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Paper Abstract: Examines the role of the database administrator, why they are necessary in organizations and how a database administrator differs from a knowledge manager. The various jobs and functions of database management in large organizations. Paper Introduction: zDatabase Administrators Introduction Few companies today are able to exist without an informationtechnology department Whether a large multinational conglomerate or asmall retail establishment nearly all companies rely on computers to somedegree Some companies are highly dependent on computer systems whileothers use them only for accounting and related tasks Every organization even the smallest company has at least one person whose job entails makingsure that the computer system is up and running or at least knowing who tocall when the computer system goes Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The database designermay not understand the end use of the data-for example, a designer of afinancial database may not be able to understand an annual report, but canfashion a database to supply the necessary information to compile thatreport. Thus someusers may be able to read and write to the database, while other users mayhave permission only to read information. Conclusion Database administrators are necessary to organizations to ensure thatbusiness operations run smoothly. The database administratoris in the best position to work with knowledge managers to determine whensuch changes are necessary. database Jobs in OrgANizations There are several different jobs associated with managing databaseswithin an organization. At the same time, the databaseadministrator must be technical enough to be able to make modifications tothe database within the parameters established by the database designer.Database administrators also keep current with trends in database designand are often the first to suggest when new technologies appear that canbenefit the organization through improved efficiency and performance (Krol33). As the needs of the organizationchange, not to mention as the personnel within an organization changes,knowledge managers and supervisors communicate those changing needs to thedatabase administrator, who then determines the appropriate action to take. Databaseadministrators are key to the implementation success of informationtechnologies, and are likely to work closely with knowledge managers aswell as database designers. That responsibility is the role of the databaseadministrator (Bird 31). Using technical as well as functionalinformation, database administrators are the bridge between the end userand the database itself. Database administrators are responsible for ensuring that the databasecontinues to function efficiently and effectively, and, as such, providethe day-to-day maintenance that is critical to successful processing. The database administrator is responsible for overseeing theperformance of the database: ensuring data integrity, working with thesecurity system, adding new users, deleting obsolete users, making surethat the database is operating efficiently, and generally performing tasksrelated to these areas (Vitiello 73). Difference Between Database Administrators and Knowledge Managers As already noted, database administrators generally have moretechnical knowledge than knowledge managers, and knowledge managersgenerally possess more functional knowledge-perhaps in accounting orpurchasing-than database administrators. Database designers might be employed by thecompany itself, or they might be employed by third parties and responsiblefor developing databases for many types of organizations. When database administrators performtheir jobs well, most other employees will not give those jobs any thought. Theinformation technology group can therefore be quite large in complexorganizations where distributed processing is found, and may only be one ortwo people in smaller companies with fewer computers. "Why Databases Need Updating." Marketing (Jul 2 , 2 ): 31.Krol, Carol. Some companies are highly dependent on computer systems, whileothers use them only for accounting and related tasks. Asinformation has become more complex, the functions of databases have becomemore complex, as well. Knowledge managers have an in-depth familiarity with how the data in the database will be used within theorganization, while database administrators understand how the database isorganized and the way that data is stored and processed. At larger organizations, theinformation technology group-or management information system department,or data processing group-is responsible not only for ensuring that thecomputer is available, but also that the data on the computer is reliableand what the company needs in order to meet its obligations. While most databaseadministrators are capable of making rudimentary changes to the database,significant changes, or a shift in the underlying technology, require themore specialized skills of a database designer. Knowledge managers may focus on aspecific area, such as accounting, and work with database designers todevelop databases that meet the needs of the end users. "Database Integration Key to Marketing Strategy." B to B 88(May 5, 2 3): 33.Vitiello, Jill. Every organization,even the smallest company, has at least one person whose job entails makingsure that the computer system is up and running, or at least knowing who tocall when the computer system goes down. Database administrators may not havethe extensive business knowledge of knowledge managers, but they must beable to interact with end users in order to ensure that the databasecontinues to meet the needs of those users. Database administrators serve as the liaison between the databasedesigners, knowledge managers and end users. Whether a large multinational conglomerate or asmall retail establishment, nearly all companies rely on computers to somedegree. Works CitedBird, Julie. Knowledge managers interface with end users and databasedesigners in order to ensure that the databases meet the needs of the endusers (Bird 31). The database administrator is also responsible for determining whenthose changes require changes to the database itself, and when such changesrequire that a database designer be brought in. zDatabase Administrators Introduction Few companies today are able to exist without an informationtechnology department. Database administrators also have the responsibility of assigning newusers and determining what types of tasks users can perform. When database administrators are unable to fulfill their tasks, entirecompanies can lose significant competitive advantage. Largeorganizations require both of these positions since no one person canunderstand all of the functions and the intricacies of the numerousdatabases required to support the organization; smaller organizations maycombine these roles into a single position (Vitiello 73). This researchconsiders the role of the database administrator in organizations, andcompares the functions of the database administrator with that of theknowledge manager. Knowledge managers take a much higher level approach to businessproblems than database designers. Why Companies Need Database Administrators Companies need database administrators because the needs of databaseusers are constantly changing, as is the technology to meet those needs.Database designers can come into an organization, design a databasesuitable to that organization at that time, and then move on. Their job ends when the database is complete, andwhile they may be used in the future to perform some modifications to thedatabase, they rarely interact with the database on a day-to-day basis inmost organizations. Unlike databasedesigners, knowledge managers understand how the data will be used by endusers, and may well have extensive knowledge about the areas in which theyspecialize. Often, the database designersare brought into complete specific projects and then they move onto otherprojects at other organizations, or within different departments at asingle organization. Database designers determine which are the best types of databasesto solve particular problems, and work with database tools in order todevelop those databases (Vitiello 73). The databasedesigner typically has an engineering or computer science background, andworks with information supplied by knowledge managers and the end users inorder to develop databases that meet specific needs. Information in databases was once limited to textand numbers; today, information may include images or sound files.Databases were once restricted to a single computer or single network;today's databases may be distributed across multiple computers andnetworks, and may run on different types and brands of computers, as well.In global companies, users may access database from around the world, anddatabase administration becomes a 24/7 task (Krol 33). They are notrequired for day-to-day operations, and indeed, many databases areavailable off-the-shelf for use in smaller organizations. "Data Darlings." Computerworld (Aug 3 , 1999): 73. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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