Nuno Souto <nsouto_at_optushome.com.au.nospam> wrote in message news:<3ceb5fa7$0$15143$afc38c87_at_news.optusnet.com.au>...
> In article <f369a0eb.0205210821.3aadfdd2_at_posting.google.com>, you said
> (and I quote):
> >
> > I remember using this phrase "functional dependency" many times in my first
> > interview for DBA jobs when I was asked a question on normalizatoin, and my
> > answer didn't work very well!
> > >
>
> many times you'll find the people dishing out the question don't even
> understand the issues...
> I've gone through one of these a while ago. I won't show here the
> "question" that was sent to me as being "design" and "FD". Couldn't be
> further or more basic. Didn't have the slightest problem in answering
> it, in fact even provided a few alternatives. Only to be told that I was
> "over-qualified". The usual: if you can't follow, then hide it.
>
> >
> > DBAs design databases from their past experience and common sense, instead of
> > FD rules. As a result, most of the real world data models look more or less
> > like 3NFs. I have not seen a single Boyce Codd NF or beyond.
>
> DBAs should most definitely NOT design databases. That has been a common
> and global problem of RDBMSs since they started. Database Design is a
> SEPARATE discipline from administration of databases. Unfortunately,
> there are still too many people in responsible positions in this industry
> who don't even have a CLUE as to what the difference is.
I certainly don't know much about the scope of DBA responsiblities in other
parts of the world. But in the area where I live and work, people started
using terms such as Logical and Physical DBA. There are DBAs whose spend more
than 50% of their time attending requirement meetings and creating ERDs.
Received on Wed May 22 2002 - 11:08:30 CDT
