Voice of the DBA

Author: way0utwest

  • Starting to Program

    Hopefully you have more recent resources for programming.

    As DBAs, I think we need to learn to program better for the future. It doesn’t matter whether you are looking to manage clusters with Powershell or add your own SQL CLR routines to your instance, it pays to learn a bit about programming. At some point. I think every DBA will be exposed to some type of code that isn’t written in T-SQL. Whether they’ll be able to do anything with the code, or understand it, is entirely up to the individual.

    As the SQL Server platform has expanded, there have been enhancements and additions to the product. In addition to the core T-SQL, there is now VB.NET and C# in Integration Services, Reporting Services uses RDL and various programming expressions. Analysis Services has XMLA, MDX, maybe more. Powerpivot introduces DAX, and the .NET language runs through all of these subsystems. PowerShell is being pushed as the future administrative language for all Microsoft technologies.

    With so much of the data professional’s job starting to require programming skills, how does one get started? We are working on some stairways to help in some areas, but this Friday I wanted to ask you this question:

    For the DBA or system administrator that wants to learn programming, what do you recommend?

    I’m looking for some links or tutorials, similar to this list for a Python programmer. Do you have a list of programming resources that might help someone learn basic concepts, get started with a particular language, or improve their skills? I’m looking for links that you’ve used, or a friend has used. I’ll look to compile these into a few lists that people can reference to get started on learning more about programming.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • The Standing Desk – In the Light

    It’s been almost a month since I started the Standing Desk experiment. My first setup was down in the basement, since that was the desk that fit my monitor stand. In the middle I had a week of vacation, where I didn’t do much standing at the desk, though I did have my laptop on the old desk.

    This was the setup upstairs

    Photo May 31, 12 52 10 PM

    That has now been replaced with this:

    standingdesk

    I spent a portion of the Fourth of July holiday moving my old desk downstairs, and then bringing the smaller one up stairs, setting up all the monitors again. A cleaned things up and minimized the setup, and learned a few things.

    First, put the bigger, nicer monitors on top. I had them reversed in the basement, which wasn’t great. The smaller ones have less stuff on them, which isn’t great when I primarily use the top two for work (browsing, editing, email).

    Photo May 31, 4 31 55 PM

    As you can see, the setup isn’t a lot different, but I did move a few of the podcast items off and I have a touch more space.

    It’s also better to have the start bar on the top screen for me. I can more easily see the programs running without leaning over. Plus it’s cool to see the programs shoot out from the bottom and maximize.

    In the last few weeks I’ve also learned the shoes matter. At first I thought it was because of the basement floor, but I found that the padding helps. I’ll look around for floor mats to help up here and see if that makes a difference.

    The books and boxes work, but they aren’t great, and I’d like more of a surface at keyboard level for my coffee, water, etc. Whether I build or buy something is up for debate. I’d like to build something, but it’s time. I’m pressed a bit and if I can find something cheap, I might grab it.

    Plus this gives me an excuse to hit the new IKEA store in Denver Winking smile

  • Clouds, Costs, and Data Analytics

    cloud computing costs
    The costs of cloud computing should be lower than on-premises computing, if you pay attention.

    There are more and more companies using, or seriously considering, cloud based services. It’s a way to reduce some of the infrastructure costs, especially the initial investment costs, for many applications that have highly variable workloads. There’s also the tremendous amount of media attention being given to the subject of cloud services, which exerts pressure on all decision makers to consider moving to a cloud service.

    However are you really saving money with the cloud? The cost of the hardware and software usually ends up being a small part of the total cost of an application. Renting either hardware or software is an ongoing expense. It can have tax implications, and the calculations can be complex. It is important to analyze the costs and track what is being spent over time, as well as analyzing the amount of resources you use to determine if this is a good business decision.

    Apparently quite a few people realize this as there are a whole slew of companies that are willing to help you track, monitor and even analyze your costs. This article lists a number of them, some that even look to save you money where possible. That’s good because the calculators from some of the cloud vendors are extremely confusing. Not only that, but they’re relatively static calculators, whose values may change over time.

    Getting at your cloud data, and building a calculator of sorts is something most of us could do, but would we want to maintain it? Do you want to enhance it over time to work with the changing nature of the cloud? I’d think these services are worth using if you plan to use the cloud, especially those that analyze usage and suggest places to cut costs. There are lots of good and bad things about the cloud, but one thing is certain: you need to make sure someone is tracking your usage and eliminating unused systems. Otherwise you might not find yourself with any cost savings at all.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • Happy Fourth of July 2012

    The anniversary of the birth of my country is today. Many of you have the day off, which is nice, but inside of all the celebrations, cookouts, or other events, please think about re-reading the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution and think about what it means to be a citizen.

    That’s all the thoughts for today. Enjoy the blooper reels:

    Windows bloopers – 29.5MB WMV

    iPod bloopers – 23.1MB MP4