A database administrator commonly known as DBAs in the IT field, are professionals concerned with maintaining data integrity in an organization. If you are an It enthusiast and wish to plunge into database administration or are looking to start off your career journey, it is important to understand the typical responsibilities of a virtual DBA.
General Responsibilities of a Database Administrator
With the growing expansion of information needs and the security challenges around data, organizations are now focused more on strengthening their databases and systems in order to secure and manage their critical information. The role of a DBA is to ensure all this is done daily. A DBA is the expert who controls an organization’s database environment. Having said that, here are some of the common roles that you expect to perform as a DBA:
• Ensuring that all hardware requirements needed by the systems administrator.
• Configuring the database software program prior to its deployment.
• Installing and updating new patches within program
• Transfer of old data to new systems upon deployment.
• Development and deployment of backups and recovery plans
• Performing and implementing recovery plans
• Restoring the system to its operational status in the event of a downtime or shutdown.
• Communicating the risks and tradeoffs of the planned backups
• Designing and implementing security models to ensure data security
• Monitoring space and ensuring capacity optimization
• Closely monitoring the performance of the server and its related hardware
• Troubleshooting server-related issues and resolving the issues fast enough
Where You Can Expect to Work as a DBA
Database administrators are expected to work in a range of IT environments. If you are still interested in pursuing your career as a DBA, you can search for the available openings in both private and public organizations. You can be employed directly by a large company or you can be retained by third-party database administration companies charged with securing and managing servers. If you are an organization looking to increase your capacity in terms of database, you are certainly looking to lower your cost of database administration while at the same time guaranteeing data security and integrity. To achieve these critical goals, it would make sense to outsource database administration services instead of retaining an in-house team of DBAs.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for Virtual DBA professionals is increasing and its projected to grow by at least 15 percent by 2022. DBA is becoming an increasingly popular option for IT graduates looking to land into lucrative jobs with a mouthwatering salary offer.