March 15, 2010 at 11:22 pm
Always learning a new thing will be adding a feather to your cap. But you need to analyze which way it is going to help you in your career. A DBA who want to focus on administrative task need to spend time to learn .Net better invest your time to update yourself in DBA activity and development task like SQL script so you can be an excellent DABASE RESSOURCE 🙂
March 17, 2010 at 4:47 am
So many jobs require developer/dba with .NET skills that you'll open up opportunities if you get .NET.
Since I'm a .NET developer/DBA, I can't really say whether I actually need .NET or just use it because I know it.
March 17, 2010 at 6:11 am
I read through the posts and I can't agree more with what I read.
I find myself using the same answer to many questions as a DBA...IT DEPENDS
That seems to be the answer I use most through out the day as people stop by to ask DBA/SQL related questions.
This truly is your answer.
It Depends on how far you want to to take the development DBA role
It Depends on how much your organization is dependent on .NET
It Depends on how far you are expected to research problems. Are you expected to drive into application related code or are you isolated to what is physically loaded on your server.
It Depends....
This question is intriguing to me because I find myself in the same position.
I myself have tried to learn the application developer skills in the past (C++, C#, VB 5 and 6, JAVA, HTML, perl, mumps etc...).
I recently changed jobs and find myself in a company that is full MS shop.
After my first yearly review I expressed to my manager that I would like to learn some .Net skill sets.
He was surprised beings that it was not necessary but I explained that in order to perform the role of a DBA Architect I need to understand how the developers are accessing the database and be able to advise on it.
Especially with issues regarding performance. Many development performance related issues are not simply tuning a procedure or SQL Script, it involves understanding the design of the application and possibly coming up with a new more optimized solution for how to get data out of your system.
IT DEPENDS....
Personally I want to learn the .NET skill sets so that I have more tools in my tool belt and so that I can be more valuable to my company.
But it truly DEPENDS on what DBA is answering the questions :unsure:
March 17, 2010 at 7:32 am
I have to agree with the overall concensus, it depends. Personally, I'd like to learn more about .Net and SQL CLR programming. Problem is we don't use it here so anything I do would have to be on my own, and extra time isn't something I have a lot of at the moment.
March 17, 2010 at 8:16 am
A company always wants to utilize it resource to a maximum extent. They may prefer a multiple skill set resource who can feet to there multiple requirement (cost effective ?)
This apples to small scale product base company or may be to a service provider software company, This software company wants resource who can feet to multiple requirement so they can avoid bench period. Overly company will be utilizing you as they need.
Due to frequent change in project or task you may unable to focus on your true skill.
But are you happy doing the same? then no problem you go ahead learn .net.
In practical a big product based company(Manufacture or Banking sectors) whose operation spread across the globe and if they are using SQL server; then there DBA will not get time to spend in ..NET development or other development project. The company also prefer experts and specialist.
If you want to change your career based on the market opportunity then it will not help you in long term as technology change and new demands popup. For a fresher it is ok.
If you really want to be a dedicated DBA specialist then focus on DBA activity and if you have develop skill set then it advantage
It really depends upon you what you really enjoy doing then every thing will be right decision, You must enjoy your job..
March 17, 2010 at 10:32 am
As I have read more comments on the topic, I would have to sway more favorably to the definitely learn .Net side of the fence.
I am finding more and more uses for Powershell everyday. I look at the samples and could use that kind of stuff in my environment to make the administration job just that much easier. Thus I must go out and learn Powershell, personally.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
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March 21, 2010 at 5:53 am
CirquedeSQLeil (3/17/2010)
As I have read more comments on the topic, I would have to sway more favorably to the definitely learn .Net side of the fence. ...
I'm late to the party but thought I'd toss this in. Speaking from experience, if you have the time and resources to add a .NET language to your toolkit, go ahead and do it. It's not only good experience for all the reasons already cited, but you never know when your employer will decide that they need you to be a programmer rather than a database developer. A management change can pull the rug out from under you real fast and trying to ramp up on .NET from scratch when you are expected to develop a product is no fun.
March 21, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I guess I'm the oddball. I've totally removed myself from such languages and have concentrated on T-SQL. Sounds stupid, I know, but when folks hire me, they're hiring me mostly for my knowledge of T-SQL. So far, it's been working out pretty well. CLR may prove to be the exception in the near future. I can see some real potential there.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
March 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Hi
An dba not only required to learn dotnet, he has to have knowledge over various sectors in the s/w develpment. since he is the base in the development environment. Everyone comes to him and speaks with their technical terms, which in turn we need to answer.
Regards
VMSSanthosh
March 22, 2010 at 3:57 am
Jeff Moden (3/21/2010)
I guess I'm the oddball. I've totally removed myself from such languages and have concentrated on T-SQL. Sounds stupid, I know, but when folks hire me, they're hiring me mostly for my knowledge of T-SQL. So far, it's been working out pretty well. CLR may prove to be the exception in the near future. I can see some real potential there.
I'd much prefer to do the same thing. Set-based thinking comes very naturally to me. However, a lot of managers seem to find no value in having a database-centric person on staff. I think it may have to do with the development tools available that make working with databases easier. It gives a lot of developers the feeling that there's nothing to database work, so what's the big deal? (Remember a thread that started off rather acrimoniously a few months ago, when a C# developer deplored the fact that he had to use T-SQL to access the database?) As long as the databases are trivial, that will work, but how many stay trivial for very long? I wonder how many products and projects have failed from lack of respect for the requirements of the database.
Just curious, do you do mostly contract work or are you a staffer? I think contractors may have an easier time of keeping to pure database work, primarily because they are being called in to straighten out the mess made by people who are not database people. :Whistling:
March 22, 2010 at 6:44 am
DonaldW (3/22/2010)
Jeff Moden (3/21/2010)
I guess I'm the oddball. I've totally removed myself from such languages and have concentrated on T-SQL. Sounds stupid, I know, but when folks hire me, they're hiring me mostly for my knowledge of T-SQL. So far, it's been working out pretty well. CLR may prove to be the exception in the near future. I can see some real potential there.I'd much prefer to do the same thing. Set-based thinking comes very naturally to me. However, a lot of managers seem to find no value in having a database-centric person on staff. I think it may have to do with the development tools available that make working with databases easier. It gives a lot of developers the feeling that there's nothing to database work, so what's the big deal? (Remember a thread that started off rather acrimoniously a few months ago, when a C# developer deplored the fact that he had to use T-SQL to access the database?) As long as the databases are trivial, that will work, but how many stay trivial for very long? I wonder how many products and projects have failed from lack of respect for the requirements of the database.
Just curious, do you do mostly contract work or are you a staffer? I think contractors may have an easier time of keeping to pure database work, primarily because they are being called in to straighten out the mess made by people who are not database people. :Whistling:
However, a lot of managers seem to find no value in having a database-centric person on staff.
I agree... as you implied, programs like Hibernate and nHibernate plus the ability to write queries in the GUI code have made it too simple to get at the data and they have come to think of databases as "just a place to store data"... well... at least until they get into trouble.
Just curious, do you do mostly contract work or are you a staffer? I think contractors may have an easier time of keeping to pure database work, primarily because they are being called in to straighten out the mess made by people who are not database people.
Staffer mostly with some consulting work on the side. When the company I worked for decided to move to NC and I decided to not move, I decided to try the world of full time consulting for a while. Didn't care for that at all. Went back to being an FTE on a salary and doing some consulting work on the side. Of course, you really have to be careful not to mix the two. When you're on a job, you're on a job.
Without exception, the companies that have been looking for an FTE are the ones who let things get out of hand by not having a DB Ninja on their staff. Between embedded code, 3rd party code, bad DB design, and poorly constructed stored procs made "inhouse", there's usually a huge amount of work to do on some very large systems. I especially like bring ETL and large batch processing systems back to life.
Most of that type of work DOESN'T require much reading of code written in another language. Sure, anyone with any programming experience at all can weed through something especially with the help of someone who works the language (I try to do that to erode the rift that has usually formed between GUI and DB folks), but I haven't needed to write code in those other languages. They understand when I say, "Look... the code has a serious problem. Rather than using bad code as a model for new code, just tell me what you want the code to do and then give me some room to work."
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
March 22, 2010 at 6:22 pm
... Went back to being an FTE on a salary and doing some consulting work on the side. Of course, you really have to be careful not to mix the two. When you're on a job, you're on a job...
Very wise. I've known a couple of people who lost their jobs because of using company time and resources for external jobs. As the poster says, sometimes your purpose in life is to serve as a warning/example to others.
... Most of that type of work DOESN'T require much reading of code written in another language. Sure, anyone with any programming experience at all can weed through something especially with the help of someone who works the language (I try to do that to erode the rift that has usually formed between GUI and DB folks), but I haven't needed to write code in those other languages. They understand when I say, "Look... the code has a serious problem. Rather than using bad code as a model for new code, just tell me what you want the code to do and then give me some room to work."
That's a great way to handle the divide between GUI and DB folks. When I worked in support I would sometimes sit with a programmer when we were trying to find a bug. I knew enough VB6 to understand what the code was supposed to be doing and ask intelligent questions. Acually helped identify a bug or two that way. That earned me some respect on the Dev side so when a SQL Developer position came open they were willing to give me a chance. Loved every minute of it even when I was pulling out my hair (or working myself over with a pork chop when I did something particularly stupid).
March 23, 2010 at 8:11 pm
Heh... self inflicted pork chops are the worst punishment there is. 😀
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
March 29, 2010 at 1:53 pm
One thing I always keep in mind (unfortunately, learned the hard way a few years ago): Never let your current employer dictate what you learn. One day you may find yourself needing to look for another job and you can only bring to the table what the old company needed. Not a good situation. I always have a 5 year plan in place for my career. Among that is a list of new things that I want to learn. Currently, it is BI. We don't use it here. That's not stopping me.
Personally, I come from a programming background. It has helped immensely to understand programming and how the data is used from a "user's" perspective (the programmer that has to deal with the database design and structure). Plus, I know when I design a database what the possible issues may be and I can go ahead and design the database to mitigate those issues.
You should learn a little about everything that even touches being a DBA: Storage, networking, programming, etc.
These days, employers are looking for multiple skills.
Just my two cents' worth.....
April 6, 2010 at 5:42 am
Lynn Pettis (3/17/2010)
I have to agree with the overall concensus, it depends. Personally, I'd like to learn more about .Net and SQL CLR programming. Problem is we don't use it here so anything I do would have to be on my own, and extra time isn't something I have a lot of at the moment.
I think that I too have to agree that it depends.
But, on the other hand, I've never been in a position working with a rdbms where I've had the option of NOT being able to read, debug, and fix all the languages that the application guys wrote in (and I've usually had to cut new code in those languages too to deliver new features). So in my experience it's always been essential, the things it depends on have all pointed that way.
Tom
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