July 20, 2012 at 5:01 am
Well, you do work as a DBA, so the "How to get a DBA job" seems feasable 🙂
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
July 20, 2012 at 5:57 am
Networking is also a good topic to speak about. A lot of people want to know how to do it.
July 20, 2012 at 6:36 am
Koen Verbeeck (7/20/2012)
Well, you do work as a DBA, so the "How to get a DBA job" seems feasable 🙂
Yes, feasible, but dangerous. I don't want it to turn into "How to get my DBA job"! :hehe:
-- Gianluca Sartori
July 20, 2012 at 7:37 am
Out of curiosity, does any of you administer instances without ANY rights on the windows machine?
And, please, anyone tell me how to administer a cluster without permissions on the cluster itself. How am I supposed to fail-over the instances if I can't reach the cluster admin snap-in?
I asked to be granted those permissions and I've been told that only sysadmins can have administrative rights on the servers.
Weird, I always thought a DBA was a sysadmin, or a least kind of. I suppose I've always been wrong.
Would we want your DBA job!?
July 20, 2012 at 7:38 am
Stefan Krzywicki (7/19/2012)
Bleh, yet another 3rd party database I have to connect to that has a terrible design. Examples? They begin every table name with "t" and then include the table name in every field name. Also fun, some table names are singular, some are plural. And that's just naming convention problems, the partially normalized tables are something else altogether.
I name tables after what a single row is designed to hold. For example, "Customer" instead of "Customers", "Employee" instead of "Employees", and "Company" instead of "Companies". Although I'm absolutely sure that some will take grand exception to it, I rarely use natural keys and, when I do, they're usually an Alternate Key instead of a Primary Key. I usually use an ID and that ID is normally named tablenameID (makes automation of certain tasks easier) and it just doesn't make sense to have a something like a CustomersID, EmployeesID, or, worse yet, a CompaniesID.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
July 20, 2012 at 7:45 am
Jeff Moden (7/20/2012)
Stefan Krzywicki (7/19/2012)
Bleh, yet another 3rd party database I have to connect to that has a terrible design. Examples? They begin every table name with "t" and then include the table name in every field name. Also fun, some table names are singular, some are plural. And that's just naming convention problems, the partially normalized tables are something else altogether.I name tables after what a single row is designed to hold. For example, "Customer" instead of "Customers", "Employee" instead of "Employees", and "Company" instead of "Companies". Although I'm absolutely sure that some will take grand exception to it, I rarely use natural keys and, when I do, they're usually an Alternate Key instead of a Primary Key. I usually use an ID and that ID is normally named tablenameID (makes automation of certain tasks easier) and it just doesn't make sense to have a something like a CustomersID, EmployeesID, or, worse yet, a CompaniesID.
That's how I try to design too.
The worst part (so far) is that there are two linked tables. One has the fields Detail_ID and Item_Number. (I also dislike underscores, but that's just preference) The other has the fields Mod_ID and Item_ID. Would Item_ID link back to Item_Number or Detail_ID? Turns out it is Detail_ID. Fun with clarity!
--------------------------------------
When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
--------------------------------------
It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams
July 20, 2012 at 7:53 am
SQLRNNR (7/19/2012)
Gianluca Sartori (7/19/2012)
On a totally different note, I recently started on a new job as DBA/DBD and I'm a bit surprised of some restrictions in this shop.Out of curiosity, does any of you administer instances without ANY rights on the windows machine?
And, please, anyone tell me how to administer a cluster without permissions on the cluster itself. How am I supposed to fail-over the instances if I can't reach the cluster admin snap-in?
I asked to be granted those permissions and I've been told that only sysadmins can have administrative rights on the servers.
Weird, I always thought a DBA was a sysadmin, or a least kind of. I suppose I've always been wrong.
I have been in that type of environment. Even to the point of having no access to SQL Server other than through SSMS. It makes it very difficult as the DBA to do everything you need.
Nah... it's easy. If they don't give you the privs even after you've asked, just forward everything you need to do but can't to them. Include management on the copy of all your requests. You win. Either they give you privs or they do the job. If they don't do the job, it's their necks on the line because you've documented what needs to be done and why. Usually, this whole type of thing isn't some sort of power trip on thier part. It's a matter of "earning your stripes" and sometimes a matter of "compliance" with perceived rules such as "SOX", "SEC", "ISO", and a bunch of other things. Don't take it personally. Go with the flow and things will quickly get better over time.
I started out that way at my current job. Once I "earned my stripes", they gave me RDC privs to the SQL Servers and life got better. I actually don't ever want to have anything to do with Windows itself or clustering. They've got that all set up and that's their baby. That's a couple less things I actually have to worry about. Being able to RDC into the SQL Server is all I need so I can move or verify files and keep track of disk space when I need to.
To meet company security regulations, even though I'm the only designated System Level DBA, I still have to send a justification to our internal "ProAccess" group once a week to keep my elevated level of privs to do my job. Sounds like a huge pain but it's not... that's why Bill Gates invented "Copy'n'Paste". I might even set it up so that SQL Server automatically sends the email for me every week. 😀
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
July 20, 2012 at 8:03 am
Stefan Krzywicki (7/20/2012)
Jeff Moden (7/20/2012)
Stefan Krzywicki (7/19/2012)
Bleh, yet another 3rd party database I have to connect to that has a terrible design. Examples? They begin every table name with "t" and then include the table name in every field name. Also fun, some table names are singular, some are plural. And that's just naming convention problems, the partially normalized tables are something else altogether.I name tables after what a single row is designed to hold. For example, "Customer" instead of "Customers", "Employee" instead of "Employees", and "Company" instead of "Companies". Although I'm absolutely sure that some will take grand exception to it, I rarely use natural keys and, when I do, they're usually an Alternate Key instead of a Primary Key. I usually use an ID and that ID is normally named tablenameID (makes automation of certain tasks easier) and it just doesn't make sense to have a something like a CustomersID, EmployeesID, or, worse yet, a CompaniesID.
That's how I try to design too.
The worst part (so far) is that there are two linked tables. One has the fields Detail_ID and Item_Number. (I also dislike underscores, but that's just preference) The other has the fields Mod_ID and Item_ID. Would Item_ID link back to Item_Number or Detail_ID? Turns out it is Detail_ID. Fun with clarity!
Heh... I know how you feel. I'm working with some third party DB's where they not only have column name changes for the exact same data, they also change the name of the column in derived and temporary tables in queries apparently just for the fun of it. By the time you get to the end of a stored proc, a given column name may actually be changed in a half dozen temp tables. Of course, their of lots of variables involved due to RBAR and they even assign a different name to the variable from table to variable to variables. I don't use the words very often but it's a totally ridiculous, ignorant, and incredibly stupid design. The people that wrote it need to be folded in half and shot butt first out of a cannon into a stone wall so they can feel the same pain they've put me through.
I'll tell you how I really feel about it over a beer someday. 😛
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
July 20, 2012 at 8:04 am
Ugh, shooting in CO last night, just north of here if you haven't heard. Crazy. My son wanted to go see Batman last night (not that theater), but my wife was out of town, so they didn't go.
Life is short people, remember that. Enjoy yourselves, and let things go when you can.
July 20, 2012 at 8:05 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (7/20/2012)
Ugh, shooting in CO last night, just north of here if you haven't heard. Crazy. My son wanted to go see Batman last night (not that theater), but my wife was out of town, so they didn't go.Life is short people, remember that. Enjoy yourselves, and let things go when you can.
Was wondering about some of our Colorado folks and hoping they are all safe. Such a crazy thing!!! Glad to know you are safe.
_______________________________________________________________
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Read the article at http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/ for best practices on asking questions.
Need to split a string? Try Jeff Modens splitter http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tally+Table/72993/.
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 1 – Converting Rows to Columns - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/T-SQL/63681/
Cross Tabs and Pivots, Part 2 - Dynamic Cross Tabs - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Crosstab/65048/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 1) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69953/
Understanding and Using APPLY (Part 2) - http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/APPLY/69954/
July 20, 2012 at 8:12 am
Jeff Moden (7/20/2012)
Stefan Krzywicki (7/20/2012)
Jeff Moden (7/20/2012)
Stefan Krzywicki (7/19/2012)
Bleh, yet another 3rd party database I have to connect to that has a terrible design. Examples? They begin every table name with "t" and then include the table name in every field name. Also fun, some table names are singular, some are plural. And that's just naming convention problems, the partially normalized tables are something else altogether.I name tables after what a single row is designed to hold. For example, "Customer" instead of "Customers", "Employee" instead of "Employees", and "Company" instead of "Companies". Although I'm absolutely sure that some will take grand exception to it, I rarely use natural keys and, when I do, they're usually an Alternate Key instead of a Primary Key. I usually use an ID and that ID is normally named tablenameID (makes automation of certain tasks easier) and it just doesn't make sense to have a something like a CustomersID, EmployeesID, or, worse yet, a CompaniesID.
That's how I try to design too.
The worst part (so far) is that there are two linked tables. One has the fields Detail_ID and Item_Number. (I also dislike underscores, but that's just preference) The other has the fields Mod_ID and Item_ID. Would Item_ID link back to Item_Number or Detail_ID? Turns out it is Detail_ID. Fun with clarity!
Heh... I know how you feel. I'm working with some third party DB's where they not only have column name changes for the exact same data, they also change the name of the column in derived and temporary tables in queries apparently just for the fun of it. By the time you get to the end of a stored proc, a given column name may actually be changed in a half dozen temp tables. Of course, their of lots of variables involved due to RBAR and they even assign a different name to the variable from table to variable to variables. I don't use the words very often but it's a totally ridiculous, ignorant, and incredibly stupid design. The people that wrote it need to be folded in half and shot butt first out of a cannon into a stone wall so they can feel the same pain they've put me through.
I'll tell you how I really feel about it over a beer someday. 😛
It amazes me sometimes that these things are in commerically sold products. They've called in some consultants to write another database for us and I fear seeing it when it is done. I'm hoping that they're good, but since I've seen so many bad ones and I've spent so much of my career fixing bad design, I'm worried. I'm trying to be hopeful, but...
I'm currently working with two badly designed 3rd party databases, but just keep reminding myself that they aren't the worst I've seen. There was the place with 3 databases that didn't link to each other that held the "same" information. And there was the place that we had to be actively aware of the hard limit for how many sp subcalls you could make because the design was already something like 4 or 5 deep of sps calling sps and our only way to customize reports was to make further sp calls from there.
--------------------------------------
When you encounter a problem, if the solution isn't readily evident go back to the start and check your assumptions.
--------------------------------------
It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.
What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?
You ask a glass of water. -- Douglas Adams
July 20, 2012 at 8:54 am
Sean Lange (7/20/2012)
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (7/20/2012)
Ugh, shooting in CO last night, just north of here if you haven't heard. Crazy. My son wanted to go see Batman last night (not that theater), but my wife was out of town, so they didn't go.Life is short people, remember that. Enjoy yourselves, and let things go when you can.
Was wondering about some of our Colorado folks and hoping they are all safe. Such a crazy thing!!! Glad to know you are safe.
Heard about that one. Don't understand such madness.
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
July 20, 2012 at 9:38 am
Lynn Pettis (7/19/2012)
Koen Verbeeck (7/19/2012)
100 books? I'm glad I can read 2 on a whole year (technical books not included).Don't get me wrong, I love to read (read the whole Dexter series last year), I just can't find the time.
I have the Lord of the Rings saga waiting for me, but I never get around to start reading them.
Maybe it's the little kids who take away time and energy? I usually just stick to comic books and graphic novels, they read pretty fast 🙂
I've read The Hobbit, enjoyed it. Just can't seem to read The Lord of the Rings, I get to Rivendale and that is it. That's about half way through the first book. I don't know why, but it seems like work just to get there.
Now, the Dune books, starting with the original trilogy, those I read with no problem.
Much like the films, the saga rather picks up from that point.
Except book 5, that drags a bit. Usually scan-read that one.
jcrawf02 (7/19/2012)
Koen Verbeeck (7/19/2012)
I have the Lord of the Rings saga waiting for me, but I never get around to start reading them.Does that include the Hobbit? I would definitely suggest starting there, then the trilogy, then the Silmarillion as a bonus, if you enjoy the LOTR.
Agreed. Found The Silmarillion hard work however. I was quite young when I read it though, maybe time to give it another read!
July 20, 2012 at 10:28 am
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (7/20/2012)
Ugh, shooting in CO last night, just north of here if you haven't heard. Crazy. My son wanted to go see Batman last night (not that theater), but my wife was out of town, so they didn't go.Life is short people, remember that. Enjoy yourselves, and let things go when you can.
What a nightmare. 'Hate that this happened. I wish it was easier to identify individuals like that, before they do their damage.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. - Stephen Hawking
July 20, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Jeff Moden (7/20/2012)
.... I might even set it up so that SQL Server automatically sends the email for me every week. 😀
week after you leave and forget the server is sending the message, management gets your email and goes HMMMM i thought he quit last week, did we shut down his email account.
For performance Issues see how we like them posted here: How to Post Performance Problems - Gail Shaw[/url]
Need to Split some strings? Jeff Moden's DelimitedSplit8K[/url]
Jeff Moden's Cross tab and Pivots Part 1[/url]
Jeff Moden's Cross tab and Pivots Part 2[/url]
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