Evolution of the DBA? Applications, Systems and More as a DBA
Webcast: Panic! SQL Disaster Strikes: 5 Best Practices to Recovery
No matter how much we prepare, when disaster strikes we all feel a moment of panic. For some that panic quickly passes as we get down to work to fix the problem. For others the panic continues to grow as we search for a solution. Of course back up is crucial, but in this session Sarah will provide useful real world best practices that will show how to recover from disaster and more importantly how to prepare for the inevitable. Specifically how to recover from common disaster scenarios. For example, what to do when the master database is corrupt, a drive array with half your database files fails, a hardware failure, a SQL injection attacks wipes out whole tables and many more.
Presented by: Sarah Barela
> Register Now
> Live date: 1/13/2010 at 12:00 Pacific
Happy Holidays!
We'll be taking a break and this will be the last newsletter of 2009. We'll be back on January 4, 2010 (sounds odd to even write it) - and of course we'll be having the workshop on Dec 30 - the Accidental DBA. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays, have an excellent New Year and we can't wait to tell you about some very cool things coming in 2010!
Calling All SQL Server Accidental DBAs
(We've corrected the registration site issues - sorry for the troubles!)
We'll be running our virtual workshop next week - and you can attend from the comfort of your desk, your home or... well, just about anywhere! I'll be teaching the workshop and we'll be going through things to know, things to monitor, things to do as an Accidental DBA, one that is asked to do the DBA work, but not on a full-time basis. I really have enjoyed doing this workshop, we've had such great response from all sorts of DBAs, those that are looking for where to start, those looking for a few tidbits on where to go next, etc.
I hope you'll attend - and I'll be there to take and answer questions, live. The workshop is on December 30, so while you're winding down the year, you can kick back and relax and put together a plan for 2010 and your servers. We'll also be adding a free month to everyone's membership that attends. So, if you're a member, we'll extend it. If not, we'll activate you.
Hope to see you there - register today to save your spot and you'll be all set! There's a quick video on the site about the workshop, and you can even download the outline and all sorts of other information. Check it out here.
Click here to get registered.
Evolution of the DBA? Applications, Systems and More as a DBA
Rex wrote in about the evolving DBA - wanted to share it as great food for thought -
"I think there is an emerging trend in DBA land that is akin to a split on the DBA evolutionary tree.
There is a branch of DBA's (I'll call it Systems DBA) that is skilled in hardware, storage, and traditional I/O, and also skilled in new things like "Security At the Virtual Layer", and "Data Proximity" disciplines. The number of SysDBA positions will eventually consolidate and move from being employed at "the business" to being employed in "the cloud". However, it will be in places that we do not yet imagine. Perhaps strategic places for a SysDBA to work would be based on proximity to an information nexus. An information nexus would be something like financial cloud concentrations in northern New Jersey. SysDBAs might work at places like NASDAQ and Verizon, instead of Savvis, or Equinix.
This information nexus could be something akin to a type of a cloud. I would guess that there will be cloud concentrations types around Financial, Health Care, Entertainment, Military, News, etc.
The Systems DBA (SysDBA) will not need to know the specifics of a particular application but will need to be able to make sure that their cloud maintains it's throughput, has capacity, has testing and pre-production tiers, and proper security between various virtual layers. SysDBAs would be a resource to the Application DBA (AppDBA (see below)) for troubleshooting connectivity and performance when data passes/joins into other virtual layers either within the same cloud or from cloud to cloud. Eventually there will be less SysDBA jobs as the general trend is to consolidate. However, it is likely that there will be bump in this kind of job during the mass migration phase to cloud services. The tipping point of that begins the mass migration phase to cloud services will come when a standard emerges for the cloud type, and the user community trusts that the virtual layers can remain secure. The mass exodus from "private" data centers at individual business to the cloud nexus will need lots of bodies. After that boom, many of those bodies will have to specialize and become AppDBAs for the clients they migrated or perish.
The other branch, the Application DBA, will have to specialize in either particular business or discipline. They will specialize as a PeopleSoft Application DBA, or some flavor of CMS DBA. Or perhaps they will specialize in Financial Apps, Health Care Apps, or Video Apps. Primarily the AppDBA would be an agent of the client and not the cloud. As a representative of the client, the AppDBA advocates and facilitates the data needs of the business. Areas where this applies will be BI, Application Administration, Data Design, Data Facilitation (connecting data between virtual layers, and assisting the developers of the Interface) .
Business Intelligence, Stephen, as you have repeatedly mention will be a HUGE portion of this. At the same point of mass migration to the cloud, there will also need to be an army of BI/Integration focused DBA that will be used to "stitch" together the relationships between various data set(virtual layers both within and between clouds) in order to facilitate the interface needed to present the digital cloud that hangs around a physical object.
Two other areas that I think will be a big focus of the AppDBA is Data Design and Data Facilitation. . A developer working on an Android shopping app called "Eco-Shopper". Imagine that Sally scans a shampoo bar code, retrieves data for: product, health, and social network data relating around the product and herself. The allows the Sally to find out if this is the designer shampoo "X" that Sally's friend Suzy was talking about. Sally also wasn't sure why parabens are bad, if the manufacturer is also eco-conscious, and if there is somewhere else she might find "X". Perhaps she can get it at local store rather than Walmart. Sally will add it to her husband Sam's Facebook shopping list and keep tabs on when he has bought it. (Sorry Sam). Perhaps Eco-Shopper sells (uploads) anonymous data to a vendor cloud type for a service that local vendors can tap into to start carrying "X".
How is the AppDBA involved in this?
Interestingly enough, Sally's friend Suzy is the Application DBA for Eco-Shopper. Suzy knows all about Eco-Shopper's business practices. She's been with them 5 years now. She can not only write fast queries, but also talk to nontechnical Project Mangers and eco-Shop's Sales team (How many drinks on Friday night at 11pm has she had with them after all?). Suzy would review the data structures and processes with developers to do things like implement/facilitate enhancements and data fixes. She would also write the technical justifications to in the procurement request sent to Senior management to purchase changes in virtual data layer access to add new data sets. As they recently have become available, perhaps she will write the spec for pulling Facebook comments and iLike data that indexed on Google so that it has closer "proximity" to Eco-Shoppers data for example to speed up the app. The specifics might be to preprocess some social network data and pull it from the "Facebook" cloud to the Eco-Shopper Cloud for members on a daily basis. Suzy will also re-organize and index the Facebook "iLike data" according to Eco-Shoppers needs.
Wow that shampoo must be good! Suzy also sees that 10 other people in her network like "X". "
What do you think? Drop me an email here.
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12/23/2009
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Application DBAs and the ABCs of KPIs
Featured Article(s)
The 1-2-3s of SQL Server and Your KPIs
How is your SQL Server is performing? This article will discuss setting up KPI’s that will help you answer that question.
Calling All SQL Server Accidental DBAs
(We've corrected the registration site issues - sorry for the troubles!)
We'll be running our virtual workshop next week - and you can attend from the comfort of your desk, your home or... well, just about anywhere! I'll be teaching the workshop and we'll be going through things to know, things to monitor, things to do as an Accidental DBA, one that is asked to do the DBA work, but not on a full-time basis. I really have enjoyed doing this workshop, we've had such great response from all sorts of DBAs, those that are looking for where to start, those looking for a few tidbits on where to go next, etc.
I hope you'll attend - and I'll be there to take and answer questions, live. The workshop is on December 30, so while you're winding down the year, you can kick back and relax and put together a plan for 2010 and your servers. We'll also be adding a free month to everyone's membership that attends. So, if you're a member, we'll extend it. If not, we'll activate you.
Hope to see you there - register today to save your spot and you'll be all set! There's a quick video on the site about the workshop, and you can even download the outline and all sorts of other information. Check it out here.
Click here to get registered.
Division of Labor - More on Application DBAs
David wrote in with his take on the splitting up of responsibilities for supporting applications and more traditional DBA duties.
"In our agency, there are two DBA teams.
One team focuses on the traditional technical DBA tasks of installing the software, configuring the storage, backing up the SQL-Server, managing security; while also getting pulled into other technical aspects of servers, communications, networks, etc.
The other team focuses on working with the application development teams to design and maintain database tables, indexes, stored procedures, triggers and their security settings. This team is responsible for consistent names and data definitions for columns and all database objects, and other data administration tasks.
When we purchase software from a vendor, and it comes with its own design for SQL-Server, that product is typically handled by the technical DBAs who install the database and keep anyone from messing with the vendor's design.
This practice of having two teams in-house is changing because we are in a process of server consolidation. A different agency within the State will have all of the servers, all of the storage, and will install SQL-Server, Oracle, DB2. Because so many of the functions of our traditional technical DBAs are moving out to the other State agency because of server consolidation, our two in-house teams will probably merge and all of us will become proficient in the tasks that remain with our agency."
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12/22/2009
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Calling All SQL Server Accidental DBAs
Calling All SQL Server Accidental DBAs
We'll be running our virtual workshop next week - and you can attend from the comfort of your desk, your home or... well, just about anywhere! I'll be teaching the workshop and we'll be going through things to know, things to monitor, things to do as an Accidental DBA, one that is asked to do the DBA work, but not on a full-time basis. I really have enjoyed doing this workshop, we've had such great response from all sorts of DBAs, those that are looking for where to start, those looking for a few tidbits on where to go next, etc.
I hope you'll attend - and I'll be there to take and answer questions, live. The workshop is on December 30, so while you're winding down the year, you can kick back and relax and put together a plan for 2010 and your servers. We'll also be adding a free month to everyone's membership that attends. So, if you're a member, we'll extend it. If not, we'll activate you.
Hope to see you there - register today to save your spot and you'll be all set! There's a quick video on the site about the workshop, and you can even download the outline and all sorts of other information. Check it out here.
Click here to get registered.
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About Crystal Reports and SQL Server
You just can't have enough about Crystal Reports and SQL Server Right? Well, I hope You will enjoy this article with some basic information on the subject. Have a great time!
Driving Your Skills Forward as a DBA
Lisa writes - "It’s difficult in the IT field to be solely focused on being a DBA. As a good DBA you need to understand the technical architecture of your environment, understand the underlying O/S that supports the database solution. Then there’s the data connectors and all of the applications that connect. Being a DBA is much like being a traffic cop. You need to understand peak times of day/week/month, understand client/user requirements and business justifications as well as the technology that supports it.
I have found that if you have those skills, you can be very valuable to a company. So, learn the skills to support the network/server infrastructure and you will soon learn that you have a job most anywhere.
One really important thing to note, especially in heavy compliance environments the DBA is usually the gatekeeper between environments and is responsible for supporting production and answering to auditors. This is how you make your case to the business. The person implementing the changes into production cannot/should not be the one testing them as it is a conflict of interest. There is a unique sales pitch to having the DBA on the System Admin team in that the DBA isn’t reporting to the Application developers or their leads.
Make the case to get a DBA that will manage and implement the Q/A compliance portion of code promotion and you will soon find that management will fully agree.
This is one of the few times that compliance can make our lives easier!"
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12/21/2009
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SQL Server Skills and Your Company (Part 2)
SQL Server Skills and Your Company (Part 2)
Greg writes "I think you're right on track with the application DBA, from what I see with what I do.
I work in a K-12 school district, and we have, basically, 4 (full time) people that could be considered part time DBAs.
One that focuses a bit on the data, relationships between data on our two primary systems (student info system and business system), another that focuses on security - the security is not handled within the app per se, but is handled via direct SQL privs to tables/columns, so it requires a strong understanding of the application and how it works, a third person more focused on system admin of SQL, and then me - I kind of overlap with all of them. All 4 have grown up on the software/programming side mainly, but as the in-house systems have become packages developed by outside companies, in-house programmers aren't needed so much - but their understanding of the software/development world is still very relevant and important.
An OS/System Admin type person alone who can install SQL Server isn't necessarily what's needed and/or best.
But, I'm also finding that just the development side of things isn't enough either.
With many things going web-based and distributed, an understanding of the network side is also becoming more important to have on the team as well. Application DBAs don't often have this piece - the network sniffing, DNS, IIS, and port-
understanding people.
One other thing I'm seeing... departments in the past tended to handle their own departmental workgroup apps for the most part.
Once the vendor tells them they need to upgrade SQL to 2005, the department starts to turn things over more to the Tech Dept. Departmental apps seem to be getting more to a point where the departments can't handle them alone so much anymore.
I'm thinking that may be partially due to the proliferation of MSDE-based apps. Initially designed as apps that controlled their own database tasks, they seem to be getting away from that so much, and expecting somebody in-house to know a bit more about the data aspects of the app.
As an outside developer in my own company also, I'm attempting my first standalone app that will let the org decide where to put their data - local/standalone SQLite database, a central SQL server, or using a remote data storage server that I'd host - I'm thinking that would probably be PostgreSQL for cost reasons - and then I'd charge a small yearly amount for the data storage service, backups, etc..."
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12/18/2009
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Applications, DBAs and Life (part 1)
The Accidental DBA Virtual Workshop
Our next virtual workshop will be Weds Dec 30 - on that slow week over the holidays, it's a great opportunity to tune your skills about what you need to know as an accidental DBA. People are constantly writing for where to start, where to go to learn, where to find out what's important with SQL Server... this is the place. It's a great way to tune your skills or learn about the essentials - both are presented. I'll be there taking questions, making sure you get the information you need, live during the workshop. MUCH more information on the site, check it out here - Get more information or Register for the virtual workshop.
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SelectViews Show Available Now
Application DBAs, the Cloud and SQL Server/SharePoint, Government Challenges with Social Media. Also, the SQL Server Tip, SSWUG.ORG news, SharePoint news and more.
[Watch the Show Now]
Reader Feedback 1 on Applications, DBAs and Looking Forward
Wayne wrote in about his experiences and thoughts on the recent discussions about DBAs, applications and where things are heading...
"Amen and amen to your article about the future of Application DBAs. My question is how do you convince senior management that such a position is critical to the life of a medium sized State Agency IT department. We have requirements ranging from updating existing applications to new Sharepoint implementations complete with development projects for Sharepoint already on the plate. We have begged and pleaded for full time employee DBAs and all we can manage is part time contract DBAs who still have to blow dry the ink on their certifications.
I absolutely agree with you that Application DBAs are essential to any kind of development effort...or any other serious effort for that matter. Unfortunately, during lean times such as these, what we really need is a more efficient way to merge the tasks/skillsets of an App DBA with the tasks/skillsets of Network Operations people. Asking a developer to fill the role of anything DBA related is akin to asking the Fox to watch the chickens."
Great feedback! More tomorrow - feel free to send in your thoughts as well. Email me here...
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12/17/2009
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