October 15, 2012 at 11:33 am
Hi All,
I've been offered a job as the sole MSQL DBA at an up and coming online retailer. I'm from a development background, started out in asp.net, c#, html,css but have a load of experience in SQL developer based projects. Ranging from reporting services to SSIS work and other scripting for migrations etc.
I'm pretty comfortable with T-SQL. However i'm a newbie when it comes to other DBA skills. I can do backups / restores, setup mirroring but things like performance monitoring, security and working on a DB that has 100% HA is new to me.
Is this very challenging work? Will i be stressed to my core? Does anyone on here regret becoming a DBA? As you can tell i'm rather nervous about taking the plunge!
Thanks
October 15, 2012 at 12:15 pm
bugg (10/15/2012)
Hi All,I've been offered a job as the sole MSQL DBA at an up and coming online retailer. I'm from a development background, started out in asp.net, c#, html,css but have a load of experience in SQL developer based projects. Ranging from reporting services to SSIS work and other scripting for migrations etc.
I'm pretty comfortable with T-SQL. However i'm a newbie when it comes to other DBA skills. I can do backups / restores, setup mirroring but things like performance monitoring, security and working on a DB that has 100% HA is new to me.
Is this very challenging work? Will i be stressed to my core? Does anyone on here regret becoming a DBA? As you can tell i'm rather nervous about taking the plunge!
Thanks
All the things you mentioned are kind of easy. Find out what will be required of you insofar as security goes.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
October 15, 2012 at 12:25 pm
It depends on how large is the environment . How motivated you are to learn new skills. Focus on fundamentals , such as availability - incluing backup strategy , error managemenmt etc.
It might be worth finding out if they allow external help - in case of emergency.
Where is everything hosted?
Jack Vamvas
sqlserver-dba.com
October 15, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Well that's it i'm not entirely sure, they are willing to train me in these areas. I am used to active directory accounts and using those as secure logins but when it come to stored user accounts in tablse what should i be looking out for security wise? Besides SQL injection what other threats does a DBA have to watch out for?
October 15, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Do they have a Security Policy? If not , maybe that is an opportunity for you to implement. You can also develop reports which audit the security .
Jack Vamvas
sqlserver-dba.com
October 15, 2012 at 12:37 pm
The current setup is one database that is mirrored for fail over. I can get external help if required. I am always keen to learn, i think being in IT this is a prerequisite.
I just want to know how stressful this job can be, i do have a life outside of work and would like to keep it this way. Ive been reading up on DBA roles and a lot people mention the stress! this scares the cr@p out of me.
The company said i would be on call 24/7 but told me last year they only had 3 instances when the server went down. I can live with 3 call outs in a year. Just wanted to know if going down the DBA career route is worth it. If DBAs on this forum love the job.
October 15, 2012 at 12:41 pm
I guess they must have some sort of security policy. If not , like you said my first job could be implementing one 🙂
Do you have any links showing what different types of security polices one can implement in an online web application?
October 15, 2012 at 3:04 pm
The servers are hosted off site.
October 15, 2012 at 4:44 pm
bugg (10/15/2012)
The company said i would be on call 24/7
On call 24/7 on your own? That pretty much means no vacations, never out of touch, laptop with you anywhere, any time just in case.
When I worked for the bank it took a team of 8 DBAs to do a 24x7x365 rotation.
I'd question them on that point, carefully. What exactly do they expect, how quickly are you required to respond, how available are you required to be (and what are they paying for you being on call all the time)?
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
October 16, 2012 at 2:09 am
GilaMonster (10/15/2012)
bugg (10/15/2012)
The company said i would be on call 24/7On call 24/7 on your own? That pretty much means no vacations, never out of touch, laptop with you anywhere, any time just in case.
When I worked for the bank it took a team of 8 DBAs to do a 24x7x365 rotation.
I'd question them on that point, carefully. What exactly do they expect, how quickly are you required to respond, how available are you required to be (and what are they paying for you being on call all the time)?
Well not exactly on my own, there is one guy who currently tends to the DB but he isn't a DBA. When I mentioned the 24/7 on call to them they said the team get each others back but I can see this falling on my back quite a bit.
Another thing is they don't pay extra for being on call. Its a small IT office , there is 1 database to look after currently. The company is expanding at a rate of knots and now they need a full time DBA rather then the developers tending to the DB occasionally. For me its an opportunity to join a fast growing Company with prospects and rather then dabble in loads of different technologies focus on one. I suppose i'm scared, i'm a developer who has in the past pushed my code to DBAs to release to production and now i'm going to be on the other side.
October 16, 2012 at 2:32 am
Arghhh just spotted i posted this in the completely wrong section!! It should be in careers! not SQL Server 2000!!! Sorry
Is there a way to move a thread?
October 17, 2012 at 11:46 pm
@bugg - Ask them details on RPO and RTO of database server. Also , enquire about any Service level agreements they may have with other groups. This will impact the level of support required.
24x7 - can be mentally draining. What would they expect on a 24 x 7 situation? You respond on a "best endeavours" or do they want 15 min response?
Maybe they could outsource the out oh hrs support - and you could be 3rd level support.
You will need to discuss this in detail with you potential employer.
Jack Vamvas
sqlserver-dba.com
October 18, 2012 at 2:26 am
Jack Vamvas (10/17/2012)
@bugg - Ask them details on RPO and RTO of database server. Also , enquire about any Service level agreements they may have with other groups. This will impact the level of support required.24x7 - can be mentally draining. What would they expect on a 24 x 7 situation? You respond on a "best endeavours" or do they want 15 min response?
Maybe they could outsource the out oh hrs support - and you could be 3rd level support.
You will need to discuss this in detail with you potential employer.
Hi Jack, I've taken the Job so well see how it fairs. You mention RPO and RTO this is the first time I've ever heard of these Acronyms. To be honest I'm absolutely bricking myself. They know I've come form a SQL Developer background so a lot of the production DBA tasks are new to me and they're are just going to have to deal with it. I have a 3 months probation and if its too much for me to handle i'll leave, I hope it doesn't come to this though. I am excited about learning a new skill set. It will have to be "best endeavors" i'm not superman 🙂
October 18, 2012 at 7:02 am
Honestly, it doesn't matter what you think it will be. It matters what they expect. That's why we keep telling you to talk to them.
If you don't ask the question, they could end up with an unreasonable expectation that will bite you in the butt the first time there's a crisis. Remember, that "3 times a year" could happen while you're on vacation, in the middle of the night, when you don't have cell phone access. If they expect you to respond in 15 minutes, you've just gotten yourself into trouble.
Ask now, set expectations with them now. Don't wait until the crisis occurs.
And as a DBA in a small shop, let me tell you that those 3 times a year problems tend to crop up more often then they're telling you. There are going to be other issues they'll be calling you about at all hours of the day / night because you are on call. And it gets old very fast. Especially when you're trying to have a life outside of work.
October 18, 2012 at 7:15 am
Brandie Tarvin (10/18/2012)
Honestly, it doesn't matter what you think it will be. It matters what they expect. That's why we keep telling you to talk to them.If you don't ask the question, they could end up with an unreasonable expectation that will bite you in the butt the first time there's a crisis. Remember, that "3 times a year" could happen while you're on vacation, in the middle of the night, when you don't have cell phone access. If they expect you to respond in 15 minutes, you've just gotten yourself into trouble.
Ask now, set expectations with them now. Don't wait until the crisis occurs.
And as a DBA in a small shop, let me tell you that those 3 times a year problems tend to crop up more often then they're telling you. There are going to be other issues they'll be calling you about at all hours of the day / night because you are on call. And it gets old very fast. Especially when you're trying to have a life outside of work.
+10
And don't forget that those couple of beers with your friends or couple of glass of wine with the family meal have just gone aswell because you never know when you might have to get to the office. :w00t:
-------------------------------Posting Data Etiquette - Jeff Moden [/url]Smart way to ask a question
There are naive questions, tedious questions, ill-phrased questions, questions put after inadequate self-criticism. But every question is a cry to understand (the world). There is no such thing as a dumb question. ― Carl Sagan
I would never join a club that would allow me as a member - Groucho Marx
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