OVERVIEW OF ADMINISTRATION FUNCTIONS - Database Design and Development: An Essential Guide for IT Professionals - page 434

need arises to add more columns. Growth and change are basic realities in a data-
base environment. The administration functions need to manage growth and change
in the database environment. Both the DA and the DBA share responsibilities in
managing growth and change.

DA Review changes to business conditions and plan for growth.

DA Institute change management procedures for routine enhancements

to existing tables and indexes.

DBA Make changes to existing tables according to change management

procedures.

DA/DBA Develop procedures to archive old data and set up the archival

system.

DBA Use data compression techniques to conserve disk storage space and

data communication costs in a distributed database environment.

DBA Benchmark and recommend infrastructure upgrades.

DBA Examine and recommend newer technologies such as parallel pro-

cessing or RAID for data storage.

DBA Coordinate with technical support group to evaluate processor

capacity at regular intervals.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

• With the transition to more sophisticated database systems beginning in the
1970s, new roles for administration emerged.
• In a database environment, administration has become essential to have cen-
tralized coordination, protect the vital asset of data, adopt enterprise-wide
uniform standards, understand and make use of sophisticated DBMSs, and
make quality data available whenever, wherever, and however necessary.
• Administration in a database environment tends to be both managerial and
technical—data administration is more managerial and database administra-
tion is more technical.
• The data administrator, as custodian of corporate data, is involved in planning,
setting standards, coordinating and communicating with users, and establishing
policies and procedures.
• The database administrator, as technical expert, implements and deploys the
database system by providing data integrity, data security, and continued
maintenance.
• Skills, training, and experience of the data administrator: ability to perceive the
big picture, knowledge in methods for planning and coordination, capacity to
communicate effectively, a user orientation rather than a technical one, and
prior experience in managing application projects in a database environment.
• Skills, training, and experience of the database administrator: expertise in phys-
ical database design, deep knowledge of the selected DBMS, qualities of a team
player, acute problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills, flexibility in being
available, and prior experience or training as a database administrator.