Ongoing and proactive management is critical to the security and performance of database management systems. Database administration is the function of managing the operational aspects of database systems and maintaining them. Database administrators work to ensure that applications make the most efficient use of databases and that physical resources are used adequately and efficiently. In this course, you will discover some of the activities, techniques, and best practices for managing a database. You will learn about configuring and upgrading database server software and related products. You will also learn about database security; how to implement user authentication, assign roles, and assign object-level permissions. You will also gain an understanding of how to perform backup and restore procedures in case of system failures. You will learn about how to optimize databases for performance, monitor databases, collect diagnostic data, and access error information to help you resolve issues that may occur. Many of these tasks are repetitive, so you will learn how to schedule maintenance activities and regular diagnostic tests and send automated messages of the success or failure of a task.