This post is part of the SQL Community Project #DBAJumpStart by John Sansom (Twitter | Blog). "If you could give a DBA just one piece of advice, what would it be?" John asked 20 successful and experienced SQL Server professionals this exact question. I share my own thoughts with you below and you can find all our answers together inside DBA JumpStart, a unique collection of inspiring content just for SQL Server DBAs. Be sure to get your free copy of DBA JumpStart. =-=-=-= John Sansom recently asked me and 19 other bloggers “What’s the one bit of advice you’d give a junior database … [Read more...]
One Piece of Advice for the Aspiring Junior DBA
Filed Under: Administration, Opinion, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Career, DBA, Plays Well With Others
Now Playing: RunAsRadio
I had the privilege last week of talking with Richard Campbell (t), Microsoft MVP and host of the very popular RunAsRadio podcast, a sister-show to the worldwide phenomena known as .NET Rocks!. Here's the write-up Richard used to describe the show: Richard talks to Kevin Kline about what's coming in SQL Server 2014. Yes, the database continues to evolve and Kevin digs into many of the new features. The conversation also jumps into the NoSQL movement and it's many forms, including making simple data storage easier for developers as well as the creation and management of big data solutions. … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Cool Technologies, Databases, Interviews, Opinion, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: BigData, NoSQL, SQL Server 2014
Coming to the PASS Summit?
Are you coming to Charlotte next week for the PASS Summit? Let's connect! When ever it's open, I'll be in the Exhibit Hall at the SQL Sentry booth unless I'm delivering a session or something of that nature. Here's the sessions I've got on the calendar - Tue, Oct 15: First-timers Get to Know Your Community with Kendal Van Dyke (Blog | Twitter), 2:45-3:45 and 4:00-5:00 PM First-timers Orientation Panel Discussion (moderator), 6:00-6:45 PM Opening Ceremonies and Quizbowl, until 8:00 PM Wed, Oct 16: Keynote, Blogger’s table Session: Convince Me - Persuasion Techniques That … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Conferences, PASS, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: SQLPASS
Wait Statistics in SQL Server
When it comes to troubleshooting in relational databases, there's no better place to start than wait statistics. In a nutshell, a wait statistic is an internal counter that tells you how long the database spent waiting for a particular resource, activity, or process. Since wait statistics are categorized by type, one look will quickly tell the variety of problem that needs your attention, assuming you know meaning for Microsoft's lingo for each wait type. (As an aside, wait stats were implemented in the earliest days of relational database computing because the early RDBMSes ran on … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Databases, On-Line Resources, Performance, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: DBA, Monitoring, Performance, SQL Server 2012, Tools, Wait Stats
Fall 2013 Tour Dates
I was just looking at my upcoming tour dates, trying to get my head around the fact that I'll be logging about 40,000 miles in just 8 weeks. What's not to love about working with our fine TSA Agents dozens of times in the next couple months, I ask you? I'm doing a few more webcasts for local user groups around the USA, as well as making international appearances in Stockholm, Antwerp, and Tel Aviv. San Diego SQL Saturday September 21, UCSD Extension Stay classy, San Diego! I just finished catching up with lots of old friends (and by that I mean "friends who are really old") at SQL … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Conferences, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: SQLPASS
New Windows and SQL Azure Resources for the IT Pro
Thanks to Microsoft DPE for the Central Region, Keith Mayer (blog | twitter), for these great tips! Windows 8.1 RTM and Windows Server 2012 R2 RTM bits available on MSDN and TechNet subscription sites. This is the version I'm waiting for since it fully preserves the Start menu. Note that updates are expected between RTM, now, and GA, October 18th. Be sure to check Windows Updates 2-to-3 times weekly if installing these bits. I'm not saying they're unstable. But they are definitely changed frequently as the dev team makes final tuning and tweaking changes. New Virtual Labs on … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Cloud, Cool Technologies, On-Line Resources, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Windows
Now Playing on SSWUG TV!
Hi friends, I know a lot of you regularly read my blog either on my home page at KevinEKline.com, on SQLBlog.com, or one of the locations where it's syndicated. And you may also regularly take in my content on SQLSentry.TV or my monthly column on Database Trends & Applications magazine. Click the image to see my new weekly video series on SSWUG.org! Now I'm adding a new video format to the mix, in partnership with my friend Steven Wynkoop and SSWUG.org. I've been a frequent speaker in the SSWUG virtual conferences over the past several years and, we thought, why not … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Architecture, Cool Technologies, Databases, On-Line Resources, Opinion, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Best Practices, Business Intelligence, cloud computing, DBA, Developer, Leadership, Management, Professional Development, SQL Server 2012
Windows Azure and SQL Database News
This morning Microsoft released some great updates to Windows Azure. These new capabilities include: SQL Server AlwaysOn Support: General Availability support with Windows Azure Virtual Machines for High Availability and Disaster Recovery Notification Hubs: General Availability Release of Windows Azure Notification Hubs (broadcast push notifications for Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS and Android) AutoScale: Schedule-based AutoScale rules and richer logging support Virtual Machines: Load Balancer Configuration and Management Management Services: New Portal Extension for Operation … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Cloud, Databases, On-Line Resources, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Azure, Backup & Recovery, cloud computing, DBA
New on DBTA.com: Database Benchmarking Tools, the final article in the database benchmarking series
In the last several articles on Database Trends & Applications, I've been describing the benefits of reading and analyzing the benchmarking case studies released by the Transaction Processing Council. I've given you from a broad overview of the TPC benchmarks and shown ways that the vendor-published TPC benchmarks can help you save money and how the vendor-published TPC benchmarks must explain in disclaimers how they tweak their workloads. I have described how to run your own benchmarks and explained how to properly prepare your environment for a benchmark test. Pictured (L-R): Scott … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Administration, Architecture, Cool Technologies, Databases, DBTA, Hardware, IO, Opinion, Performance, Professional Development, SQL Server, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication, Strategies Tagged With: Benchmarking, Best Practices, Career, DBA, Performance, Tools, Tools & Scripts
The New PASS Executive Committee of 2014
I'm sure you can understand the high level of interest I have in the internal affairs and governance of PASS. After all, I was one of the founders of the organization way back in 1999 and was president for four years from 2003 through 2006 (fondly remembered as "the hardest fricken years of my life"). So I was keenly interested when the latest press release from PASS named the incoming PASS Executive Committee to take their seats on January 1st, 2014. The executive committee is composed of the officers of the organization, that is, directors who are empowered to sign contracts and to speak … [Read more...]
Filed Under: Governance, Opinion, PASS, Professional Development, SQLMag, SQLServerPedia Syndication Tagged With: Career, FutureWatch, SQLPASS
