A database transformation is underway that some say threatens the long-term future of database administrators (DBAs). More and more enterprises are shifting from on-premises databases to multi-cloud and hybrid cloud solutions using database as a service (DBaaS), autonomous database cloud services or managed service provider models. In each case, cloud providers are automating their products with self-patching, self-healing and other features that are designed to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This has some people worried that the move to the cloud could put DBAs out of work.