CHALLENGES IN DATABASE ADMINISTRATION   Term Paper ID:36224 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Considers major issues facing database administrators today including privacy networking security data storage staff ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: Considers major issues facing database administrators today, including privacy, networking, security, data storage, staff training and staff retention. Technical description of these issues including firewalls protection, data warehousing, need for effective database administration, bounded and unbounded media. Paper Introduction: Challenges in Database Administration Today Introduction It is difficult to imagine how most companies could operate withoutdatabases in today\'s business environment Indeed most organizations whether private or public profit or non-profit depend on databases to runtheir operations For many organizations databases form the basis oftheir electronic commerce Web sites These sites make it possible forcompanies to interact with one another and with customers around the corneror around the world Other companies may have less interaction withoutside entities but still rely on databases 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. Computer Weekly, p. Because of these limitations, packet filters areoften used in conjunction with one of the other technologies. VPNs arealso commonly used by businesses who want to provide a secure link betweenusers at remote locations and the company's internal database system. The end result is that implementation of a databasemanagement system needs to take into account the effect on existing staffmembers. BRI provides bandwidth of 144 Kbps while PRI provides bandwidthof 1536 Kbps. Broad thoughts. Computerworld, 38, p. Bounded media are thosethat use cables for transmitting electricity or light; unbounded media doesnot require cabling and includes satellite, microwave and radiotransmission. Peer-to-peer networks connect two or more computers directly and allowthem to share files, programs and resources. This can be anincreased cost to the organization and also adds complexity to theorganizational structure, regardless of whether a "tall" or "flat"structure is in place. Merging data silos. Today, theseservers take advantage of low-cost storage and highly efficient machinesthat can process information quickly to combine the functions of a firewallwith the functions of a cache server. If a failure occurs in one area of the system, the idealsituation is to have redundancy to the point that the failure does notaffect users throughout the system. It is possible for programmers to use a collection of SQL statementswithin their applications, but stored procedures execute in native modewithin the database. The data link layer groups the bits being sent intoframes that are moved by the network layer. By isolating thecompany's critical information, the firewall protects the company from manyobvious threats to data security and greatly enhances the company's abilityto perform its day-to-day operations without sacrificing security.Firewalls are becoming increasingly common as companies are usingelectronic mail and the World Wide Web in order to enhance their customerservice; this is where the business opportunity is developing. (2 4, December 1). Openness and concurrency is critical to thesuccess of a data warehouse. This research considers some of the issuesconfronting database administrators today, including networking, securityand privacy, data storage, and staff training. This is considerably faster than executing the SQLcalls and result sets between the database and programs that results whenSQL calls are used instead of stored procedures. Relational databases, which dominated database management systemsuntil the late 199 s, were challenged by object-oriented databases(Kentouris, 2 4). Today, proxyservers are used to improve response time as well as to protect corporateassets; individuals also use proxy servers to protect their anonymity onthe Internet. Because data is spread over several machines, each machine maybe vulnerable to security breaches. Today, bounded media continue to be morecommon than unbounded, and it is bounded media considered here. Data mustpass through each of these layers before reaching its final destination. Network Computing, p. Network intrusions and online fraud soar at community banks. However, database management systems may also require the addition ofstaff to the MIS department, or at least to an area which hasresponsibility for maintaining the computer system. Once the database is selected, training will need to take place withthe current as well as new staff. Companies that do not hire outsideOracle consultants or permanent staff with Oracle backgrounds will need totrain their in-house staffs; even those companies that bring Oracleprofessionals in will need to train the staff members who will eventuallywork with the database. Privacy statements are as much a marketingtool as they are a legal document, and many privacy statements containlanguage suggesting that consumers must give permission for their data tobe revealed to third parties, or the statements might contain instructionsfor customers to "opt out" of having their data revealed to third parties.Problems arise, however, when the summary privacy statement--which istypically easily found on a company's Web site--does not match the detailedprivacy policy of the company. PRI provides two bearer channels while PRI provides 23bearer channels. 13-14.Vittore, V. 44-45.Kentouris, C. 14.Sullivan, B. ReferencesCaldentey, R., & Wein, L. Similarly, having data on multiple machines mayincrease the vulnerability of the database to security breaches. Analysis of a decentralized production-inventory system. Firewalls are gateway computers that isolate local users fromthe outside world. T-carriers provide digital transmission and create point-to-pointprivate networks and direction connections to Internet service providers.This technology users four wires, two wires to transmit and two wires toreceive. Challenges in Database Administration Today Introduction It is difficult to imagine how most companies could operate withoutdatabases in today's business environment. 34.Simpson, B. At the same time, companies must also keep their networkssecure in order to prevent those networks from being used by third-partiesin order to engage in fraudulent and illegal activities that could harm thereputation of the organization (Simpson, 2 4). (2 3, January). Wireless Review, 12, n.p. Application gateways filter data at the application level, meaningthat traffic is permitted through based on the type of function, port, ornetwork designation instead of simply its address. The Cache catcher. WANs connect multiple local area networks and are commonly found incommercial environments where companies with multiple locations and LANs atthose locations will use a WAN to connect the various networks. Although the data that a user might access may be located onseveral or even many different machines, it needs to be transparent to theuser. Bulletin boards provide a good exampleof firewalls in action. Similarly, consumers may beconcerned that their personal information is being sold to other companieswith whom they may not have a business relationship; as a result, privacypolicies have become an important part of network security (Smith, 2 2). DSL technology is typically found inresidential environments (Costello, 2 3). Firewalls are important devices when a company has a system thatinterfaces to the outside world, such as to the Web. There are three technologies closely associated with most firewalls:packet filters, application gateways, and stateful inspection (Thompson,1997). As its name suggests, a distributed database is a collection of datathat is located in several different physical locations-that is,distributed over several resources-while operating as a single logicaldatabase. Companies need tocontinue to maintain the education of their staffs in order to keep currentwith the company's shifting needs. 1-18.Costello, J. However, DSL hardwaretransmits data using three channels on a single wire. This includes information technologyprofessionals, obviously, but also individuals who use the databases on aregular basis. This means that if the company sells 1 units for $37per unit, it is recorded accurately as a sale of $37 , recorded in accountsreceivable appropriately, set up for delivery based on the contract, andhave inventory quantities adjusted, as well. Making the most out of warehousing. This is sometimes referred toas data integrity (Smith, 2 2). Both of these changes can have serious effectson employee morale and on the level of turnover in the organization. In a peer-to-peer LAN, if any one computergoes down, utility is lost. A. Oracle 1 g could ease DBA tedium. So long as the server computer is intact, all usershave access to all information. Object-oriented databases enable users to access vastlydifferent types of data and do so in a way which is efficient and whichincreases productivity. Those staff members working in departments with access to the databasemanagement system (such as accounting) are the ones who feel the directeffect of the database. For many organizations, databases form the basis oftheir electronic commerce Web sites. SQL training, for example, may be required for a variety of workers whowill need to be able to write their own queries (Krill and Sullivan, 2 4). It is also important that the companymonitor those shifting needs and ensure that its information technologymeets those needs. Since data reside ondifferent machines, there is no need for the hardware to be the same acrossthe network. Transportation & Distribution, 44, p. Community Banker, 12, pp. eBay, Amazon privacy policies under fire. There are five layers within TCP/IP:physical, data link, network (IP), transport and application. (2 4, July 12). Effective database administration also requires that staff membersthroughout the organization are trained and updated on new techniques thatmight affect the database. Integrated services digital networks (ISDN) use a single wire or fiberoptic line to carry voice, data and video signals. 16.MNP levels explained. This is what led to the term "data warehouse." Various methods have been developed for retrieving information from thedata warehouse; commonly referred to collectively as data mining, thesetechniques give companies the ability to use data in ways which werepreviously unavailable because of the sheer size of the data involved.Today's data warehouses are scalable and transparent to users (Worsley,2 3). Despite this, data warehouses are dependent on thetools that support the data management, and failure to implement effectivetools-including security processes-can result in compromised data that doesnot meet the needs of the organization. LANs are commonly found in residential applications whileWANs and VPNs are more common in business environments. This allows users at one site to use hardware that meetstheir overall needs while users at another site may use different hardware. Retrieved 22 November 2 5 from .Thompson, A. Technology in search of a business case or inevitable evolution? Firewalls in general and proxy serversin particular can address these issues, but careful attention must be paidto how the Internet is used and whether a dedicated proxy server or apublic server makes the most sense for any one organization. The physical layer is the medium used to send and receive data, suchas fiber optic cable. T-carrier technology is typically found in business ratherresidential environments and is what many employees use to connect to theInternet from their offices (Vittore, 2 4). Duke Law & Technology Review, Rev. 14. They require no additional screens or log-ins and are thus easy toimplement, as well. (2 5, November 1 ). Similarly, openness is a key requirement of a distributed databasesystem. Oracle Distributed Systems. 3 -31.Shipley, G. These firewalls are typicallyset up as part of the router that comes with Internet connection. Data warehouses address the weaknesses in relational databases byoffering historical data, integrating data and offering detailed as well assummary data. As hardware becomesmore accommodating--in the sense of being more powerful and less expensive--these types of databases are likely to gain in popularity over traditionalrelational databases. VPNsallow users to log in remotely and securely (Shipley, 2 5). Distributed databases also offer scalability to users; indeed, manyorganizations evolve distributed databases over the course of theirbusiness growth rather than take a formalized approach to theimplementation of distributed databases. Data warehousing in 'real time.'" Software World, 34, pp. Long-time employees may feel threatened by the introduction of a database systemor by the implementation of a new system. (2 3, February). Scalability is-or should be-aprimary benefit of using distributed databases, however. In addition, training has to take place on an ongoing basis as changestake place in the information technology environment. Cable connections are also commonly found in residential environments,but use the coax cable that brings cable television signals into the home.A splitter is required to separate the Internet signals from the televisionsignals, but the cable connection is always available and faster than mostother residential services. These types of gatewaysuse software programs which mimic a server to an application client, andwhich mimic a client to an application server. This can be difficult to accomplishwithout careful analysis before the database is implemented. Microsoft and the European Union face off over Internet privacy concerns. This reduces the need torepeat the same information in different applications, streamlining theprogramming process and also ensuring that errors are kept to a minimum.When programmers make changes to a single stored procedure, the change"ripples" throughout all applications rather than programmers having toreplicate the change manually (Songini, 2 4). (2 3, April 22). Whenever possible, the proxy serverattempts to meet the demand for Web pages from its store of cached pagesrather than from the main Web server (Towner, 2 2). S. Transparency is perhaps the overriding consideration for distributeddatabases. These are identified by headers that indicate to routing systemsalong the way where the data should be sent. Once security is compromised on onesystem, it is critical that the entire system not be compromised, as well.In order to accomplish this, data should be set up so that information canbe shared without sharing accounts or passwords in order to take advantageof the discrete data locations (Dye, 1999). Conclusion Distributed databases offer significant competitive advantage to thoseorganizations that implement them effectively, but there are keyconsiderations that need to be taken into account to ensure a successfulimplementation. Other staff members who will be working with theapplications that use the Oracle database will require additional training. InfoWorld, 26, p. 74.Trunick, P. Concurrency is a significant issue for distributed databases. This is important when companies are dealing withother companies in a business-to-business environment, but can be even morecritical when companies are dealing with the public through Internet sales. Companies want tokeep competitors from learning information about the company's operations,and they have a responsibility to their vendors and their customers to keepthat information secure. ITEM 41 4 B.Krill, P., & Sullivan, T. As the Internet has grown and ecommerce has cometo include not just selling to customers but also managing supply chainsand providing information to vendors and investors as well as customers,databases have become critical to organizations' long-term success. The type, or types, of technology that are appropriate to aparticular firewall is based on the layer at which it operates. Outside users can dial into the computer, accessinformation contained within the bulletin board, but cannot otherwise gainentry into the system. This means that as companies conduct business on the Internet usinginternal databases, they seek assurance that they are conducting businesswith legitimate consumers; that is, they seek to protect themselves frombuyer fraud. (2 4, April 26). (1997, January) Smoking out the facts on firewalls. Algorithms can also be set up that enable the system todetermine whether a Web page accessed by one user is likely to be requiredby another at a later time; if so, the page will be placed into the cache.If not, storage space is conserved. (2 4, April 12). Thisresearch considers these and other issues associated with distributeddatabases. Because of the vast amounts of data stored in data warehouses,it is critical that meta data be accurate and synchronized to the changeswhich occur in the data. Packetfiltering routers are small, simple to use, fast and transparent to theuser. Packet filters work at the network level by accepting only approvedpackets. During the early 2 s, lawsuits were filedagainst eBay and Amazon.com charging that the summary statement misleadsconsumers and provides a false sense of security to Internet shoppersdependent on the companies' database systems for their online transactions(Sullivan, 2 3). Weapons of mass confusion. Other companies may have less interaction withoutside entities, but still rely on databases to track customer informationand accounting data. These effects are mostprofoundly felt when an organization moves from a manual system to anautomated database management system, but there are also critical effectswhich can be felt by individuals when an existing database managementsystem is upgraded. Securities Industry News, p. Communicate, pp. Security Management, pp. Throughout the development of data warehouses, academics have beencritical of the concept and its application. Meta data is the summary information about what data is in thewarehouse. (2 4, March 1 ). Retrieved 22 November 2 5 from .Songini, M. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 5, pp. Any files that are uploaded are not dumped directlyinto the main computer, but reside within the bulletin board site untilthey are scanned for viruses and other software threats. 59-61.Worsley, C. Tools for managing meta data need to bedeveloped as do administrative tools which address meta data issues(Worsley, 2 3). Increased efficiency isrealized in this way regardless of the programming language used-the samebenefit is seen in JAVA, PHP, ASP and Visual Basic, for example. One of the primary benefits of a distributed database system is theheterogeneity that is supported by this approach. 24-29.Towner, N. L. If a company is unable to protect the security or the privacy of itsInternet customers, those customers are likely to move to other Internetsites in order to transact their business. Thereare likely to be continued advances in database administration in comingyears; these advances will require that database professionals remaincurrent in the hardware and software that support databases and understandhow those advances can be used within a particular industry or business. Proxy servers have evolved from being just another type of firewall tobeing a key part of an organization's security approach. Local area networks (LAN)-including peer-to-peer and client/servernetworks-wide area networks (WAN) and virtual private networks (VPN) arethe types of networks commonly found in both residential and commercialenvironments. Data warehousing offers an attractive way for companies to mange thevast amounts of information that is generated as business is transacted.Meta data management makes it possible to warehouse data that is difficultto retrieve from traditional databases, and data mining techniques makes itpossible for companies to use data in ways that were previously unavailableand even unimaginable. Sales, costs,marketing information, customer information, and similar data must beaccurate in order for the company to be able to function at even the mostrudimentary level. With tools such as SQL able to operate on different types of databaseengines and platforms, heterogeneity is easily supported (Dye, 1999). Oracle hints at grid upgrades to come. However, many companies,including eBay, also provide short versions of their statements which theyencourage consumers to read. At the same time, that information must be kept secure from pryingeyes, or from individuals with more nefarious purposes. This provides system managers the ability to distribute thedatabase over multiple systems depending on system resources, and to useeither local or wide area networks to access the data. Thus today's proxy servers cachecommonly and frequently accessed Web pages so that users have moreefficient access to the pages and also so that there is a barrier betweenthe user and the actual Web site. This transparency one of the significantadvantages of distributed databases (Epper Hoffman, 2 3). Only those filesthat are deemed to be safe are passed through the firewall (Epper Hoffman,2 3). A basic rate interface(BRI) provides the most common type of ISDN connection in residentialsettings, while primary rate interface (PRI) is typically used in businesssettings. (2 2, August 21). Totes.com. (1999). By understanding how to use the information effectively andhow the information is managed by the information technology system, usersare more likely to be effective in their own application of the data. Therouter itself sits between the network and the Internet connection. Inorder to be effective, data must be updated in real-time and available toall users on a concurrent basis. Within the security perimeter of the local network,users are able to communicate freely and access information freely.Messages sent to or from outside users (such as through a bulletin board)must pass through a firewall computer that checks, routes and labels allinformation that passes through it. (2 3, September). In addition, stored procedures also offer centralized storage of codethat can be used by many different applications. Manystatements are long, and appear in small print, and many appear to besimilar in their wording and particulars. As a result, therecan be considerable differences in the data warehousing capabilities ofvarious products depending on the market support of their manufacturer, andlittle homogeneity (Trunick, 2 3). Retrieved 22 November 2 5 from: << http://www.totse.com/en/technology/telecommunications/mnpexpl.html>>.Nash, K. Regardlessof whether a data mart or data warehouse is used, companies are advisedthat they should not expect dollar savings; instead, they will seeincreased productivity through better management of their data. Computerworld. Computerworld, 36, pp. This mimicry (proxy)prevents a direct connection between the external and internal network byserving as the conduit for all communication (Thompson, 1997). Database security must also be concerned with protecting the integrityof the data used by the company for its operations. Although a number of large companies have implemented data warehouses,the size of the data stored in such warehouses and the costs associatedwith developing these projects has prevented some companies from takingthis route. Database administration has grown from a largely back-room activitythat was the exclusive purview of data processing departments to includethe company as a whole. With appropriate planning and monitoring, employees shouldrealize productivity gains without being aware that data is spread acrossseveral different machines. These sites make it possible forcompanies to interact with one another and with customers around the corneror around the world. (2 3, Winter). At the same time, companies also seek to protect themselves fromfraud. This requires that the database professionals maintaincurrent knowledge about the business issues confronting the company and usethat information to determine how best to modify the database in order tomeet those needs. This can be convenient forhome networks, but since peer-to-peer networks provide slower throughputthan other types of networks, these are not typically found in largercompanies. Concurrency also plays an issue in the way that failures are handledin the database. The addition of an MIS department can change thecorporate culture since the department essentially serves all other areasof the organization, but it is also responsible for what may well be themost critical tool in the organization, the database management system.This can cause a shift in the power structure, in the ways in whichemployees interact, and in other variables which are reflected in theinformal culture of the organization and which may well have unintendedconsequences (Nash, 2 2). In addition, the proxy servers can authenticate the various requeststhat are received for Web data to ensure that the request are genuine andacceptable. Indeed, most organizations,whether private or public, profit or non-profit, depend on databases to runtheir operations. Thetransmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) is the commoncomputer language by which networked computers (including those whichcomprise the Web) communicate. Cable suppliers claim speeds of up to 3 Mbps,although most subscribers experience typical speeds in the 1 to 2 Mbpsrange. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) provides the dial-upconnections with which many residential consumers connect to the Internet.This uses connections on the standard copper phone lines found in homes,which makes it convenient, but has an analog transmission limit of 53Kpbs.Modems are used for communications by modulating digital signals intoanalog signals that can travel over the phone lines. Most online retailers provide some type of privacy statement informingcustomers how information in the company's database will be used. Instead, a number of organizations have decided to use datamarts, which are smaller and more focused than data warehouses. Retrieved 22 November 2 5 from: .Epper Hoffman, K. Networking There are two categories of media commonly used for networking:bounded and unbounded (Caldentey & Wein, 2 3). This ensures that the needs of both of these stakeholders areaddressed, and helps the company ensure that it is able to use itsresources in the best possible manner. Banking Wire, 9, pp. In orderto realize these benefits, however, careful security processes must be putinto place so that users have a high level of confidence in the integrityof the data (Trunick, 2 3). Wireless connections, including 8 2.11b and 8 2.11g, areexamples of unbounded media. (2 3, March-April). Security is a key consideration to organizations that use distributeddatabases. It is critical, for example, thatusers be unaware of the data distribution, so there should be nodegradation in speed. Understandingwhich pieces of data are to be used by which types of users and how data isupdated is key to maintaining this concurrency (Epper Hoffman, 2 3). But will it work? This also requires a variety of education and training,including not only education on Oracle databases, but also on the businessissues that arise in the company (Songini, 2 4). Data Storage When it comes to database design, companies should keep include thedatabase professionals as well as application programmers in the designprocess. Through a combination of meta data analysisand modeling, users are better able to understand how each of their systemsfits into the larger ERP system. There is an increase in thetraining time required to bring these employees up to speed in performingtheir traditional tasks, and in many cases, their tasks changesignificantly. What's next for electronic payments? That is, there should be no degradation in response time, and theuser should not be aware, necessarily, when other users are accessing thesame data at the same time. When this type ofdatabase configuration is used, there are obviously many different factorsthat need to be taken into account. M. Individualswho master the technologies associated with firewalls are in a goodposition to make money from their efforts. Multiple modemstandards set by the Microcom Networking Protocol offer different levels oferror detection and correction ("MNP Levels," 2 5). Staff Issues One of the most important effects of a database management system isthe impact it has on workers in the organization. Security and Privacy A firewall is the most common line of defense for personal andcommercial Internet connections and offer considerable businessopportunity. Thus, companies may use proxy servers to prevent access tounauthorized or objectionable Web pages, or to spot attempts forunauthorized users to gain access to the servers. (2 2, November 21). 22-25.Smith, S. 18- 2 .Dye, Charles. From a corporate standpoint, employees and otherstakeholders connected to the network, such as vendors, can load commonlyaccessed Web pages, such as corporate data sites, into the cache for easyreference. Client/server networks also connect two or more computers, butdo so using a dedicated computer as a file server where shared applicationsand data are stored. Some databases also make itpossible to put considerable amounts of code in stored procedures; theseare SQL programs stored in the database itself and executed by the databaseengine, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the system (Krill andSullivan, 2 4). DSL connections cansend data at 64 Kbps, receive data at 1.5Mbps, and allow users to conduct aphone conversation on the same line. While some distributed database systems are set up with proprietarydatabase engines that cannot interface with components from other vendors,such an approach can easily minimize the benefits of the distributedapproach (Dye, 1999). However, a packet filter alone is generally consideredonly the most rudimentary form of firewall since IP addresses can beimitated to gain access. In this way, those types of information which weredifficult to organize into relational databases--such as graphics, soundsand pictures--can be put into databases and easily accessed by users ineither distributed or nondistributed environments. (2 5). The trade-off is one of performance aswell as security since the uncached page will need to be loaded from themain server whenever it is accessed (Towner, 2 2). (2 2, April 15). Some of these workers may lose their jobs as thedatabase system makes the entire department more efficient and productive.Other individuals will need to be retrained in order to make the best useof the system (Nash, 2 2). In addition, this permits processingto continue without delay so that users may well be unaware of a problem.In other words, failure handling should be set up so that transparency ismaintained. They authenticated requests for information from bothinside and outside the network, scanned incoming files for viruses or othersecurity issues and also checked for inappropriate content. Although the Internet has proved a boon for many companies, its usecarries with it security threats as well as performance issues that canhamper a company's effectiveness. The transport layer builds onthe network layer by performing higher-level tasks while the applicationlayer is the process that engages network services (Thompson, 1997). Digital subscriber lines (DSL) use regular copper lines-the same lines that are used for modem connections. The research and developmentwhich has supported the creation of data warehouses and data marts has beenlargely driven by the market: as customers have demanded greater access tovast stores of information kept on large servers, software vendors haveresponded with various data warehouses and data marts. During the earliest days of firewalls, this was the main purpose ofproxy servers. By bringing together all of the components of a company'svarious computer systems, including those relating to customers, employees,vendors, products, inventory, and financials, companies are able to createlarge repositories of data. Since many different users are likely to be both reading andwriting information to the database, the various database components needto be able to communicate with one another and with disparate applications. 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