How to become Master in SQL Server 2005

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How to become Master in SQL Server 2005

vbravoori

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January 2, 2010 at 6:51 am

#215184

I am new to SQL Server 2005 DBA. Please give your advise to become master in DBA activites

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Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 735688 More actions · Answer 1

Don't you think that you ought to become an apprentice first?

SQL Server is too wide for this question. If you want to learn about SQL Server, read an article. See where it takes you. Research and learn more. We don't have a step by step guide to be a master. If we did, I think we'd have more masters.

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 2

Read everything you can find. Try things out until you understand them (not on the production server). Read more. Practice. Read. Repeat for a few years

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

sturner SSC-Insane Points: 22411 More actions · Answer 3

Read everything you can find. Try things out until you understand them (not on the production server). Read more. Practice. Read. Repeat for a few years

Or, if you are in a hurry you could save a lot of time and just add a bunch of letters to your sig hehe

The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.

Dave Ballantyne SSC-Dedicated Points: 33667 More actions · Answer 4

Here's a list of recommended reading for MCM status (although this is 2008)

https://dynamicevents.emeetingsonline.com/emeetings/dynamicevents/290/MCM_SQL2008_Pre-reading_v3.pdf

Read it , understand it , practise it , pass the exam and its as simple as that

Clear Sky SQL
My Blog[/url]

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 5

Dave Ballantyne (1/4/2010)
Read it , understand it , practise it , pass the exam and its as simple as that

You left out "pay for it, attend the 4 weeks of training, "

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

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 6

But please remember, certification is not a replacement for hard earned experience.

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 7

GilaMonster (1/2/2010)
Read everything you can find. Try things out until you understand them (not on the production server). Read more. Practice. Read. Repeat for a few years

And then do it all again when the Engine changes.

Lynn, Steve, Dave and Gail put it well - there is plenty to do to become a master. There is a lot of dedication, long days, hard work, volunteering, personal time, rinse and repeat that is required in order to achieve some level of "master."

I recommend also involving yourself in your local user group.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

homebrew01 SSC Guru Points: 55546 More actions · Answer 8

CirquedeSQLeil (1/4/2010)
There is a lot of dedication, long days, hard work, volunteering, personal time, rinse and repeat ...

And even after all that, I'm not even close.:crying:

Lynn Pettis SSC Guru Points: 442467 More actions · Answer 9

A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.

The trick is knowing where and how to find the answers to the questions where your knowledge lacks.

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 10

homebrew01 (1/4/2010)
CirquedeSQLeil (1/4/2010)
There is a lot of dedication, long days, hard work, volunteering, personal time, rinse and repeat ...
And even after all that, I'm not even close.:crying:

Same boat:Wow:

Lynn Pettis (1/4/2010)

A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.

[/quote[

True that is - and it can be quite frightening

The trick is knowing where and how to find the answers to the questions where your knowledge lacks.

And there we have it - knowing how to find the answers to questions, research, study etc.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

Dave Ballantyne SSC-Dedicated Points: 33667 More actions · Answer 11

Lynn Pettis (1/4/2010)
A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.

Very Zen like, wasnt that a line in Karate Kid II ? 😀

Clear Sky SQL
My Blog[/url]

Barry G Freeman SSC Eights! Points: 942 More actions · Answer 12

Lynn Pettis (1/4/2010)
A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.
The trick is knowing where and how to find the answers to the questions where your knowledge lacks.

This is true wisdom..

have a an encyclopaedic knowledge is all well and good, but it takes an inordinate amount of time and is never done. Knowing where to go to find out the stuff you don't know is a lot more useful.

DBA (Dogsbody with Bad Attitude)

mtassin SSC-Insane Points: 23099 More actions · Answer 13

Lynn Pettis (1/4/2010)
A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.
The trick is knowing where and how to find the answers to the questions where your knowledge lacks.

And now I finally understand why Lynn's forum avatar is Yoda. 🙂

--Mark Tassin
MCITP - SQL Server DBA
Proud member of the Anti-RBAR alliance.
For help with Performance click this link[/url]
For tips on how to post your problems[/url]

webrunner SSC-Dedicated Points: 31828 More actions · Answer 14

Dave Ballantyne (1/4/2010)
Lynn Pettis (1/4/2010)
A true master knows when they know less than others think they know.
Very Zen like, wasnt that a line in Karate Kid II ? 😀

Speaking of Zen (not that I know anything about the philosophy), I saw the link below, which struck me as good general advice on becoming better at anything. I don't know if it will make a SQL master out of anyone, but I think it will be a great help:

http://thomaslarock.com/2009/12/those-four-little-words/[/url]

Specifically:

Let us consider the following Venn diagram. If you were to think of all possible knowledge in the Universe, you would tend to divide information into two sets: things you Know and things you don’t Know. However, there is an intersect between those two sets, resulting in some enlightenment for yourself that there are things you Know that you don’t Know. And all of that sits on the higher plane of items that make up all the stuff you don’t even Know you don’t Know.
Got that? Great. Let’s continue.
What this means to me is that you cannot allow yourself to get upset when things change (because things will always change). In fact, a wise man once wrote that there is nothing permanent except change. You need to learn to embrace change as a natural order of things and do your best to not let change control your actions.
I often hear about having a “mind like water“, something that is usually talked about in a martial arts context but can easily be extended to having mental discipline for everyday modern life. So, how do you achieve this state of mind? Well, one way is to document as much as possible. But do not just document the things that you Know, start documenting the things that you don’t Know.
Crazy, huh? How can you document something you don’t know? Simple: just start asking questions. “How does your system work?” is a good one to start with. For a DBA it could be something like “How do I restore the master database?” Over time you will find items moving from one set in your Venn diagram to another. What you will also find is that your ability to ask questions, especially the right questions, will improve with time. And it is through those questions that you can make great strides in helping to define requirements.

I have put the key part in bold. The article is about requirements, but you can make "requirements" out of all the questions you need to be able to answer to become a SQL master. Moving things from "the unknown" to "the known" with SQL still seems incredibly difficult to me, but I found renewed hope when I read the above advice.

I hope you find the same as you strive to become a SQL master. Good luck on your quest. I hope to meet you there someday. 🙂

- webrunner

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A SQL query walks into a bar and sees two tables. He walks up to them and asks, "Can I join you?"
Ref.: http://tkyte.blogspot.com/2009/02/sql-joke.html