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Why become a DBA?

  • March 28, 2005 at 1:14 pm

    #92785

    I have been approached by our DBA staff to apply for opening they have.  All of our life choices should be so bad, huh?   

     

    Long and short, I know a fair amount about Developing and truly like it.  I have had to be a DBA, (without the degree or knowledge) in the past, (big company, but new department and no money - plus a boss who did not respect our profession) so I know enough to cause trouble.    Also, sites like this and other reading have given enough knowledge to keep things running.  In other words, I am smart enough to know how dumb I am and need to keep up with reading and learning.... 

     

    Give me some reasons why some of you'se ladies/guys switched from Development to DBA and are you happy with the move.  I need to answer fairly soon, so I do not need a life story if you would... But a brief overview would be very much appreciated. 

     

    Thanks. 

    I wasn't born stupid - I had to study.

  • March 28, 2005 at 1:35 pm

    #549191

    1. Still get to develop
    2. Get to "tune" the system by running tools that generally developers don't have access to and analyze what the tools are saying
    3. Get to mentor developers either gently or otherwise to use Execution plan, etc.. to write better code
    4. Have input into how the system should run and be designed
    5. The spiffy lab coats
    6. Impress people by telling them, "Why, I am a Database Administrator" instead of "Why, I develop code <yawn&gt, REALLY I'M KIDDING...

     



    Good Hunting!

    AJ Ahrens


    webmaster@kritter.net

  • March 28, 2005 at 1:48 pm

    #549195

    Because I like to be GOD

    I like my job as dba because I want to take time out from doing day to day development.  I want to be the care taker of my database.  I want to be the first to know when we got problems.  I want to be the person who make split seconds decision that saves my company money.  (It used to cost my old company between 10K to 25K per hour for every time we have database down for an hour.)  I like to help other people such as developer with their problem.  I always told my peers to send their problem child to me because I like to solve them.

    I like working with developers because they are so smart and friendly.  I also like to lend my helping hand when needed.  I like to share my knowledge.  For me I have a very strong background on T-sql and performance tuning.

    So what do you like?  do you like to get your hand dirty in the project? or do you like to take care of a database server?  Would you miss doing what you are currently doing? developing .net?  Only you could answer yourself.  Listen to your heart that is all it counts.

    As far as money is concern.  I think dba get a bit better pay then .net developer.  I am not sure how much for sure in your case.  The only person making more $ would be c++, java or c sharp developer...

    Of course it is only my opionion.

     

    Good luck.  Mom.

     

  • March 28, 2005 at 2:41 pm

    #549200

    Mom,

    I'm a bit confused about how a DBA could make more than a .NET developer but less than a C# developer...?

    FYI, a large percentage of C++ developers make less than Java developers or DBAs. It has to due with different industries in which C++ is more common, paying less than the industries in which Java and DBAs are more common.

    As for being a DBA, it depends what KIND of DBA you want to become -- if you're a developer, become a development-oriented DBA. IT people can become production DBAs. There is room for everyone (just don't get in my way )

    --
    Adam Machanic
    whoisactive

  • March 28, 2005 at 3:43 pm

    #549213

    Like I said it all depends on your situation and of course perception.

    I hope I didn't get into your way.  If I do let me know I'll walk out of your life.  I don't like to be stuck in trafic.

     

    mom

     

  • March 29, 2005 at 12:53 am

    #549266

    Farrell, nobody else but you can answer this question.

    But I wanted to say something that hasn't been addressed yet. The new job perspective is just only one thing. The other is of same importance and that is the social one. Do you think you like your co-workers in spe? Can you deal with your boss in spe. Having a great technically challenging job is pretty useless when you don't like the environment you work in. And this can't even be compensated for with money, methinks.

    Anyway, however you decide for, who know where to ask your questions.

    --
    Frank Kalis
    Microsoft SQL Server MVP
    Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
    My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url]

  • March 29, 2005 at 2:11 am

    #549282

    To be a DBA you have to be into the following:  Database tuning, optimization, modeling, security, maintenance, backup and recovery, disaster recovery, and system configurations.  You don't necessarily need to know different programming languages but do you need to have an understanding (i.e., when trapping doesn't work).  Writing stored procedures and scripting (i.e., daily maintenance) should be the extent of your programming.

    Personally, I like DBA better than developer.  I think that comes from 12 hours of excellent statistics classes in my undergrad and 9 hours of excellent classes in database design, systems analysis/design, and client/server in my grad.    If those type of things interest you more, you're a DBA.


    All the best,

    Dale

    Author: An Introduction to SQL Server 2005 Management Studio

  • March 29, 2005 at 6:54 am

    #549319

    For one you'll have a job that most ( including many IT ) people will never understand and will have fallen asleep before you finish explaining

    I'm mainly a production DBA so I am seen as a guardian of the production systems - in other words the buck stops here - so you get pressure and responsibility and a pretty good pay packet !! However you will not be able to just clock off at 5:30  - being a ( production ) DBA means being pretty flexible in your approach to work. I've been a DBA for over 10 years now and enjoy nearly every minute.

    [font="Comic Sans MS"]The GrumpyOldDBA[/font]
    www.grumpyolddba.co.uk
    http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/grumpyolddba/

  • March 29, 2005 at 7:28 am

    #549329

    I'd have to agree with Colin, sounds like we're cut from the same cloth (yep, we're the annoying people that might occasionally complain but really love doing our job).

    I've been a DBA for just under 10 years now and feel fairly honoured to be a part of an elite group.  The hours are long, the pressue is fairly high, you need to make decisions that will affect lots of people and more importantly managers (and most other IT people) have very little idea what you do.

    What's not to love

  • March 29, 2005 at 7:59 am

    #549335

    I was a developer -- 99% Access front-ends on delivered databases -- that was moved into DBA. They created the position for me because I ended up being so far in front of the other programmers we have, that I was getting dissatisfied, some of the growth of the other developers was stunted, and the level of access I needed (to servers) was not avaible in my other position.

    That was a year ago. I'm still liking the job but the evenings and weekends are making hash of a social life.

    But overall I enjoy it.



    ----------------
    Jim P.

    A little bit of this and a little byte of that can cause bloatware.

  • March 29, 2005 at 8:02 am

    #549338

    Sounds you need to get more automation in place to me, but i'm glad to hear you're still having fun out there.

  • March 29, 2005 at 8:07 am

    #549340

    Personally, I am not a DBA. I consider myself to be a database-oriented software engineer. I act as backup DBA when our fulltime DBA is out or busy, but I'm not a systems guy and I don't really care to monitor things on an active basis. I do data architecture, TSQL programming, data access programming, load/stress testing, and performance tuning. It's a nice balance. I get to touch just as much of the database as I want without getting involved in the day-to-day tasks like making sure jobs ran properly, etc. And I'm free to do much larger and longer projects than our DBA, who is very tied to making sure that production systems are working and that things are getting properly rolled out -- I can spend three months on a single project, whereas she can only spend probably three days.

    That said, she gets a lot more visibility than I do in our organization. DBA is definitely job that should be taken by people who know how to interact well with others! Everyone wants a piece of you

    --
    Adam Machanic
    whoisactive

  • March 29, 2005 at 9:03 am

    #549345

    I have had the title of DBA for a few years now, but am realy a developer/dba.  I started creating Access databases for the company, now I have converted them all to projects with SQL backends.  I enjoy the DBA side of it but I believe many smaller companys might have a position like mine where you develop the database from the ground up, then do the backups and maintenance etc. I also do the web/database programming.  So I get to see the the whole cycle from development to maintenance and tuning.  I love what I do and am still learning many new things.  I have just taken a class on Reporting Services and will  start to move some reports to this.  I think it is more interesting to have this job than a streight DBA job. 

  • March 29, 2005 at 10:41 am

    #549370

    Some food for thought ... I took a DB2 DBA course way back in 1987 (I've been SQL Server DBA since v4.21) and the instructor wrote 4 things on the erasable board at the start of the course:

    1) DDL

    2) DML

    3) bottleneck

    4) politician

     

    He then stated very gregariously "This course is designed to teach you items 1 and 2 only. By learning about items 1 and 2 you may become item 3 at times. When you become item 3, you'll then need to be very good at item 4."

     

    Humorous and very true, no matter what the DBMS, the size of the shop or the the industry.

    RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

  • March 29, 2005 at 10:45 am

    #549371

    I forgot one things... sorry.  To be available for on call 24X7.  Well here we have a team so I am not on call 52 weeks a year.  I used to be on call every day for the last 2 company I worked for because I was the only dba.  Life outside work was hectic b/c sometimes once in a while I did a 24 hr shift  before I have children of course.  Now life is great and balancing. 

     

    mom

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