The accidental DBA [database administrator].
Today’s database administrators (DBAs) have responsibilities that go far
beyond their traditional role of data custodian, but are they up for the
challenge?
25% of DBAs [database administrators] surveyed were not formally training
for their DBA career. And this number is growing.
15% of DBA [database administrator] employment is projected to grow faster
than the average of all occupations from 2012 to 2022, according to the
U.S. Department of Labor.
#1 DBA [database administrator] ranked as the top career for happiness in
2014, according to CareerBliss.
Happy, but busy.
DBAs [database administrators] spend the bulk of their day on: 60%
addressing performance issues, 25% troubleshooting database issues, 8%
security, 5% install and configuration, and 2% backup and recovery.
Dividing time. They split their time working across multiple database
environments: 94% SQL Server, 34% Oracle, 18% DB2, 11.5% Sybase, 5.5%
Informix, and 25.5% other
Evolving roles. As data demands continue to skyrocket, many are given
responsibilities that fall outside their job function: (1) 60% do six or
more tasks daily outside their job description. (2) 24% as a result, DBAs
[database administrators] spend two or more hours a day researching
how-to’s for new and difficult tasks. (3) 15% do 20 or more tasks daily
outside their job description.
Seizing the opportunity. So how can DBAs [database administrators] be
better prepared for their evolving careers and add more value to the
business? (1) Do not be afraid to say no to directives that are not in the
best interest of the data. (2) Understand the business. (3) Be an advocate
of your department and organization. (4) Manage up and across. (5) Use data
to justify decisions. (6) Move from manual to automated. (7) Become a
generalist.
Data is more important than ever to business success. In fact, data is the
key asset to many modern businesses. It is time for DBAs [database
administrators] to step up and seize this new-found opportunity to grab a
seat at the table.
