January 19, 2016 at 2:12 am
It seems that as always some people will read the "near zero administration" or "self-administering" as zero work. It depends on the complexity of the scenario. I have been aware of users of SQL Server that have a low complexity that they got an expert in to set it up (including tasks like backups etc.) and the expert returns once a year to check that the backups are still running correctly and do bit of tidy up. This is just like an annual service for a car. Maintenance requirements often depend on usage.
As for management appreciating anyone in their position, we will always come across management who view their staff as a cost and lucky to have their jobs like we will always come across management who appreciate that it is the staff who keep things going. The following is a paraphrasing of something Richard Branson once said:
Look after your staff and they will look after your clients.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
January 19, 2016 at 3:48 am
jfogel (7/9/2012)
For years I've seen companies that produce BI products make the claim that users will be able to create complex reporting such as "as of", drill thru graphs, etc right out of the box. A constant I always see is that this is never the case. Report writing is a profession itself and it is something that requires experience to be good at. We have been a re-seller for several reporting tools that we package with our app and I've never once been worried about job security due to any reporting tool.
A report generated by a business user with no input from people who understand the data will, other things being equal, be as colossally useless and potentially dangerous as one produced by a member of IT with no input from someone who understands the business domain.
I'm a DBA.
I'm not paid to solve problems. I'm paid to prevent them.
January 19, 2016 at 8:20 am
Doctor Who 2 (7/9/2012)
... Bottom line: if the agency is small enough, they don't want a DBA. They're not willing to pay that "DBA tax". They'll make anyone who has any IT experience be the developer, administrator, PC tech, help desk, network engineer and of course DBA.
Doctor:
I'm curious if you're still at the same company, 3.5 years later, and if things have improved.
At a previous employer they never filled the DBA role after I left, and the two people who followed me left in less than a year (a pattern? ...). They gave DBA responsibilities to the vendor of a particular set of apps. Said vendor didn't notice dirty DBCCs and failing backups, then the SAN dropped one of the drives that a certain database was on and the database went *POOF* -- two months of data fell in to the bit bucket.
The sad thing was that they had a SQL Server database developer on staff, and I had things highly automated to simplify monitoring, but they wouldn't let him monitor the servers.
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
January 19, 2016 at 9:12 am
Wayne West (1/19/2016)
Doctor Who 2 (7/9/2012)
... Bottom line: if the agency is small enough, they don't want a DBA. They're not willing to pay that "DBA tax". They'll make anyone who has any IT experience be the developer, administrator, PC tech, help desk, network engineer and of course DBA.Doctor:
I'm curious if you're still at the same company, 3.5 years later, and if things have improved.
At a previous employer they never filled the DBA role after I left, and the two people who followed me left in less than a year (a pattern? ...). They gave DBA responsibilities to the vendor of a particular set of apps. Said vendor didn't notice dirty DBCCs and failing backups, then the SAN dropped one of the drives that a certain database was on and the database went *POOF* -- two months of data fell in to the bit bucket.
The sad thing was that they had a SQL Server database developer on staff, and I had things highly automated to simplify monitoring, but they wouldn't let him monitor the servers.
Heh... so typical of managers in many companies to know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. I think it's highly appropriate that the word "POOF" is a 4 letter word. 😀
--Jeff Moden
January 19, 2016 at 1:24 pm
I must admit when I heard "The DBA Tax" the first thing that popped into my head was "Buying Pizza for the DBA team so that they execute my change control script first".
January 19, 2016 at 1:28 pm
I don't understand. What does it mean when you say "take time off from work"?
Let's see, over the past two years I have had to exit waiting lines at Disney so I could handle issues, I have had to pull my kids out of a play area at another vacation spot to handle an issue, I have been on field trips taking calls on a bus filled with kids yelling and screaming, and being told I need to find a quieter place to call from.
Seriously, especially in today's economic mess created by our so called governmental leaders, employers seem even less interested in whether your vacation is actually a vacation or not. I know I am not unique in my experience.
And until people force them to deal with it (things just *fail* when you aren't there because they have no backup), it will remain just as bad. Which is why I got out of FTE work and into consulting. If i'm on call here (usually not), I'm billing extra.
January 19, 2016 at 3:16 pm
Someone should do a spoof of the mockumentary film 'A Day Without a Mexican'. The premise and title would be: 'A Day Without a DBA'.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/day_without_a_mexican
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
January 19, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Eric M Russell (1/19/2016)
Someone should do a spoof of the mockumentary film 'A Day Without a Mexican'. The premise and title would be: 'A Day Without a DBA'.
Start a Kickstarter and I'll gladly throw $20 or more your way! 🙂
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
January 19, 2016 at 5:42 pm
natewest (1/19/2016)
I must admit when I heard "The DBA Tax" the first thing that popped into my head was "Buying Pizza for the DBA team so that they execute my change control script first".
Me too... I normally charge a #9 Jimmy John's with no mayo, no onions, extra sauce, cut in half with a $20 bill wrapped around it to hold the wrapper in place. 🙂
--Jeff Moden
January 20, 2016 at 1:13 am
P Jones (7/9/2012)
The only ones who see us as a "tax" on company computer systems are the technical/network managers who can't understand why we do so many backups and need so much storage and tell us that their once a day tape backup is enough for our databases (assuming that particular production server is even on their list of backups :-D)
I've got a fellow team member who resolves SQL-Server performance issues by putting servers onto a VM machines.
January 20, 2016 at 1:29 am
When I first started working as a DBA in 1996 I went to practically all Oracle database admin courses, SQL, Pro*C, Forms, etc. The company valued knowledge at that time and paid for the training. Today when I ask my manager if he has something in his budget for an SQL-Server training and certificate the answer is basically NO.
Once I was invited to a meeting when users were complaining about an SQL-Server performance. I prepared a proposal of changes and admin tasks that would alleviate the problems. My manager then commented: "I was told SQL-Server looks after itself!" (that was from a third party company who delivered the product). No comment from my side.
The problem is many companies who sell applications usually get involved in the database building process bypassing a local DBA which boils down to installing everything, leaving all default values with a database usually on one hard drive and they are the ones who should be credited for spreading ludicrous rumours that SQL-Server looks after itself.
I used to have a manager who's famous statement was "I only need 10% of a DBA".
January 21, 2016 at 9:58 am
richlion2 (1/20/2016)
... My manager then commented: "I was told SQL-Server looks after itself!" (that was from a third party company who delivered the product). No comment from my side....
I used to have a manager who's famous statement was "I only need 10% of a DBA".
SQL Server does look after itself. If it's set up properly by someone who knows what they're doing. Until it doesn't. THEN things get interesting and they wish they'd had someone on staff looking after it more than 10% of the time.
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[font="Arial"]Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. --Samuel Johnson[/font]
January 25, 2016 at 11:45 am
If your employer is tired of paying taxes and upkeep on a DBA with 20 years experiences, then it's not hard to find another employer willing to resume payments.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho
January 26, 2016 at 2:18 am
Eric M Russell (1/25/2016)
If your employer is tired of paying taxes and upkeep on a DBA with 20 years experiences, then it's not hard to find another employer willing to resume payments.
Can be the case. Not always though.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
February 25, 2016 at 4:17 pm
TravisDBA (7/9/2012)
Great article about addressing fear. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.:-D
I agree.
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