January 7, 2012 at 5:19 am
Came across one of the worst vendor related databases a few weeks ago where a business department just went ahead and purchased the software and rail-roaded IT into implementing it.
Most of the tables within the database have no primary keys defined at all, each column is named C01, C02, etc and every column has a data-type of nvarchar(max) and this is from a so called "Microsoft Gold Certified Partner" company. And they wonder why they're now having performance issues......
Brings into question the value of this status.
Anyone else have any horror stories?
January 7, 2012 at 6:41 am
Yeah, the absolutely bloody nightmare of hoops and requirements to keep certified partner status. For the purposes of 'number of certifications' (which is a requirement), I count no more than an intern straight out of school that braindumped his way through a single SQL certification.
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
January 7, 2012 at 4:43 pm
GilaMonster (1/7/2012)
I count no more than an intern straight out of school that braindumped his way through a single SQL certification.
Sadly this is so true, it renders the certification and hence the status worthless IMHO
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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉
January 7, 2012 at 6:32 pm
I've had it on the other receiving end where a partner 1st refused to hire me because I didn't have the certs (admin cert for BI work which I happily pointed out was useless for this contract).
Then they hired me breaking the rule of being certified (and other stuff I'm leaving out).
People are people and they'll weird stuff to keep on trucking.
January 8, 2012 at 2:22 am
See, what I like about the Oracle and VMWare certs is the fact you can't just go take an exam off your own back. You have to attend an approved training course before you can take the exam.
I'm planning to take my 10g certs later this year (around summertime).
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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉
January 8, 2012 at 2:23 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/7/2012)
I've had it on the other receiving end where a partner 1st refused to hire me because I didn't have the certs (admin cert for BI work which I happily pointed out was useless for this contract).
Useless for the work, yes, but it gives them another certification to count to their number required for renewal/advancement.
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
January 8, 2012 at 5:25 am
GilaMonster (1/8/2012)
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/7/2012)
I've had it on the other receiving end where a partner 1st refused to hire me because I didn't have the certs (admin cert for BI work which I happily pointed out was useless for this contract).Useless for the work, yes, but it gives them another certification to count to their number required for renewal/advancement.
I understand that part, what bugged me about that potential client is here is a rule that we 100% have to obide by and then 2 weeks later it wasn't the case anymore.
That's the real scary part to me. 😉
January 8, 2012 at 5:31 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/8/2012)
GilaMonster (1/8/2012)
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/7/2012)
I've had it on the other receiving end where a partner 1st refused to hire me because I didn't have the certs (admin cert for BI work which I happily pointed out was useless for this contract).Useless for the work, yes, but it gives them another certification to count to their number required for renewal/advancement.
I understand that part, what bugged me about that potential client is here is a rule that we 100% have to obide by and then 2 weeks later it wasn't the case anymore.
They realised they can't do the work without you and decided it was better to not have the project fail completely (and maybe they thought they could persuade you to write the cert)
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
January 8, 2012 at 5:45 am
GilaMonster (1/8/2012)
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/8/2012)
GilaMonster (1/8/2012)
Ninja's_RGR'us (1/7/2012)
I've had it on the other receiving end where a partner 1st refused to hire me because I didn't have the certs (admin cert for BI work which I happily pointed out was useless for this contract).Useless for the work, yes, but it gives them another certification to count to their number required for renewal/advancement.
I understand that part, what bugged me about that potential client is here is a rule that we 100% have to obide by and then 2 weeks later it wasn't the case anymore.
They realised they can't do the work without you and decided it was better to not have the project fail completely (and maybe they thought they could persuade you to write the cert)
It's worse than that, I said I would do the certs, proved I would likely pass it on first try without studiying (they asked me like 20 questions orally). Then it went nowhere and I got the little gig like 6 weeks later (most likely for the reasons you provided).
I know it's small stuff but when someone starts forgetting rules and contracts they have with important partners it makes you wonder what they'll do to you down the line. That was the real scary part for me as I was considering moving full time with them and dropping another full time client in the process.
I realized later that those fears were for good reasons. The project dragged on for 4 months to end up billing 18 hours, and even that got questionned on their end because they expected to pay less. And in total on my end I must have spend 60-80 hours on that client. Good lesson to follow your gut right off the bat 😉
January 8, 2012 at 3:12 pm
PhilipC (1/7/2012)
Came across one of the worst vendor related databases a few weeks ago where a business department just went ahead and purchased the software and rail-roaded IT into implementing it.Most of the tables within the database have no primary keys defined at all, each column is named C01, C02, etc and every column has a data-type of nvarchar(max) and this is from a so called "Microsoft Gold Certified Partner" company. And they wonder why they're now having performance issues......
Brings into question the value of this status.
Anyone else have any horror stories?
If you ask them "why" about the nvarchar(max), I'll just bet you get an out-of-context quote from Knuth about pre-optimization being the root of all evil. 😉
Not all Microsoft Gold Certified Partner companies are bad but it seems that the ones that are are really bad and give the rest a terrible black eye.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
January 8, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Jeff Moden (1/8/2012)
Not all Microsoft Gold Certified Partner companies are bad but it seems that the ones that are are really bad and give the rest a terrible black eye.
Well I work for one, so I'm biased....
I suspect that part of the problem is that the system can be gamed, companies specifically ticking criteria off in order to meet the requirements of the program rather than putting clients first and using the results of that for the program.
If you ask around, you'll find the recent changes are a source of great ire among many.
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
January 8, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Do you have a convenient link for the "recent changes"?
And I'm biased, too! Any "Gold" partner that has Gail Shaw working for them has got to be one of the good ones I was talking about. 🙂
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
January 8, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Jeff Moden (1/8/2012)
Do you have a convenient link for the "recent changes"?
Err, no, sorry. I got the rant from my boss and colleague and ran across a few more complaints in various places. Probably best place is http://partner.microsoft.com
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
January 8, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Jeff Moden (1/8/2012)
Any "Gold" partner that has Gail Shaw working for them has got to be one of the good ones I was talking about. 🙂
Aww Jeff you're just too nice 😀
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"Ya can't make an omelette without breaking just a few eggs" 😉
January 8, 2012 at 4:14 pm
GilaMonster (1/8/2012)
...I suspect that part of the problem is that the system can be gamed, companies specifically ticking criteria off in order to meet the requirements of the program rather than putting clients first and using the results of that for the program.
I have run into a few bad ones as well. You can tell that they are gaming the system with a few good questions, asking the clients (one of these Gold Partners listed a company I knew very well as a client - the client had no business dealings with them whatsoever).
On the flip-side, I do know a few good Gold Partners.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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