Data is referred to these days as “the new oil” or “black gold” of industry. If the typical Fortune 100 company gains access to a mere 10 percent more of their data, that can result in increased revenue of millions of dollars.
In charge of all this data is the database administrator (DBA). I’ve spent a majority of my technical career in this role and, as immensely rewarding as it was, I was consistently finding ways to automate what I found tedious, as well as acquiring new skills to provide more value to the business. Although IT organizations traditionally look to DBAs to create databases, grant access, back up the data, and the like, many of these manual tasks are now automated in the cloud—leaving many DBAs asking what the future may hold for them. The great news is, we are on the cusp of a revolution in data, and the role of the database administrator is at the forefront of this movement.
Recently, my team discovered new technology that enables us to do more with less—like agile development helping us deploy new features and software faster to market, and DevOps ensuring it was done with less impact to mission-critical systems. My previous DBA role’s scripting and detail-oriented skills came into play at every corner, empowering me to provide value in ways I’d never imagined. The scale of the cloud also removes an infamous bottleneck—the “project slow down.” Where previously we’d wait for acquisition of hardware and on-premises resources, the deployment of hardware and software is just a click or script away in Microsoft Azure. Last but not least, this new world of cloud and DevOps gives us the space to provide more value to the business in the way of code reviews, ensuring what goes to production is high quality and performs well.
With cloud accounts, I’m able to test out and learn new features that I rarely had access to before, including product capabilities running in the cloud long before they’re made available in on-premises releases. We’re no longer spending time after-hours patching and upgrading databases, as these monotonous tasks are done for us, allowing for rested, fully engaged DBAs, ready to take on this new frontier.
As I’m a DBA satisfied with leaving all the tedious tasks behind me and embrace the new world of cloud—the question is now posed to you, my fellow data guardians. What will the future hold for you?
If you’re not there yet and want to know how to get started, I’m here to help. Attend a free webinar where I’ll be sharing more on the many advantages of managing data in the cloud, and how your company’s “black gold” will make you tomorrow’s data hero.