New DBA where do I fit in?
-
Hi all I hope this is where I should post at. I'm new to a company and also new as a DBA (did application support before that ran on an SQL database). This company has not had a DBA in the past, the developers did their own database design and the server guys kept it running the best as possible. I've been told that I need to work with both groups and to start doing all the DBA functions and database design. I've been told to put proceedures and standards in place.
I'm ok w/working w/the server team...seem to be getting my hands around where I fit etc. My question is how many of you work with developers and do the actual design and how do you work on this together? (I am not a programmer). Do you have an actual line of where one person's responsibility ends and another starts? I'm nervous about stepping on toes, but yet it seems if I don't step up to the plate and start defining my role its not ever going to be defined.
Any suggestions? Any proceedures you have in place that might help me if I implement?
Thanks in advance!
-
The DBA should be setting standards, naming, format for procedurs, comments, etc. See what they have and if they don't have something, start getting one in place. It's an easy way to get going.
You should be looking at performance tuning, checking queries and procs, enssuring they run well, see if you can change indexes to make them run faster, smoother, etc.
As far as design, if you're new, they might not listen very well to you. You'll need to learn more about database design and what works and doesn't before you make any great changes. You should be able to ask the developers questions, but what to do, but I'd tread lightly for the time being.
-
I've been treading lightly for the past year. I have slowly gotten involved. Several of the developers are even asking me, where do I want to fit in, what do I want to do etc. I'm just trying to see how other companies handle it. Are there any other DBA's out there that are working w/developers in design etc., and how do you work together, what works what doesn't etc?
-
When you say design, I assume you're talking about data and database design, not application design. My DA/DBA group works with developers and, because there are four of us and approximately 75 developers, we act as consultants rather than doing all of the design ourselves.
In a way, we're the standards enforcers. We encourage developers to consult with us early and often during a project. We offer assistance with logical design, physical design, normalization, etc. This arrangement works fairly well for us. I think it helps that all of us DBAs were programmers before.
Greg
Greg
-
I appreciate your input. Yes I am talking about database design. Enforcing standards is one of the things I was looking for. Also does anyone use Server Index Tuning Wizard and SQL Server Profiler and if so at what point in the development is this done?
-
Learn how to write stored procedures, working wit triggers, etc. The developers at the company I work for do most of their own when creating applications. But there have been times when they have come to me and ask a question about what to use in a stored procedure. Keeping your Sql server up and running and making sure backups are done regularly are probably one of the most important things. It doesn't matter how much a programmer writes, if the server crashes forget it. There are many books out there on writing stored procedures, TSql, server administration, etc. Buy as many as you can afford and use them for reference. Perhaps your company may even reimburse for them. Good luck.
-
Hello,
DBA is DataBase Administrator. The developers that are used to write their procedures will continue to write them themselves. Please, read and download SQL Server 2000 Operations Guide from
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2000/maintain/sqlops0.mspx
There is 2 major tasks for a DBA in the R&D (Development) environment.
1. Make Sure All developmet databases are backed up and performing, patched, protected, version control system is set up, the appropriate licensing is in place, the appropriate SQL Server versions are used and so on. These are in-house tasks
2. Make sure a product developers release is up-to-standards. Yes, here comes a database design (somewhat). But what also is very important that the product has all features a good SQL Server application has to have. For example an automated database backup utility that will back up customer's database that you deliver (sell) to him. Or login manegement utility. You may also want to read Service Management chapter of the Operations Guide about the SLAs if relevant to your business. You may also want to be involved in suggesting the new and better interfaces between the application and SQL Server, advise on logging errors and events
Regards,Yelena Varsha
-
I'm not sure if my question was totally understood so I'm going to try to revamp it:
I am at a small company. (I'm the only DBA, there are only 5 developers) I know what a DBA is and even though that's my title, I am utilized as an database designer as well as an administrator. I am looking for what type of proceedures other companies use if they have a designated data design person etc. How do they interface with the developers? Is it just one developer happens to be the data design person or do all developers do their own data design and the data design person is the "enforcer"? We are trying to document our standards and proceedures for how I will interface, at what point in the design etc. I was hoping to get some ideas from how other companies have designed this position.
Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply