Database Applications Assignment

DBA Responsibilities and Microsoft Access Security

Complete BOTH parts of this assignment.

Part A: Write a 500-1000 word paper using Word discussing two of the additional DBA responsibilities mentioned briefly at the end of Chapter 6 under the "Additional DBA Responsibilities" heading (given below). Use at least two sources outside your text for this paper. Do not use Wikipedia. Use APA format for the paper, and be sure to cite all your sources using APA format. Submit your Word document for grading.

Part B: In Microsoft Access, create and populate the following three database tables, including foreign keys, using SQL. Save all queries in the database. Assume the ID for each table is the primary key. Assume all fields are required. Assume all fields that contain only numbers are numeric type. Save the database as Personnel.accdb. Once the tables have been created, encrypt the database with a password. Be sure the password is strong. It should be at least 16 characters in length, and contain at least one of each of the following: upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers, and special characters. Submit the Personnel.accdb file. Submit the password in the comments section of the assignment submission area.

Employees

Managers

Departments

You will have two files submitted for this assignment: the Word document for your paper in Part A, and the Microsoft Access database file (Personnel.accdb) from Part B.

ADDITIONAL DBA RESPONSIBILITIES

Concurrency control, security, and reliability are the three major concerns of database administration. However, other administrative and managerial DBA functions are also important.

For one, a DBA needs to ensure that a system exists to gather and record user-reported errors and other problems. A means needs to be devised to prioritize those errors and problems and to ensure that they are corrected accordingly In this regard, the DBA works with the development team not only to resolve these problems but also to evaluate features and functions of new releases of the DBMS.

As the database is used and as new requirements develop and are implemented, requests for changes to the structure of the database will occur. Changes to an operational database need to be made with great care and thoughtful planning. Because databases are shared resources, a change to the structure of a database to implement features desired by one user or group can be detrimental to the needs of other users or groups.

Therefore, a DBA needs to create and manage a process for controlling the database configuration. Such a process includes procedures for recording change requests, conducting user and developer reviews of such requests, and creating projects and tasks for implementing changes that are approved. All these activities need to be conducted with a community-wide view.

Finally, a DBA is responsible for ensuring that appropriate documentation is maintained about database structure, concurrency control, security, backup and recovery, applications use, and a myriad of other details that concern the management and use of the database. Some vendors provide tools for recording such documentation. At a minimum, a DBMS will have its own metadata that it uses to process the database. Some products augment these metadata with facilities for storing and reporting application metadata, as well as operational procedures.

A DBA has significant responsibilities in the management and administration of a database. These responsibilities vary with the database type and size, the number of users, and the complexity of the applications. However, the responsibilities are important for all databases. You should know about the need for DBA services and consider the material in this chapter even for small, personal databases.