Data Administrator (DA)

• Databases are shared resources that belong to the entire enterprise.

They are not the property of an individual in an organization.
• DA is a high level function that is responsible for overall management
of enterprise data in an organization. DA is the custodian of
organization’s data. He must protect and control the data resources of
organization.
• DA creates an enterprise data model. An enterprise data model is a
single data model that describes comprehensively the data needs of
an entire organization.
Data Administrator (DA)
• DA produce conceptual and logical data models to accurately depict
the relationship among data elements for business processes.
• DA must resolve disputes that may arise in Centralized database.
• The data administrator should be a respected, senior-level manager
selected from within the organization.
• DA must have sufficient technical skills to interact effectively with
technical staff members such as database administrators, system
administrators, and programmers.
Functions of Data Administration
1. Policies, Procedures, and Standards
• A prime component of a successful data administration
strategy is the continuous enforcement of the policies,
procedures, and standards for correct data creation, usage,
distribution, and deletion within the database.
• The DA must define, document, and communicate the
policies, procedures, and standards before they can be
enforced.
Functions of Data Administration
• Data Policies are statements that make explicit the goals of data
administration. For example “Every user must have a
password”.
• Data Procedures are written outlines of actions to be taken in
order to perform a certain activity. For example, Backup and
Recovery procedures should be communicated to all involved
employees.
• Data Standards are explicit conventions and behaviors that are
to be followed and that can be used to help evaluate database
quality. For example, naming conventions for database objects
should be standardized for programmers.
Functions of Data Administration
2. Planning
• A key administration function is involvement with the
development of the organization’s information architecture.
• Effective administration requires
• understanding of the information needs of the organization.
• ability to contribute to the development of an information
architecture that will meet the diverse needs of a typical
organization.
Functions of Data Administration
2. Planning
• Information architecture is also called as enterprise databases.
• An enterprise database is one whose scope is entire organization.
Such databases support organization-wide operations and decision
making.
• Enterprise database include
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Data Warehouse.
Functions of Data Administration
2. Planning
• ERP is a business management system that integrates all functions of
the enterprise such as manufacturing, finance, human resources,
inventory, sales etc.
• ERP systems may have thousands of relational database tables,
designed and normalized for running the business operations, were
not at all suitable for providing strategic information.
• Moreover, ERP data repositories lacked data from external sources
and from other operational systems in the company.
Functions of Data Administration
• 2. Planning
• Data warehouse is an Integrated view of organization data drawn
from different operational databases and a range of end-user access
tools.
• These tools are used for simple to highly complex queries that
support decision making.
• For example, increase customers by 15% in next 5 years, improve
product quality of top 5 products, bring three new products to market
in next 3 years, increase sales by 15% in North Division.
Functions of Data Administration
3. Data Conflict Resolution
• Databases are intended to be shared and usually involve data from
several different departments of the organization.
• Ownership of data is a difficult issue at least occasionally in every
organization.
• Data administration are well suited to resolve data ownership issues
because they are not typically associated with a certain department.
Functions of Data Administration
3. Data Conflict Resolution
• Establishing procedures for resolving such conflicts is essential.
• If the administration function has been given sufficient authority to
mediate and enforce the resolution of the conflict, they may be very
effective in this capacity.
Functions of Data Administration
4. Managing Data Repositories
• Repositories contain the metadata that describe an organization’s
data and data processing resources.
• Information repositories are replacing data dictionaries in many
organizations.
• Whereas data dictionaries are simple data element documentation
tools, information repositories are used by data administrators and
other information specialists to manage the total information
processing environment.
Functions of Data Administration
• An information repository serves as an essential source of information
and functionality for each of the following:
• Users who must understand data definitions, business rules, and
relationships among data objects
• Automated CASE tools that are used to specify and develop
information systems
• Applications that access and manipulate data (or business
information) in the corporate databases
• Database management systems, which maintain the repository and
update system privileges, passwords, object definitions, and so on
Functions of Data Administration
5. Internal Marketing
• While the importance of data and information to an organization
has become more widely recognized within organizations, it is
not necessarily true that an appreciation for data management
issues—such as information architecture, data modeling,
metadata, data quality, and data standards—has also evolved.
• The importance of following established procedures and policies
must be proactively instituted through data and database
administrators.
Functions of Data Administration
• Effective internal marketing may reduce resistance to change and data
ownership problems.
• When the data administration role is not separately defined in an
organization, these roles are assumed by database administration
and/or others in the IT organization.