Who "Owns" the Database?

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Who "Owns" the Database?

dbaforever

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April 7, 2010 at 6:56 pm

#143916

hi everyone,
I have heard the term "owner" many times in describing a database.
As a DBA, I consider myself to be the owner - not of the data (I think the business users own the data) but the DBA manages the database, ensures it's availability etc.
I would like to hear your opinions or what ownership means at your company. is the Line of Business manager the owner of the database?
Who owns the user databases and what does that mean to you?
Thanks, John

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004406 More actions · Answer 1

The "users" own the data but you must assume ownership enough to protect the data even from them. Heh... Perhaps a small poem I heard a long time ago will summarize it the best. I call it "The Conductor's Poem"...

It's not my job to drive the train,

Nor even ring the bell,

But let the damned thing jump the track,

And watch who catches hell! --Author Unknown

The bottom line is... protect the data, protect the server, and protect the users.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Paul White SSC Guru Points: 150468 More actions · Answer 2

SELECT D.name, P.name

FROM sys.databases D

JOIN sys.server_principals P

ON P.sid = D.owner_sid

ORDER BY

D.name ASC;

:w00t:

Actually, I prefer to think of the database person as a custodian, rather than 'owner'.

Others may prefer the term 'babysitter'...

Paul White
All articles available on SQL.kiwi
@SQL_Kiwi

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 3

I like to consider the dba to be the owner of the database and the environment related to the database (i.e. server). The data in the database is owned by the business, for which the dba is the gatekeeper (dba's neck is on the line afterall).

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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