Last month marked the 200th anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. I'm a history nut and so was very excited to get the chance earlier this month to visit the battlefield where, in June 1815, Napoleon and the great generals of France faced an Allied army lead by the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, and Gebhard von Blucher.
Prior to Waterloo, Napoleon and his generals had taken over most of Europe in a series of wars. During that time they developed a way of attacking that involved huge columns of troops marching straight at the enemy. It worked. Over and over again it worked. Well, except for a series of battles fought in Spain. There, a little known British general who had learned his trade in India was proving to be a thorn in the side of the French. Instead of using massed columns, this general had a habit of picking particular pieces of terrain and then spreading his troops out in a line across that terrain in a way that helped him to defeat the massed columns of the French. That general was, of course, Wellington.
Fast forward a few years, and there on the Belgian battlefield is the French army and the French generals doing things the way they've always done it. The rest, as they say, is history. The Allied army won. Napoleon was sent to St. Helena. Abba recorded a song.
But what does all this have to do with SQL Server, databases and IT professionals? Frequently, on the forums and when talking to people, I hear about some practice that is enshrined within an organization. It can be crazy stuff like always using NOLOCK on every query. When I ask why this is done, most people don't have a good answer. Instead they say, "Because we have always done it that way."
Change for the sake of change is not a good thing. However, doing things one way, blindly, unthinkingly, without knowing why you're doing them that way or whether that way is still effective is also definitely not a good thing. The next time you find yourself reaching for the "that's the way we've always done it" answer, pause. Think of Wellington and reevaluate whether it might be time for a change in approach. Be ready to reexamine your beliefs and understanding of how the technology you manage works. It's constantly changing. What may have been a good idea in the past may be a terrible idea in the present. Take the time to learn and adapt. That way, you may avoid your own Waterloo.
Grant Fritchey (Guest Editor)
