Database Administration

Question 1

What is the role of a database administrator?

Answer 1

1. Management of user accounts
2. Security
3. Management of database instances
4. Space allocation
   
   • File system
   • Within the database: Quotas and tables
5. Backups

Question 2

What is an example of a deliberate Human Security threat?

Answer 2

Abuse of privilege Spoofing

Question 3

What is an example of an accidental Human Security threat?

Answer 3

Operational error

Question 4

What are examples of deliberate Software Security threats?

Answer 4

1. SQL injection
   2 
Database rootkit
2. 
Denial of Service

3. Worms/viruses

Question 5

What is an example of an accidental Human Security threat?

Answer 5

Incompatibility

Question 6

What is an example of a deliberate Hardware Security threat?

Answer 6

Sabotage

Question 7

What are examples of accidental Hardware Security threats?

Answer 7

1 . Power failure


2. Disk failure

Question 8

What is an example of a deliberate Environmental Security threat?

Answer 8

Terrorist attack

Question 9

What is an example of an accidental Environmental Security threat?

Answer 9

Natural disaster

Question 10

What are the 4 stages in relation to Security Threats?

Answer 10

1. Planning
2. Prevention
3. Detection
4. Recovery

Question 11

What is Authentication?

Answer 11

Establishing identity – usually by means of shared codes eg passwords

Question 12

What is Authorisation?

Answer 12

Giving permission to carry out certain actions.

Question 13

What does the statement ‘GRANT CREATE SESSION TO bob;’ do?

Answer 13

Allow the user bob to start a session with the database

Question 14

What does the statement ‘GRANT DROP USER TO bob;

‘ do?

Answer 14

Allow the user bob to drop user accounts

Question 15

What does the statement REVOKE CREATE TRIGGER FROM bob; do?

Answer 15

Remove the ability to create triggers from user bob

Question 16

GRANT CONNECT to bob IDENTIFIED BY b0b123;

Answer 16

Change Bob’s password

Question 17

What level does GRANT and REVOKE operate at?

Answer 17

The level of the object.

Question 18

What do full backups consist of?

Answer 18

1. Long time required
2. Very large
3. Cost of offsite storage (per Gb?)

Question 19

What do Incremental backups consist of?

Answer 19

1. Shorter time
2. Smaller
3. Restoring database requires multiple steps

Question 20

What is a transaction log?

Answer 20

Contains a record of all transactions since last backup

Question 21

What considerations have to be made before carrying out a backup?

Answer 21

1. Time to create
2. System availability
3. Cost
4. Time to recover