SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

Nieve dumbarse question

Hi good people. I’ve just stumbled across your forum and from what I can see theres a whole bunch of useful information, perhaps to much for a first time visitor but thats no bad thing. Here’s me question. I’ve been working as a database developer for about 10 years on and off. I don’t have any formal qualification bar the odd learning tree course. I’ve some experience using SQL 2000 and have writen a number of applications using VB6 and Access as front ends and stored procedures to populate etc etc. I’ve just started working for myself (This week eek) and have noticed there are quite a few dba contract in my local paying really good rate. I’d like to try and take advantage of this but appreciate I am not really a dba. I would like to be so how should I go about it. Sign up for a course? Buy a good book and start playing? Hope and prey that no one spots I don’t know S**t and go for it anyway? Please don’t shoot me down in flames I get the feelin I might be in that don’t know enough to know I don’t know anything place. Thanks Dan T.

First off, welcome to the club! Second, nobody here will shoot anybody down in flames! Third, broad topic -> many different answers -> many different ways to go. So consider this just my own impressions [<img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

‘ />] I don’t like course as I don’t think they add value. I like books but only to lookup things Start playing is certainly useful, but what helps me most is to participate in online communities and actually answering questions (or ask some when I got stuck). That way I am forced to think about a problem and look for a solution. I also find it extremely useful to analyze other peoples answers. You will be amazed how many answers in online communities are suboptimal in quality but won’t get corrected. Finding out why they are nonoptimal is a great way to learn how to do better. Just my $0.02 cents –Frank http://www.insidesql.de</a>

Also read Articles in this forum, you will get a lot of information there.
Luis Martin
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.com

Courses are very useful as they can give you an insight into how microsoft sees their products, you also get to meet similar people as yourself.
I was lucky in growing within a growing company as a dba so I learned from a couple of servers up to my current role of looking after over 40. You’ll only learn with experience so getting your first step will be the vital one – good luck.

I am no expert of performance tuning and definately not on DBA but I can tell you that participating in Online forums and communities is much more useful than attending a course / reading a book. However I don’t underestmate the importance of books and real life experience. Here is what I did- Get some basic knowledge and exposure of the product. Read a good book, for instance Inside SQL Server 2K, on the product. Start playing around with the product. Try finding an online community like this for understanding the real life issues related to the product. Trust me, this forum has tought me many more things than just the technical knowlegde of the subject. So I gess you are at the righe place!!! P.S. However I think the post is at the wrong place, so I am going to move it from Genral DBA questions. [<img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-1.gif’ alt=’

‘ />] Gaurav Moderator Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence of a challenging environment- L. Ron Hubbard The views expressed here are those of the author and no one else. There are no warranties as to the reliability or accuracy of anything presented here.

GOOOOOOOOO For the job. They will give you something to do and learn at the same time. The worst thing happen is that they will fire you within a week. I was a Java Programmer. Now I am pretty good in VB6 SQL2000 therefore I wasted 30,000 on my BSc <img src=’/community/emoticons/emotion-6.gif’ alt=’

‘ />. Thing to do COME HERE and Post your question Don’t know something look for book to read on the topic Search the web there are tone of stuff you need to know are out there in front of you. For the last two days I just learn how to write email program and add it to my company internal software which will email report daily to everyone therefore they don’t even need to go to work hehhehe May the best cheaters win

Thanks for the warm welcoming encouraging replies. I have been working with some "Proper techi’s" for a few years and they looked down on me for my non formal technical ways. Strange though as my projects delivered more results. So was a little nervous posting in case that was the sort of replys I got. SO 10 outta 10 to you lot for making me feel like I’m doing the right thing in asking. Cheers and a pint to you all of whatever you drinking! I think the thing for me is, and probably for a lot of people, I came into this from a non IT background. I was asked by my employer at the time if I knew what a database was and quite frankly i didn’t. He then asked me if I wanted to develop one for the company and I said, "Yeah why not." He gave me a book and a copy of Access 2.0 and a few pointers. Two years later and with no formal training I had delivered systems for quality management, sale order processing and production planning etc. I move companies and was using SQL 7 then 2000 as a back end and within 2 more years was using VB6 or Access as clients. So my SQL had to grow so I could create tables views and stored procedures. Anyway in a long winded way although I can hands on quite well and can manage technical stuff quite well I don’t know the lingo well. So as for a DBA I don’t even really know what the role entals. I shall cruise around here and taking in what i read.

http://www.developer.com/db/article.php/718491 &http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/yukon/maintain/sqlydba.mspx for DBA information. Satya SKJ
Moderator
http://www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com/forum
This posting is provided â€œAS ISâ€ with no rights for the sake of knowledge sharing.

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