DATABASE

DATABASE

Scope:

"Help Wanted: Experienced Oracle Administrator. Will Relocate." 

"SQL Server Database Engineer Needed Immediately!" 

"Now Hiring Data Warehousing Professionals" 

If you've been reading the IT industry's help wanted ads recently, there's no doubt you've come across a number of ads seeking professional database administrators, designers and developers. Have you ever considered crossing over into these fields yourself? Have you found yourself wondering what it would take to make such a career move? 

There are immense possibilities for the deserving candidates in the field of databases as these days all PSUs or private firms are switching into digital forms.They need to maintain there records,so they need DBAs to the desired work for them.

This field is still in developing stage in India as there are many companies yet left to turn digital.

Skills:

There are three main types of qualifications that will help you in your quest to obtain employment in the database industry (or any other IT field, for that matter). These are experience, education and professional credentials. The ideal candidate’s resume describes a balanced mix of criteria from each of these three categories. That said, most employers don’t have a predetermined formula that they use to determine which candidates are asked to interview and which resumes get thrown in the circular file. If your work experience reflects a long history of increasingly responsible positions in a related field, a potential employer might not be interested in the fact that you don’t have a college degree. On the other hand, if you recently earned a graduate degree in computer science and wrote a master’s thesis on database optimization you’d also probably be an attractive candidate despite the fact that you are fresh out of school. 

Let’s take a look at each one of these categories in detail. As you read through them, try to assess yourself against the criteria mentioned. Better yet, print out a copy of this article and a copy of your resume and give them to a trusted friend. Let them review your background in light of these criteria and give you an idea of where you would stand in the eyes of an employer. Remember: if it’s not described properly on your resume in a manner that attracts the eye of an overworked hiring manager, you didn’t do it! 

Experience:

 
Every job searcher is familiar with the novice’s paradox: “You can’t get a job without experience but you can’t get experience without a job.” If you’re an aspiring database professional without any work experience in the field, what are your options? 

If you truly have no work experience in the IT industry, your best bet is probably going to be seeking out an entry-level job working at a help desk or in a junior database analyst position. Granted, these jobs are not glamorous and won't help you buy that palatial home in the suburbs. However, this type of "in the trenches" work will give you exposure to a variety of tools and techniques. After you've spent a year or two working in this type of environment you should be ready to either seek a promotion at your current place of employment or fire up the word processor to add this newfound experience to your resume. 

If you have related IT experience, you have a bit more flexibility. You’re probably qualified to find a higher-level position as a system administrator or similar role. If your eventual goal is to become a database administrator, seek out a smaller company that uses databases in their day-to-day operations. Chances are, they won’t be too concerned about your lack of database experience if you’re familiar with some of the other technologies they use. Once you’re on the job, gradually begin to assume some database administration roles and before you know it you’ll be a skilled database administrator through on-the-job training! 

If neither of these options work for you, consider volunteering your database skills for a local nonprofit organization. If you spend some time making a few phone calls, you’ll undoubtedly discover a worthy organization that could make use of a database designer/administrator. Take on a couple of these projects, add them to your resume and hit the FAX machine again! 

Education:

 Five years ago, any technical recruiter would tell you not to even bother applying for a technical position in the database industry unless you held at least a Bachelor’s degree in computer science. The explosive growth of the Internet created such a large demand for database administrators that many employers were forced to reconsider this requirement. It’s now commonplace to find graduates of vocational/technical programs and self-taught database administrators with no more than a high school education holding positions once reserved for college graduates. That said, holding a computer science degree will definitely enhance your resume and make you stand out from the crowd. If your eventual goal is to move into a future management role, a degree is usually considered essential. 

If you don’t have a degree, what can you do right now to increase your marketability in the short term? You have two options: 

First, consider starting a computer science degree program. Check with your local colleges and universities and you’re bound to find one that offers a program compatible with your schedule. One word of caution: If you want to gain immediate resume-enhancing skills, be sure to take some computer science and database courses from the get-go. Yes, you do need to take history and philosophy courses to earn your degree, but you’re probably better off saving them for later so you can increase your marketability to an employer now. 

Second, if you are willing to shell out some bucks (or have a particularly generous employer) consider taking database classes from a technical training school. All major cities have some sort of technical education program where you can take week-long courses introducing you to the concepts of database administration on your choice of platforms. Expect to pay several thousand dollars a week for the privilege of this quick knowledge.

Professional Credentials:

 
Surely you’ve seen the initials and heard the radio ads: “Get your MCSE, CCNA, OCP, MCDBA, CAN or some other certification today to make big bucks tomorrow!” As many aspiring database professionals discovered the hard way, earning a technical certification alone does not qualify you to walk in off the street and claim a job at your choice of employers. However, viewed in the context of a well-rounded resume, professional certifications can easily make you stand out from the crowd. If you've decided to take the plunge and seek a technical certification, your next step is to find a program that's appropriate for your skill level, willingness to learn and career aspirations.

If you're seeking a database position in a small-scale environment where you'll be working only with Microsoft Access databases, you might want to consider the Microsoft Office User Specialist program. This entry-level certification provides employers with an assurance from Microsoft that you're familiar with the features of Microsoft Access databases. The certification process involves only one examination and experienced Access users should be able to tackle it with a minimal amount of preparation. If you've never used Access before, you might want to consider taking a class or reading through a couple of certification-oriented books before attempting the exam. 

On the other hand, if you've set your sights higher than working with Microsoft Access, you might want to consider one of the more advanced certification programs. Microsoft offers the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA) program for experienced Microsoft SQL Server administrators. This program involves taking a series of four challenging certification examinations. This program is definitely not for the faint of heart and successful completion requires real hands-on SQL Server experience. However, if you make it through the certification process, you'll be joining an elite club of certified database professionals. 

Not interested in SQL Server? Is Oracle more your style? Rest assured, Oracle offers a similar certification, Oracle Certified Professional. This program offers a variety of certification tracks and specialties, but most require between five and six computed-based examinations that demonstrate your database knowledge in a variety of subject areas. This prestigious program is also extremely difficult and requires hands-on experience for successful completion. 

Now you know what employers are looking for. Where do you stand? Is there a specific area where your resume is a little weak? If you've identified something specific you can do to increase your marketability, do it! The About Databases site provides all of the resources you'll need to get started. Check out our subject pages devoted to careers, certifications and training. If you need further advice or a little moral support, be sure to stop by our discussion forum and join the continuing conversation. 

References:

Wikipedia

articles, white papers, toolkits, blogs and documentation

My SQL

Warehousing

Challenges:

Database configuration and maintenance have historically been complex tasks, often requiring expert knowledge of database design and application behavior. In an embedded environment, it is not feasible to require such expertise and ongoing database maintenance. This paper discusses the database administration challenges posed by embedded systems and describes how the Berkeley DB architecture addresses these challenges.

Embedded systems provide a combination of opportunities and challenges in application and system configuration and management. As an embedded system is most often dedicated to a single application or small set of tasks, the operating conditions of the system are typically better understood than those of general purpose computing environments. Similarly, as embedded systems are dedicated to a small set of tasks, one would expect that the software to manage them should be small and simple. On the other hand, once an embedded system is deployed, it must continue to function without interruption and without administrator intervention.

Database administration consists of two components, initial configuration and ongoing maintenance. Initial configuration consists of database design, manifestation, and tuning. The instantiation of the design includes decomposing the design into tables, relations, or objects and designating proper indices and their implementations (e.g., Btrees, hash tables, etc.). Tuning a design requires selecting a location for the log and data files, selecting appropriate database page sizes, specifying the size of in-memory caches, and specifying the limits of multi-threading and concurrency. As embedded systems define a specific environment and set of tasks, requiring expertise during the initial system configuration process is acceptable.

Certification:

Popular database certifications are always in demand, whether it's Microsoft's MCTS and MCITP, Oracle's OCA, OCP and OCM or MySql's CMA, CMDEV and CMDBA. 

Are you a database professional seeking to polish your resume in the hopes of landing a better gig? Perhaps you're just getting started in database administration and you'd like to establish your credentials in the field. Database vendors offer a variety of professional certification programs that can help you advance your career while gaining valuable technical skills. After all, even the most seasoned professional has yet to fully explore some nook or cranny of the field that's covered on a certification exam. 

So, where do you start? Most database certs are vendor-specific, so you'll want to earn a certification from the company that puts out the software you're currently working with or would like to work with in the future. We'll take a brief look at the credentials available from the major vendors. 

If you're an Oracle guru, the Oracle certified professional program may be for you. There's one catch to this program, however. Before receiving any Oracle credential, all candidates must take at least one instructor-led course. If you're like me and you just want to pick up the book, study and take the exam, you're out of luck here. Oracle's program includes three tiers of certification, beginning with the Oracle Database Administrator Certified Associate(OCA), progressing through the Oracle Database Administrator Certified Professional (OCP) and culminating with the Oracle Database Administrator Certified Master (OCM). Each certification is version-specific, so you'll need to update your certification each time a new version of Oracle rolls off the production line. 

On the other hand, if you work in a Microsoft shop, you should consider one of several certifications:

• If you're maintaining Microsoft Access databases for your organization, the simplest database credential is the Microsoft Office Specialist Access Track. This is a one-exam certification that covers basic knowledge of Microsoft Access 2003 and Access XP topics. Users of Access 2007 should instead prepare for the Microsoft Certified Application  Specialist(MCAS) program.
• The  Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist(MCTS) credential is the entry-level certification for SQL Server professionals. There are three different certification paths: MCTS SQL Server 2008 Implementation and Maintenance, MCTS SQL Server 2008 Database Development and MCTS SQL Server 2008 Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance. Each requires only a single exam and may be used to build toward higher-level Microsoft certifications
• The Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional (MCITP) credential is the premier certification for SQL Server administrators. It also comes in three variations. If you already hold the MCTS in SQL Server 200 Implementation and Maintenance, you can upgrade it to MCITP: Database Administrator with a single exam. Similarly, those who passed the MCTS Database Development exam can become MCITP: Database Developers with one additional exam. Finally, if you're an MCTS in Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance, you can upgrade to MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer with one test.

Finally, if you're a MySQL user, you might find one of their four certifications useful in your career:

• The MySQL Associate (CMA) certification requires passing a single exam and attests to the holder's knowledge of basic MySQL skills.
• MySQL database administrators may earn the Certified MySQL Database Administrator (CMDBA) certification by passing two advanced examinations.
• Similarly, MySQL developers may earn the Certified MySQL Developer (CMDEV) credential with two development-focused exams.
• Finally, CMDBA holders may upgrade to MySQL Cluster certification by passing a single additional exam.

Once you've chosen a credential that's suitable for you, it's time to hit the books and/or take a course and get started on your way to professional certification!