Database Engineer

Definition

Database Engineer

the specialized engineer role that is played when a person when designing, implementing, and installing one or more databases

Classification

As illustrated in the preceding figure, Database Engineer is part of the following inheritance hierarchy:

• Type: Concrete
• Superclass: Engineer
• Subclasses:
  • None

Responsibilities

The typical role-specific responsibilities of a Database Engineer are to:

• Review and understand relevant:
  • Requirements specifications.
  • Architecture documents.
  • Conventions.
  • Vendor database management documentation.
• Produce the physical database models and schemas from the logical database models.
• Implement the physical production databases.
• Test and fix defects in the physical production databases.
• Determine the optimum values of the physical data base parameters (e.g., amount of computer memory to be used) based on the database management system documentation.
• Input the data base identifiers, descriptions, and parameters into the database management system(s).
• Input user authorizations:
  • Which users can access which databases.
  • Which users can access which data in the databases.
  • User access level for that data (e.g., create, read, update, delete).
• Initially tune the database code to optimize database performance.
• Produce the database layer of software components (e.g., database wrappers, stored procedures).
• Produce database loading and batch-processing routines.
• Produce the database-related contents of the following deployment and operations documentation:
  • Database Design Document
  • Data Dictionary
  • Installation Manual
  • Operations Manual
• Take part in the design evaluations.

Database engineers typically inherit common role responsibilities from the role method component.

Personal Profile

To fulfill these responsibilities, database engineers should typically have the following personal characteristics, expertise, training, and experience:

Personal Characteristics

Database engineers should typically have the following personal characteristics:

• Strong analytical problem solving skills.
• Able to comfortably multitask (i.e., perform multiple database design and implementation tasks concurrently).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and thus able to explain and document the database-related contents of the deployment and operations documentation its diverse audiences.

Expertise

Database engineers should typically have the following expertise:

• Expert practical knowledge of:
  • Database design and implementation tasks, techniques, and tools.
  • Physical data modeling.
  • Database modeling tools.
  • The relevant database management systems.
  • The associated data definition, data manipulation, and database query languages (e.g., SQL, OSQL, JDBC, ODBC).
  • The programming languages for producing database wrappers and stored procedures.
  • The database design and implementation standards and guidelines.
• Solid practical knowledge of:
  • Logical data modeling.
  • The theory, practice, and tools of database management.
  • The major reusable persistence mechanisms and patterns.
  • Database security mechanisms.
  • The theory, practice, and tools of software engineering.
• Basic practical knowledge of the:
  • Application domain.
  • Business enterprise of the customer’s organization.
  • Integration and database testing theory, practice, and tools.
  • Configuration identification, configuration control, and associated configuration management tools.

Training

Database engineers should typically have the following training:

• A bachelor’s degree or better in software or systems engineering, computer science, or the equivalent.
• Vendor certifications in the relevant database management systems (e.g., ORACLE certification).
• Practical hands-on training in:
  • The project process, especially in terms of relevant tasks, techniques, and work products.
  • Data modeling concepts, diagrams, and tools.
  • Database management systems (e.g., relational and object databases and their vendors).
  • Data warehousing concepts and techniques.
• Reads books, technical journals, and conference proceedings on database design, implementation, and testing.

Experience

Database engineers should typically have the following experience:

• A minimum of 1-2 year’s experience successfully designing and implementing data and software components during similar endeavors.

Tasks

Database engineers typically perform the following role-specific tasks in an iterative, incremental, parallel, and time-boxed manner:

• Database Design including database wrappers and stored procedures:
  • Design Production (e.g., database schemas)
  • Design Refactoring
  • Design Reuse
  • Design Documentation (database design document)
• Implementation including database wrappers, stored procedures, and legacy data conversion:
  • Data Conversion
  • Data Generation
  • Programming
  • Debugging
• Quality Engineering:
  • Quality Control - Design Evaluation.
    Inspect the database design work products:
    • Database Design Document.
    • Software Component.

Database Engineer typically inherits common role tasks from the role method component.

Teams

Database Engineers typically perform these tasks as members of the following teams:

• Database Team
• Database Evaluation

Work Products

As members of these teams, database engineers typically produce the following work products:

• Design Work Products:
  • Database Design Document
• Implementation Work Products:
  • Data Components (converted from legacy databases)
  • Software Components (Database Layer)
• Quality Work Products:
  • Inspection Report
  • Inspection Summary Report

Guidelines

• On smaller projects and in smaller organizations, the same person often plays the database architect, database engineer, and the database administrator roles.
• This role is not needed on endeavors that do not involve databases.
• This role typically inherits the common team guidelines from the roles method component.