WHAT DOES A SENIOR DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR DO?

Published: Oct 28, 2024 - The Senior Database Administrator ensures high-performance, high-availability database management across multiple data centers. Implements and maintains cloud computing database resources, enhances performance, and ensures optimal uptime for production environments. Coordinates with various stakeholders and teams, developing and enforcing database policies and architecture while managing database design, operations, and troubleshooting activities.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Senior Database Administrator

1. Senior Database Administrator Duties

  • Database Management: Implement architecture, configuration, replication, backup, and management of high-performance, high-availability database instances in multiple data centers.
  • Performance Monitoring: Monitor and improve database performance and availability.
  • Cloud Database Management: Implement and maintain the company's cloud computing database resources.
  • DBA Team Collaboration: Participate in the DBA team's operational and strategic planning.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Work with stakeholders to define business and system requirements.
  • Policy Development: Develop and implement database policies and procedures, including those for architecture, security, disaster recovery, standards, reporting, and service provision.
  • Database Uptime Management: Responsible for all aspects involved with maintaining a high level of uptime for production databases.
  • Communication: Establish and maintain regular written and in-person communications with the organization, department heads, and end users regarding pertinent IT Operations activities.
  • Task Management: Effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment and capable of working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
  • Database Integrity: Architect, improve, and maintain the integrity of database servers and systems.
  • Design Consultation: Work with various teams and provide input over areas related to database design, operation, and troubleshooting.
  • Database Installation: Manage the installation, configuration, and maintenance of databases.
  • Third-Party Support: Support databases for third-party vendor products as well as internally developed applications.
  • Disaster Recovery Design: Help design, build, and maintain disaster recovery solutions to meet database uptime commitments.

2. Senior Database Administrator Details

  • Database Infrastructure Management: Assist with, support, and maintain on-prem and AWS RDS Oracle DB infrastructure activities.
  • Cluster Administration: Administer Oracle RAC clusters in vSphere.
  • Database Administration: Administer Oracle ASM and Oracle RDS in AWS.
  • Performance Optimization: Oracle Performance analysis and optimization tools.
  • SQL Development: Design, build, and support SQL queries and statements.
  • Scripting: Write and assist with scripting in bash, etc.
  • Migration Support: Assist with on-prem migration activities to AWS, Oracle-to-Oracle workflows.
  • Data Copy Tools Development: Assist with the design and build of data copy tools related to migration work.
  • Change Data Adoption: Assist and support the adoption of change data capture activities.
  • DevOps Support: Support the DevOps organization with automation requirements related to Terraform, Chef, and platform building.
  • SQL Optimization: Optimization and performance tuning of SQL queries and PL/SQL code.
  • SQL Tuning Support: Support application development teams with SQL tuning and data modeling design and optimization.
  • Database Transition Support: Assist in the long-term adoption of PostgreSQL from Oracle RDS post migration.

3. Senior Database Administrator Responsibilities

  • Database Design: Design and build relational databases.
  • Data Access Design: Performs data access analysis design, and archive/recovery design and implementation.
  • Strategy Development: Development of strategies for data acquisitions, archive recovery, and implementation of a database.
  • System Integration: Development of data warehousing blueprints, evaluating hardware and software platforms, and integrating systems.
  • Data Management: Reviewing and development of object and data models and the metadata repository to structure the data for better management and quicker access.
  • Process Automation: Refine and automate regular processes, track issues, and document changes.
  • Deployment Support: Provide deployment support for database objects in production and test environments.
  • Application Integration: Integrate Oracle EBS application with boundary applications like Informatica, EDI, Concur, Salesforce, etc.
  • Resource Optimization: Optimizes system/database operations and resource utilization and performs system capacity analysis and planning.
  • Process Management: Independently manage processes, automation, best practices, and documentation.
  • SQL Installation: Installation and configuration of SQL Server in standalone and high availability environments.

4. Senior Database Administrator Accountabilities

  • Patching Program Implementation: Implementing a patching program for SQL on Windows Servers.
  • Database Services Management: Managing SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS).
  • Database Maintenance: Performing daily database tasks including backup and restore using SQL Server native tools and third-party software.
  • T-SQL Development: Writing T-SQL, including complex stored procedures, functions, views, and triggers.
  • Performance Tuning: Utilizing tuning methodology, including enterprise manager, query plans, performance views, trace files, and other SQL Server tools.
  • Configuration Management: Understanding configuration management concepts, release management, change management concepts, industry standards, and best practices.
  • Security Management: Managing security concepts and vulnerability related to SQL Server.
  • IT Process Execution: Understanding and executing IT processes of Incident Management, Problem Management, Change Management, and Configuration Management.
  • Technical Requirements Translation: Translating business requirements into technical requirements and designs.
  • Production Support: Supporting the Production IT team when application-related issues arise.
  • Technology Exploration: Exploring new technology trends and applying them to simplify and modernize the data ecosystem.

5. Senior Database Administrator Functions

  • AWS RDS Management: Design, build, test, and maintain AWS RDS infrastructure.
  • Infrastructure Monitoring: Create, maintain, and participate in active monitoring of said infrastructure.
  • Database Collaboration: Collaborate with engineering teams to streamline database implementations.
  • Issue Triage: Triage production issues in collaboration with engineering teams.
  • Technical Participation: Participate in on-call rotations, project planning, code review, and technical design.
  • SQL Optimization: Review and isolate SQL bottlenecks.
  • Database Best Practices: Drive best practices around database management (schema changes, microservices development, security patching & revision maintenance).
  • System Automation: Deliver system automation by setting up continuous integration/continuous delivery pipelines.
  • Database CI/CD: Database development continuous integration/deployment practices.
  • Process Management: Incident Management, Change Management Process and Procedures.
  • Development Guidance: Guiding teams to improve development agility and productivity.
  • Risk Mitigation: Resolving technical roadblocks to the team and mitigating potential risks.

6. Senior Database Administrator Job Description

  • SQL Security Management: Creation of SQL logins and users, access provision as per the requirement.
  • Database Mirroring Configuration: Configuration of database mirroring and troubleshooting mirroring issues.
  • Availability Groups Management: Configuration of Always On Availability Groups and troubleshooting AG issues.
  • Log Shipping Configuration: Configuration of log shipping and troubleshooting log shipping issues.
  • AG Listeners Management: Creation of AG listeners, adding databases to Always On, and performing failovers.
  • Transaction Replication Configuration: Configuration of transaction replication and troubleshooting replication issues, with knowledge of other replication topologies.
  • SQL Clustering Installation: Installation and configuration of SQL server clustering, performing failovers, and troubleshooting SQL cluster issues.
  • SQL Performance Optimization: SQL performance tuning and query optimization, with knowledge of backup tools like TDP and Symantec NetBackup.
  • SQL Patching: SQL patching, including applying service packs, security patches, and hotfixes.
  • DevOps Evangelism: Design and evangelize DevOps processes for continuous improvements.
  • Innovation Leadership: Driving innovation and influencing the team to implement forward-thinking solutions.
  • Technology Solutions Collaboration: Collaborating with internal and external teams to deliver technology solutions for business needs.