1. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
So you want to be a DBA
What is a DBA?
Michael John
Ed Wagner
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

2. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
Agenda Who we are. Obligatory standard rants. What is a DBA? What are the different kinds of DBA’s. Why do I want to be a DBA? How can I get to be a DBA? How does a DBA think? Questions and Feedback.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

3. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
Michael John
12th SQL Saturday
20 + years as a developer, DBA, and general IT pain.
Started with SQL 6.0
Became the DBA because I was the only person who knew “SELECT * FROM TABLE”
First job in IT was an entry level developer at 17k per year.
Three years later I was Director of IT with a staff of 45. Making a little more than 17k!
I wish I had more time to write again.
And more money for longer vacations!
Been there, done that!
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

4. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
Ed Wagner
Senior DBA at RDA Group, Global Market Research and Consulting
24 years as a developer and DBA
Member of SPID – SQL PASS in Detroit
5th SQL Saturday, 3rd Presentation
Frequent poster on SQLServerCentral.com
Specialize in high-performance and “black arts” SQL
I actually enjoy this stuff. 
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

5. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
Obligatory Standard Rants
Triggers
Cursors
Cryptcnmes
Doing work on a production machine
A server is NOT a desktop!!!
Begging for disk space
Untested code / procedures being run in production. “Google programming”
Copy and paste coding practices
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
Incompetence being touted as authority
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

6. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What is a DBA?
From Wikipedia:
A database administrator (DBA) is an IT professional responsible for the installation, configuration, upgrading, administration, monitoring,  maintenance, and security of databases in an organization.
The role includes the development and design of database strategies, system monitoring and improving database performance and capacity, and planning for future expansion requirements. They may also plan, coordinate and implement security measures to safeguard the database.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

7. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What is a DBA?
From ME:
Just like a baseball umpire, if nobody knows who I am, and nobody talks to me, then I know I am doing my job to the highest level!
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

8. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What is a DBA?
What does that mean???????
IT Professional - The key word here is professional. Great DBA’s rarely do things “good enough”. It’s not in their vocabulary.
Installation - You need to perform capacity planning, needs analysis, future requirements, security requirements and obsolescence before you put a disk in and double click “setup.exe”
Configuration – What needs to be done to fulfill all of the various requirements? If I change A to 10, and B to 20, will C need to be changed to x?
Upgrading – Will the changes affect the existing environment? Will the changes satisfy ever-changing requirements?
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

9. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What is a DBA?
What does that mean???????
Administration – Day to day operations. Proactive decision making. Predictive analysis.
Monitoring – Is it broken? Is it about to break?
Maintenance – Making SURE it doesn’t break!
Security – A DBA’s only true responsibility is to Protect the company’s data! Every task you do revolves around this.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

10. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What are the different kinds of DBA’s
Development
Logical database design
Physical database design
Requirements gathering
Designs SQL code
Must understand development principles, database design principles (Codd), security, business rules, and possess good communication skills.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

11. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What are the different kinds of DBA’s
Administration
Installation
Configuration
Hardware tuning
Software tuning
Security
Backup and maintenance
High availability
Monitoring
Must possess understanding of operating systems, hardware, system metrics, security concepts including various auditing requirements, and networking.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

12. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
What are the different kinds of DBA’s
Data Warehouse / Business Intelligence
Defines the nature of the data
Analyzes the needs of multiple business units reporting requirements
Decides the appropriate architecture to fulfill requirements
Must possess understanding of accounting principles, auditing reporting requirements (HIPAA, SOX), data warehouse concepts, and understanding of the business. Communication skills are a must!
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

13. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
Why do I want to be a DBA?
The database must be available, the data must be correct, and the system must perform adequately for a business to function.
Without the databases, the business cannot operate!
DBA’s are normally at the upper end of the pay scale in an IT department
The DBA gets to do new things that the company has never done before
Being a DBA means you might get something new every day
You’re never done
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017

14. SQL Saturday Pittsburgh
How does a DBA think?
A good DBA considers the problem. A great DBA considers the whole.
Training issues
The whole database
All databases
All servers
Regarding advice, if you’re last, you’re good. If you’re first, you’re great.
Know how the system works under the hood and help people at their own level, but don’t be afraid to stretch knowledge.
Teach others and mentor people, but don’t bury people who aren’t ready.
Approach DBA tasks with the heart of a developer.
SQL Saturday Pittsburgh September 30th 2017