Database Administrators
15-1242.00
Administer, test, and implement computer databases, applying knowledge of database management systems. Coordinate changes to computer databases. Identify, investigate, and resolve database performance issues, database capacity, and database scalability. May plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard computer databases.
Sample of reported job titles: Database Administration Manager, Database Administrator (DBA), Database Analyst, Database Coordinator, Database Engineer, Database Manager, Development and Database Administration Manager, IS Admin (Information Systems Administrator), Systems Administrator (Systems Admin)
Occupation-Specific Information
Tasks
- Modify existing databases and database management systems or direct programmers and analysts to make changes.
- Plan, coordinate, and implement security measures to safeguard information in computer files against accidental or unauthorized damage, modification or disclosure.
- Plan and install upgrades of database management system software to enhance database performance.
- Specify users and user access levels for each segment of database.
- Test changes to database applications or systems.
- Test programs or databases, correct errors, and make necessary modifications.
- Train users and answer questions.
- Provide technical support to junior staff or clients.
- Approve, schedule, plan, and supervise the installation and testing of new products and improvements to computer systems, such as the installation of new databases.
- Develop standards and guidelines for the use and acquisition of software and to protect vulnerable information.
- Write and code logical and physical database descriptions and specify identifiers of database to management system, or direct others in coding descriptions.
- Develop data models describing data elements and how they are used, following procedures and using pen, template, or computer software.
- Select and enter codes to monitor database performance and to create production databases.
- Identify, evaluate and recommend hardware or software technologies to achieve desired database performance.
- Review procedures in database management system manuals to make changes to database.
- Identify and evaluate industry trends in database systems to serve as a source of information and advice for upper management.
- Review workflow charts developed by programmer analyst to understand tasks computer will perform, such as updating records.
- Revise company definition of data as defined in data dictionary.
Technology Skills
- Access software - Access management software; Citrix cloud computing software
- Accounting software - Fund accounting software
- Administration software - Redgate SQL Server
- Analytical or scientific software - IBM SPSS Statistics π₯; Minitab; Safe Software FME; SAS π₯; StataCorp Stata; Test data generator software; The MathWorks MATLAB π₯
- Application server software - Docker π₯; GitHub π₯; Oracle WebLogic Server; Red Hat OpenShift π₯; Red Hat WildFly; Spring Boot π₯
- Backup or archival software - Acronis Recovery Expert; BMC Software Recovery Manager RMAN; Database cloning software; EMC NetWorker; HP DataProtector; IBM ADSTAR; Oracle Data Guard; Storage management software; Systems and data disaster recovery software; Veritas NetBackup
-
Business intelligence and data analysis software -
Apache Spark
; IBM Cognos Impromptu; Micosoft SQL Server Analysis Services SSAS; Microsoft Power BI ; MicroStrategy; Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition; Qlik Tech QlikView; Tableau
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software - Microsoft SharePoint π₯
- Cloud-based management software - Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation π₯; IBM WebSphere; Splunk Enterprise π₯
- Cloud-based protection or security software - SolarWinds
- Clustering software - Cluster server software; Oracle Real Application Cluster RAC; VMware
- Communications server software - IBM Domino
- Computer aided design CAD software - Autodesk Revit π₯; Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Computer based training software - Computer based training software
- Configuration management software - Chef π₯; Deployment software; Perforce Helix software; Puppet π₯; Red Hat Ansible Engine
- Content workflow software - Atlassian JIRA π₯
-
Customer relationship management CRM software -
Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Oracle Eloqua; Salesforce software
-
Data base management system software -
ADO.NET; Amazon Data Pipeline; Amazon DynamoDB π₯; Apache Cassandra π₯; Apache Hadoop ; Apache Pig; Apache Solr; Apache Sqoop; BMC Software Change Manager; CA IDMS; Catalog navigation software; Concurrency control software; Couchbase Server; Data definition language DDL; Data manipulation language DML; Data transformation services DTS software; Database design software; Elasticsearch π₯; Embarcadero Technologies DBArtisan; Greenplum Database; IBM Interactive System Productivity Facility ISPF; Index tuning software; Informatica Big Data; MapR Converged Data Platform; MariaDB; MongoDB π₯; NoSQL ; Oracle Enterprise Manager; Oracle Enterprise Manager Cloud Control; Oracle Golden Gate; Oracle PL/SQL π₯; Quest Central; Quest SharePlex; Relational database management software; Relational database management system software; SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise; SAP Replication Server; SentryOne SQL Sentry; Teradata Database π₯
- Data base reporting software - ASG Technologies ASG-Zeke; Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS π₯; Oracle Reports; Oracle SQL Loader; Oracle SQL Plus; ReCrystallize Crystal Reports; SAP Crystal Reports
-
Data base user interface and query software -
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 π₯; Amazon Redshift ; Amazon Web Services AWS software ; Apache Hive ; Blackboard software; Database software; FileMaker Pro; IBM DB2 π₯; Microsoft Access π₯; Microsoft SQL Server ; MySQL ; Oracle Database π₯; Oracle JDBC; Structured query language SQL ; Teradata Active Enterprise Data Warehouse
- Data mining software - Google Analytics π₯
- Desktop communications software - Skype
- Desktop publishing software - Microsoft Publisher
-
Development environment software -
Apache Ant; Apache Kafka ; Apache Maven π₯; C π₯; Common business oriented language COBOL; Eclipse IDE π₯; Go π₯; Integrated development environment IDE software; Microsoft .NET Framework π₯; Microsoft Azure software ; Microsoft PowerShell π₯; Microsoft Visual Basic π₯; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA π₯; Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript; Microsoft Visual Studio π₯; Oracle SQL Developer π₯; Prolog; Restructured extended executor REXX; Ruby π₯
- Electronic mail software - IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook π₯
-
Enterprise application integration software -
Atlassian Bamboo π₯; BMC Software Control-M; Extensible markup language XML π₯; IBM InfoSphere DataStage; Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS ; Oracle Fusion Middleware
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software - Ab Initio; Ellucian Banner ERP; Informatica Corporation PowerCenter; Microsoft Dynamics π₯; Microsoft Dynamics GP; NetSuite ERP; Oracle Fusion Applications; Oracle Hyperion; Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft π₯; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP Business Objects; SAP software π₯
- Enterprise system management software - IBM Power Systems software
- Expert system software - Ansible software π₯; Apache Mahout
-
File versioning software -
Apache Subversion SVN π₯; Git
- Financial analysis software - Delphi Technology; Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
- Geographic information system - ESRI ArcGIS software π₯; Geographic information system GIS software
- Graphical user interface development software - Salesforce Visualforce
- Human resources software - Human resource management software HRMS; Oracle Learning Management; Oracle Taleo
- Industrial control software - Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
- Information retrieval or search software - Data validation software; LexisNexis
- Manufacturing execution system MES software - CA Easytrieve Report Generator
- Medical software - Epic Systems π₯
-
Metadata management software -
Data dictionary software; Data mapping software; Data modeling software; IBM Rational Data Architect; Informatica software ; Pentaho Kettle; Quest Erwin Data Modeler
- Multi-media educational software - Nearpod
- Network conferencing software - LogMeIn GoToWebinar
- Network monitoring software - Nagios; Wireshark; Zabbix
- Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software - Virtual private networking VPN software
- Network security or virtual private network VPN management software - Database security software
-
Object or component oriented development software -
Advanced business application programming ABAP; Apache Groovy; C# π₯; C++ π₯; jQuery π₯; Jupyter Notebook; Microsoft ActiveX; Microsoft Visual Basic.NET; Microsoft Visual C# .NET; Oracle Java ; Perl π₯; Python ; R π₯; SAP PowerBuilder; Scala ; Swift π₯
-
Object oriented data base management software -
Hibernate ORM π₯; IBM Informix; Object database management system ODBMS; PostgreSQL ; Transact-SQL π₯
-
Office suite software -
Microsoft Office software
-
Operating system software -
Apple macOS π₯; Bash π₯; DOS shell script; Hewlett Packard HP-UX; Job control language JCL; KornShell; Linux ; Microsoft Windows π₯; Microsoft Windows Server π₯; Operating system software; Oracle Solaris; Red Hat Enterprise Linux; Shell script π₯; Ubuntu; UNIX ; UNIX Shell π₯
- Portal server software - Apache HTTP Server
- Presentation software - Microsoft PowerPoint π₯
- Procedure management software - Apache Airflow
- Process mapping and design software - Microsoft Visio π₯; Visual Paradigm DB Visual ARCHITECT
- Program testing software - Computer Associates Log Analyzer; Database testing software; Hewlett Packard LoadRunner; JUnit π₯; Selenium π₯
- Project management software - Atlassian Confluence π₯; Microsoft Project π₯; Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management π₯
- Requirements analysis and system architecture software - Database capacity planning software; Unified modeling language UML
- Sales and marketing software - Marketo Marketing Automation π₯
-
Spreadsheet software -
Microsoft Excel
- Storage networking software - Amazon Simple Storage Service S3 π₯; Storage area network SAN software
- Transaction security and virus protection software - Encryption software; McAfee; NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software
- Transaction server software - Customer information control system CICS
- Video conferencing software - Cisco Webex π₯; Google Meet; LogMeIn GoToMeeting
- Web page creation and editing software - Adobe Dreamweaver
- Web platform development software - AJAX π₯; Apache Struts; Apache Tomcat π₯; Backbone.js; Cascading style sheets CSS π₯; Django π₯; Drupal π₯; Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML; Enterprise JavaBeans; Ext JS; Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML; Google Angular π₯; Hypertext markup language HTML π₯; JavaScript π₯; JavaScript Object Notation JSON π₯; LAMP Stack; Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP π₯; Microsoft ASP.NET π₯; Microsoft ASP.NET Core MVC; Node.js π₯; Oracle Application Express APEX; Oracle Designer; Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP π₯; PHP π₯; Ruby on Rails π₯; Spring Framework π₯
- Word processing software - Microsoft Word π₯
Occupational Requirements
Work Activities
- Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
- Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
- Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
- Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
- Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
- Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment - Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
- Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment - Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
- Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Selling or Influencing Others - Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
- Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
- Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
- Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Staffing Organizational Units - Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
- Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Detailed Work Activities
- Create databases to store electronic data.
- Update computer database information.
- Develop computer or information security policies or procedures.
- Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
- Install computer software.
- Test computer system operations to ensure proper functioning.
- Assess database performance.
- Modify software programs to improve performance.
- Train others in computer interface or software use.
- Provide technical support for software maintenance or use.
- Develop detailed project plans.
- Coordinate software or hardware installation.
- Develop performance metrics or standards related to information technology.
- Develop database parameters or specifications.
- Write computer programming code.
- Develop models of information or communications systems.
- Evaluate utility of software or hardware technologies.
- Provide recommendations to others about computer hardware.
- Read documents to gather technical information.
- Analyze market or customer related data.
- Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.