The Challenge of Database Management

Many of the outsiders to the database management world see the entire concept as something that is relatively easy. All too often those great database engineers are somehow deemed lesser than those who pursue careers, which are more openly perceived as difficult and intellectual. However, these notions are ill conceived and few ever actually come to grips with how challenging database management can actually be. There are dozens of aspects which prove challenging from the initial planning and construction of the database to the day-to-day administration. Almost every step and action is meticulously planned out and recorded and even seemingly unimportant errors can cause disastrous results. Oh no, database management is anything but simple, those who toil away for hours on end constructing and refining search algorithms or complex relations deserve much more respect and admiration than most ever receive.

An unfortunate reality is that the general population, even those who work in the IT fields think of a database as nothing more than an excel spreadsheet and while the core premise is very similar, the functionality is vastly different.  Those who plan, construct and manage databases put far more thought into them than any spreadsheet. With possibly millions of entries and complex relations between each one, it can get quite confusing when working with. Database management is the job which pits resources against intellect. While the majority of database management related tasks could be brute forced with enough resources, which is a piggish waste and often times not an option in a world in which resources are expensive and in great demand. The average database management personnel can create and run algorithms, which cut down the necessary resources by a great magnitude and are an invaluable skill.

The every day functioning world and even your very own privacy are squarely seated upon the backs of those who dedicate their lives to database management. Any service or company that collects and stores any information relies heavily on efficient databases. Any service that is provided to you relies on databases to keep all the data in order. A simple mistake can cause the whole system to come screeching to a halt or even worse, all your private data can be leaked to all sorts of dubious individuals. For these reasons, many database administrators have to be at the top of their games and be informed both with basic management and security. The job requires a great deal of dedication and with this dedication comes a great deal of stress. Database management is a crucial job and while it’s very demanding, those who perform it rarely see the appreciation for keeping those critical errors to a minimum.

With the lack of appreciation and the overall obliviousness to the subject of database management, it’s a miracle they still chug long at the pace they do. It may not be the most glamorous job and it may not get you recognized by those who try to rank careers in terms of their merit of difficulty, but let it be knownst to those who are considering entering the field, it is a highly rewarding job and be warned, it’s not as easy as others make it out to be.