Databases serve as a central repository for information that authorized programs or Web services can access, update, and modify. Database administrators are responsible for installing and maintaining these specialized software servers. Database administrators use database administrator tools to access, modify, and update database software and configurations.
A server is a piece of software that provides information to other pieces of software called clients in the world of computer programming. A server can run on its own computer and be accessed clients via the Internet or a local network. On the same machine as its client programs, a server can run as a background program. Database software acts as a server, listening on a specific port for connections from client programs requesting access to the data it stores.
The database administrator tools that professionals use to keep databases running are separate programs that are not included with the database software. These tools are used database administrators to issue commands that a specific piece of database software is programmed to recognize and respond to. Although the exact syntax for these commands varies depending on the database software, they can be used to perform the following tasks:
Adding and removing credentials that programs can use to access a database
Databases can be added to or removed from the server.
Individual tables can be added or removed from a database.
altering a table’s layout
individual data entries can be modified
These utility programs can be text-based terminal programs or have full graphical user interfaces. When using a text-based database administrator tool, the user must type out the entire syntax for each maintenance command. Users can set up commands clicking buttons and selecting different options in programs with a full graphical interface, and the program will then translate the action into the necessary syntax for a command to the database.
Database administrator software also includes software that allows you to log into a computer remotely and run system commands. When the administrator needs to update database software that runs on a machine without a computer monitor or graphical interface, these are required. To apply an update, an administrator must first stop the database server, which is similar to quitting a running application. A database administrator can use remote login software to connect to the computer where the database is running, stop the database server, update the software, and then restart the database software.