Is Database Administration a Branch of Data Engineering?

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Is Database Administration a Branch of Data Engineering?

elea.grig

Ten Centuries

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October 17, 2018 at 6:41 am

#408984

I want to know the exact difference of DBA and Data Engineer. Is a DBA considered a data engineer?

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Eirikur Eiriksson SSC Guru Points: 182882 More actions · Answer 1

elea.grig - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 6:41 AM
I want to know the exact difference of DBA and Data Engineer. Is a DBA considered a data engineer?

The two are not the same, think of a passenger train, the DBA would be the driver and the Data Engineer would be the conductor.
😎

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003857 More actions · Answer 2

elea.grig - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 6:41 AM
I want to know the exact difference of DBA and Data Engineer. Is a DBA considered a data engineer?

The term "DBA" has been so bastardized that we'd have to ask you what you think a DBA is and then, of course, you'd have your own answer.

If you're talking about the pure and original definition of a "DBA" (sometimes referred to as a "System DBA", then I'd have to say they have little to nothing in common.

If you're talking about an "Application DBA", then they may have some things in common. "It Depends" on how the person doing the job embraces the job.

If you're talking about a "Hybrid DBA" that acts as a combination of System DBA, Application DBA, and Database Developer, then I'd have to say that the good ones have a lot of "Data Engineer" in them.

Shifting gears, there are also multiple definitions (IMHO) of "Data Engineer". Some are involved only in Logical Design and actually know little about the actual database engine. Some are involved only with Physical Design of tables, indexes, etc. And, of course, there are hybrids that temper logical and physical design with each other.

So, the "exact differences" between a DBA and a Data Engineer could only be determined by first settling on a definition of what each job actually entails and, IMHO, while that's theoretically possible to do, it's impossible to do in reality. If you don't think so, go look at a couple of hundred job descriptions and see the bastardization of both terms/positions there.

And I won't even get into the claims that people have of themselves as written in their Resumes/CVs.

As with all else in SQL Server and databases in general, "It Depends".

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Eirikur Eiriksson SSC Guru Points: 182882 More actions · Answer 3

Jeff Moden - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 7:37 AM
elea.grig - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 6:41 AM
I want to know the exact difference of DBA and Data Engineer. Is a DBA considered a data engineer?
The term "DBA" has been so bastardized that we'd have to ask you what you think a DBA is and then, of course, you'd have your own answer.
If you're talking about the pure and original definition of a "DBA" (sometimes referred to as a "System DBA", then I'd have to say they have little to nothing in common.
If you're talking about an "Application DBA", then they may have some things in common. "It Depends" on how the person doing the job embraces the job.
If you're talking about a "Hybrid DBA" that acts as a combination of System DBA, Application DBA, and Database Developer, then I'd have to say that the good ones have a lot of "Data Engineer" in them.
Shifting gears, there are also multiple definitions (IMHO) of "Data Engineer". Some are involved only in Logical Design and actually know little about the actual database engine. Some are involved only with Physical Design of tables, indexes, etc. And, of course, there are hybrids that temper logical and physical design with each other.
So, the "exact differences" between a DBA and a Data Engineer could only be determined by first settling on a definition of what each job actually entails and, IMHO, while that's theoretically possible to do, it's impossible to do in reality. If you don't think so, go look at a couple of hundred job descriptions and see the bastardization of both terms/positions there.
And I won't even get into the claims that people have of themselves as written in their Resumes/CVs.
As with all else in SQL Server and databases in general, "It Depends".

Makes you think of the difference between OPS and OOPS!
😎
The former does not have the latter.