Voice of the DBA

Author: way0utwest

  • The Next Generation

    I was sitting in a Women in Technology luncheon recently when one of the other attendees talked a bit about her career. She said it had been filled with long hours, late night calls, stress, and plenty of other negative events. Although it had been a good career for this lady, challenging, stimulating, and she was well compensated, her daughter wasn’t interested in pursing a career in this field. I’m not sure if that’s because of the demands she had faced in this business, but I was interested in a (rhetorical) question from one of the panelists.

    “How do we get people to enter IT in the future?”

    As much as I do want to encourage more diversity in technology workers, I also just want more people working in technology. We have a shortage of talented workers for many jobs. I think there are lots of opportunities, better than average pay, and a career that you can enjoy for your entire life. It’s a career that could easily be continued into your 70s and 80s if you chose to do so. I hope you don’t have to work that long if you don’t want to, but it’s nice to have the choice.

    With that in mind, how do we continue to excite and interest people in technology? I’m not looking to convince anyone to enter this industry if they don’t want to, but I’d like to see more people experimenting with SQL Server, .NET, and other technologies as a career. I really just want more people to consider working in technology. If they choose not to, that’s fine, but at least give it a try.

    I’m always surprised at how many people I’ve met that studied other subjects in school, and even worked in other industries before discovering that they’d rather work full time with computers. I’d like to see those people get into the computer business earlier in their lives if that’s a field they enjoy.

    Of course, there’s a down side to having more workers in technology. Competition will increase, and those of you already working with computers will need to continue increasing your own skills if you want the best jobs.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio (3.0MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn. feed

    The Voice of the DBA podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music. Support this great duo at www.everydayjones.com.

  • How Much for a Laugh?

    I’ve supported a few fundraising efforts in the community over the years, including trying to raise money for a friend’s sick child.

    Argenis Fernandez, friend, MVP, MCM, and well respected member of the community agreed to embarrass himself if a co-worker could raise money for Doctor’s Without Borders. The goal was $5k and was achieved in July, so Argenis was on the hook for the PASS Summit. However a few others in the community agreed to join and try to raise even more for charity.  Brent Ozar, Adam Machanic, and Grant Fritchey all agreed to Rainbow Leggings at the PASS Summit, with Gail Shaw sporting wings and a halo. I joined in as well to get to $10,000. There’s even a stretch goal of $25k, in which Gareth Swanepoel, Jason Strate, Ed Watson, and Kirsten Benzel will get SQL Server tattoos!

    At $6500 in donations right now, I’m not sure I need to go shopping just yet. I hope I have to, and I’m counting on some of you wanting to contribute for the sake of a few laughs.

    We have hundreds of thousands of you in the SQL Server community. I know not all of you see this as a cause that inspires you, but surely a few pictures of your speakers on stage, giving presentations in rainbow ensembles, is worth the $5 price of a drink and tip? I’m sure we can get to $25,000 to help this worthy cause, and have some fun along the way. And if this is a cause the speaks to you, I hope you’ll consider donating a bit more.

    I’m going to wear the leggings, but I’m considering a few other decorative items. What would you like to see me wear in a rainbow theme? Drop a comment with your donation and I’ll take a look.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.4MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn. feed

    The Voice of the DBA podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music. Support this great duo at www.everydayjones.com.

  • One System to Rule Them All

    As I read this piece about a failed software procurement by the US Air Force, one section stood out:

    “In the original contract solicitation, the Air Force said that it wanted a system that was “truly ‘off-the-shelf’: unmodified and available to anyone.” But it also wanted a fully integrated system out of the box. What it got instead was three separate software products from Oracle and a collection of tools that a system integrator could use to put them all together ”

    I’ve been involved in this type of decision before, both at large and small companies. Many times I’d have liked to buy a single piece of software, but rarely could I find one I wanted or that even met my requirements. Even by sticking with a single vendor, I’ve often found myself with disparate applications that are somewhat cobbled together and didn’t work smoothly as one unit.

    That makes me wonder if it’s a silly dream to continue to pursue large single systems to handle our needs. Are we better off choosing specialized systems and planning on development efforts to integrate information together? Is the future of software a series of dashboards, web sites, and reports that access a disparate group of databases and services, each built, supported, and upgraded separately?

    On one hand I think that’s a better way to build large systems, mainly from the standpoint of size, scale, complexity, and likelihood of completion. However I also realize this means that all companies need to account for some level of software development, either in-house or on a contract basis.

    Perhaps there is no good solution and some companies will accept disparate systems while others perform their own integration work. In either case, I suspect we will continue to bemoan the state of software for the foreseeable future.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.2MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn. feed

    The Voice of the DBA podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music. Support this great duo at www.everydayjones.com.

  • MS14-044–Security Alert for SQL Server

    I just saw this, but you should be aware. There’s a potential Denial of Service/Elevation of Privilege bug in SQL Server. Here’s the bulletin:

    MS14-044

    There are QFE and GDR patches for versions since 2008, but you need to read carefully to determine which one to install on your systems.