DP-900 · 1 Describe core data concepts
Database administrator role
Exam objective: Describe responsibilities for database administrators
A database administrator keeps databases available, secure and recoverable. The role covers operations and protection, not building the data pipelines themselves.
A database administrator is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and day to day operation of database systems, whether they run on premises or in the cloud. That responsibility centers on keeping databases available and performing well.
Two tasks define the role. First, backup and recovery: working with stakeholders to put policies, tools and processes in place so data can be restored after a natural disaster or a human mistake. Second, security: granting or denying the privileges and access that users have over the data.
A database administrator is not the person who builds the pipelines that move data between systems, and is not the one who turns that data into reports. Those are a data engineer's and a data analyst's jobs.
Microsoft Learn also notes that AI tools increasingly help database administrators troubleshoot performance issues and draft queries from natural language, though the judgment and expertise the role requires still comes from the person.
On the exam, look for availability, backup and recovery, granting access or permissions tied to one specific database system.
Key points
- A database administrator designs, implements and maintains on-premises and cloud database systems, and owns their availability and performance.
- Backup and recovery planning is a core responsibility, so data can be restored after a disaster or a human error.
- A database administrator manages security: granting or denying user privileges and access to the data.
- AI tools can help a database administrator troubleshoot performance or draft a query from natural language, but the judgment behind the decision stays with the person.
Exam trap
A database administrator keeps the database running, secure and recoverable. Building the pipelines that move or transform data between systems is a data engineer's responsibility, not the database administrator's.
Check yourself
A company's sales database goes offline unexpectedly, and the last hour of data needs to be restored from a backup. Whose primary responsibility is this task?
Go deeper on Microsoft Learn
Checked against Microsoft Learn on October 1, 2026.