Explain why planning is important in the database lifecycle, highlighting particular points that are important during the process. Discuss the major functions of the Database Administration role, in particular indicating the skills most relevant to the role.

What will be an ideal response?

The planning process should be briefly discussed, such as looking at the overall objectives, what
the current situation is like especially with regard to any particular problems that might be
prevalent. It is possible that a generalized data model for the whole enterprise may be produced,
which may then be subdivided into different functional areas giving priorities for development.
The major functions of database administration concern physical database design,
implementation, testing, data conversion and loading, and operational maintenance. Database
administration is also responsible for DBMS evaluation, although this would not be carried out on
a regular basis. These functions should be described in more detail, and include the skills required
– obviously technically oriented, although other skills will be needed for the minor functions.