Will automated DB kill the DBA position?

Autonomous Database may have database admins worried, but it shouldn’t. The DBA role in an automated world will change, but it won’t be eliminated.

A decade ago the rise of cloud computing took hardware management away from DBAs, leaving many worried about the future of DBAs in the era of visualized servers.

Now in 2020 there’s another database automation tool worrying DBAs: Oracle’s Autonomous Database. Unlike traditional databases, the Oracle Autonomous Database takes care of most mundane tasks, and even some of the more complicated ones, all on its own, taking yet another batch of responsibilities away from DBAs.

At first glance it makes sense for DBAs to be worried about autonomous databases: What would their role be in a world where databases manage themselves? There’s more to it than that, and DBAs need not be concerned about the loss of their positions.That doesn’t mean DBAs should rest on the laurels of their current skill set. The era of automation we’re entering will make the DBA role very different.

What database automation will do ???

Oracle is the first database company to release an automated product, but it most certainly won’t be the last. Since Oracle’s approach to database automation is the only model we have to go on, that’s how I’ll be approaching the general idea of database automation.

Oracle’s Autonomous Database “eliminates complexity, human error, and manual management, helping to ensure higher reliability, security, and more operational efficiency at the lowest cost”

Oracle breaks its database automation into three areas:

• Self-driving : which means the database itself handles patching, upgrades, and tuning while the database is running, and without the need for any human intervention.
• Self-securing : databases take care of all their own security needs. They automatically encrypt data, handle security updates without the need for downtime, and protect against external and internal attacks.
• Self-repairing : means that the database will “automatically detect and apply corrective actions to ensure nonstop access to your data.” It also uses Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) and cross-region Oracle Active Data Guard to increase up-time and smooth repairs.

DBAs take note: Nowhere in Oracle’s description of its Autonomous Database does it mention human administrators becoming obsolete.

Lets Dance

What DBAs should do to prepare for the automated future of databases

Like it or not, the role of the DBA is changing, and qualified DBAs who want to maintain or advance their positions will need to work on some new skills.

“A data administrator isn’t just keeping data in a database, but understands the importance of that data to key business stakeholders and in driving the business forward.”

Learning more about how to turn managed data into actionable items is essential for future DBAs working inside an automated environment: That database is going to handle all the mundane work on its own, so be prepared to have more free time to experiment, explore, and analyze.

RIP to Autonomous DB and respect to our DBAs