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DBA survey results (from WAYYYYYYY back)

From: Dale Cooper <cooper_at_beno.CSS.GOV>
Date: 20 Jan 92 19:42:35 GMT
Message-ID: <50335_at_seismo.CSS.GOV> 







Fellow DBAs:



Many moons ago I posted a survey aimed at the many of you out there blessed
with the task of being your site DBA.  The original request for responses
was sent out sometime in October, and it is just now, thanks to some prodding
from Mr. Ernest Rubi, I am finally posting the results.  I can only blame the
delay in this compilation to my own doing.  I must say that I was a little
disappointed with the number of responses.  I only received 23, one of which
was my own.  In any regard, here are the survey results and the respective
percentages of affirmative answers.  Please keep in mind that many questions
had multiple possible answers so in some cases, the numbers add up to well over
100%.  These questions could have multiple answers, such as question 14.  The
percentage value in this case was the number of affirmative responses for EACH
skill divided by the total number of responses (23).



I think given a second chance, I would have worded some of the questions 
differently, such as age.  Instead of a range, I would have asked for the 
exact age.  Unfortunately, the way I asked some questions scream for more
clarity.  How can I get an average age from a set of ranges?  Oh, well,
better luck next time...



I trust that you will all take these numbers for what they are...a fun and
definitely unscientific survey based on curiousity.




    
  
  1.   Age
  
  2.   < 20				 1	 4.3
  
  3.   20-30			 5	21.7
  
  4.   30-40			13	56.6
  
  5.  
    
	d) > 40				 4	17.4

    

  
  6.   Sex
  
  7.   M				20	87.0
  
  8.   F				 3	13.0






I was expecting far more women!



  3) Education


    
  
  1.   HS				 1	 4.3
  
  2.   Some College			 2	 8.7
  
  3.   Tech School			 0	 0.0
  
  4.   BS,BA			 9	39.1
  
  5.   MS				10	43.5
  
  6.   PhD				 1	 4.3

  
  7.   Most Significant Degree
  
  8.   CS				 9	39.1
  
  9.   Business			 2	 8.7
  
  10.   Physical Science 		 2	 8.7
  
  11.   Social Science 		 2	 8.7
  
  12.   Math				 1	 4.3
  
  13.   other (please specify):	 5	21.7
							1 BIOMEDICAL

							1 CHEM ENG

							1 CIS

							1 ENGINEERING

							1 MIS

  
  14.   Type of business
  
  15.   Govt				 5	21.7
  
  16.   Research			 5	21.7
  
  17.   Commercial			 9	39.1
  
  18.   Private			 3	13.0
  
  19.   other (please specify):	 3	13.0
							2 EDUCATION

							1 UNIV. MEDICAL CENTER


  
  20.   Number of employees in your shop
  
  21.   < 10				 6	26.1 
  
  22.   11 - 20			 3	13.0
  
  23.   21 - 50			 2	 8.7
  
  24.  
    
	d) > 51				12	52.2

    

  
  25.   Years as DBA
  
  26.   < 1				 3	13.0
  
  27.   1 - 3			11	47.8
  
  28.   4 - 7			 7	30.4
  
  29.  
    
	d) > 8				 2	 8.7

    






This is interesting in itself.  It seems that most folks don't stay DBAs for
long periods of time.  Go figure  ;)



  8) Salary Range


    
  
  1.   < 20K			 1	 4.3
  
  2.   20 - 30K			 1	 4.3
  
  3.   30 - 40K			 6	26.1
  
  4.   40 - 50K			 6	26.1
  
  5.   50 - 60K			 2	 8.7
  
  6.  
    
	f) > 60K			 5	21.7

    






No real surprises here.  Actually this isn't a good question as it doesn't 
consider total length of career or previous experience doing other 
computer-related things...



  9) OS Environment


    
  
  1.   UNIX				18	78.3

  
  2.   DOS/OS2			 2	 8.7

  
  3.   VMS				 5	21.7

  
  4.   ULTRIX			 5	21.7

  
  5.   IBM OS			 3	13.0

  
  6.   other (please specify):	 3	13.0
							1 MACINTOSH

							1 MVS

							1 NOVELL





Considering the audience, no real surprise here.  (Correct me if I'm wrong but
I don't think NOVELL is an operating system but a networking package for PCs.)



    
  
  1.   RDBMS

  
  2.   INFORMIX			 3	13.0

  
  3.   ORACLE			 9	39.1

  
  4.   SYBASE			 4	17.4

  
  5.   CLIPPER			 0	 0.0

  
  6.   DB2				 1	 4.3
  
  7.   INGRES			 6	26.1

  
  8.   dBase III/IV			 0	 0.0
  
  9.   other (please specify):	10	43.5
							1 BTRIEVE

							1 BURROUGHS DMSII

							1 DbVISTA
							1 FOXPRO

							1 OS/2 DATA MANAGER

							1 PROGRESS

							2 PROPRIETARY

							5 UNIFY





Good diversity.  Kind of mimics the market share.  My apologies to the UNIFY
folks.  I had no idea it was so popular.



    
  
  1.   Size of DB
  
  2.   < 1 MB			 0	 0.0
  
  3.   1 - 20 MB			 6	26.1
  
  4.   20 - 50 MB			 0	 0.0
  
  5.   50 - 200 MB			 6	26.1
  
  6.  
    
	e) > 200 MB			11	47.8

    






I should have used different scales here.  GB would have been more informative.
Geez, I've got several tables > 200MB.



    
  
  1.   Type Application
  
  2.   Business			10	43.5
  
  3.   Scientific			 6	26.1
  
  4.   Geographic			 1	 4.3
  
  5.   Demographic			 0	 0.0
  
  6.   Research			 5	21.7
  
  7.   other (please specify):	 5	21.7
							1 EDUCATION

							1 ENGINEERING

							1 MEDICAL EQUIP. MGMT





By clumping SCIENTIFIC with RESEARCH, it nearly matches Business.



    
  
  1.   Number of Users
  
  2.   < 10				 4	17.4
  
  3.   10 - 20			 4	17.4
  
  4.   20 - 50			 5	21.7
  
  5.   50 - 100			 4	17.4
  
  6.  
    
	e) > 100			 6	26.1

    

  
  7.   Skills that you feel most important in your
     position as DBA (one, several or all)
  
  8.   Technical			21	91.3
  
  9.   Social/People		19	82.6
  
  10.   Business			12	52.2
  
  11.   Theoretical			12	52.2
  
  12.   Mechanical			 2	 8.7
  
  13.   other (please specify):	 7	30.4
							1 ANALYTICAL/LOGICAL

							1 COMMUNICATION

							1 EXPERIENCE

							1 INTERVIEWING

							  SYS ANALYSIS

							  PRODUCT SPECS

							1 MISC MGMT SKILLS

							1 PROGRAMMING/HARDWARE

							1 VISIONARY





This is one of the most interesting things to me.  The figures speak for 
themselves.  It explains a lot about our position...




I trust that any conclusions are purely objective... 



Forgive my tardiness.


Dale Cooper, DBA			D - DUMPED ON
Center for Seismic Studies		B - BY
Arlington, VA				A - ALL




cooper_at_seismo.css.gov
Received on Mon Jan 20 1992 - 20:42:35 CET












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