Voice of the DBA

Category: Editorial

  • Solving Tempdb Issues

    While reading Remus Rusanu’s piece on SQL Server 2016 development, there was an item that struck me. There’s a part of the piece where he notes that an engineer at Microsoft realized that there was a tempdb issue with Azure SQL Database. To solve it, a failover was needed, which could be problematic. The basic issue was that tempdb files were sized unequally, discovered after “months of investigation.”

    Now, on one hand this seems silly. After all, we’ve known since SQL Server 2005 that the guidance was for all files to be sized the same. Shouldn’t engineers at Microsoft be following all the practices  known for optimizing SQL Server performance? I think all Microsoft people should follow this, especially those working on other products (*cough* Sharepoint *cough*), but at the very least SQL Server engineers should have a huge list, perhaps with PBM or unit tests, that warn about non-compliance.

    On the other hand, since we’ve known this is an issue since SQL Server 2005, why does SQL Server allow this? I’d think some simple tooling and a few checks in code could eliminate this as an issue in any new install. Catch the issue during upgrades and grow (or shrink) files to be the same size, or at least warn the administrator. I know there are situations where you need to add a new file in an emergency, but shouldn’t this be an item we push administrators to correct quickly after the emergency is past? Or at least force them to consciously make an exception.

    There are plenty of limitations and restrictions in SQL Server systems that Microsoft forces on us. We have limits on where new features can be used, various historical limits on function parameters, and more. Why not also just enforce limits that prevent issues like this? I’m sure people will complain, but wouldn’t those complaints be outweighed by less issues overall from all customers?

    Steve Jones

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  • Use Tools

    This editorial was originally published on May 23, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is out of town.

    As someone that works with Information Technology, I usually work on applications designed to make work easier. For example, we have accounting systems that ease the handling of debits and credits, they detect mistakes in data entry, and in general require less people to handle the accounting needs of many firms. Do we have less accountants?

    I suppose we might have less, but it seems that the finance departments, handling AP and AR in many companies is as large as I remember from my younger days. Perhaps the department is smaller than it might otherwise be, but it’s usually not small.

    In IT, we have all kinds of tools available to us that can help with our jobs. What’s more, we can create new tools as needed to do our jobs. Powershell or Perl scripting, Codeplex projects, and more are available to most of us to help us better manage systems. In SQL Server, we even have a built in framework, Policy Based Management, that helps us prevent changes or problematic configurations. If you find a third party tool that can help, you can make a case for its purchase, using the time savings translated to actual costs. One of those tools might really make your job more enjoyable..

    In theory, we ought to be able to manage many more systems per person than we used to. Does that many that we need less people? Perhaps, but it seems we grow systems fast enough that we still need to hire more staff in many environments.

    I so often see people working in IT fail to take advantage of all the tools we have to automate much of their jobs. They often tell me if they automate too much of their jobs, they won’t be needed and may get let go. Personally I think that’s an excuse not to exercise your skills, challenge your mind, and get rid of tedious work There’s no shortage of work to be done in most companies. If that’s true, why not use your tools to get rid of the tedious work and spend your time on something more interesting?

    Steve Jones

  • A Lifetime of Software

    This editorial was originally published on April 27, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is out of town.

    I’ve been working with computers and software for most of my life, but it’s been a career for a couple of decades now. I don’t do as much technical work as I used to, mostly testing and experimenting, but my job is related to SQL Server and software, and I anticipate that’s what I’ll be doing for the next two decades.

    However that’s not necessarily the plan for everyone that works in the technology business. I know plenty of people that would like to move into management, or even move into some other career field if they can afford to do so. In the responses to many editorials in the past, I read that quite a few people think the technology business isn’t a great choice and wouldn’t encourage their children to enter this field.

    I disagree, and think that this business has been very good to me, overall I’ve enjoyed it, and I think it would make a good career  for any of my kids. However this Friday I wanted to ask the rest of you what you think.

    Do you expect to work in the technology field until you retire?

    I know many of you will change your focus in technology, perhaps moving to develop from DBA, vice versa, or moving into another field. I know most of you will change companies before you retire, but I’m curious about whether you think you will remain a technology worker for the rest of the time you work.

    Steve Jones

  • Work To Live

    This editorial was originally published on May 2, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is at SQL Bits.

    I’m halfway through my career, having spent about 20 years since college working in technology with another twenty to go. The rest of the community is probably spread out around me, some older, some younger. It doesn’t matter what part of your life you are in, there are a few things about work that I think always apply. The first is that we work to live, and don’t live to work. The second is I like to hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

    It’s all too common for people in this business to overwork themselves, work very long hours, and neglect the rest of their life. I have rarely seen someone that is retired or late in life complain that they didn’t work enough over their lifetime, and I’d caution you to keep that in mind as you go through life. There will always be more work, more things to do, and more requests from clients and customers. Keep a balance in your life, and remember to enjoy it along the way.

    The second part of my advice can apply in many parts of our career, but it ought to apply to our finances and our retirement. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a few articles like this one that notes many people have not funded their retirements well. We all have expenses, and it’s easy to delay the investments in our life until later, but that is a bad idea. Whether it’s your IRA/401K or your health, you’d be better off sacrificing a little today for a little more security later.

    In the US, many employers match contributions and you ought to take advantage of that. There are all sorts of options for retirement, like ROTH IRAs, that it seems many people aren’t aware of. I also meet many people that don’t realize they can borrow against their 401K as well, taking a loan whose interest goes back to your own account. There are few excuses to not plan for the future. Enjoy today, but plan to live a long time and to enjoy your retirement.

    How much money you might need depends on your lifestyle, and that’s something you should spend time thinking about and talking with your family about. Many of us may not be able to retire at 65, or count on social security, but I’d hate to have to work longer than I want to because I cannot afford to retire.

    Steve Jones