Introduction
Technology has transformed operational strategies in all sectors. Strategists identify technology as the pivotal element for building strong businesses and successful companies. Particularly, IT related technologies are revitalizing activities and procedures in the modern world. This trend has prompted the emergence of various careers in the field of Information Technology. An Information technology graduate can pursue a career in various professionals within the field. With various opportunities for the IT graduates, a career related with IT is essentially relevant in the modern world. The paper presents an individual report a database administrator career. A database administrator is a person handles data storage systems and devices. Therefore, database administration is the process of designing and implementing data handling systems. Initially, the paper will highlight the duties of a database administrator. It will also highlight the significance of database administration in information handling. Lastly, the paper will show how unique database administration is compared to other professions in the field of Information technology.
Database administration as a profession offers one the opportunity to design systems for managing important data. Database systems are relevantly important in the modern world where people and organizations have migrated from paper storage systems (Ritchie 6; paragraph 3). Database administration as a profession also gives one the opportunity to enhance his or her design skill. The profession also offers one job security because the position of Database administrator cannot be automated. The career in database administration was selected because of my previous knowledge about the job and my expertise in database-scripting languages including MySQL and Jqeury, which are essential for designing databases.
The Duties and Responsibilities of a Database Administrator
A database administrator may decide to practice as a consultant or work for an organization. There are defined roles that a database administrator performs in either of the careers. A database administrator helps in designing a database. This is the first role of a database administrator (IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server for Product Information 2: paragraph 2). This involves writing pieces code to design a system, which stores data. To perform this role, the database administrator requires prior scripting language knowledge. The administrator also should have knowledge of the nature of the data, which the database will store. This helps in designing a unique database system.
A database manager also writes documentation for the systems they design. The documentation indicates the functionality of the system and guidelines for the users. It helps users of the system to understand how the system was designed and how to enter data into the system. The roles of a database administrator extend to offering support for the database. Support is offered through debugging the various database problems that may occur (IBM InfoSphere Master Data Management Server for Product Information: paragraph 2). The database administrator who designs a system is responsible for solving all problems that the database may have.
A database administrator selects the programs and applications, which can run on the database system they create. A database administrator knows the applications, which can run on the database due to previous knowledge with the system. They also control the rights to view the database. Data base administrators set passwords for databases and install restrictions for users not to tamper with data in the system. The administrator decides the users who can access specific information on the database (DBA RR 2; paragraph 3). The database administrator works with other IT departments to ensure that all new systems designed are compatible with the current database management system. It is necessary for an administrator to work with other IT heads to ensure that no changes made to other systems affect the database system.
A database administrator also designs data recovery systems. Data recovery systems ensure that data is recovered when the system is not working properly. Data recovery also ensures the safety of data, which is stored on a database system. Finally, a database administrator ensures that the servers where data is stored are in good condition. All the data stored in a database is stored in hardware known as servers. The servers need to be in proper working condition otherwise the database system may crash. If a database, system crashes all the data stored in it gets lost.
Relevance of Database Administration in Information Management
Database administration is considered an Information technology job because it involves handling of data using computers. Information technology provides new ways of recording data and information. A database stores data in computers, which are systems that support information technology (Hong and Marron 7; paragraph 3). The ability to store data on non-visible systems proves that database administration is a job in the Information Technology field. Database administrators learn information technology as a prerequisite course to performing database administration jobs. Information technology is all about handling data and information, database administration provides a solution to handling data safely.
Database administration is relevant in the field of information technology because it assists people to handle data and information. It is relevant in the field of Information technology because it provides a safe system for storing data. The information, which people view on the internet on a daily basis or on remote servers, is stored on databases (Hong and Marron 7; paragraph 3). To view information on the internet and other sources using computers is achievable only if a database administration system has been implemented. The database administration system enables a user to store data for other users to view it from different locations. Therefore, database administration is relevant in the field of Information Technology because it facilitates storage of information.
How Unique Database Administration is, compared to other Professions in the Field of Information Technology
Database administration is unique in the field of information technology because it provides support for other IT jobs. For example, computer networks share enable computers to share resources. The data and information resources for the different computers are stored in a database (Mullins 4; paragraph 4). Therefore, other information technology jobs need database administration to help them achieve their purpose. Database administration is the only information technology job that deals with handling of data and recovery techniques. Other information technology fields deal with processing data and creation of software.
In the next 10 years, database administration will be an advanced field. Database administrators who have received database design skills in this era may be irrelevant. For database administrators to remain relevant 10 years from today, they need to learn new scripting languages (Mullins 4; paragraph 4). New scripting languages and design tools are being developed to make the process of database design easier. Database administration is a dynamic field and current administrators should adapt to the current trends.
Database administration cannot be automated because the roles are technical (Naiburg and Robert 8; paragraph 1). It is impossible to automate the process of designing a database. To design a database system, administrators need to write down code. Designing a database system is a procedural activity. It is only possible to automate jobs, which require a single activity. It is not possible to automate jobs, which are performed in stages.
Works Cited
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Hong, Belkis, and B. A. Marron. Database administration: concepts, tools, experiences, and problems. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards :, 2008. Print.
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Mullins, Craig. Database administration: the complete guide to practices and procedures. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2002. Print.
Naiburg, Eric J., and Robert A. Maksimchuck. UML for database design. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 2001. Print.
Ritchie, Colin. Database principles and design. 3rd ed. London: Cengage Learning, 2008. Print.
