Profession database designer

Database designers design, test and implement databases applying knowledge of database management systems, guarding the protection and security of the database.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Conventional

Tasks database designer

• Design database structure (logical data model) to meet user requirements.
• Assess feasibility and costs of the database, e.g. by performing an ICT project study.
• Program databases in computer languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL).
• Provide data for the database.
• Test databases.
• Develop user interfaces, e.g. by programming Internet applications.
• Maintain and adapt existing databases according to new user requirements and following developments in programming techniques.
• Make reports from database data.

Related professions databases

• Database administrator (dba)
• Database or network professional, all other

Knowledge

• ICT security legislation

  The set of legislative rules that safeguards information technology, ICT networks and computer systems and legal consequences which result from their misuse. Regulated measures include firewalls, intrusion detection, anti-virus software and encryption.

• Database development tools

  The methodologies and tools used for creating logical and physical structure of databases, such as logical data structures, diagrams, modelling methodologies and entity-relationships.

• Information structure

  The type of infrastructure which defines the format of data: semi-structured, unstructured and structured.

• Web programming

  The programming paradigm that is based on combining markup (which adds context and structure to text) and other web programming code, such as AJAX, javascript and PHP, in order to carry out appropriate actions and visualise the content.

• Database management systems

  The tools for creating, updating and managing databases, such as Oracle, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server.

• Database

  The classification of databases, that includes their purpose, characteristics, terminology, models and use such as XML databases, document-oriented databases and full text databases.

• Resource description framework query language

  The query languages such as SPARQL which are used to retrieve and manipulate data stored in Resource Description Framework format (RDF).

• Systems development life-cycle

  The sequence of steps, such as planning, creating, testing and deploying and the models for the development and life-cycle management of a system.

• Query languages

  The field of standardised computer languages for retrieval of information from a database and of documents containing the needed information.

• Systems theory

  The principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all hierarchical levels, which describe the system's internal organisation, its mechanisms of maintaining identity and stability and achieving adaptation and self-regulation and its dependencies and interaction with the environment.

• Business process modelling

  The tools, methods and notations such as Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Business Process Execution Language (BPEL), used to describe and analyse the characteristics of a business process and model its further development.

Skills

• Apply ICT systems theory

  Implement principles of ICT systems theory in order to explain and document system characteristics that can be applied universally to other systems

• Design database scheme

  Draft a database scheme by following the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) rules in order to create a logically arranged group of objects such as tables, columns and processes.

• Use markup languages

  Utilise computer languages that are syntactically distinguishable from the text to add annotations to a document, specify layout and process types of documents such as HTML.

• Migrate existing data

  Apply migration and conversion methods for existing data, in order to transfer or convert data between formats, storage or computer systems.

• Assess ICT knowledge

  Evaluate the implicit mastery of skilled experts in an ICT system to make it explicit for further analysis and usage.

• Operate relational database management system

  Extract, store and verify information using database management systems based on the relational database model, which arranges data into tables of rows and columns, such as Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server and MySQL (Oracle Corporation).

• Manage standards for data exchange

  Set and maintain standards for transforming data from source schemas into the necessary data structure of a result schema.

• Define technical requirements

  Specify technical properties of goods, materials, methods, processes, services, systems, software and functionalities by identifying and responding to the particular needs that are to be satisfied according to customer requirements.

• Perform data analysis

  Collect data and statistics to test and evaluate in order to generate assertions and pattern predictions, with the aim of discovering useful information in a decision-making process.

• Manage database

  Apply database design schemes and models, define data dependencies, use query languages and database management systems (DBMS) to develop and manage databases.

• Create data sets

  Generate a collection of new or existing related data sets that are made up out of separate elements but can be manipulated as one unit.

• Create database diagrams

  Develop the database design models and diagrams which establish the structure of a database by using modelling software tools to be implemented in further processes.

• Write database documentation

  Develop documentation containing information about the database that is relevant to end users.

• Create software design

  Transpose a series of requirements into a clear and organised software design.

• Analyse business requirements

  Study clients' needs and expectations for a product or service in order to identify and resolve inconsistencies and possible disagreements of involved stakeholders.

• Develop automated migration methods

  Create automated transfer of ICT information between storage types, formats and systems to save human resources from performing the task manually.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB