Network administrators can be employed in any size of business that uses a computer network. All types of businesses use these networks-from banks, to schools, to large corporations. Smaller companies, however, may rely on a local networking company rather than having their own full-time staff. In many larger companies, there may be network professionals whose time is dedicated solely to the functioning of the network. In small to mid-sized companies, network administrators often manage not only the network but may also find themselves doing PC repair, upgrading, and training.
Personality Checkpoint: For those looking for more responsibility in their lives, look no further. Database administration can provide you with just that. Companies, whether large or small, are dependent on the information held in their databases to the point that without it, companies cannot function. Database administrators are responsible for this information, and an awesome responsibility it is.
In many instances, the information stored in databases is intended for "future" reference; the client does not really know how best to use the information. The role of a database administrator is that of a facilitator. The data is in there, and it has to be retrieved and used for a productive purpose. As well as designing the structure of the database, the administrator is responsible for its maintenance as well.
Personality Checkpoint: Database administrators need to maintain communication with other IT professionals to ensure proper functioning of the database. Therefore, good communication skills are essential. This communication may be between the system administrators of the systems that the databases run on, and other developers whose systems interface with the database.
Database design is very similar to programming in that developmental languages are used to develop the database. Unlike programming languages that are used in a multitude of situations, however, database development languages are reasonably focused in their purpose. Most modern database languages are based around the Structured Query Language (SQL), which means that some of the knowledge gained working with a particular database system can be transposed to others.
Many of the most modern technologies, including e-commerce, rely and are dependent on high powered and high performing database systems.These systems need to be designed, created, and optimized to provide users and companies with the ability of performing literally tens of thousands of transactions per second. This high level of integration with the Internet and Web sites means that the line between database designers and Web site designers has become unclear.
Where it gets different is in the actual administration of the database. In this role, the database administrator, often referred to as the DBA, performs routine tasks such as the creation and execution of reports, the maintenance of user accounts (which are sometimes separate from those that the users use to log on to the main systems), and the management of backups.
Personality Checkpoint: If there is no development to be done, and the system is running smoothly, then the database administrator's life can seem a little dull, with only standard maintenance tasks and preventative checks to fill the day. Having the ability to make good use of down time, therefore, is advantageous.
Another thing that can add a level of interest to the database administrator's role is that of needing to understand a reasonable amount about the operating system on which the database runs, mainly for the purposes of optimization and management.
Stress Factors
Because companies now rely so heavily on their database systems, when an error occurs, the pressure is truly on. Consider an e-commerce outfit that cannot process any orders because its database is down, or a sales force that cannot make any sales calls because the customer database is unavailable. In normal times, the database administrator's life is reasonably calm, with what could even be described as a monotonous range of daily administration tasks. However, excitement, if you can call it that, is only moments away.
Personality Checkpoint: When the database goes down, the database administrator becomes both the hero and the villain. Companies and individuals stand to lose valuable revenue if the database is unavailable. For this reason, quick thinking and careful actions are required.
