Despite all of the industry talk about "zero administration systems," DBAs are as necessary today as they have ever been, and likely more so. The basic function of an Oracle DBA is to safeguard the integrity and availability of the data in the database. However, defining the precise role of a DBA can be difficult in today's world. In the past, the DBA would be responsible for every aspect of the database, often including the operation of the hardware and operating system. In such a role, the morning of the DBA's day might be spent writing SQL statements to create new tables within the database, while the afternoon would find him or her troubleshooting issues with the disks in a storage unit. Relatively speaking, the systems of the past were less complicated and less demanding in terms of time and resources, allowing (or perhaps burdening) the DBA to be involved in all operations even tangentially related to the database. At times, the DBA was also the system administrator, the network administrator, or the programmer. While these types of DBA positions still exist, today, because of the demands of modern IT, the role of the DBA is often highly specialized. Rather than a single DBA, IT organizations today often have teams that are responsible for database administration. The responsibilities of these teams are sometimes divided based on the lines of business. For instance, one part of the DBA team might be responsible for all databases that support the finance department of a company, while another group would administer any databases related to the HR department. Each member of the team is a DBA, but different parts of the team focus on certain lines of business to provide better support.
Because of the complex nature of technology, it is not uncommon to differentiate DBAs based on their skillsets or functional roles. In the spectrum of technologists, the role of the DBA stands between system administrators on one side and developers on the other. Because of the vast difference between those two roles, it can be difficult to find DBAs who have all of the skillsets required to span that gap. In some IT organizations, DBAs are roughly divided into Physical DBAs and Logical DBAs. A Physical DBA (sometimes called an Environmental DBA) has a role that generally tracks closer to the hardware and system side of database operations, while the Logical DBA (sometimes referred to as an Application DBA) tends to work more with developers in the creation and support of the database objects required for the application to function. This delineation can be somewhat subjective, but we list a general division of responsibilities as follows:
Oracle database installation and configuration
Backup and recovery
Database tuning, as it relates to the overall system performance
Administration of the overall database physical architecture, such as server configuration, memory usage, and disk layout
Configuration of database parameters
Works more closely with system administrators
The role of the Logical DBA is as follows:
Creation and maintenance of database objects, such as tables and indexes
Closely involved in software deployments
Database tuning as it relates to the performance of SQL statements
Responsible for internal database security
Data modeling and supervision of the application data model
Works more closely with developers
Naturally, the role of any individual DBA may overlap these categories, but these are some of the divisions that have developed over time in many IT organizations.
Note
The real-world DBA
In today's IT world, it is very easy for a DBA to allow oneself to become "stuck" in a certain job role. It is always safer to stick with what you already know than to branch out into new areas. However, having a skillset that spans both categories of a DBA can be very satisfying and rewarding, since such DBAs are highly sought after. Always press yourself to learn and expand your knowledge.
What makes a good DBA? What types of characteristics are needed for the job? Being an Oracle DBA is one of the most demanding and rewarding jobs in all technologies. A DBA is afforded the opportunity to work with many diverse types of technologies, but that opportunity can require an extremely broad knowledge base. It's been said that, in IT, "everyone wants to be a DBA." However, not everyone is capable of being one. Here are a few of the traits commonly found in successful DBAs:
A logical thinker with exceptional problem solving skills: The core of database administration is the ability to solve problems, both big and small. A good DBA operates based on factual information and observation and is highly detail-oriented.
Self-confident in the face of challenges: A DBA meets challenges on a daily basis. A good one is confident in his or her knowledge, accepts his or her limitations, and moves to solve the problem, rather than folding under pressure.
Professionalism: Good DBAs are professional in every aspect of their work, from their dealings with users, to their daily interaction with other IT specialists. They value the quality of their work and their reputation as capable and trustworthy.
Effective communicator: You can't be a DBA by simply sitting in your cube with the phone off the hook. DBAs must be able to explain and communicate complex ideas, both verbally and in writing, to users, customers, and the management in a way that they can understand.
Lifelong learner: Technology is complex and is always moving forward at a rapid pace. Good DBAs are always looking forward and educating themselves for what's to come.