Data ManagementData Management is a broad subject that comprises all the disciplines related to managing data as a resource, but is generally thought of as the process of managing data as a resource that is valuable to an organization or business. DAMA (the Data Management Association) states that data management is the process of developing data architectures, practices, and procedures dealing with data and then executing these aspects on a regular basis. There are many topics can fall under the heading of data management. Some of the more popular topics include data modeling, data warehousing, data movement, and data mining. However, data administration may be the subject most people think of as data management. Good database administration is crucial in data management. Every organization or enterprise needs database administrators that are responsible for the database(s). Database administrators are usually given the authority to do such tasks as managing the recoverability, integrity, security, availability, performance, and development. Testing and tech support are also common job responsibilities. Recoverability is usually defined as a way to store data as a back up and then test this back up to make sure that it is valid. Integrity means that data that is pulled for certain records or files are in fact valid and have high data integrity. Data integrity is extremely important when creating reports or in data analysis. If your data is not valid, your results are worthless, as is the database altogether. Proper data management prevents this. Data security is an essential task in data management. Database administrators are usually in charge of the giving clearance and access to certain databases or trees in an organization. In addition there is availability. Availability is making sure a database is up and running when it is needed. More up time is obviously a good thing. Finally, a database administrator is generally involved in database development. Database administrators should always try to push the envelope, trying to get more use out of the data and get better performance. This can include adding more powerful applications, hardware, and resources to the database structure. A database that is administered correctly is not only a sign of good database administrator, but it also means that all users will have a huge resource of data that is available. As you can see, proper data management and administration can be crucial to an enterprise's success. If you are having difficulty managing data you should research this topic. |