Voice of the DBA

Tag: career2

  • Learning is Hard–March Goals Update

    This is the third update for my goals for 2018. This is about 3 weeks after the last update, and it’s too soon. Not in time, but because I haven’t done a great job.

    This was a busy month. March and April are prime volleyball season, so I’ve had some longer weekends and time off to coach and watch my daughter play. Add to that some ski time and I haven’t had a lot of work or free time. As a result, my days at work are busy with catching up and ensuring I’m getting things done for work.

    Learning has suffered, and like the Oct/Nov conference season, learning is suffering here.

    My two appointments, Tues afternoon just after work and Friday afternoon, have been busy with other events, or with the need to do more work. As a result, not enough learning. Here’s an update in my two areas.

    Extended Events

    Very little here. This is Tuesday learning, and I’ve gotten myself jammed up for time every week. I’m considering moving this to another day, but not sure which one is better. I’m tempting to try and get through ski season and see if Tues then lightens a bit at work.

    I did watch more of Jonathan Kehayias’ Pluralsight course while on the bike, but not practical work.

    Python

    I spent a couple of hours working through some basics on lists and dictionaries. I realized that I haven’t been doing this enough and I needed a refresher. That was good, and it helped me build a few Questions of the Day, as well as get some practice.

    The one upside is that I was struggling with a puzzle in T-SQL and decided to try Python. I solved it in about 10 minutes, and my solution worked the first time. I was proud of that, and spent another 10-15 minutes solving another problem. So, I know a few things.

    No real formal learning, but I feel like I should race through a Pluralsight course and try to be sure I have a good grounding. Plans for next month as I’m traveling a bit.

    Too Busy

    A few things with family and then volleyball affected me more than I thought, but that’s part of a busy life and it challenges my focus on learning. I’m also letting myself get distracted with the shiny things, reading a bit on various other technologies, which is part of my job. However, CosmosDB and other items aren’t what I planned for this year.

    I’m putting pressure on myself to get through some XE and Python learning and then move into other areas. We’ll see if I can pick things up next month.

  • Packt $10 Sale

    One sale today, my Getting Started with SQL Server 2016 Administration video. You can get this for $10 today, and it’s an introduction to an overview of what’s in SQL Server 2016, most of which applies to 2017 as well.

    Covers basics of administration from install and configuration to security and XE. If you have a junior that’s not worked much with SQL Server, this might help.

    Outline:

    1. Installation – GUI and CLI
    2. Login, Users, and Roles
    3. Databases, configuration and creating objects including CLR code.
    4. OLTP Tables
    5. Indexing Basics
    6. Backup and Recovery
    7. Agent, Jobs, and Operators
    8. HA technologies in SQL Server
    9. TDE, Always Encrypted, Column encryption, Row-Level Security, Dynamic Data Masking
    10. Extended Events
    11. Execution Plans and Query Store

  • Pluralsight for Another Year

    One of the ways that I try to keep current and learn is through Pluralsight. I’m lucky to get a subscription as a Data Platform MVP, but I’m sure Redgate would pay for one if I didn’t.

    My subscription ran out last week, but the support staff at Pluralsight was kind enough to renew me in minutes. Amazing service and greatly appreciated.

    If you haven’t tried online learning, I’d give it a go. Pluralsight has some great courses, but there are other choices as well. No matter what you choose, making some regular time to learn something fun, or improve those skills you use every day is a great way to keep your career moving forward.

  • In a basement, a long, long time ago… #tsql2sday

    It’s T-SQL Tuesday time and this is a good one. Read the invitation and proceed.

    Who Influenced Me?

    I’ve been working SQL Server for a long time. Since 1991, in fact, and had held 4 jobs as a DBA or developer by 1999. I was comfortable with the platform, and had actually published some articles in early 1999 for a small UK journal. My career was going well and I felt very comfortable with the platform (v6.5 in my company) at that time.

    As a developer, I knew T-SQL well, and was still learning things from reading articles, but there weren’t many SQL problems I couldn’t come up with some solution for. As a DBA, I knew the tricks to keeping a large, busy instance running, including the DR tricks to ensure my restores worked well on new hardware.

    I was lucky enough to get my company to fund a trip to the initial PASS Summit. I went, along with my wife and infant son, to visit Chicago. We went to Comiskey Park on the last ,day of the baseball season, braving chilly weather along with about 1,500 people to watch the White Sox. I’m not sure my wife has been to a game since…

    In any case, my main memory of that event was being the basement of some hotel in downtown Chicago. There were a few rooms in use, and we packed into see sessions on various topics. One was delivered by Kalen Delaney, @sqlqueen, who was perhaps the person I saw as an amazing speaker and teacher. I’d read her Inside SQL Server 7.0 book, anticipating an upgrade. I was delighted to see her speak, and perhaps more thrilled to shake her hand and get an answer to a question.

    That was quite a highlight in my career.

    Since then I’ve seen Kalen speak many time, and we’ve become friends. I’m always glad to get a hug and a few words with her, but each time, I remember that early, semi-awestruck time when I met her.

    She’s inspired me, both as a data professional and a teacher.

    If you ever get the chance to meet Kalen, take a moment or two with her. You won’t regret making the effort to introduce yourself and ask a question. I know I haven’t.