November 21, 2008 at 7:39 am
I'm one of those "accidental DBAs", who inherited the DBA responsibility when somebody left, and since then I've found that I really enjoy being a DBA! So, as I'm beginning to hear more about "storing everything in the Cloud" and about Windows Azure and similar services, I wonder what that means for the DBA.
Is "the Cloud" SQL Server's new competition? Or is SS an important component of the Cloud?
Are DBAs on the chopping block and about to become "redundant", as developers build data stores in clouds of their own design and have no further need for the traditional relational database (or for the accompanying DBA)? (Which then begs the question: how do you backup a Cloud?...)
Idle musings, and perhaps of no interest to anyone here. But, I thought I'd toss it out for discussion.
November 22, 2008 at 9:40 am
I have a few notes on this based on PASS this past week, but SQL Server is definitely part of the cloud. I don't think MS is going to fight this movement, but work to be a part of it.
Those can be internal or external clouds, meaning a cloud in your Intranet or on the Internet. One of the things shown moving forward was a "fabric" or collection of instances. You specify the requirements for your app and then deploy to the fabric, getting a friendly name from AD, not a specific instance.
It sounds a little like vMotion from VMWare, though I'm not sure if things move. It's that you manage it inside a collection of servers, not at an individual level.
November 22, 2008 at 10:00 am
My problem is I barely can keep up with SQL Server so I'm way behind when it comes to understanding the "Cloud" and Azure. Eventually I'll need to learn about this stuff.
I don't think internal databases will ever really go away because there are too many concerns about security and privacy if you are storing any identification or financial information so I don't think the DBA will go away either. You'll just need to learn how to integrate with the Cloud, I think?
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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November 22, 2008 at 11:56 am
Databases are going to need managing whether they're in the 'cloud' or in your server room. Maybe you can pay extra for backup services, but that's not all a DBA does.
Also, and I think this is a point several people have made, is that the cloud is not appropriate to all situations. It's not a silver bullet that will solve the problem of the week. It may be appropriate in some cases but not in others.
What we're seeing CTPs of right now (SQL Data Services) is just the first part of what's planned. There is more in the pipeline.
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
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