- Industry: Government; Labor
- Number of terms: 77176
- Number of blossaries: 0
- Company Profile:
A professional who develops, coordinates implementation of, and tests plan to continue establishment data processing activities at off-site location in case of emergency, such as fire, at main site. Responsibilities include:
* Establishes priority of data processing activities according to importance to business.
* Determines hardware, software, data files, safe storage facilities, and other resources required.
* Develops plan to meet emergency data processing needs.
* Identifies personnel needed to implement plan.
* Presents plan to management and recommends means of obtaining required facilities, such as contracting with off-site vendor.
* Coordinates implementation of plan.
* Tests emergency data processing system, using computer and test data.
* Writes report to document test results and updates emergency recovery procedures.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who performs any combination of following duties to provide technical support to workers in information processing departments. Responsibilities include:
* Develops work goals and department projects.
* Assigns and coordinates work projects, such as converting to new hardware or software.
* Designates staff assignments, establishes work priorities, and evaluates cost and time requirements.
* Reviews completed projects or computer programs to ensure that goals are met and that programs are compatible with other programs already in use.
* Evaluates work load and capacity of computer system to determine feasibility of expanding or enhancing computer operations.
* Makes recommendations for improvements in computer system.
* Reviews and tests programs written by programmer-analyst or computer programmer to ensure that programs meet objectives and specifications.
* Consults with quality assurance analyst to ensure that program follows establishment standards.
* Modifies, tests, and corrects existing programs.
* Evaluates and tests vendor-supplied software packages for mainframe computer or microcomputers to determine compatibility with existing system, ease of use, and if software meets user needs.
* Enters commands into computer to place programs in production status.
* Inactivates, individually or in combination, each component of computer system, such as central processing unit, tape drives, and mainframe coolers.
* Tests computer system to determine criticality of component loss.
* Prioritizes importance of components and writes recommendations for recovering losses and using backup equipment.
* Assists user to resolve computer-related problems, such as inoperative hardware or software.
* Trains workers in use of new software or hardware.
* Reads technical journals or manuals and attends vendor seminars to learn about new computer hardware and software.
* Writes project reports and documentation for new or modified software and hardware.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who analyzes data processing requirements to plan data processing system that will provide system capabilities required for projected work loads, and plans layout and installation of new system or modification of existing system. Responsibilities include:
* Confers with data processing and project managers to obtain information on limitations and capabilities of existing system and capabilities required for data processing projects and projected work load.
* Evaluates factors such as number of departments serviced by data processing equipment, reporting formats required, volume of transactions, time requirements and cost constraints, and need for security and access restrictions to determine hardware configurations.
* Analyzes information to determine, recommend, and plan layout for type of computers and peripheral equipment, or modifications to existing equipment and system, that will provide capability for proposed project or work load, efficient operation, and effective use of allotted space.
* May enter data into computer terminal to store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
* May specify power supply requirements and configuration.
* May recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, and humidity in area of system installation.
* May specialize in one area of system application or in one type or make of equipment.
* May train users to use new or modified equipment.
* May monitor functioning of equipment to ensure system operates in conformance with specifications.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who evaluates and tests new or modified software programs and software development procedures used to verify that programs function according to user requirements and conform to establishment guidelines. Responsibilities include:
* Writes, revises, and verifies quality standards and test procedures for program design and product evaluation to attain quality of software economically and efficiently.
* Reviews new or modified program, including documentation, diagram, and flow chart, to determine if program will perform according to user request and conform to guidelines.
* Recommends program improvements or corrections to programmers.
* Reviews computer operating log to identify program processing errors.
* Enters instructions into computer to test program for validity of results, accuracy, reliability, and conformance to establishment standards.
* Observes computer monitor screen during program test to detect error codes or interruption of program and corrects errors.
* Identifies differences between establishment standards and user applications and suggests modifications to conform to standards.
* Sets up tests at request of user to locate and correct program operating error following installation of program.
* Conducts compatibility tests with vendor-provided programs.
* Monitors program performance after implementation to prevent reoccurrence of program operating problems and ensure efficiency of operation.
* Writes documentation to describe program evaluation, testing, and correction.
* May evaluate proposed software or software enhancement for feasibility.
* May develop utility program to test, track, and verify defects in software program.
* May write programs to create new procedures or modify existing procedures.
* May train software program users.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who regulates access to computer data files, monitors data file use, and updates computer security files. Responsibilities include:
* Enters commands into computer to allow access to computer system for employee who forgot password.
* Reads computer security files to determine whether denial of data access reported by employee is justified.
* Modifies security files to correct error, or explains that employee authorization does not permit access.
* Answers employee questions about computer security.
* Modifies security files to add new employees, delete former employees, and change employee name, following notice received from computer user departments and personnel office.
* Sends printouts listing employee data authorization to computer user departments to verify or correct information in security files.
* Reviews data use records and compares user names listed in records with employee authorization to ensure that all employees who accessed data files were entitled to do so.
* Deletes data access of unauthorized users, and for users who have not used data for specified time.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who coordinates physical changes to computer data bases; and codes, tests, and implements physical data base, applying knowledge of data base management system. Responsibilities include:
* Designs logical and physical data bases (data base design analyst ) or reviews description of changes to data base design to understand how changes to be made affect physical data base (how data is stored in terms of physical characteristics, such as location, amount of space, and access method).
* Establishes physical data base parameters.
* Codes data base descriptions and specifies identifiers of data base to data base management system or directs others in coding data base descriptions.
* Calculates optimum values for data base parameters, such as amount of computer memory to be used by data base, following manuals and using calculator.
* Specifies user access level for each segment of one or more data items, such as insert, replace, retrieve, or delete data.
* Specifies which users can access data bases and what data can be accessed by user.
* Tests and corrects errors, and refines changes to data base.
* Enters codes to create production data base.
* Selects and enters codes of utility program to monitor data base performance, such as distribution of records and amount of available memory.
* Directs programmers and analysts to make changes to data base management system.
* Reviews and corrects programs.
* Answers user questions.
* Confers with coworkers to determine impact of data base changes on other systems and staff cost for making changes to data base.
* Modifies data base programs to increase processing performance, referred to as performance tuning.
* Workers typically specialize in one or more types of data base management systems.
* May train users.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who designs logical and physical data bases and coordinates data base development as part of project team, applying knowledge of data base design standards and data base management system. Responsibilities include:
* Reviews project request describing data base user needs.
* Estimates time and cost required to accomplish project.
* Determines if project requires creating series of new programs or modifying existing programs that access data stored in data bases.
* Attends specification meeting with project team workers to determine scope and limitations of project.
* Reviews workflow chart developed by programmer-analyst to understand tasks computer will perform, such as updating records.
* Reviews procedures in data base management system manuals for making changes to data base, such as defining, creating, revising, and controlling data base.
* Revises company definition of data as defined in data dictionary (information about data, including name, description, source of data item, and key words for categorizing and searching for data item descriptions).
* Determines and enters changes to data dictionary descriptions, including type, structure, and intended use of data within system, using computer or assigns data entry work to programmer.
* Develops data model describing data elements and how they are used, following procedures and using pen and template or computer software.
* Creates description to enable programmer-analyst to understand how programs should access data.
* Writes description of how user accesses data, referred to as logical data base.
* Writes physical data base description, such as location, space requirements, and access method, to protect company data resources against unauthorized access and accidental destruction, according to computer industry standards and knowledge of data base management system.
* May specialize in adding, deleting, and modifying data items in data dictionary and be designated Data Dictionary Administrator.
* Workers typically specialize in one or more types of data base management systems.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who installs, modifies, and makes minor repairs to microcomputer hardware and software systems and provides technical assistance and training to system users. Responsibilities include:
* Inspects microcomputer equipment and reads order sheet listing user requirements to prepare microcomputer for delivery.
* Installs or assists service personnel in installation of hardware and peripheral components, such as monitors, keyboards, printers, and disk drives on user's premises, following design or installation specifications.
* Loads specified software packages, such as operating systems, word processing, or spreadsheet programs into computer.
* Enters commands and observes system functions to verify correct system operation.
* Instructs user in use of equipment, software, and manuals.
* Answers client's inquiries in person and via telephone concerning systems operation; diagnoses system hardware, software, and operator problems; and recommends or performs minor remedial actions to correct problems based on knowledge of system operation.
* Replaces defective or inadequate software packages.
* Refers major hardware problems to service personnel for correction.
* Attends technical conferences and seminars to keep abreast of new software and hardware product developments.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who conducts experiments or investigations in field-crop problems and develops new methods of growing crops to secure more efficient production, higher yield, and improved quality. Responsibilities include:
* Plans and carries out breeding studies at experiment stations or farms to develop and improve varieties of field crops, such as cotton, tobacco, or cereal with respect to characteristics, such as yield, quality, adaptation to specific soils or climates, and resistance to diseases and pests (plant breeder).
* Studies crop production to discover best methods of planting, cultivation, harvesting, and effects of various climatic conditions on crops.
* Develops methods for control of noxious weeds, crop diseases, and insect pests (plant pathologist).
* May specialize in specific field crop, group of field crops, or specific agronomic problem.
Industry:Professional careers
A professional who conducts research in selection, breeding, feeding, management, and marketing of beef and dual-purpose cattle, horses, mules, sheep, dogs, goats, and pet animals. Responsibilities include:
* Develops improved practices in feeding, housing, sanitation, and parasite and disease control.
* Controls breeding practices to improve strains of animals.
* May specialize in animal nutritional research and be designated Animal Nutritionist.
* May be designated according to animal specialty.
Industry:Professional careers
