Re: database systems: an environment of roles & players

From: mountain man <hobbit_at_southern_seaweed.com.op>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 12:48:46 GMT
Message-ID: <OQ78e.13250$5F3.6626@news-server.bigpond.net.au>

"mAsterdam" <mAsterdam_at_vrijdag.org> wrote in message news:4260d199$0$95207$e4fe514c_at_news.xs4all.nl...

> mountain man wrote:

>> "dawn" wrote
>>>mountain man wrote:
>>>
>>>>In the following tabulation we list a number of different
>>>>roles and players that would normally be associated with
>>>>the database systems environment at any organisation.
>>>
>>>Your list doesn't look like something "associated with the database
>>>systems environment at any organisation" but only with those
>>>organizations employing a relational model -- is that correct?
>>
>> No, it was supposed to be for any organisation over
>> a certain size, at which time they will all have invested
>> in some DBMS of some form. It need not be related
>> to the RM.

> [snip]


>>>>==================================

>>>>   DATABASE SYSTEMS ROLE-TYPES

>>>>==================================

>>>>

>>>>--------------- Internal to the organisation:

>>>>I01 - business owner(s)

>>>>I02 - business executives and managers

>>>>I03 - general organisation work-groups/end-users

>>>>I04 - DBA

>>>

>>>This role, as typically defined in an organization supporting

>>>SQL-DBMS's does not exist at companies not supporting SQL-DBMS's.

>>>

>>>I would add a "data modeling" role, however, which seems to be required
>>>independent of implementation tools.

>
> The 'Data administrator' specializes in meaning, consistency, language 
> used in datamodels. I have seen DA's in SQL and non SQL shops. I have also 
> seen sites who should need a DA but lacked the cooperative culture needed 
> to sustain the work.

Yes, one expects that this role has the greatest chance of exhibiting understanding of data modelling. However you never know - because often other parties (roles) itemised above also have these skills.

>>>>I05 - IT manager
>>>>I06 - internal programmers
>>>>I07 - specialised development teams
>>>>I08 - Operations & help desk personnel
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>--------------- External to the organisation:
>
> Why the Internal/External split?

Usually the contractual responsibilities are different between internal and external roles. Also, it enables a perspective to be placed on the self-independence of an organisation on IT resources, and/or in the complimentary sense, whether that organisation relies heavily on outsourced skills.

It can also be reflected in an expanded model of data associated with an organisation, in that the reference to data sources external to the organisation is often extremely important.

Data integrity is always in a theoretical sense from an internal perspective, however it is often far more correct in specific instances to define data integrity with respect to an external data source.

Therefore I believe it is important to distinguish between external and internal relationships in the theoretical sense.

>>>>E01 - contractors and consultants (in any roles defined above)
>>>>E02 - contract programmers (or software house(s))
>>>>E03 - consultants and suppliers (of selected RDBMS software)
>>>>E04 - consultants and suppliers (of other software & hardware)
>>>>E05 - business, management and financial consultants
>>>>E06 - consultants in the Relational Model of Data
>>>
>>>and, of course, there are consultants in other data models as well
>>
>> So E06 could be made more general, such as
>> E06 - consultants in the data model

>
> I don't think DA is a consultancy job.

Contract database administration positions are not at all rare here in Australia, probably due to a shortage of D(B)A skills.

Pete Brown
Falls Creek
Oz
www.mountainman.com.au Received on Sat Apr 16 2005 - 07:48:46 CDT