SQL Server MVP Andy Leonard is on the latest edition of .NET Rocks! If you're not familiar with .NET Rocks!, it's a podcast targeted at the Microsoft .NET Framework developer. As far as podcasts go, it's one of the best out there. I've been listening to it for a while, even though my primary day-to-day responsibilities don't include development any longer. .NET Rocks! has spun off RunAs Radio, which is targeted more at the infrastructure side of the house. It is equally professional produced and worth the time it takes to listen to a podcast.

 On this latest episode, Andy is interviewed about unit testing databases. He talks at length about Data Dude (Visual Studio Team Edition for Database Professionals), why he got into it, and how little changes can make a huge difference, hence the reason testing is so important. One thing that was interesting, since Andy has sat on both sides of the DBA line is when he said, "Most developers think they are DBAs," and then followed up with how there's a difference between coding against a database platform and actually be responsible for maintaining its health and performance. Having worn both hats, I can say that I used to be the developer who thought, "Making changes and keeping databases running is easy!" That is, until I was responsible for production databases. Then how my perception changed.

  .NET Rocks! Episode #312: Andy Leonard on Unit Testing Your Database