Database Administrator
by Peg Byers
Part II: Typical Situation
Unfortunately, one situation that can occur more often than planned, or more accurately, more than it should, is when the database does not update despite the careful steps taken or the time involved in trying to accomplish a successful update. Bad news usually comes from a co-worker who emails the DBA or otherwise (often angrily) informs the administrator that the database seems filled with "old" information. This precipitates a long, tedious search for reasons why or how the network reported a successful "set" of updates over a period of time, but now that report (or reports!) has been discovered to be in error.
The first step is to investigate the problem to learn the true "age" of the data. Next, the DBA would attempt to update a recent set of data to determine what may have occurred. It could have been a malfunction that day, or the evening the update was attempted. Assuming the situation does not improve by this upload, the next step is to contact the network administrator about possible server malfunctions, changes in standard record settings, or other changes that might affect the upload of data.
Occasionally, the network server record lock settings were changed to "disallow" any upload to a network server over a certain limit. While such settings are positive virus-prohibiting security precautions, they can play havoc with the conduct of legitimate business. If the DBA is lucky, or has positive karma due for collection, all that may be required is for the network administrator to reset the record lock setting at a higher level. Updates can then be repeated and will result in current data within the business unit database for purposes of management reporting.
However, on a bad day, the DBA may learn from the network administrator that the server was or is malfunctioning, or worse, crashed at the precise time of the attempted update. Ah well! Life presents these situations to develop "character," if not a colorful vocabulary. In this situation the investigation must retrace the steps of data accumulation to determine the validity of the dataset for backup and experimental upload (network administrators at ringside) to watch for any type of malfunction. Because everyone is watching, updates usually occur without incident and life will continue-even for the DBA-although s/he has aged more than would have otherwise been the case.