RESOURCES FOR THE NEW OR ACCIDENTAL DBA Thomas Blog - TomStrike.com

 Who Am I?  Tech with 20 years in various industries and jobs  DBA for 8 months  Former SharePoint Change Engineer at Microsoft  Former Windows Server Admin at IBM  Book and Coffee Lover  Now a SQLSaturday Speaker

 Agenda for the Day  Share the resources that I used to get my current job and keep it  Get newer people started networking with others in the community

SQL SERVER BLOG SQL SERVER BLOG FREE DEVELOPER EDITION OF SQL SERVER THREE MONTHS OF PLURALSIGHT FOR FREE ONE YEAR OF AZURE CREDITS  /31/microsoft-sql-server-developer-edition-is-now-free/ /31/microsoft-sql-server-developer-edition-is-now-free/

PASS - THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SQL SERVER  - Home page for PASS  Session recordings  Virtual chapters have monthly sessions on many different subjects  Regional mentors available in many different subjects  Great networking opportunities  I380Pass chapter will have weekly sessions set up soon with senior DBAs and above teaching lower level people

PLURALSIGHT  PluralSight.com has thousands of videos covering the entire gamut of computer technology.  SQLSkills owners and employees all regularly contribute SQL Server content that normally costs thousands of dollars to get in person. (Not that it’s not worthwhile to go to their in-person classes).  Don Jones and Adam Bertram regularly contribute PowerShell videos.  Scores of other skilled technologists, including many Microsoft Certified Masters of SQL Server have videos on the site.

SQLSERVERCENTRAL.COM  SQL Stairways Stairway to T-SQL DML by Greg Larsen (recommended by Kalen Delaney) Stairway to T-SQL: Beyond the Basics by Greg Larsen Stairway to SQL Server Agent by Richard Waymire Stairway to SQL PowerShell by Ben Miller Stairway to SQL Server Security by Don Kiely Stairway to SQL Server Virtualization

DON JONES AND MANNING.COM  Learn SQL Server in a Month of Lunches  Learn Windows PowerShell in a Month of Lunches  --Stretching beyond just SQL Server depending on your specialty  Learn Active Directory in a Month of Lunches – Richard Siddaway  Learn PowerShell Toolmaking in a Month of Lunches – Don Jones  Learn Windows IIS in a Month of Lunches – Jason C. Helmick

SQLSKILLS  The Accidental DBA Series – 30 days of keeping the SQL Server lights on  SQL Server Extended Event a Day Series  Paul Randall bi-weekly newsletter  Whitepapers, Demo Scripts, Sample Databases, MCM reading list and videos  Many free tools

THE MIDNIGHT DBAS – SEAN & JEN MCCOWN  DBA Roadmap – information on formatting your resume, interviewing, job hunting, and even how to study. As well as critiquing your resume before you send it out  Free PowerShell, T-SQL, and Backup/Restore of databases  Package of tools called Minion – If you consider Ola’s scripts to be the Gold standard, Minion is now the Platinum standard  Weekly webshow that covers technical issues, community activities, and NSFW fun  Sean was a French chef and is adding a series of cooking videos

BRENT OZAR UNLIMITED   Awesome site for helping to introduce you to the SQL Server Community  Excellent downloadable book on using Twitter  Twitter – Especially the #SQLHelp hashtag  All of the books recommended on this site are with reading, but especially “The Whuffie Factor” by Tara Hunt  Weekly Q & A where you can ask about problems you’re having, lots of fun too

SCHOOL/EDUCATION SITES  EDX.org – Transact-SQL class from Microsoft (free or you can get a verified certificate for $49.00 which can be exported to your LinkedIn account)  Udemy.org – Over 200 classes if you search for “SQL” and most are below $40.00  Khan Academy – Intro to SQL: Querying & Managing Data and many others  - excellent resources for SQL  - Great beginner courses  – Many great videos from some of the best SQL Server people in the world  - Great free videos, beginner to advanced, on Microsoft technologies

RECOMMENDED BOOKS  Beginning SQL Server 2012 Administration – Grant Fritchey  Microsoft SQL Server 2012: A Beginner’s Guide – Dusan Petkovic  Troubleshooting SQL Server: A Guide for the Accidental DBA – Jonathan Kehayias and Ted Kruger  Many free books from Red-Gate.com, including Jonathan & Ted’s book above  The Whuffie Factor – Tara Hunt  DBA Survivor – Thomas LaRock

FEEDBACK PLEASE Please provide feedback, good or bad. It’s the only way that I can improve for the next group.