Re: System DBA and Application DBA

In general, DBA responsibility is so
diversified that it's difficult to distinguish between an application DBA and a system DBA.

However, I can give some f examples
which may ( or may not ) explain
the difference to some extent.

A system DBA is in general responsible for backend database processes for
all corporate database applications.
Backend responsibilty will primarily
involve unix files systems, physical
datafiles placements, database creation, backup, restore, handling alert logs and traces for
interacting with Oracle support to solve problems like database crashing etc -- I can go on and on.

An application DBA, such as a peoplesoft DBA or an Oracle Financials DBA would
help setting up and designing
business units, database structure for
financial application, will specify and may be will design the data and information flow.
An application DBA may typically design
and specify how data will flow
from operational data source to a
datawarehouse via some tool like
Informatica, however, a system DBA
will typically ensure all tablespaces,
storage etc. have been correctly and
efficiently implemented so the
data transfer happens in the most
efficient way and debug and fix
if the loading process has failed because of any database problems.
Again, this difference may not be applicable in some companies where the same
DBA may be performing these two tasks.

An application DBA is something in between a data analyst and a system DBA. A data analyst understands the data and
its semantics very well along with logical models. An application DBA definitely
understands logical models very well and also understands how the business
process will be mapped to the database
interms of structure and data flow and
data loading and data access via applications and interfaces.

An application DBA will probably
specify that a generic userid
needs to be created to create
a link between two databases for transparent data transfer or use. A systems DBA will probably be responsible for
handling all the details of tnsnames.ora or listener.ora and setting up
userids with correct privileges and decipher any connectivity problem.

There may be differences in opinions
regarding what I have mentioned and
probably there is a reason for
each such difference on a case by case
basis. However, I have explained what
I have understood from my experience.
I personally can support databases for
peoplesoft, Oracle financials , datawarehosue databases. I can solve problems related to concurrent manager
process in Oracle financials or process
scheduler in peoplesoft. However, I
don't claim any expertise in peoplesoft
and Oracle financial internals. I have
worked with people who are experts in
Oracle financials and peoplesoft and understands Oracle very well, however, they don'r go or don't want to go into
too much physical and hands on
details of Oracle databases like database creation to backup and restore.Of course, I consider myself primarily a systems DBA. atleast that's what I want to do although in reality I have to go into a lot of
details of applications. I guess any DBA has to do that.

Regards
Willy Received on Thu Feb 08 2001 - 22:30:38 CST