Difference between D.B.A. and Oracle Developer

Key Difference: D.B.A. refers to a database administrator. He is mainly responsible for settings and management tasks related to a database. The maintenance, optimization, recovery, etc. are included in the profile of a database administrator. On the other hand, an Oracle developer is the one who has extensive knowledge of Oracle databases. He generally works on delivering applications/products using Oracle technologies.

Many people consider a database administrator (D.B.A.) and a database developer to be the same. It is true that both deal with databases. However, there are some important differences between them. A D.B.A. can be referred to as a controller and manager of the factors affecting the server in which the database is being hosted. A database administrator (D.B.A.) is the one who is basically responsible for managing the databases. He is immensely involved in administrative, maintenance, management of backups, performance tuning and recovery related tasks. To understand the role of a D.B.A., one must be familiar with the term ‘database’.

'A database is an organized collection of information. It supports storage as well as manipulation of data.'

A D.B.A. is mainly responisible for overall functioning of the databases. A D.B.A. must be well-familiar with structured Query Language and Database Management System. A D.B.A. is associated with the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of an organization's database. A D.B.A.’s role may also be extended to additional role requirements like planning, development and troubleshooting. A higher level of accuracy is expected from a D.B.A.

Oracle is considered to be one of the most complex and sophisticated databases. Thus, any profile related to an Oracle database needs a fine level of expertise. Oracle developer is the one who has extensive knowledge of Oracle databases. He generally works on delivering applications/products using Oracle technologies. He is usually assigned the task to create certain applications, and then helps to link them with the other applications. This is important to make the applications (old or new) compatible with the Oracle products. Thus, an Oracle developer must be well familiar with SQL, PL/SQL, and must have the ability to develop Internet applications using Form Builder and Report Builder. The Oracle developer may also be involved in designing GUI based oracle forms. He often develops front end applications and reporting applications. The applications systems developed by an Oracle developer needs to be deployed on an Oracle database.

Comparison between D.B.A. and Oracle Developer :

	D.B.A.	Oracle Developer
Full form	Database Administrator	-
Definition	A database administrator is the one who is basically responsible for managing databases. A D.B.A. is associated with the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of an organization's database.	Oracle developer is the one who has extensive knowledge of Oracle databases. He generally works on delivering applications/products using Oracle technologies.
Focus	Monitoring and maintenance	Development (coding)
Type of tasks	Streamlined	Wide Range
Duties	To establish the needs of users and to monitor user access related tasks. To secure the database. To monitor the performance and manage parameters to provide fast query responses to front-end users. To synchronize the conceptual design with the actual database. To enhance and refine the logical design of the database. To take care of the system storage requirements. To update the database by installing and testing new versions of the D.B.M.S. To prepare the documentation related to the database. To ensure the integrity of a database. To control access permissions and privileges. To develop and manage back-ups. To construct recovery plans.	Perform design and development of Oracle applications according to project requirements. Design, code, and maintain the Oracle systems so that they match with the established standards. Understand project requirements and develop design specifications. Perform initial design reviews and suggest improvements if required. Write clear codes and prepare various documentations like of coding, etc.. Provide technical assistance to other developers as needed. Analyze and troubleshoot system issues. It is very important to sort out the problems in a timely manner. Develop Oracle reports, database procedures and UNIX shell scripts. Modify existing codes to optimize Oracle applications. Assist in system integration and acceptance testing and fix the bugs. Train less experienced staffs on programming guidelines.
Database Environment	Works in production environment. This is the external customer-facing system.	Works in development and testing environments. These are internal non-customer facing systems.