Action research on SQL development

In this iteration, there is an explanation of the training in regard to the SQL development tools in involvement that took place during my first week of internship in Amphion Global Inc. I would have involvement in the SQL Developer tool present in Oracle 11g database to create tables, database connection, querying data, running and creating reports, and debugging SQL.

Plan

I arrived early in the morning in the premises of Amphion Global Inc. In my orientation iteration which was the first one, I had information on how the training session would take place and I was prepared for it. The early information helped to prepare for the training on SQL development environment particularly with the SQL developer tool so that I had know-how before the actual training day. I had an opportunity to go to the website of the company so as to familiarize myself with the SQL development environment including having interaction with SQL developers in the company. The training would be under the supervision of the assistant SQL developer, Mr. Kim. I met with Mr. Kim and he explained to me what I would expect that day concerning my training session.

Mr. Kim also explained to me the rules of the organization regarding the requirements of the SQL developers and how I had to behave during my internship period in Amphion Global Inc. He helped me understand how the internship was vital as SQL is in deployment in the many of today’s databases and mobile apps, including many other areas where it is useful. He gave me a schedule of the day’s activities so that it would help me to follow the areas of the training and see where I needed to pay much attention. I planned to concentrate in this session of the training on SQL development as it would determine the rest of my stay in the company. I would make sure that I grasp all the concepts from my trainers and make the necessary inquiries so as better to understand my roles and responsibilities in the company as an SQL developer intern.

Action

The developer guided me to the room where the training was to take place. He began by telling me the basics of the SQL programming language and asked me some questions to assess how deep I understood about this language. SQL is a very essential language useful to developers who wish to create data driven websites (S. Jennifer, Personal communications, February 05, 2015). He guided me through the basics of the SQL database server and the application areas of the SQL programming language. He trained me on how to create a database in SQL through the coding process. He trained me on how to write a secure code and the importance of making the system secure as well as ensuring the security of the database.

 He taught me how information is very crucial for any organization and its loss will culminate to the company losing a lot of funds. He took me through the various DBMSs and how to ensure the security of the SQL code in those DBMSs. He taught me about the escaping of parameters in PHP with MySQL server through the use of the mysql_real_escape_string. He guided me on how to make joins between tables of a database and the requirements of businesses. He taught me on how to write more complex queries so as to satisfy business needs. He trained me on the types of table joins the left outer join, full outer join, and the right outer join.

He also taught me about the self-join and how to select the most appropriate type of join for a given situation. He also guided me through the various data types which in the different DBMSs; MySQL data types, SQL Server Data Types, and Oracle Data Types. He taught me how to write compliant codes that are in line with the ANSI standards so as to ensure maintainability and cross-platform standardization. He also taught about the normalization of databases, that is, the first standard form, the second normal form, and the third normal form, yup to the fifth normal form.

He taught on how to qualify my database object names especially when working with databases that are larger and those used by multiple users. I also learned about indexing and its importance of speeding database table operations. He helped me understand how to use database permissions and how to control the access to databases by setting roles and permissions. I learned from the developer how to choose the best DBMS solution for the particular project as each of the DBMSs have their limitations. After the training session, the developer responsible for training me gave me an assignment so as assess my understanding of the concepts taught during the session.

Observation

I learned many things that were helpful to me in regard to SQL development. I observed that SQL is in deployment in many database management systems such as MySQL, Oracle and SQL server. I also noted that one needed to have knowledge of the SQL coding for them to be active in SQL development. I realized that a lot is in the requirement for any SQL developer as they have to work towards meeting the business needs. Also, the rules of coding must be duly followed as well as the ANSI standards so as to ensure that databases but is scalable and that they are platform independent. I also observed that the session went on as planned and nothing was left out as per the schedule of the session.

Reflection

Everything went on as planned and the session did not lag behind schedule. The training was very enriching with insight and it helped grasp the concepts that I did not have before. The session however took a short time and I would recommend that there be more time allotted for the training session. The various employees I interacted with were helpful as my interaction with them helped understand some of the requirements as an SQKL developer intern. The assistant developer was also very friendly as he was willing to assist me where I did not understand. The session had helped me to achieve my goals that I had before and the research that I did ahead of the session make me know the areas that IO needed to pay more attention. With this profound knowledge, I had the confidence to perform my tasks with expertise in the rest of the iterations.

Iteration 3: Reviewing and gathering business requirements

The session entailed the gathering of business requirements for the project assignment that I was in involvement during the period of internship in Amphion Global Inc. The project was about the development of SQL database and website that would support business functions for and online selling and buying of goods and services (J. Brandon, Personal Communications, February 20, 2015). I would gather the requirements that would help shed light on the users’ needs with regard to an online platform for selling and buying of goods and services.

Plan

I was to be guided by one of the project team members, Ms. Jacob so as to gather the required information that would have analysis later by the team members. I was to interact by the various cadres of the organization and the users in the marketplace. I was also to interact with other company CEOs who have deployed this kind of technology, as well as database administrators because the project also entailed coding development of databases. I was to use the various data gathering techniques that would help me gather profound and complete data in all areas of the project for analysis.

The team member explained do me the rules to observe while I was going to gather the requirements and she also explained to me how to structure the questions and to utilize the other techniques. She also gave me the schedule on how to go so as to ensure that I finished the task within the scheduled time. She insisted on the importance of that phase and assisted me know how to behave before the various people that I would meet with to gather data from them.

Action

I designed the questionnaires as per the guideline of the team member that was to be my supervisor in this session. I first of all began with the database administrators of the company and I used the observation, interview questions as well as the questionnaire to gather the required data from them. They explained to me on the requirements for such a project especially in the area of database development. In this case, the interview bore much fruit that the other methods as it was the most appropriate method for c collecting requirements for the development and coding of the project.

I also interacted with other members of the team as they had some experiences with the many projects they had been in involvement in. They helped shed light on the areas of the project and how what I needed to include so that I got more information from users. I went to the various clients that the company provided consultant services to. I visited the various CEOs of the various companies like Amazon and other companies that used the online platform for buying and selling of goods and service. The various stakeholders of those companies helped me also to understand more on what to expect from an online platform for carrying out business.

I interacted with users so as to know which kind of interface that would be most captivating for the users. Where the interview failed, I used the other methods and if any of them did not work well I had to deploy a better techniques to aid in carrying out the project with all crucial information in hand. I did consolation from my supervisor before completing any task. After I had gathered all the information on the requirements, I formulated reports that would help show how the process was carried out. That was vital so as to determine the areas that required more in-depth research so that a repeat of the scheme would be put to use in case the team recommended so.

Observation

I observed that the requirements gathering had to cover many areas of the development project. The other stakeholders from whom I was to collect data were quite busy and this would not get enough information from them, causing me to find alternatives o achieve the same. Something that I also observed was the application of various data collection methods in order o find what was in the requirement. I had to utilize every technique for me to get all information. I interacted with the various documents in soft copy and hard copy and that was vital in understanding how to deploy a site that would support a variety of reports. I observed that the requirements gathering process was accorded some quality of time as it entailed much on the broad capabilities in the need for the project assignment.

I observed that every activity in the company took place on a tight schedule and there was no activity to lag behind the schedule as that would be questionable by the relevant authority. I observed that a real structure of the interview questions helped me gather the necessary data from the people that I interacted with. I realized that I had to apply my judgment in case the situation demanded, or to do a generalization if I did not get enough sample size to make a comparison. I also observed that in case I did not have enough time in the field, I had to utilize the Internet in acquiring the additional information from the similar projects done by other scholars. Though some people were unwilling to provide the necessary information may be because of their failure to understand the topic clearly, I managed to gather all required data.

Reflection

The requirements gathering phase went out as required. Through this iteration, I refreshed my understanding n the various techniques of data collection and the way to create reports from the data collected. It helped know how to interact with the various people at different levels if authority and diverse experiences. I discovered that as an intern in the field of SQL development, I needed not only to have coding skills, but also to have data collection and data analysis skills. The team member that was helping me during this iteration was most of the type away and thus unable to provide help when I needed her most. The tight schedule helped to have experience on how to work under pressure with minimum supervision but concurrently concentrated on the delivery of quality results. The rules explanation and the explanation on the code of conduct for the process of requirements gathering by Ms. Jacob actually helped achieve the best out of the process. Through the reports that I created, I came to realize that every task that I carry out, there should be the creation of reports so that they would be useful in understanding areas for improvement.

Iteration 4: Backup and Recovery

In this iteration, there is an explanation of the backup of databases and information as an SQL developer. The various methods of backup also had an explanation and the way to choose the most appropriate backup type for a particular task. I was to work with the system administrators in order to make this useful.

Plan

I met with the system administrators and they explained to me on the responsibility of backing up and how often the backup takes place so as to prepare for crises. They emphasized on the importance of backup data for the company and the regular updating of the backups with the reasons for carrying out those regular backups. They insisted to me on the essence of that iteration to my internship period in Amphion Global Inc as well as in my future career as an SQL developer. That was because, as an SQL developer, o would be working on databases as part of my responsibility. They explained to me why they were responsible for carrying out the disaster planning and the recovery processes.

They gave me incidents that had occurred in the past and how they carried out the recovery and through that I planned to have active participation in this process so that I would learn more from these experts. I had not been in any involvement in the past of such a task so this iteration would give me a lot of insights. They showed me the disaster plan and the recovery plans that they had been using and it had been going through updates so as to accommodate new changes due to the number of disasters that come up each day.

They explained to me the types of failure to prepare including human errors, natural disasters, virus and malware and other types of incidents. They explained to be the rules under which they worked as required by the company and the state and any ignorance of those regulations and standards was a punishable offense. The team was the one that had one of the most critical roles of dealing with mission critical data as information for companies were very vital.

Action

We acquired all the files and the data that were to undergo the backups and we ensured that we made a rough sketch of the steps to carry out in achieving proper backup for the data. The data backup and recovery rough sketch was to help me understand how the task occurs as they had the prior knowledge themselves and did not have the need even to write down the plan. We went through the data from each department and did the backup one by one for the period that had not undergone the backing up since the last backup. They carried out the different types of backup to make me understand how those backups take places, such as the normal backup, the differential backup, and the incremental and daily backups.

The most important was to perform the full backups and on a weekly basis and supplement them with regular backups. I learned on how to select the backup devices and media that ha high capacity is reliable expandable, high in speed and cost efficient. They helped me to understand the backup solutions such as the tape drives, digital audio tapes, autoloader tape systems, magnetic, optical drives, tape jukeboxes, removable disks and disk drives. They explained to me on the differences between those backup solutions in terms of their capacity, reliability, extensibility, cost, and speed.

They guided me ion how to access the backup utility in Windows and the general backup options with the backup utility. I learned how to do the backup of files without utilizing the wizard and that occurred manually through some few steps. They told me how to recover data using the restore wizard and the restore tab. We also carried out the manual restore step by step without utilizing the wizard. I learned how to carry out authoritative and non-authoritative restore in restoring the active directory.

Observation

I observed that the backup and restore process was an involving one that required much attention and a working plan to be in place. I observed that the rules in the process were very vital to follow and any violation of the rules and regulations regarding that was a punishable offense regardless of which position you held in the company. I learned that the company had significant data centers that were for the backup of the company data and system information. The sites were offline and away from the company’s premises and nobody would just go there without authorization. I observed that many at times the backup and recovery team would work overtime and in weekends because sometimes their tasks involved carrying them outside the regular business hours.

I observed that they duly followed the schedule for weekly full backups supplemented with daily backups and it was a must that they followed that requirement. I observed that they were responsible for monitoring the processes that went out in all departments so as to plan for the backup process more effectively. They were also responsible for doing capacity planning in case the network was experiencing downtime. The team was very vigilant as pertains to the computer security incident planning and they had plans, response procedures and policies in pace to take of that. They were also very vigilant concerning any information on the likelihood of an event occurring that would compromise the security of data.

Reflection

The iteration enriched me with the knowledge I desired to have in the light of my role and responsibilities as an SQL developer during the internship period and later in life. They helped me to comprehend how vital the data backup and recovery process is for any company. Working with the team members responsible for the data backup and recovery was very imperative as from them I learned how to work with and in a team. They helped me understand how to make plans and ensure that I achieved those plans in all my responsibilities in the future, either in live or in the line of my profession. The session aided in comprehending how to carry out the different types of backups and the process to follow in carrying out the restore process in the event of a disaster.

The session took a long time, but it was necessary as it helped me to grasp every concept in regard to the data backup and recovery from the planning stage to the final step of plan implementation. All the employees of the company worked as a team to achieve the common goals, the mission and vision of the company. They had good organization and everything took place in good time according to the laid down regulations and the quality standards in the organization.

There was the boosting of employee morale for work through proper incentives that were available and the extra payments for the working overtime. I, however, suggest that there be also motivation for the interns so that their morale for working would be boosted. That is because of the interns worked the same way the employees of the company worked and they were as well involved in the working of overtime but with no any incentives.

Iteration 5: Testing and analysis

Plan

I met with the project team members that were responsible for the analysis of the data gathered and they made the plans on how the analysis process would take place on the requirements. They elaborated on their mandate and the responsibility vested in them in foreseeing the project timeline and the objectives of all projects for Amphion Inc. They were to meet before the project development commenced so that they would carry out brainstorming on the project requirements and carry out the feasibility study of the project requirements before the actual coding took place.

During the brainstorming session, they would share ideas on how to go in carrying out the analysis of the data and through that the diverse opinions would help to find out the best way to go. They were to divide the work amongst the various subgroups and each group would be responsible for carrying out their tasks and making reports after they finish their chore. The reports would have the viewing of the review team who would give a go ahead I case the analysis took place on the right or recommend for further analysis in case it did not go as required. In this phase, I would have minimal participation, but I would be welcome to ask questions and make the necessary inquiries so that I may not left out of the game entirely.

Action

Te team carried out the brainstorming and shared ideas on the process of the impending requirements analysis and this was vital. There were diverse opinions brought to the table and the various views helped in finding the most appropriate way to go because they would not go by everybody’s opinion. They determined the plan and the schedule of how the analysis process would take place and the responsibility and deliverable of each team sub-team members. They subdivided the team members and each team was responsible for handling a given section of the data so that the work would go as planned in the schedule. They grouped the data according to its relations and the requirements so that each group would be responsible for analyzing related data without any confusion.

The team in which I was involved in had their mandate as other teams to analyze and interpret the data so that they would describe it and summarize it. After they had summarized the data, they had to identify any relationships between data variables as well as compare the variables. They would also determine the variations in the variables and forecast the outcomes of the user requirements from the findings. They used the quantitative analysis of the data analysis as it is the most accurate type of data analysis.

They organized the data and used the SPSS because the use of the computer to analyze the data would be much faster and easy to go. After the team, finished analyzing the data, they interpreted the data using the various form as of data interpretation. They made the recommendations on the findings as after every analysis there must be a recommendations and assumptions to be made. After all the teams had finished their work, they met to harmonize the data and make necessary recommendations for the review process. They made reports that would go to the review team for studying before they gave the go ahead for the progress of the project development.

Observation

I observed that the team was working in harmony towards achieving the objectives of their tasks in involvement, and, in this case, the data analysis. Everybody well understood their duties and responsibilities and they worked hard so that they would complete everything required of them in light of the schedule. The aging behind schedule was punishable and it was not allowed as the teams members themselves were the ones involved in setting their goals and the plan which they would follow. I observed that the brainstorming session was very vital as trough the same the team members understood more what was required of the team and the diverse ideas aided in making perfect plans for the best outcome. I observed that if the analysis did not go well, then the subsequent steps of the SDLC would not take place in the right way and the project would fail utterly. They had to make assumptions about the data and the assumptions were in line with the project requirements done to the best of their knowledge and skills in the field.

I learned that many of them had more than ten years of experience in the project development process and because of that they did not have much problem in carrying out any task. They worked on tight schedules and they seemed to enjoy the going because they were used to it. They knew that by working under the tight schedule would inculcate the virtue of self-discipline in them that was crucial not only in their line of company duties, but also in their daily lifestyles. I observed that they were the team that was vested with the responsibility of quality assurance in the company. They were to work with external auditors to achieve that. The meeting together of the teams after each completed their work helped to harmonize the analyzed data and integrate it accordingly. They worked together in unity and they were able to complete everything as required before they presented the analyzed data to the review team. I observed that the review team was the people to make the final recommendations before any step in the project development process.

Reflection

Most of the tasks went well in this phase although would have been some others that did not go well according to me. The team was well coordinated and there were no conflicts as each team member understood clearly their responsibility and they carried them out without complaining. The management was friendly to the employees of the company and that encouraged the employees to carry out their duties as required even if they were to work overtime. The management was also available for consultation in case of any issue and they responded forthwith to any information. There were added wages in case the employees worked for more time especially outside the office working hours. However, the review process took a long time to be accomplished because of the team working together for the whole process. I suggest that the review team should subdivide the tasks so that they will curtail that problem.

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