Getting Out From Behind The Curtain - The New DBA

David LevyAdventuresInSql.com

SQL Saturday #31 Chicago

What three things brought you here?◦ To show what I thought a DBA should be◦ Overheard a conversation◦ A trip to Seattle

What Three Things?

The economy is hurting all of us◦ Businesses are cutting costs◦ IT Departments are getting by with less

People are trying harder to avoid DBAs◦ Servers Under Desks◦ “NoSQL”

The DBA Role is Changing

Fighting With Developers◦ Performance Issues◦ Code Reviews Ignored

What Does the Classic DBA Look Like?

Spends Hours and Hours on Operational Tasks◦ Tweaking File Sizes◦ Adjusting Job Schedules◦ Restores◦ Daily Server Monitoring

What Does the Classic DBA Look Like?

Tired Overworked Not Making Progress

What Does the Classic DBA Look Like?

What Does the Classic DBA Look Like?

Consultant Mentor Developer Project Manager

What Does the New DBA Look Like?

Learn All You Can Standardize Processes Build Relationships Use Tools and Automation

How Does a Classic DBA Become a New DBA?

What Do Developers Expect DBAs to Know?◦ SQL◦ Query Tuning◦ System Architecture◦ The Basics of Their Development Language◦ Change Control

Learn All You Can

What Do System Engineers Expect DBAs to Know?◦ SQL◦ System Architecture◦ Change Control◦ Server Architecture◦ Server Topology◦ Techniques for Achieving High Availability and

Disaster Recovery

Learn All You Can

What Does Management Expect DBAs to Know?◦ Everything everybody else expects◦ How to answer succinctly◦ How much everything costs◦ How long everything takes◦ How to Ask the Right Questions

Learn All You Can

What Do DBAs Just Have to Know?◦ How to Explain things Simply but Accurately◦ Writing◦ Project Management◦ Leadership Techniques

Influence Process Prioritization

Learn All You Can

Inside SQL Server Series◦ Edited by Kalen Delaney◦ http://www.insidesqlserver.com

Learn All You Can

http://www.insidesqlserver.com

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership◦ By John C. Maxwell

Learn All You Can

http://www.johnmaxwell.com

Free Sources of Knowledge◦ Microsoft Events◦ SQL Saturday◦ Local User Group Meetings◦ MCM Reading List

Learn All You Can

Learn All You Can Standardize Processes Build Relationships Use Tools and Automation

How Does a Classic DBA Become a New DBA?

Drive efficiency in operations◦ Tasks tend to be less interesting◦ You do not get credit for them

Avoid Reinventing the wheel all the time◦ Time consuming◦ Inconsistent results◦ Overly focused on the current problem

Standardize Processes

What to Standardize◦ Naming Conventions◦ Server Builds

Operating Systems Drive Layouts Software Versions

◦ Coding Standards

Standardize Processes

How to Standardize◦ Documentation◦ Checklists◦ SQL Scripts◦ Policy Based Management◦ Home grown solutions

Standardize Processes

Clearly define expectations◦ Publish a Standards Document

Include the Why, not just the What Include specific examples Word documents are a great start but get large Publish to intranet or Wiki to make it searchable

Standardize Processes

Share knowledge across your team◦ Allows you to take vacations◦ Keep from getting “stuck” with a particular group◦ Stay grounded and on standard

Standardize Processes

Learn All You Can Standardize Processes Build Relationships Use Tools and Automation

How Does a Classic DBA Become a New DBA?

People like to do business with people that they like

People will forgive much more from people they like

People will go out of their way for people that they like

Build Relationships

Integrate with your development teams◦ Ask team manager to treat you as part of team◦ Go to team meetings◦ Eat lunch with team members◦ Participate in their team building events◦ If you come away with friends you are doing

something right

Build Relationships

Think before you speak◦ Consider the audience

Technical Abilities Your Credibility with them What they already believe to be true

◦ Know where you are at Emotionally

Build Relationships

Never criticize, educate◦ Everyone wants to do a good job◦ Most people believe they are doing a good job◦ It is your failure as much as theirs◦ Questions are better than statements

Build Relationships

Be wary of criticizing above & beyond efforts◦ Someone is proud of the product◦ They think you should be impressed too◦ There is usually a very tight timeline◦ Find positive ways to suggest changes

Build Relationships

Be a cheerleader for your teams◦ Recognize milestones◦ It is your success too◦ Remember how you reached them

Everyone is different Chances are you will work together again

Build Relationships

Learn All You Can Standardize Processes Build Relationships Use Tools and Automation

How Does a Classic DBA Become a New DBA?

ClearTrace - http://www.scalesql.com/cleartrace

Use Tools and Automation

Use Tools and Automation Policy Based Management

Enterprise Policy Management Framework◦ http://epmframework.codeplex.com

Use Tools and Automation

TweetDeck

Use Tools and Automation

You become part of a team that is stronger than the sum of it’s parts

Productivity goes up Reliability goes way up After hours work goes down Software releases decrease in frequency

and take less time

What Does Success Look Like?

You are not a teacher that grades others work. End-users are the ones that give out grades.

Closing Thoughts

Clearly Define Expectations Stop Reinventing the Wheel Learn something new every day Be friends with the people you work with Use tools to make your life easier

Closing Thoughts