The Many Dimensions of DBA Support for Businesses

More and more businesses are depending upon databases to perform vital tasks across a variety of applications such as sales and marketing, payroll, inventory control, etc. Due to the global nature of many organizations, the database needs to be live, round-the-clock and also offer fast and reliable access. Crucial to the operation of the database are database administrators. They perform a whole host of important functions pertaining to the design, implementation, and maintenance of the database.

What Do In-House DBA and Remote DBA Do?

The database administrator, in his individual capacity or as a part of an in-house or remote DBA team, is responsible for the successful operation and maintenance of the database. Given the dynamic nature of the environment, the task is far more complex than it appears. It is thus essential for the company management to allocate the job to competent and skilled personnel rather than succumbing to the temptation of containing costs by making system administrators responsible. It is all the more important to hire the best talent for your in-house team if your success depends upon the proper and timely analysis of big data.

Reasons Why You Should Consider Engaging a Remote Database Administration Agency

Since recruiting, compensating, training and motivating database administrators can be a really expensive affair given the critical nature of the work and the heavy demand for skilled DBAs, it can be a very practical solution to engage a competent remote DBA agency to supplement the efforts of the in-house team. The benefits of having a remote database administration agency are many; not only do you save on salaries but also on equipment, office space, utilities, as well as training. You also no longer have to worry about building in redundancies in your DBA team to cover for people going on leave or falling sick.

Another important advantage is that you do not have to engage in a constant process of hiring and training new people to replace those leaving for better prospects. Further, a remote DBA agency, being a specialist service provider, will have people on its payroll who are experts in various aspects of DBA support and also are up-to-date with the latest technology and practices. Having a remote DBA agency also frees your internal resources for projects that require an understanding of the company’s business, its marketing, and operating environments as well as its missions and goals.

Important Functions of DBAs

Database Management and Capacity Planning

The day-to-day management of the database is the single-largest responsibility of the DBA. He will also usually be responsible for conducting data analysis that will enable the management to take the best possible decisions. The DBA is fully responsible for ensuring that the database performs without any errors or downtime and that the necessary capacity planning in terms of hardware and software is done on time.

Data Back-Ups and Updating: The DBA is responsible for taking back-ups of the data regularly and that the backed-up data resides in off-site storage for best protection. He also needs to ensure compliance with database license terms as well as regularly update the database so that the latest functionalities can be taken advantage of.

Rollout: The DBA plays a critical role in the roll out of new databases.Determination of the most appropriate database, as well as identification of the new users, is the primary task of the database administrator. He will also be instrumental in defining the external linkages to the database for best accessibility and security. Working together with users, the DBA will plan out the database structure as well as the various reports that are needed to be generated. Most importantly, he will be responsible for testing out the database and migrating the existing data to the new database.

Network Monitoring: The monitoring of the network for errors is a critical function and is usually automated for best coverage. The DBA will also monitor the database for performance against specified benchmarks as well as respond to exception reports that indicate non-adherence to normal operating standards.

System Security: One of the major responsibilities of the database administrator is to ensure that the database is secure. In the case of any breaches, he should have a well-documented plan for responding to the situation.

Conclusion

Given the multi-faceted role of DBAs, organizations that rely a lot on their databases performing to their full potential, usually supplement the core in-house database administration team with a competent remote DBA agency. This enables them to bring to the table all the required expertise and the manpower to keep the database functioning like clockwork.