SQLServerPedia Syndication
Mike’s Rule: Know Thy Data
At my former employer, I was hired to do database application support. I spent my first two weeks working with Debbie, our trainer and business analyst. I learned all about our project management system and met the key players. In retrospect, that was one one of the best things I’ve done in my career. It [...]
The Where’s Waldo of Red Flags
Not that I’m actively looking for a new job, but I like to look at my options once in a while.
I came across this posting on Craig’s List, and it’s looks incredibly fishy.
As a DBA, we’re part of a team. I just can’t imagine a DBA/sysadmin being remote 100% of the time. Even if the [...]
Non-DBA skills for DBAs
I’ve read a lot of good blog posts about things people look for in a DBA. A lot of those are skill-related. I think a monkey could do my job if properly trained. Here are a few non-skill related items I’d be looking for if I were hiring a DBA.
analytical skills
attention to detail
aptitude for mathematics
ability [...]
Update on Combine
I mentioned change management in a past post. I’ve also mentioned SQL Farms Combine as a tool we used at a previous company for change management. It allowed us to grab code from source control and deploy it to multiple servers. The features made it a pretty useful tool for us.
I asked one of my [...]
Where Does the Business Logic Go?
A few years ago, when I was at the utility company, we were implementing the new customer management system. This was the first time I had ever seen a system that implemented all of the business logic in the database. Most of my experience was with the logic being on the client application.
Which one is [...]
Consolidation Planning
Last week, my boss handed me a gift. He asked our network admin and myself what our infrastructure should look like in the next six to eighteen months.
Right now, we have about 35 primary production servers. Many of them have a web/app server and a database server on them. I would love to do some [...]
Thoughts on Being a DBA
I’ve been working as a DBA for about five years now, and here are a few observations I’ve made. These are pretty random.
Most performance tuning issues are caused by bad design
Vendors should have a DBA on staff to work with their developers
I spend more time fighting with vendor database issues than things developed in-house
Arguing with [...]
A Time for Change (Management)
I’ve said before that I’m a nut for consistency. What I haven’t said yet is that I’m an even bigger nut for change management. The last two companies where I’ve worked have been small IT shops, and the lack of change management is absolutely maddening.
I have to say that a chunk of my career was [...]
Toys and Tools
In some of my blog posts, I mention tools to put in your arsenal. These are things you build yourself. Obviously, I live by SQL Server Management Studio. But I wanted to talk about the other tools and toys that I use or have used in the past. These are all off-the-shelf products or
Spotlight on [...]
Fizzbuzz
I recall reading Brent Ozar’s post on questions to ask DBAs in an interview.
Unable to sleep last night, I was trying to solve the Fizzbuzz problem in my head. I knew it could be done with T-SQL, but I hadn’t given it too much thought.
I’m lying in bed mapping out the code in my head. [...]