DBA Consultant: the invisible superhero that keeps the business running
That's right, the DBA consultant is the invisible superhero who keeps the business running. Why? Read the post and you'll find out.
Information is often the backbone of a business or how would you react if all the data was gone one morning when you turn on your computer? Losing all or part of the data can have enormous consequences for many companies. With one or more competent DBA-consultants, the risk of more severe consequences is reduced.
In a business with a large database with lots of data, it almost goes without saying that more maintenance is needed than what a small database requires. A large database thus contributes to more work and this is where the DBA consultant has an important function to fill. In the daily work, it may not be the DBA's work that is the most visible.
What does a DBA consultant really do?
The DBA consultant is the one who designs and manages the database to optimize the large amount of information stored in the database.
These are some of the areas that the DBA Consultant works with:
Architecture and accessibility: The technology that a DBA uses depends on the customer's business requirements. Once the requirements are set and the technology is determined, it is time for the DBA to design a solution based on the Service Level Agreement (SLA).
Business requirements that may be included in the SLA are:
- Availability that can be achieved through several different technologies (e.g. Availability groups, Failover clustering and replication)
- System requirements can for example be to support a specific language
- RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and RTO (Recovery Time Objective)
Configuring new environments according to best practices for SQL Server or the application used is also a task within a DBA's area of responsibility, together with ensuring that the application is future-proof.
Security and Compliance: A DBA is responsible for ensuring that the company's databases are protected against data breaches and other vulnerabilities. This can include early detection of ransomware, for example. This helps protect the company's important data and prevent costly database breaches.
Areas that a DBA takes care of may include:- Security updates (patching)
- Ensuring the solution remains compatible and does not pass the end date for extended support
- Helping to ensure that the "principle of least privilege" is followed, which means ensuring that the right people have the right rights in the databases.
Performance: A DBA works to optimize performance and availability for the company's databases. This allows the company to quickly and reliably access data when needed. Need help with your performance? Contact us for more information >
Capacity Planning: A DBA helps plan and manage the company's databases so they can handle the growing amount of data.
Backup and Restoration: A DBA is responsible for backing up and restoring the company's databases so that important data is not lost in case of any problems.
The above are very important and critical areas for a company and also motivates why there is almost always a need for a DBA in most companies. If there is no DBA, it is important to make sure there is a partner to contact when problems arise.
An uncertain world
In an uncertain world where more and more companies are exposed to various breaches and cyber threats, it is even more important to ensure that the company's data is protected from external threats. A DBA can then be a solution to minimize the risks these threats pose. Everyone needs to be able to sleep well at night and feel safe that their data and your information is protected.
The role of the DBA in a cloud migration
Nowadays, as many companies move up to the cloud, it is not uncommon for some business owners to question whether they really need database administrators. Is the database administrator DBA necessary when we move up to the cloud? This is an important question to answer and there is actually only one answer to that question, of course the database administrator is needed even after a cloud migration.
Despite a cloud migration, companies will still need a DBA, there is still much that needs to be monitored, threats and breaches can still occur.
Do you want an invisible superhero that saves your organization from unpleasant incidents? Contact us and we can talk more about how we can save your organization and save the business from unwanted downtime regardless of what database platform you have today.
