Meeting on Application DBA Position

Owned by Former user (Deleted)
Last updated: Sept 12, 2007Version comment

Application dba

Big questions: 

  • would this person reside with app dev or in data center?
  • Who would they report to?

Things they would do: 

  • Performance tuning,
  • Write better queries, 
  • Bring deep database skills and breath of knowledge to a project.
  • This resource could explore new database features that programmers don't have time to do.

This person is needed early in a project life cycle, when designing new data models for a system.  To know the deep database stuff is too time consuming for programmers.  We should add to our programmers' job descriptions, though, that at a certain level (5 or 6) they need to have a certain level of database knowledge and skill.

The application DBA is needed in early design specifications so applications don't go off on a useless tangent.  The person would keep an eye on database side of the application but has to be fluent in the application side also.  This is a resource for programmers. 

The application DBA should also develop strong community ties to the supporting vendor and/or Org.  E.g., strong community player with Sakai foundations DBAs.  Community source projects may have larger need for application DBA.  Home grown application system may not so much.  Not sure why this would be true.  Could go both ways.

This may not a full time position for any one system long term but probably will be fulltime during the development stage.  Once in maintenance cycle the commitment for the application DBA could level off to 50% or 60%.  However, looking at Banner, they have 3 people who serve this purpose -- the system architects.  They have deep database knowledge but are also strong programmers.

Proximity is an issue also for the application DBA.  Patrick:  So the application DBA can be located with Application Development (Chiles Road) for 2 to 3 days a week, emergencies aside. However they would be hired by the DC and report to the DBA supervisor.

How to hire such a person?  We want to hire 1 - 3 people.  Patrick will write a new job description, including all these things and more in the PD.  This will be difficult for us because usually DBA are hard to find/hire during good economic times.

Sakai would want 50-60% of an application DBA's time on subscription basis.  Morna mentioned that subscription has it's drawbacks.  Something about back up help.  Liz Gibson prefers subscription though.

Our programmers need to learn more database stuff also. (see above.)

Patrick: One approach is to get a successful DBA and train him/her in application development.  Change the current DBA job description to include application tuning.   Any new hires for DBAs should be application programmer and DBA already. Others would have to pick it up.

Recharge model is one solution.  Could be subscription model as well.  Recharge is per hour.  Subscription says whatever the annual salary, we'll pay a percentage.  No monies for resident dba application person otherwise.

Ai - Patrick to write position description for appl DBA.  Classification committee to review.  Use this for recruitment.  Hoping for P6.

Also he will add knowledge of application programming to the other DBA's job descriptions.