DBA Roles and Responsibilities

1.  Installation and Configuration of SQL Server
2.  Up-gradation of SQL Server from lower version to higher version
3.  Migration of SQL Server Database from One Server to Another Server
4.  Applying patch and hot fix to SQL Server
5.  Monitoring SQL Server Health
6.  Monitoring Operating System Health
7.  Troubleshooting the MSSQL, Database and Operating System Performance issue
8.  Setting Up SQL Server Level, Database Level and Operating System Alerts
9.  Capacity planning for the hardware requirement
10.  Designing and Implementing Backup/Recovery Strategies
11.  Implementing HA Solutions (Replication, Mirroring, Clustering and Log Shipping)
12.  Managing Logins, Users and Security
13.  Establishing and Enforcing Standards
14.  Implementation of robust maintenance plan (Index Defrag, Stats Update, DBCC)
15.  T-SQL Tuning
16.  Creating and Scheduling Jobs through Maintenance plan
17.  Expert in troubleshooting the SQL Server and Database Issues
18.  Documentation of any implementation and change
19.  Expert level knowledge of SQL Server Architecture
20.  Co-ordination with third party vendor for any product related issue
21.  Knowledge of ITIL standards(Problem Management/Incident Management/Chain Management etc.)
22.  Knowledge of Operating System
23.  Knowledge of all the SQL versions and newer features.
24.  Closely work with Developer .
25. Work as part of a team and provide 24×7 supports when required.

Types of DBA

Administrative DBA – Work on maintaining the server and keeping it running. Concerned with backups, security, patches, replication, etc. Things that concern the actual server software.

Development DBA - works on building queries, stored procedures, etc. that meet business needs. This is the equivalent of the programmer. You primarily write T-SQL.

Architect – Design schemas. Build tables, FKs, PKs, etc. Work to build a structure that meets the business needs in general. The design is then used by developers and development DBAs to implement the actual application.

Data Warehouse DBA - Newer role, but responsible for merging data from multiple sources into a data warehouse. May have to design warehouse, but cleans, standardizes, and scrubs data before loading. In SQL Server, this DBA would use DTS heavily.

OLAP DBA – Builds Multi-Dimensional cubes for decision support or OLAP systems. The primary language in SQL Server is MDX, not SQL here

Application DBA- Application DBAs straddle the fence between the DBMS and the application software and are responsible for ensuring that the application is fully optimized for the database and vice versa. They usually manage all the application components that interact with the database and carry out activities such as application installation and patching, application upgrades, database cloning, building and running data cleanup routines, data load process management, etc.

Who are eligible to learn SQL Server DBA ?

Any of the following role members can become DBA who has some basic knowledge of SQL Server.

• SQL Server Developers
• System Administrators
• Software Engineers
• And also Freshers        

What is Database administrator(DBA) ?

A database administrator (DBA) is an IT professional responsible for the installation, configuration, upgrading, administration, monitoring, maintenance, and security of databases in an organization.
                                                       (OR)

A database administrator (DBA) is a person responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of the database. The main goal of the DBA is to keep the database server up at all times and make it available for the authenticated users. The DBA makes sure that the database is protected and in case of any failure data loss is minimal by implementing the high availability or by designing the robust backup/restore techniques.