You’re a database administrator with a big project on the horizon. What’s the best way to prepare?

Assessing every single requirement for the system is the most important part of such project. that's the moment you need to define : concurent users, data set size, data access patterns, read & write SLA, HA policy, archiving needs, backup & restore strategies, observability needs and much more. all the rest will just trickle down from this step.

Start by researching and defining the scope of the project to make sure that you are aware of any possible issues or risks before beginning work on it. This will help you better plan for resources and timeline for completion. Use a Doc to list out research points, such as desired outcomes, risks or other factors that could affect progress of the project.

Preparing for a big project as a database administrator involves several key steps. Here are some tips to help you get ready: * Understand the Project Requirements: * Clearly define the goals and requirements of the project. * Understand the scope, expected outcomes, and any specific challenges. * Evaluate Existing Infrastructure: * Assess the current state of your database infrastructure. * Identify any bottlenecks, performance issues, or areas that need improvement. * Review Data Models: * Examine the data models relevant to the project. * Ensure they align with the project requirements and are optimized for performance. * Backup and Recovery Planning: * Develop a robust backup and recovery plan.

Preparing for a big project as a database administrator requires careful planning and consideration of several key factors. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you prepare effectively: * Understand the Project Requirements: * Assess Current Infrastructure: * Choose the Right Database Technology: * Plan for Data Migration: * Ensure Data Security and Compliance: * Optimize Performance: * Implement Disaster Recovery and Backup Solutions: * Train Staff: * Monitor and Maintain the Database: * Document Everything: Document all aspects of the database environment, including configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting steps. This documentation will serve as a valuable resource for future reference and training.

The best way to attain a scope that matches both the user requirements and the practicality of the creation is not to allow the business to blindly create a "Wish List". You as the admin of the system to come need to have a measure of guiding control on its creation. This will enable the best alignment of the Desired "Wish List" and Practical and Efficient creation.

Plan, plan, plan. Make a Visio drawing, gather requirements from administration and development teams. Plan hardware and licensing requirements. Ensure a high-availability setup that meets RTO and RPO objectives. Implement a plan for patching and scheduled downtime. Communicate effectively these concepts with project stakeholders to maximize the value of the services that your architecture will provide. Planning is key, an hour of strategic planning could save you weeks of unnecessary backpedaling during project implementation.

Now that you have an idea of what is required, it's time to start gathering the necessary resources to get your project off the ground. This includes people, software/tools, technology infrastructure, etc. List out all resources needed in a task so nothing is overlooked during your planning phase.

Getting the architecture design right at the initial stage cannot be understated. Designing database systems to be easily scalable, with little to no downtime, having the right architecture for Redundancy that will help achieve the goals of RTO and RPO, appropriate backup plans that will have the minimal impact on the DB environment, appropriate sizing of host OS servers, that will be able to handle the expected workload, etc. These are some basic yet very important factors /check boxes that must be correctly and unbiasedly checked.

Do those database architect type activities including what data is to be stored, how the data relates, and who (what) will consume the data. Define what is to be in this iteration and get stakeholders to agree to what is/will be included so a change management process can be defined and scope-creep can be kept to a minimum. For OLTP type systems, data duplication should be kept to a minimum. For reporting, some data may need to be repeated for speed. An Entity Relationship Diagram could also be used for nth-normal form use cases. Constraints and other checks are also included in the architecture. The decision about data validation rules should be defined at this stage. Consideration of data types should be carefully selected.

Efficient DBA preparation for big projects demands strategic planning across data lifecycle stages: creation, storage, usage, sharing, archiving, and destruction. This lifecycle guides the physical database design and architecture, influencing data storage formats, redundancy mechanisms, and access strategies. Key strategies like table partitioning and sharding are critical, enabling scalable and efficient data management. Partitioning divides tables into manageable parts, while sharding distributes data across multiple servers, both enhancing performance and query speed as the project scales. These approaches ensure flexible, resilient database architectures capable of evolving with the project's needs. #DataLifecycle #DatabaseArchitecture

Definitely get involved early. On top of that explore multiple architectures and understand the pros and cons of each. A first attempt sometimes runs into road blocks or unforeseen requirements. Not having alternate options can results in "powering through" with a sub-optimal design.

Definitely shard your database in advance. Make sure that the application code has separate configuration endpoints for reads and writes. Make sure that your database does not become the beating heart of the infrastructure. It creates a culture of paranoia which causes extreme conflicts regarding operational upkeep of the database and the compute nodes that it is running on. Make sure that you minimize JOIN statement utilization as they are still single threaded.

Consider potential risks (including technological ones) involved with your project beforehand so that if any issues arise during implementation—you already have a plan prepared! For example: Documenting backup & recovery plans ahead of time could be extremely beneficial & helpful if something were to go wrong during implementation. Create recurring tasks with reminders & assignees responsible for monitoring & managing any potential risks at designated intervals throughout your project lifecycle.

User test and acceptance is important to ensure no part of the original business requirements were not left out or not accounted for in another iteration. Quality Control should also be taken into consideration during this phase of your project. The previous section should also be used as a pre-user-test type scenario.

Document, Document, and Document! Maintain a copy of the Scope, with explanations of all the components that were included (and separately all that were not and why). Full data flow diagrams showing what processes have been included and how they all relate to one another (and back to the scope) Full table layouts, document the fields, their names, and their types. Form layouts, including the fields related back to the tables they reside in. Embedded functions, including code (all with commentary in). Basically you are charged with recording all aspects of the system so that in a number of years time someone with no previous experience shall be able to fully understand the system and everything held within it.

Consider the costs. It’s very important to always have a budget for your project. The opex and capex needs to be considered while finalizing your project plans and defining your goals.