March 9, 2010 at 4:26 pm
As a busy person outside of the business, raising a family, and so forth. How do you manage to take in so much information on the SQL product?
My background - I worked with SQL for 10 years now. 7 years of this was just Administering a few jobs, keeping the database going and writing T-SQL in and out of stored procs. I then became a full on DBA. In the 3 years I have been doing this I feel as though EVERY DAY I come across something I don't know and have to add to my knowledge. I have an MCTS in Business Intelligence, but sadly other than SSIS I am not getting to use the reporting services and Analysis services in my day to day job so that knowledge is slipping.
My day to day is administering the servers, looking after security, tuning queries, releases, security changes, putting new jobs in place, maintenance, replication upkeep and so on and so forth. But on top of that I get project work and I am to upgrade sql servers, improve performance on servers, rewrite t-sql that is running slow. We are rolling out new projects and servers on 64 bit 2005, 2000, 32 bit 2005 - Not just on physical servers now, we are moving onto Virtual environments and SANs.
All in all - it is a nightmare the amount of information I have to take in. Especially when you want to be on top of your game and work to a high standard, because of course as well as having the technical know how you need to back this up in your business skills, your presentation skills, your face to face skills with the business and clients. Documentation has to be superb. Project planning and management.
How do all you guys do it?
My day to day would take up half my day, but this week I've had to take shortcuts as I need to learn the best practises for SAN performance as our test sql is running like a pig, performance checks on hardware on old servers (and as some of you may see, this has opened up a whole can of worms of disk alignments, legacy raid boxes, cpu best practise and so on).
DAMN.
Is it really a 20 hour a day job? :hehe::crazy:
March 9, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Long days and lots of hours. I think one essential thing to remember is to remember that you can't learn it all at once. Take notes, be organized and know how to recall the information. Then after that, it is a matter of practice and implementation of what you have learned.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
March 9, 2010 at 6:05 pm
My day to day is administering the servers, looking after security, tuning queries, releases, security changes, putting new jobs in place, maintenance, replication upkeep and so on and so forth. But on top of that I get project work and I am to upgrade sql servers, improve performance on servers, rewrite t-sql that is running slow. We are rolling out new projects and servers on 64 bit 2005, 2000, 32 bit 2005 - Not just on physical servers now, we are moving onto Virtual environments and SANs.
Actually, you appear to be doing quite well 🙂
Hopefully, you have your own office where you can close the door and ignore the phone. (Multi-tasking is for Sales and Marketing types, not for Technical Administrators).
Do not multi-task !
"You do need to know the answer but you do need to know where to find the answer. "
1) Use a internet book mark manager (I use Yahoo but Google is an alternative)
2) Read the SQL Server Central newsletters.
3) Have your own SQL Server to try things -- perhaps on a virtual server with a backup.
3) Subscribe to RSS feeds:
SQLServer Central; http://www.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/MainFeed.aspx
CSS SQL Server Engineers; http://blogs.msdn.com/psssql/default.aspx
SQL Team; http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/
SQL Blogs; http://sqlblog.com/blogs/MainFeed.aspx
SQL CAT; http://sqlcat.com/MainFeed.aspx
A Book recommendation is "Time Management for System Administrators" http://www.amazon.com/Management-System-Administrators-Thomas-Limoncelli/dp/0596007833/ref=pd_sim_b_1
[/quote]
Time is a precious commodity, especially if you're a system administrator. No other job pulls people in so many directions at once. Users interrupt you constantly with requests, preventing you from getting anything done. Your managers want you to get long-term projects done but flood you with requests for quick-fixes that prevent you from ever getting to those long-term projects. But the pressure is on you to produce and it only increases with time. What do you do?
The answer is time management. And not just any time management theory--you want Time Management for System Administrators, to be exact. With keen insights into the challenges you face as a sys admin, bestselling author Thomas Limoncelli has put together a collection of tips and techniques that will help you cultivate the time management skills you need to flourish as a system administrator.
Time Management for System Administrators understands that an Sys Admin often has competing goals: the concurrent responsibilities of working on large projects and taking care of a user's needs. That's why it focuses on strategies that help you work through daily tasks, yet still allow you to handle critical situations that inevitably arise.
Among other skills, you'll learn how to:
Manage interruptions
Eliminate timewasters
Keep an effective calendar
Develop routines for things that occur regularly
Use your brain only for what you're currently working on
Prioritize based on customer expectations
Document and automate processes for faster execution[/quote]
SQL = Scarcely Qualifies as a Language
March 9, 2010 at 7:12 pm
Most DBAs, whether System, Application, or Hybrid, don't know everything about SQL Server. There's just not enough time in the day. Some do better than others but even the heavy hitters aren't experts at everything.
You're doing well... just keep doing and, like Carl suggests, peel just one potato at a time. 😉
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
March 9, 2010 at 11:51 pm
I have to agree, it looks like you are doing well. All you can do is learn what you need when you need it, and know where to look for things you don't use as often.
We just completed a major Tools upgrade for our PeopleSoft Systems. Totally redesigned the system environment. Multiple app and web servers for high availability and failover, database mirroring for high availablilty of the databases. Until this project, database mirroring was just a concept. Now I have a basic understanding of database mirroring, and realize that there is a lot more that I don't know and need to learn about Database Mirroring. When will I do that, probably during my off-hours, if I can make the time.
All we can do is do our best every day, and try to make our boss look good to the powers that be.
March 10, 2010 at 12:32 pm
where i work we have 2 DBA's to manage the servers, a few dozen developers and a few BI developers who write most of the SSRS reports and BI processes
March 10, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Jeff Moden (3/9/2010)
Most DBAs, whether System, Application, or Hybrid, don't know everything about SQL Server. There's just not enough time in the day. Some do better than others but even the heavy hitters aren't experts at everything.You're doing well... just keep doing and, like Carl suggests, peel just one potato at a time. 😉
(I stopped peeling them: boil them, mash'em and then the skins are easy to extract!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
March 10, 2010 at 2:46 pm
Matt Miller (#4) (3/10/2010)
Jeff Moden (3/9/2010)
Most DBAs, whether System, Application, or Hybrid, don't know everything about SQL Server. There's just not enough time in the day. Some do better than others but even the heavy hitters aren't experts at everything.You're doing well... just keep doing and, like Carl suggests, peel just one potato at a time. 😉
(I stopped peeling them: boil them, mash'em and then the skins are easy to extract!)
Some people actually LIKE the skins in their mashed potatoes.
March 10, 2010 at 3:09 pm
definitely write things down. have standard procedures wherever possible and document them! Saves having to remember it.
Bookmark useful white papers and URLs, maintain a scripts library. All you have to remember is that you read something about that somewhere once, or did it before, and you know there are only a few places you would have to look to find it.
all the above of course means you have to have read the information in the first place, so trawl all your sources of information for information.
and of course nothing beats experience, plus making mistakes is a good way to learn (my particular strongpoint 🙂 )
As others have said no one knows everything so don't try too. I know there is so much I don't know, and even worse, so much I used to know but have forgotten.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
March 10, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Thanks everyone for the advice and positive feedback! Made me feel better anyway!
I can see why so many SQL Server workers take up blogging!
I'll be using all the advice in here.
PS/ Mash potato WITH skins? That's not right!
March 10, 2010 at 6:52 pm
You're welcome.
As for mash and skins - depends on my mood and the flavor.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
March 11, 2010 at 8:05 am
I can relate. I wonder how people know so much, but it really is just plugging away. Need to learn how to tune a query, find a book/blog/article and practice. I learn what I need when I need it, otherwise it just gets replaced in my brain if I learn it and don't use it.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
Check out these links on how to get faster and more accurate answers:
Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help
Need an Answer? Actually, No ... You Need a Question
March 11, 2010 at 9:52 am
Lynn Pettis (3/10/2010)
Matt Miller (#4) (3/10/2010)
Jeff Moden (3/9/2010)
Most DBAs, whether System, Application, or Hybrid, don't know everything about SQL Server. There's just not enough time in the day. Some do better than others but even the heavy hitters aren't experts at everything.You're doing well... just keep doing and, like Carl suggests, peel just one potato at a time. 😉
(I stopped peeling them: boil them, mash'em and then the skins are easy to extract!)
Some people actually LIKE the skins in their mashed potatoes.
Agreed - just depends on the type of potato!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
March 11, 2010 at 10:39 am
Jack Corbett (3/11/2010)
I can relate. I wonder how people know so much, but it really is just plugging away. Need to learn how to tune a query, find a book/blog/article and practice. I learn what I need when I need it, otherwise it just gets replaced in my brain if I learn it and don't use it.
I do the same sort of thing. As long as I have notes or know how to get back to the info, then that is the most important thing to remember.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events
March 11, 2010 at 10:47 am
CirquedeSQLeil (3/11/2010)
Jack Corbett (3/11/2010)
I can relate. I wonder how people know so much, but it really is just plugging away. Need to learn how to tune a query, find a book/blog/article and practice. I learn what I need when I need it, otherwise it just gets replaced in my brain if I learn it and don't use it.I do the same sort of thing. As long as I have notes or know how to get back to the info, then that is the most important thing to remember.
Agree, I do. Way it seems I learn as well.
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply