more sophisticated database environment.
Each user group owned, managed, and controlled its own data files. The advent
of database systems changed the dispersed nature of control and management. The
database system, because of its ability to share data among various user groups,
prompted centralized coordination. The database moved control and administra-
tion functions from local units to the center of an organization. Someone, or some
role, must exercise centralized control and coordination.
In the 1970s, we see the emergence of this new role for administration of the
database system. Information technology professionals had to be specially trained
for this new role and were entrusted with the administration of the database envi-
ronment. As database management systems became more and more sophisticated,
database vendors welcomed the emergence of the specially trained administrator.
They needed people with special knowledge and skills within their client organiza-
tions with whom they could communicate on a technical level.
Although in earlier database implementations, organizations realized the need
for the role for administration of the database system, specialists called DBAs did
not appear right away. Initially, the systems programmer and the technical support