I’ve been designing and managing databases on Microsoft SQL Server since 1999, and it’s my dream job. I love database administration because it touches so many parts of the business: programming, reports, business intelligence, data warehousing, and just plain old infrastructure. No two days are ever the same, and I get to work with everybody in the company. DBAs know what new programs are coming in, what new business needs are on the horizon, and who’s really getting things done.
I’ve accumulated a lot of tips and tricks over the years. One of the most important secrets to being a good DBA isn’t to know everything, but to know where to go to find the right answers. Here, I’ll share what I know with you, and try to help answer your questions too.
Here’s some of my articles and pages about database administration:
Backing Up SQL Server - my own best practices.
Backup Software Part 1 - why native SQL Server backups suck.
Backup Software Part 2 - how quad-core CPUs are changing the game.
Backup Software Part 3 - new features for backup and restore.
Backup Software Part 4 - features missing from SQL Server backup software as of 2008.
Backup Software Part 5 - justifying the cost.
Budgeting 101 for DBAs - explains how to plan for data growth and function growth.
DBA 101: The Always-On Workstation - the first part of setting up shop as a database administrator.
Free SQL Server tools - great list of utilities.
Idera SQLsafe v4.5 Problems - Part 1 and Part 2.
Partitioning - it isn’t the answer to everything, and I explain when to use it.
Performance Tuning with Perfmon - great free tool to find server bottlenecks.
Performance Tuning - Estimating Improvements - how to communicate improvement opportunities with non-DBAs.
Primary Keys and Indexes - helps developers understand index concepts using phone books for examples.
Server Monitoring with ServersAlive - creating graphs for the great server monitoring program ServersAlive.
SQL Server 2005 Setup Checklist - a best-practices list that explains not just what to do, but why we do it.
Twitter for DBAs - a social networking tool - hey, wait, don’t give up. Seriously, it’ll help you.
