February 26, 2008
In his new DB2 DBA column in Issue 1 of IBM Database Magazine, Robert Catterall asks whether the title “database administrator” really describes the work that DBAs do. And, does it reflect the work that’s truly valuable to a business? Here’s how he sums up the question:
Applications … are hugely important to an organization's success, and applications don't happen without data. What does that mean for a DBA? It means that you might be of greatest value to your company when you're working in application-enablement mode. Yes, I know the tasks that might be considered "traditional" for a DBA (backing up and reorganizing database objects, monitoring performance, tuning SQL, implementing a physical database design) have merit. But these DBA activities are becoming relatively less important over time, while those activities that help turn application ideas into functional reality are becoming more important.
What do you think? Is the DBA title inaccurate? A hindrance to organizational respect, or an accurate and understandable description of the job? And, if not DBA, what should this job be called? Share your ideas in the comments section and/or participate in this month's poll.
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