An Introduction to Cloud Databases

Chapter 2. The Changing Role of the DBA in the Cloud

Traditionally, a database administrator (DBA) was entrusted with pretty much the entire gamut of operations pertaining to the storage and use of an organization’s data. The DBA’s task list included the following:

• Installing the racks and cabling

• Installing, patching, and upgrading database software

• Creating and configuring database instances

• Managing users, roles, and permissions

• Backup and recovery

• Securing the data, including the encryption of critical data

• Data migration, ingestion, and export

• Performance tuning

• Database monitoring and troubleshooting

• Handling high availability

• Assisting database developers and analysts in their database-related tasks

As you can tell from this list, the DBA’s job has typically revolved around database operations, disaster management, user management, and performance tuning. Monitoring and troubleshooting have mostly been manual, and usually reactive instead of planned. Not much time has been left for performing tasks that are higher along the value chain, such as designing databases and optimizing the applications that rely on the databases.

The lack of automation and a reactive approach to problems has left DBAs struggling to keep up with the various databases under their watch. Most of their workdays have devolved into a triage model in which they always need to attend to the most urgent tasks.

As cloud computing profoundly changes job roles and the ways organizations ...