Voice of the DBA

Tag: syndicated

  • Data Usage

    This is somewhat shocking to me. I was reading about ATT’s decision to throttle some high bandwidth users, and there was this quote in the article:

    “But as business rises, so does data usage. J.P. Morgan estimates that the average iPhone user will consume around 800MB of data per month. That’s not far off from the average non-iPhone user projected to grab around 825MB each month.”

    Huh? Much of what has been reported implies, or says, that the iPhone is the culprit for data usage growing so quickly. Perhaps that’s true, but if the non-iPhone users are using more (825MB v 800MB, average) that implies that other platforms are using more data. I’d assume this means Android, but I suppose that Blackberry might be implicated with the constant email traffic, and potential links in those emails driving people to view other data.

    I use about 250MB/month, so I’m not worried about the throttling. As much as I wouldn’t like it, it does make some sense to me. The people that are using 2GB a month are impacting others, and unlimited data, while it’s something I think should be there, I don’t think it should be unlimited MB AND speed. That’s unsustainable for any company as usage grows. Sure the bandwidth will increase, but there are a few people that abuse the plans and impact others.

    Slowing down the top 5%, or even asking for a surcharge seems like the fair thing to me for the good of the digital network. I think we ought to have net neutrality on the Internet, but I also think that for the outliers we ought to institute something. On the high end, I can see some throttling done, even across all kinds of traffic.

    On the low end, I wonder if we ought to have some type of national infrastructure growth like we had for the POTS lines to try and ensure that we can help the entire country access the Internet.

  • The Layman’s View of a DBA

    I wrote this piece as a guest on Bradmcgehee.com for the DBA in Space competition. Republishing here.

    A DBA (Database Administrator) is someone who takes care of your data. When you place an order on Amazon.com, it’s the DBA who ensures the order is permanently recorded in the database. If one of the computers at Amazon fails, and they regularly do, the DBA can recover the data. The DBA should be the person that prevents part of your order from getting lost because it’s incorrectly recorded, and it’s the person that makes sure that if you update your address, the change is recorded so your purchases reach the right destination.

    A DBA makes sure that the transfers between your bank account and other accounts are completed in full, without allowing the deduction from your account to occur without the credit arriving in the destination account. DBAs try to ensure the data that appears on your bill is correct, and that if you change the name on your account, the change is reflected in your statement.

    DBAs are like the local librarians, keeping track of all the various words and numbers in their library and knowing where everything is. They are the custodians of information in databases, trying to keep it all organized, intact, and available for access. DBAs are not perfect and they can make mistakes which result in the mistakes we occasionally find on bills or statements.

    However, DBAs don’t act alone, and in many cases their job is directly affected by other people. The websites you use, or the applications on your computer or mobile phone, are written by developers that decide how you enter or read the information, and how the data moves into or out of the database. These developers sometimes do not have the proper training on how to store data to prevent mistakes, or how to clean data to fix incorrect entries, resulting in bad data outside of the control of the DBA.

    In addition, the connections to databases are often managed by system administrators or network professionals who also deal with failures. When you cannot access your account on a website, it’s entirely possible the database is running and working fine; the problem is in the connection between the website computer and the database computer.

    The DBA’s role is often taken for granted. If everything works as expected, it appears the DBA is not doing any work, or adding any value to their company. This may be why so many companies forgo hiring a DBA and expect their developers and system administrators to manage the databases. That’s not usually the case as the work a DBA does is designed to prevent problems, and be available to fix the inevitable issues that will arise.

    The DBA is a preventative mechanic, working on your car every day and night when you aren’t using it, ensuring that it is working when you do need it. They’re the behind the scenes staffers that coordinate and organize the concert or play you enjoy, unaware of just how much work goes into providing you with an enjoyable experience. The DBA is the glue that binds so much of our technological world together, helping to ensure that all parts of the system know what should be built, sent to who, and when it should arrive.

    Read more: http://www.bradmcgehee.com/#ixzz1fnp9rH1k
    Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

  • Power Tools for Windows

    Scott Hanselman has a great list of the power tools he uses for Windows and development. It’s worth a read, and worth checking some of them out. I have used quite a few of these tools over the years, and I find them great, however I’m definitely considering trying a few of his recommendations out.

    Ones I like:

    • Paint.NET – Beware the big download buttons that take you to GIMP. Click download at the top and follow the text.
    • 7-Zip – I moved to this a few years ago and it works great. Is it better than others? No idea, but it works well and easily for me. It doesn’t get in the way.
    • DropBox – This works well for me. Is it better than Box, or Live Mesh? I still use LiveMesh, but this gives me a nice integration with a lot of iPhone apps.
    • SysInternals – If you admin a network or an AD domain, you need these.
    • PowerShell – If you work with SQL Server, spend a few minutes working with this. Here’s a cheat sheet.
    • ZoomIt –  If you present, drop this on every machine, and a flash drive.
    • TortoiseSVN – Use a VCS, any of them.
    • Skype– I’ve also tried Oovoo, but size matters. Skype works well for me.
    • Bart’s Preinstalled Enviroment (BartPE) – Saved my wife one time
    • DVDDecrypter– With kids this is handy. Rip your own DVDs and give the kids the copy.

    The tools I am interested in trying from the list:

    • Boot to VHD – I’ve heard a lot about it and maybe it will make things simpler. When (if?) I go back to a Windows laptop, I might try this.
    • LogParser – On my list as a way to dig through log files in Windows.
    • Hiren’s BootCD – Probably worth keeping around
    • SyncBack -Windows Home Server is a POS for me. Looking for a basic file server and scheduled backups.

    If you have your own recommendations, I’d love to hear them.

  • A traveling man

    It’s been a long year for me. This year I’ve attended:

    1. SQL Saturday #60 – Cleveland
    2. SQL Saturday #66 – Colorado Springs
    3. MVP Summit
    4. Rocky Mountain Tech Trifecta v3.0
    5. SQL Saturday #63 – Dallas
    6. SQL Saturday #77 – Pensacola
    7. SQL in the City – London
    8. SQL Saturday #64 – Baton Rouge
    9. SQL Saturday #91 – Oklahoma City
    10. SQLBits #9
    11. PASS Summit
    12. SQL in the City – LA
    13. DevConnections Fall 2011
    14. SQL Inspire NYC

    That’s a lot of trips, and a lot of time away from home. It’s also possible I missed one or two in all the chaos of the year.

    Next year will be much quieter for me. I’ve already avoided a few trips, telling some people that I would not be attending their events in an effort to slow down and not be so burned out with travel.

    It’s been a good year, but a hard one and next year needs to be a little quieter for me.