We all know that databases supply the fuel for the productivity engine in the in
ID: 3627160 • Letter: W
Question
We all know that databases supply the fuel for the productivity engine in the information age, but at what cost. This week we will focus on what effort is required to maintain the data by DBA(s) or functions performed by DBA(s) in a database in your corporate (where you work now or have worked in the past) and personal databases (resources – dollars or people hours and other input (such as the cost of updating licenses for the DBMS); getting this quantitative information may be difficult, but I want you to provide at least an estimate if historical records are not available)? Provide this information for either one example of a personal database, or one example of a corporate database that you are familiar with. Even if you are not experienced with databases yourself, the idea is to go find out about the effort needed to maintain the database and upgrade the DBMS software periodically, and make sure you provide appropriate releasable citations for your references. This question in not concerned with the effort to initially build/develop and populate a database (we answered that question in the week 4 discussion), but instead the ongoing/long term effort to keep the data and DBMS functioning by DBAs. As always, for those of you in the military, if you use one of your database systems, make sure the information is releasable. And for those who will interview someone to get the information to answer this question, make sure you provide a personal reference for that person (see the course FAQs for examples [include name, position, organization, etc.).Explanation / Answer
We all know that databases supply the fuel for the productivity engine in the information age, but at what cost. This week we will focus on what effort is required to maintain the data by DBA(s) or functions performed by DBA(s) in a database in your corporate (where you work now or have worked in the past) and personal databases (resources – dollars or people hours and other input (such as the cost of updating licenses for the DBMS); getting this quantitative information may be difficult, but I want you to provide at least an estimate if historical records are not available)? Provide this information for either one example of a personal database, or one example of a corporate database that you are familiar with. Even if you are not experienced with databases yourself, the idea is to go find out about the effort needed to maintain the database and upgrade the DBMS software periodically, and make sure you provide appropriate releasable citations for your references. This question in not concerned with the effort to initially build/develop and populate a database (we answered that question in the week 4 discussion), but instead the ongoing/long term effort to keep the data and DBMS functioning by DBAs. As always, for those of you in the military, if you use one of your database systems, make sure the information is releasable. And for those who will interview someone to get the information to answer this question, make sure you provide a personal reference for that person (see the course FAQs for examples [include name, position, organization, etc.).
Name: D. (first initial; close relative who is uncomfortable sharing more information - feel free to make up a name if you so choose)
Position: Database engineer
Organization: Oracle
Database maintanence - positive: Designing a database is fascinating; it is the truest form of technological team work. Databases allow our company to track our data, our clients' data, and to create templates for the database software we design for our clients.
Database maintanence - negative: It's certainly a challenge to design databases that will not be breached by hackers. As LulzSec and AntiSec's recent database attacks demonstrate, even the simplest stay-at-home hacker can breach the secure software of sophisticated companies like Sony and Fox. As a database engineer for a software company, my position rests on the particularly sensitive platform of not getting hacked. This requires constant updates based on recent security breaches and is often much more of a hassle than it is a benefit. Fortunately, we have never been hacked.
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