Daily DBA Responsibilities
There are many different types of DBA roles, each having its unique responsibilities. One DBA may focus on building systems. One may be responsible for maintaining and tuning systems, while another may focus on logical or physical design. There are also specialty DBA roles that only focus on specific issues and concerns.
This list provides an overview of eight types of DBAs and their typical daily responsibilities: securing data, restoring lost data, providing user access and permissions to new and current users, running tests, merging databases, and providing maintenance and tuning support.
System DBA
A system DBA maintains database management systems and ensures that all systems are working as they should. They will install software upgrades, write programs, and debug programs. They will also be well versed in managing applications that are compatible with the database. A System DBA is responsible for both the physical and technical aspects of a database.
Application DBA
An application DBA manages a specific application using specialized software that stores and organizes data. Their focus is on designing and developing databases as well as writing applications. An application DBA installs and maintains applications. They improve system performance by tuning specific applications within the database, and they handle issues concerning troubleshooting.
Database Architect
A database architect designs and develops databases to meet scalability, security, performance, and reliability needs. They decide which data is best to include in the tables and fields within the system and how best to organize and structure the data. While database architects play a significant role in the design phase, they are not usually involved in troubleshooting or backup and recovery. After the design phase, a database architect generally has limited access to the databases.
Database Analyst
Database analysts wear many hats and play a crucial role in the maintenance and performance of a database. They design and implement databases, review, evaluate and determine which data is useful in a database, and are responsible for data security. They maintain data storage, check for quality assurance, and resolve issues in a way that maintains data integrity.
Database analysts refine and develop databases based on user needs, run performance tests, and handle recovery and backup when necessary. They maintain database management systems as well as data visualization systems. Data analysts collect data and use it to gather statistical information, organize data and make more informed decisions.
Data Modeler
A data modeler is usually a member of a team of DBAs in a large organization. The team works together to design databases using data models based on concepts, logic, and the physical requirements of an organization. Data modelers take complex data and transform it into usable computer systems, reducing data redundancy, and making systems more efficient.
Data Warehouse DBA
A data warehouse DBA analyzes and maintains data and procedures from different sources, files, and programs within the data warehouse. They understand the architecture design, data models, and concepts of systems. They perform queries, handle large amounts of data from a variety of sources, and can gather valuable insights by tracking analytics and BI. The data in the data warehouse becomes extremely useful to data scientists and analysts.
The data warehouse DBA monitors the system performance, develops and implements backup and recovery strategies for the data warehouse, and has detailed knowledge of how data loads into the data warehouse. They also monitor storage capacity and plan for scalability as organizations grow. These DBAs often work with developers to optimize system processes for maximum performance.
Cloud DBA
Since cloud migration has become more popular, so has the role of a cloud DBA. There are many different cloud service providers. A cloud DBA will know how to implement databases in the cloud and understand backup and security services. Because cloud implementation can be quite costly, a cloud DBA should be skilled in cost management and various other factors. Not every organization has a cloud DBA, especially since many responsibilities are synonymous with a general-purpose DBA.
Task-oriented DBA
A task-oriented DBA generally works in a larger organization. This DBA focuses solely on one specialized task and is typically not responsible for any duties outside that area. For example, a DBA who only works on issues related to backup and recovery is considered a task-oriented DBA. It is worth noting again that this type of DBA is typically a part of a large organization and is rare.
