Should DBAs Be the Protectors of Data?

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Should DBAs Be the Protectors of Data?

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paul s-306273 SSChampion Points: 10727 More actions · Answer 1

Off topic, but when did SSC-Insane ranking come in?

joel.weiss 70857 Grasshopper Points: 21 More actions · Answer 2

I agree with your mentor up to a point, and this is a critical point: a DBA, by definition, is an administrator, not an officer. Seeking out data and judging whether it is critical, real or worth saving is not part of the job. Overdoing this role contains an inherent risk of creating unnecessary infrastructure and producting redundant data, which is a different type of risk (accuracy). Leave those judgement calls to the CIO.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003869 More actions · Answer 3

paul s-306273 (7/5/2010)
Off topic, but when did SSC-Insane ranking come in?

It seems like Steve made it up right after I tipped the 20K mark. Since I'm the only one that fits the category (so far) and he carefully excluded himself, it seems he may be trying to tell me something. 😛

--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)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1003869 More actions · Answer 4

joel.weiss 70857 (7/6/2010)
I agree with your mentor up to a point, and this is a critical point: a DBA, by definition, is an administrator, not an officer. Seeking out data and judging whether it is critical, real or worth saving is not part of the job. Overdoing this role contains an inherent risk of creating unnecessary infrastructure and producting redundant data, which is a different type of risk (accuracy). Leave those judgement calls to the CIO.

Not that every company will have this kind of sensitivity but if I had done that in the past, the company would have been out of business for being sued because the CIO was also a DA (and that's not a legal term in this case). 😉 Sometimes you have to protect the officers from themselves. :hehe:

--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)

Sioban Krzywicki One Orange Chip Points: 27770 More actions · Answer 5

joel.weiss 70857 (7/6/2010)
I agree with your mentor up to a point, and this is a critical point: a DBA, by definition, is an administrator, not an officer. Seeking out data and judging whether it is critical, real or worth saving is not part of the job. Overdoing this role contains an inherent risk of creating unnecessary infrastructure and producting redundant data, which is a different type of risk (accuracy). Leave those judgement calls to the CIO.

From the CIOs I've seen, this kind of concern is something they'd delegate at best. They have their minds on other things and in many cases either don't have the time for this kind of low-level activity or simply don't have the expertise needed.

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Cris E Ten Centuries Points: 1255 More actions · Answer 6

I think Joel and Jeff are pointing out the difference between Responsible and responsible. My off-the-cuff answer to the original question was "Lower-case-r-responsible is good." As I think about it more I'd define stewardship roles and responsibilities as clearly as needed (depending on organizational needs) and have DBAs live on the side where they watch out for things but don't own them. Maybe data husbandry is a better notion than stewardship (since that word has been coopted by IT folks). Hmm, maybe not, since husbandry says more than just "judicious tending", it also implies decisions and control. OK, now I have a new metaphor to tinker with for the day...

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Shut up he explained.[/font]
- Ring Lardner