EXCEL’s methodology in performing the duties of database administration vary and depend on the environment, corporate and Information Technology (IT) policies and the technical features and capabilities of the DBMS being administered. They nearly always include disaster recovery (backups and testing of backups), performance analysis and tuning, and some database design.
The services we provide include but are not limited to:
- Installation of new software - It is a primarily role of DBA services to install new versions of DBMS software, application software, and other software related to DBMS administration. EXCEL’s staff members are diligent to test this new software before it is moved into a production environment.
- Configuration of hardware and software with the system administrator - In many cases the system software can only be accessed by the system administrator. In this case, we must work closely with the system administrator to perform software installations, and to configure hardware and software so that it functions optimally with the DBMS.
- Security administration - Another significant task of DBA support services is to monitor and administer DBMS security. This involves adding and removing users, administering quotas, auditing, and checking for security problems.
- Data analysis - DBA support will frequently be required to analyze the data stored in the database and to make recommendations relating to performance and efficiency of that data storage. This might relate to the more effective use of indexes, enabling "Parallel Query" execution, or other DBMS specific features.
- Database design (preliminary) - DBA support is also often involved at the preliminary database-design stages. Through the involvement of DBA support, many problems that might occur can be eliminated. A DBA who knows the DBMS and system, can point out potential problems, and can help the development team with special performance considerations.
