August 3, 2009 at 10:50 pm
USE SQLServerCentralForums
GO
DECLARE @string VARCHAR(25)
SET @string = 'Hello World!'
SELECT @string
GO --GO SQL GO!
Wow that was nerdy. I really appreciate all the help I've been getting here. I've asked a lot of dumb questions and learned a lot. Like today I learned about the WITH (cte) and things I never knew existed (like cross apply).
Anyhow I've only been a DBA for 2.5 years. I've been doing it straight out of college. For the past years I been trying to cram in my head as much as I could about SQL Server and T-SQL. Ever since college I wanted to become a DBA and I've been lucky to do that straight out of college.
Now that I am a DBA, I have a desire to be a good DBA. I don't have much experience but I was wondering if you guys can point me to the right direction. I'm almost done with my MCITP DBA 2005 but I've came to realize certs can only help you go so far. And a lot of the materiel you can forget easily if your work environment is limited to a few configurations. If you were me or a young DBA what would you do or what kind of suggestions could you give me. I really have this desire in me and I can't stop thinking about it. Even my girl friend is jealous of SQL :w00t:
THANKS!!! 😀
August 3, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I have wide and diverse programming experience in a couple languages and spent a LOT of time solving challenges in SQL. I have been dealing with SQL server since, well really 1994. I had a point in 1999 where I decided that I not only enjoyed working on the data side more but I was good at it and never looked back. And solving those challenges only made me better. Also don't be afraid to not have the answer.. The smartest people I know will admit that they don't know instead of trying to buffalo me.
I have one big recommendation to anyone, don't fall into the hammer and nail trap.. When all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.. SQL isn't necessarily the best tool to solve every problem, just because you might be able to doesn't mean it is necessarily the best way..
CEWII
August 4, 2009 at 8:26 am
My advice is to build a broader base of knowledge before advancing into specialty areas. Now that you have learned the "Microsoft way", see how other databases operate. Along with SQL Server, Oracle and DB2 are the most popular databases and each offers an entry-level (MCTS-like) certification.
You can download free evaluation versions of either database and configure them on your home PC. Even if these skills are not required in your current job, they will add to your knowledge of databases and make you more marketable in the future.
August 4, 2009 at 8:34 am
Honestly I think you're on your way, but to tackle more types of issues, do what you just did. Post on forums, or answer questions. Solve other people's issues. Tackle new types of problems.
I've changed jobs lots, questioned everything, learned what worked and what works less, and keep improving myself. I'm not sure certs improve you, but they do show that you are motivated and you have spent time learning about the product.
SQL Server is big enough to spend your career here. I would make the decision to learn other products based on the environment I was in. If it had Oracle, I'd learn some of that, but to be a better DBA, you need to continue to learn more about design, performance, tuning, in whatever area makes sense to you.
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August 4, 2009 at 8:35 am
Elliot definitely gave you some good advice. My experience has been that you need to find a mentor and the best way to do that is to get to a local user group. If you go to the PASS website you can find a list of official PASS chapters. There are also Virtual Chapters that meet regularly, but you'll have a hard time finding a mentor online.
There's nothing wrong with knowing other techonologies as well. I've never worked with Oracle, but have done some Sybase and DB2, not enough to be an expert, but enough to know I like SQL Server better.;-)
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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August 4, 2009 at 8:43 am
It sounds like you've got a good start on it.
To keep going, just keep one thing in mind: You'll get out of it what you put into it.
If you want to be good, spend time on forums like this one, work with SQL, attend groups, and read a book or two on the subject. If you want to be great, amplify all of those. If you want to be brilliant, make those as much of your life as you can stand.
Edit: The best piece of advice I can give anyone on any subject is that knowledge comes from doing things, not from reading things. Reading gives you data, doing gives you knowledge. If you don't know the difference, you need to do more practical work of some sort. (You can read all the books you want on home renovations, but you won't "know" the subject till you actual tackle a room or two, at the very least. And you won't be an expert till you've built a few houses pretty much from scratch.) An "authority" is someone who's studied everything and knows nothing. A professional knows. An expert is a professional with a tight focus.
That's one of the reasons I have a copy of SQL Dev Edition on my computer, and a database I call ProofOfConcept, and I test things in there. Safe playground, where I can drop the whole database without hurting anything, if I break something too badly. Lets me push SQL's limits.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
August 4, 2009 at 11:52 am
GSquared (8/4/2009)
The best piece of advice I can give anyone on any subject is that knowledge comes from doing things, not from reading things. Reading gives you data, doing gives you knowledge. If you don't know the difference, you need to do more practical work of some sort.
I could not agree more, doing it gives you a much greater understanding and you will retain it better. Also, when things don't go well you will learn even more because we as humans get more out of the hardest won knowledge.
I got the chance to teach some beginning and intermediate SQL classes to a group of internal developers and it only served to solidify my own knowledge, I had to understand it well enough to explain it to someone else, at THEIR level.. Good experience all around..
CEWII
August 4, 2009 at 12:01 pm
I realized after I wrote my bit that it could be read as discouraging book-learning, and want to clarify that that's not the point. It takes a ballance of theory and practical to learn things, if you want to be good at them.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
August 4, 2009 at 8:38 pm
As some have said, buy a copy of the Dev Edition of SQL Server. It's the same as the Enterprise Edition except for two things... the license says you're only supposed to use it on one machine and that machine cannot be a production server. The other thing is that it'll work on your desktop... you do not need to install Windows server to get it up and running.
Then there's only one thing left... practice, practice, practice. A good source of problems is right here on SQL Server Central. You'll not only end up helping some other folks, but the research you do to solve a problem (the first couple of times) will be invaluable. After that, you'll just know what to do and you'll start honing your skills especially if you try other people solutions. Take the time to figure out what those other solutions are and how they work and soon you'll be warping your own solutions.
--Jeff Moden
August 4, 2009 at 9:29 pm
cppwiz (8/4/2009)
My advice is to build a broader base of knowledge before advancing into specialty areas. Now that you have learned the "Microsoft way", see how other databases operate. Along with SQL Server, Oracle and DB2 are the most popular databases and each offers an entry-level (MCTS-like) certification.You can download free evaluation versions of either database and configure them on your home PC. Even if these skills are not required in your current job, they will add to your knowledge of databases and make you more marketable in the future.
I actually bought the 1z0-051 and 1z0-052 Oracle 11g cert books but I never cracked them open. I do plan to study for those exams.
Does Oracle have a bigger market than SQL Server? If so they'll be more job opportunities right? I don't know if I'm correct but base of what I've seen on careerbuilder and monster, Oracle guys seem to have nicer salaries.
I don't think I can be an expert on both, I try to get out every now and then lol but I at least what to know a little about Oracle.
Thanks.
August 4, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Steve Jones - Editor (8/4/2009)
Honestly I think you're on your way, but to tackle more types of issues, do what you just did. Post on forums, or answer questions. Solve other people's issues. Tackle new types of problems.I've changed jobs lots, questioned everything, learned what worked and what works less, and keep improving myself. I'm not sure certs improve you, but they do show that you are motivated and you have spent time learning about the product.
SQL Server is big enough to spend your career here. I would make the decision to learn other products based on the environment I was in. If it had Oracle, I'd learn some of that, but to be a better DBA, you need to continue to learn more about design, performance, tuning, in whatever area makes sense to you.
Thanks. I want to get involved with performance tuning. I bought Brad McGehee's book from amazon.com, the Mastering SQL Server Profiler. It's a really good book because I had a hard time learning about profiler. The Cert books just go over it briefly and I like his book better than books online.
When I was in college, for some reason I had the perception that a DBA maintains and administrates the SQL Server. When I got into the real world its about 75% report writing and programming and about 25% maintaining the servers.
I do want to tackle some problems from the forums but its hard to find time when you're working and studying for certs and have an attention needing gf lol.:w00t:
August 4, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Jack Corbett (8/4/2009)
Elliot definitely gave you some good advice. My experience has been that you need to find a mentor and the best way to do that is to get to a local user group. If you go to the PASS website you can find a list of official PASS chapters. There are also Virtual Chapters that meet regularly, but you'll have a hard time finding a mentor online.There's nothing wrong with knowing other techonologies as well. I've never worked with Oracle, but have done some Sybase and DB2, not enough to be an expert, but enough to know I like SQL Server better.;-)
I never thought about the PASS chapters, actually I never knew they existed.
It was always hard for me to find a mentor because after college I landed a DB job as the only DBA/Report writer for the company. I just recently got a new job about two months ago and I'm the only DBA here as well. So I always had to resort to Google as my mentor.
Thanks for the info!
August 4, 2009 at 9:53 pm
GSquared (8/4/2009)
It sounds like you've got a good start on it.To keep going, just keep one thing in mind: You'll get out of it what you put into it.
If you want to be good, spend time on forums like this one, work with SQL, attend groups, and read a book or two on the subject. If you want to be great, amplify all of those. If you want to be brilliant, make those as much of your life as you can stand.
Edit: The best piece of advice I can give anyone on any subject is that knowledge comes from doing things, not from reading things. Reading gives you data, doing gives you knowledge. If you don't know the difference, you need to do more practical work of some sort. (You can read all the books you want on home renovations, but you won't "know" the subject till you actual tackle a room or two, at the very least. And you won't be an expert till you've built a few houses pretty much from scratch.) An "authority" is someone who's studied everything and knows nothing. A professional knows. An expert is a professional with a tight focus.
That's one of the reasons I have a copy of SQL Dev Edition on my computer, and a database I call ProofOfConcept, and I test things in there. Safe playground, where I can drop the whole database without hurting anything, if I break something too badly. Lets me push SQL's limits.
I totally agree. I can read stuff a million times and a lot of times I can understand or remember. But there are things you just have to do rather than read about to fully understand. When I was studying for my 70-443, there was no way anyone could understand how to create a Cluster unless they actually did the exercise. I have one of those Shuttle Mini PCs that I use as a SQL Server at home with SQL Server installed on. It really takes your learning to another level to practice on an actual machine (or virtual machine). I had to practice replication and database mirroring over and over to understand it. I use the adventure works db and I like to customize it just to learn. I remember building audit tables and DML triggers just to miss around, fun stiuff!
August 5, 2009 at 7:16 am
SQL Iron Chef (8/4/2009)
GSquared (8/4/2009)
It sounds like you've got a good start on it.To keep going, just keep one thing in mind: You'll get out of it what you put into it.
If you want to be good, spend time on forums like this one, work with SQL, attend groups, and read a book or two on the subject. If you want to be great, amplify all of those. If you want to be brilliant, make those as much of your life as you can stand.
Edit: The best piece of advice I can give anyone on any subject is that knowledge comes from doing things, not from reading things. Reading gives you data, doing gives you knowledge. If you don't know the difference, you need to do more practical work of some sort. (You can read all the books you want on home renovations, but you won't "know" the subject till you actual tackle a room or two, at the very least. And you won't be an expert till you've built a few houses pretty much from scratch.) An "authority" is someone who's studied everything and knows nothing. A professional knows. An expert is a professional with a tight focus.
That's one of the reasons I have a copy of SQL Dev Edition on my computer, and a database I call ProofOfConcept, and I test things in there. Safe playground, where I can drop the whole database without hurting anything, if I break something too badly. Lets me push SQL's limits.
I totally agree. I can read stuff a million times and a lot of times I can understand or remember. But there are things you just have to do rather than read about to fully understand. When I was studying for my 70-443, there was no way anyone could understand how to create a Cluster unless they actually did the exercise. I have one of those Shuttle Mini PCs that I use as a SQL Server at home with SQL Server installed on. It really takes your learning to another level to practice on an actual machine (or virtual machine). I had to practice replication and database mirroring over and over to understand it. I use the adventure works db and I like to customize it just to learn. I remember building audit tables and DML triggers just to miss around, fun stiuff!
Cool biz. You're definitely going about this the right way.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread
"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
August 5, 2009 at 9:22 am
SQL Iron Chef (8/4/2009)
Does Oracle have a bigger market than SQL Server? If so they'll be more job opportunities right? I don't know if I'm correct but base of what I've seen on careerbuilder and monster, Oracle guys seem to have nicer salaries.
Heh... that's because SQL Server is perceived as relatively simple. Managers think a GUI programmer who's never worked a database can handle SQL Server. With tools like Hibernate and NHibernate, they can even make it look that way. A lot of DBA's don't help the situation either... many of them think "OK, I passed the cert... now I'm a DB God!". Eh... wrong. Passing certs just gives you a jump start but they don't give you any real world experience. For example, I doubt that any Microsoft DBA cert has how to use a Tally or Numbers table in it's curriculum. The one course I took on the implementation of SQL Server didn't even teach how to find duplicates.
I've seen many do it... if you can quantify and document how you improved code for companies over the years, you can break the 6 digit barrier pretty easily. Of course, you need to be able to back that up with letters of recommendation and the like.
--Jeff Moden
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