November 26, 2018 at 3:07 pm
Is there a good book or material to learn the product from a DBA perspective. I will probably take the Certifications but also need to learn it well from a practical stand point. The best book I can find seems to be - SQL Server 2017 Administration Inside Out. Has anyone used it? Is there anything better out there? Microsoft has their Exam Ref books for tests 70-764 and 70-765. They are expensive and I have no way of knowing if the are any good. I learn better on my own running scenarios etc rather than in classroom setting. Any point in the right direction would be helpful. What have you guys used to learn SQL Server DB Administration. Thanks
November 27, 2018 at 6:10 am
I know some of the authors of the Microsoft books. They're good. However, they do "teach to the test". This means it will help you pass the tests. However, it won't impart a lot of knowledge about the day-to-day of database development, administration, etc.
Frankly, I don't know of a single book that will get you what you're asking for. I haven't read Inside Out, but I do know the authors. They know what they're talking about. If that helps at all.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
December 4, 2018 at 7:58 am
I like the "Unleashed" books for SQL Server. If you search Amazon for SQL Server Unleashed you'll see the books available. The explanations and examples are fairly thorough. I have the SQL 2017 Inside Out book and have read maybe 20% of it so far. It offers explanations, but so far is big on pointing the reader to Books Online/Microsoft docs for additional information. That may very well be happening because SQL Server is changing so fast these days that they felt it better to give you the basics of a concept and then point you to "living" docs from Microsoft.
As Grant said, you're going to be hard pressed to find a single source of material that gives you everything. I would encourage you to buy a generalist DBA book like the Inside Out book or the Unleashed series and then by books or find resources on specific technologies, like High Availability and DR, so you can see focused, in-depth information about failover cluster instances, Availability Groups, Log Shipping, etc. Part of the answer is to figure out what you understand, what you're fuzzy on and what you like. Obtain books and other resources on the latter two categories of information.
You mentioned that you learn by doing, and that will be key no matter what resources you use. Test out the scenarios in the material. See what you can get to work in your own isolated environment. That's the best way to learn.
December 4, 2018 at 8:32 am
I'll say that most of these books are 90% the same. The authors tend to follow what others do and so they get formulaic. I'd get a sample and read a bit to see if you like the style of the authors.
For the exams, it's worth the exam book from MS or others. The authors usually teach to the test, with their experiences, but they focus on the items that are on the test. When I've written those books, I often took the tests 1-2 times to get an idea of what needs to be focused on.
December 4, 2018 at 9:16 am
If your goal is certification, then use the Microsoft test prep kit book, because you can be an expert at many aspects of SQL Server (ie: internals or administration) and still be lacking in subject areas covered by the exam. Also, if you flip through them, you'll see the prep books are structured differently from other books. You can find the books used on Amazon.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
December 4, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Thanks for all the good info. The SQL server Unleashed looks good, I just wish it went beyond 2014. I do see the High Availability for 2016. I don't know maybe there is not much difference between 2014/2016/2017?
Also I have been a SAN Engineer for the last 10 years and have not touched SQL in the workplace since 2000. I'm in the job market again and I am looking at both SAN related and SQL DBA jobs. It seems like there is not as much opportunity out there. I know my previous company (huge company) hired hundreds of tech folks from a contracting company in India. Whenever an american left the job they would be replaced with an Asian working remotely for half the price. Also I think companies are opting for using cloud providers and therefore don't need new admins etc.
Since I have not needed to look for a job in 20 years, my experience is dated. Is it getting harder to find a job? Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions. Thanks.
December 5, 2018 at 7:33 am
rondebbs 48050 - Tuesday, December 4, 2018 1:00 PMThanks for all the good info. The SQL server Unleashed looks good, I just wish it went beyond 2014. I do see the High Availability for 2016. I don't know maybe there is not much difference between 2014/2016/2017?Also I have been a SAN Engineer for the last 10 years and have not touched SQL in the workplace since 2000. I'm in the job market again and I am looking at both SAN related and SQL DBA jobs. It seems like there is not as much opportunity out there. I know my previous company (huge company) hired hundreds of tech folks from a contracting company in India. Whenever an american left the job they would be replaced with an Asian working remotely for half the price. Also I think companies are opting for using cloud providers and therefore don't need new admins etc.
Since I have not needed to look for a job in 20 years, my experience is dated. Is it getting harder to find a job? Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions. Thanks.
From what I'm reading above, it sounds like: you are currently between jobs, have 20 years of on-premises infrastructure experience, and would like to move into a job where you could leverage your existing experience and also become more involved in SQL Server administration or SQL coding. So, rather than scrambling to get a certification, what I would suggest for your next move is a subscription to PluralSight and some video training courses on Azure Infrastructure, followed by Azure SQL. You already have the core skills you need to move into a new job (networking and storage), you just need to widen the breadth of your knowledge about cloud hosting and place it in context with your existing experience.
https://www.pluralsight.com/search?q=azure%20infrastructure
https://www.pluralsight.com/courses/azure-sql-database-dba
You can watch the overview portion of most courses without a subscription, and there is also a 10 day trial.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply