April 17, 2009 at 2:51 am
Hi
OK this is a pretty basic question but bear with me.
Our DBA has left the company at short notice and the "holding-everything-together" job has landed on my desk until we employ a new DBA. I used to be a DBA probably 10 years ago but a lot of it disappeared in my developing senility.
So, can you give me a quick run-down of basic stuff I ought to be doing on a daily basis.
We've SQL-Server 2000 installed on 5 machines. Huge tables (100-odd tables in each with a good few million rows) but a fairly small user community - perhaps 250 people although one of them serves the public internet site. Not life-or-death coverage however they support a team of 30 people who man a telephone helpdesk so if the performance is shaky (or dead!) all hell breaks loose.
I know about checking the Agent jobs but can't think of what else to do.
Cheers
Sam
April 17, 2009 at 3:27 am
Hi Sam,
The DBA ctivities depends upon the environmnet we support and various from process to process depedning upon the criticality and Business needs. However there are few basic things will goes with all and that is to make sure that the Server is up and running with data consistency.
These are few imp consideration:
>> Server availability
>> Connectivity
>> Backups
>> Data consistency
>> Security
>> Storage
>> Maintenance
>> DR plans( Disaster recovery)
>> Performance tracking ( includes everything from simple log space to profiler)
The list goes on, but lets concentrate on each of them..They are many blogs and sites that would help you on this. Here is a basic link to start with : http://www.mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=1240
Hope it helps !!
-Rajini
April 17, 2009 at 12:22 pm
I focus on these areas:
Physical File Fragmentation
Database and Log File Management
tempdb Maintenance
msdb Maintenance
Index Maintenance
Statistics Maintenance
Data Corruption Detection
Database and Log File Protection
Database Maintenance Monitoring
If you want, I have a PowerPoint presentation I can send you on the above topics. Email me at bradmcgehee@hotmail.com. Also, check out the free e-books at qa.sqlservercentral.com/books.
Brad M. McGehee
DBA
April 18, 2009 at 6:32 am
Thanks guys this is really useful.
Some major restructuring is going on at my company, one of which is "...I've looked into it, taken advice and we don't need a full-time dba". No idea who he got is advice from. Makes you wonder though.
Cheers
Sam
April 18, 2009 at 8:59 am
Get backups working first. Being able to recover is key.
Then start looking at what's scheduled in jobs, maintenance, business jobs, etc. I'd get a handle on what's happening and document it before looking to change anything.
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April 18, 2009 at 11:08 am
Sam Shiell (4/18/2009)
we don't need a full-time dba".
OWssssss... You are going to hurt your SQL servers, which is your data, which is your business.:-D
April 18, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Another option is that there are several companies that have a "remote dba" services available to handle all of your tasks while you are hiring your new dba. I know of one or two and several of their clients who are extremely happy. Pm if interested (and no, I don't make anything off of a referral lol).
May 7, 2009 at 3:43 am
Hi Guys
Sorry for the long delay in replying, but thanks a lot for all your help and the pointers, it's been very useful.
Cheers
Sam
May 8, 2009 at 3:03 am
I would also consider talking to my manager to say I do not want the DBA responsibilities I have been offered.
This is obviously a very personal thing - it could put your job at risk.
On the other hand, if you feel your career has moved away from DBA work, do you want to be stuck with it until your organisation gets someone else. And when they do, what would be the impact on your own position if 50% of your workload moved to the new person. If you feel your skills and career desires are elsewhere, try to stick to that instead of being diverted into a rabbit-hole.
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May 8, 2009 at 4:14 am
Hi
Interesting point. However if I don't do the dba stuff it doesn't get done, and if anything goes "bang" then we're dead.
My company is the registering authority in the UK for a major section of the health service so if we're out of operation we could - quite literally - be putting lives at risk. Not something I'd want on my conscience because I "made a stand" against a short-term bad management decision.
And in any case, showing flexibility, willingness, a consideration for the "bigger picture" and all that is a definite career enhancer if you play it right.
But we've got off the point. Thanks for the thought though
Sam
May 8, 2009 at 11:14 am
Krishna Potlakayala (4/18/2009)
Sam Shiell (4/18/2009)
we don't need a full-time dba".OWssssss... You are going to hurt your SQL servers, which is your data, which is your business.:-D
I think when he said, "we don't need a full-time dba," what he meant was, "we'll just let Sam keep doing it in has spare time".
Sorry Sam!!
May 9, 2009 at 3:36 am
Robert Davis (5/8/2009)
Krishna Potlakayala (4/18/2009)
Sam Shiell (4/18/2009)
we don't need a full-time dba".OWssssss... You are going to hurt your SQL servers, which is your data, which is your business.:-D
I think when he said, "we don't need a full-time dba," what he meant was, "we'll just let Sam keep doing it in has spare time".
Sorry Sam!!
how far you are going to justify of not having a full time DBA? 😉
Sam keep doing it in his *Spare time*? What about when he doesn't have *Spare Time*?:w00t:
May 9, 2009 at 9:45 am
I understand budget issues, and the need to get the work done. Either you want to do it (and are willing) or you aren't. If you aren't, you might put people at risk by not doing a good job.
I'd really think about what you want first, think about what makes sense for you and then decide what you can talk to your boss around. Feel free to start a thread in the career section if you need advice there.
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May 11, 2009 at 3:07 am
Woa there guys, you seem to be stampeding off in your own direction.
Yes, a questionable Management decision has left us at short notice without a DBA. As the only person with the knowledge and skills I've been asked (not told) to hold it together until a proper solution has been put in place ... i.e either someone new employed or a current employee (not me) has their job content changed so that they're number one priority is doing the DBA stuff. Almost certainly they'll have other things to do as well.
I've formally raised the risks and concerns with senior management so they know the urgency of sorting it out permanently, and what could go wrong if they don't. My boss also knows that the working day isn't going to magically get longer so he's living with the fact that my "real" job is going to suffer.
In the meantime I'm happy to be doing this. Nice to be getting my hands dirty again and stretch the old grey cells. There's just no sense of being presganged into the work and I have no concerns about my career prospects (well I do - don't we all - but that's for other unrelated issues)
Thanks for the thoughts.
Sam
May 12, 2009 at 4:41 am
Hi, here you have some ideas:
Beginner:
and
Developer:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms174318.aspx#
Engine:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187875.aspx
Best Practices:
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