What's a DBA? Database administrator? Database architect? Whatever it is, we need one (or two or three) at OmniTI. The problem is that the Jurassic variant of the DBA simply can't cut it in today's world of the web giants (OmniTI services the web giants). What is it about the modern use of database in the web world that make traditionals DBAs so inadequate? It's actually a variety of things. If you think tackling them is a challenge you're cut out for, send me your resume!

Scale

One might say "Scale? Scale? Are you kidding me? Traditional database problems come in various flavors of gigantic." This is true, but the unique dynamics of the web mean that not only is the data flowing in at uncontrollable rates, but tomorrow there is always a new data source with a new representation. Due to the scale of external systems and your own it makes for an interesting sandbox in which we play. A multi-terabyte database is quite common just about anywhere these days; however, ten of them running four different data management platforms is rather common place within large web infrastructures.

Continuity

This is the real game changer. This is the mental paradigm shift that classical DBAs struggle with most. Try this on for size: "no maintenance windows." Okay, admittedly that is a stretch, but only a small stretch. How about 5 minutes of database downtime allowed every 4 weeks or, worse, every 52 weeks.

Coupled with this is daily (or more frequent) code rollout often times requiring database schema change, new triggers, and different replication dynamics.

The amount of seemingly ass-backwards engineering required to accomplish this feat is usually described as either: "excruciating pit of hell" or "fascinating enigma." (I think of it as both) What I do know is that I have seen some of the most profound data engineering creativity emerge from this insipid constraint.

Innovation

While noSQL is a fanatical movement that needs to be kept in check, the problems it addresses are real and [some of] the solutions promoted are good. Understanding when data better fits in a key-value store is something that the classically trained DBA struggles with. It's all about data management: Dynomite, CouchDB, Cassandra, Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL… they all have a sweet spot &emdash; know it.

Scope

The other interesting dynamic has less to do with data management and has more to due with the pace and culture of web companies. In traditional companies, roles are more disjointed; DBAs have a set of responsibilities that software engineers and system administrators do not have and those two groups have a set of responsibilities with which DBAs need not concern themselves. This "silo effect" spells absolute disaster for web companies.

The pace on the web is simply too fast (I often think it is a bit reckless, but that's another rant) to keep all the parts separate. An insufficient amount of time exists to define how one layer of an architecture will communicate with another layer. And while the layers meet at reasonable places most of the time, there are other places where the lines are blurred. These are the points in the architecture that stand to have the highest efficiency, but also are the hardest to troubleshoot; they require an organization of engineers that have no boundaries. In the case of a DBA… one that wants to look at the ORM code that builds the insanely awful SQL queries that beat the stuffing out of their database every second; one that is actually aware of the storage configuration and layer-2 fabric that sits behind the magical "remembering device" that the database commits things to all day long.

Beat you with a stick?

Around here, Robert Treat runs the show. The stick wielding and beatings are left to him (he a father of three, so I'm sure he's more than capable).

I guess the question is… are you up for the challenge? Are you a DBA who thinks their job is about more than just ACID? Are you a developer or an SA that has decided to make a shift and tackle the data management layer with a unique perspective? Are you interested in mind bending problems that arrive on your plate a bit too quick for anyone's comfort level? I hope so, because we need people like that!