Here are some SQL Server Interview Questions

  • Interviewer: What makes you think you're a good <<any job title here>>?

    Candidate: I don't. It's just that everyone else sucks so bad that I end up looking good. 😀

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • This one is actually true.

    Me, the interviewer: As the Lead Developer on this project, we're very interested in someone that understands and can easily do conversions between various numbering systems, which is why we're interested in you. For example, we need someone that can look at, say (as I write in on the white-board), 1416 and convert it to decimal in their head. What's the answer?

    Candidate that has been verified to have a PHD in Mathematics: I don't know. I'd need my calculator or a piece of paper and pencil.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • pietlinden (5/14/2015)


    Best milkshakes ever. I don't like that boss very much.

    That and a grilled cheese sandwich. I want to see his lips swell up to match the size of his mouth. 😛

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • Jeff Moden (5/14/2015)


    This one is actually true.

    Me, the interviewer: As the Lead Developer on this project, we're very interested in someone that understands and can easily do conversions between various numbering systems, which is why we're interested in you. For example, we need someone that can look at, say (as I write in on the white-board), 1416 and convert it to decimal in their head. What's the answer?

    Candidate that has been verified to have a PHD in Mathematics: I don't know. I'd need my calculator or a piece of paper and pencil.

    1020?

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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?

  • Luis Cazares (5/14/2015)


    You receive a late call during the night to inform you that the server is down and must be working correctly before everyone arrives in the morning. How many cups of coffee will you need to have available?

    None. I haven't done 15 odd years in this field to have to work in the middle of the night. How many cups of coffee the junior who I delegate the problem to will need is another matter.

    Gail Shaw
    Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
    SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

    We walk in the dark places no others will enter
    We stand on the bridge and no one may pass
  • Jeff Moden (5/14/2015)


    Eric M Russell (5/14/2015)


    Define "working correctly".

    Easy... it doesn't automatically call me at 3 in the morning even if it broke. 😛

    Guys, you're getting this one all wrong. The correct answer is "Get an evangelist job so that you're not on call any more." Sheesh! It's so simple.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Luis Cazares (5/14/2015)


    You receive a late call during the night to inform you that the server is down and must be working correctly before everyone arrives in the morning. How many cups of coffee will you need to have available?

    Hopefully the database isn't offline because someone in operations decided to reboot the server 12 hours into an update on a 300GB table. I could literally father a third child, refinance my mortgage, and land a new job in less time than it would take the transaction log to recover. :unsure:

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    No problem! What about Access? You want that too, because we can do it. 😎



    Alvin Ramard
    Memphis PASS Chapter[/url]

    All my SSC forum answers come with a money back guarantee. If you didn't like the answer then I'll gladly refund what you paid for it.

    For best practices on asking questions, please read the following article: Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help[/url]

  • Alvin Ramard (5/15/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    No problem! What about Access? You want that too, because we can do it. 😎

    OMG! I can't believe I forgot Access... and Excel. Ooh, and we'll need it to work in PowerPivot too. Actually PowerAnything. And make it support JSON... and XML.

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Alvin Ramard (5/15/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    No problem! What about Access? You want that too, because we can do it. 😎

    OMG! I can't believe I forgot Access... and Excel. Ooh, and we'll need it to work in PowerPivot too. Actually PowerAnything. And make it support JSON... and XML.

    PowerAnything will require that we add our Artificial Intelligence module.



    Alvin Ramard
    Memphis PASS Chapter[/url]

    All my SSC forum answers come with a money back guarantee. If you didn't like the answer then I'll gladly refund what you paid for it.

    For best practices on asking questions, please read the following article: Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help[/url]

  • Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    Define "a system" and what does it mean to "move it".

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • Eric M Russell (5/15/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    Define "a system" and what does it mean to "move it".

    System is a collection of stuff.



    Alvin Ramard
    Memphis PASS Chapter[/url]

    All my SSC forum answers come with a money back guarantee. If you didn't like the answer then I'll gladly refund what you paid for it.

    For best practices on asking questions, please read the following article: Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help[/url]

  • Alvin Ramard (5/15/2015)


    Eric M Russell (5/15/2015)


    Grant Fritchey (5/15/2015)


    Question: Can you outline for me how to best design a system so that I can move it between Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Couchbase, DocumentDB, Hadoop, Redshift, Azure SQL or MongoDB depending on the time of day, direction of the wind and the stomach contents of the goat we slaughtered this morning?

    Define "a system" and what does it mean to "move it".

    System is a collection of stuff.

    My best guess about how to move "a collection of stuff" between all the database platforms mentioned above would be to contain it in JSON documents.

    But really, if this were an actual interview question, I would have decided at that point I don't want the job. Candidates fresh out of university are more concerned with landing their first job, and they'll go along with anything. But for those of us with 10 or 20 years of experience and looking to make a lateral move from a current job, our priorities are different.

    "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho

  • Jeff Moden (5/14/2015)


    Alvin Ramard (5/14/2015)


    Here's an interview question:

    Name 10 of the parameters for DBCC TimeWarp. 😛

    I'd seriously consider asking a DBCC TimeWarp question at an interview, just to see how the person would handle it.

    DBCC has 137 parameters but has been deprecated. We are now encouraged to use the new "ALTER LIFE" command but it only has 5 parameters, two of which were almost immediately deprecated as being too useful in the latest service pack.

    But since that service pack had a major bug, it unraveled 4 extra parameters to the Alter Life command.

    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

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