Advice for a new DBA

  • Hi guys -

    I think like most people, I kind of fell into a DBA position. My company needed one to design, build and maintain our GIS databases and since I knew the most about our GIS system, it was handed to me.

    Needless to say, I've learned a lot over the past year and a half, read a lot of really boring books, read a lot of web articles, spent a lot of time on this site. I'm really enjoying my new position and everything I'm learning.

    I'm at a point now where I've learned what I needed to know to get by as I designed our databases and the work system that surrounded them, and am looking to take the next step. I got a good understanding of some of the fundamentals of being a good DBA from the article yesterday, but since the hardest part is "you don't know the extent of what you don't know," I'm looking for advice on what to tackle next.

    I guess the best way to phrase my question would be if you were asked to hire a junior-ish DBA with 2-3 years experience, what tech skills / knowledge would you expect them to have?

    Thanks in advance!

  • I feel that one of the best ways to find what you don't know is to study for a certification (or just check the MS site for the requirements) and they tend to cover most areas broadly.

    Writing and passing doesn't guarantee that you know the area, but studying will show you what you don't know.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Backup and replication are some concerns.

    It all depends on the environment you go to. But the person needs fundamental knowledge of databases. Included indexing, modeling, performance tuning, and troubleshooting skills.

    The process of studying for certs rather than getting one is most fulfilling.

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