Back in 2000 I began writing for swynk.com in hopes of learning more about SQL Server and beginning to make a name for myself in the SQL Server community. That was a little over seven years ago. As SQLServerCentral.com came online, I transitioned to it, writing articles and contributing heavily in the forums. Opportunities abounded from this effort, with the chance to write an eBook, the chance to become a regular columnist for SQL Server Standard Magazine, and later a chance to become a co-author of an in-print book, …

Saw this on the Association for Computer Machinery SIGMOD announcements.

Tribute to Honor Jim Gray

It is scheduled for May 31, 2008 at UC-Berkeley.

This is a follow-up to part I from last week. You've considered what you want to do, you've looked at your soft skills, and you still want to be a DBA. How then do you get started?

The first thing to do is decide which platform you're going to focus on. Each "flavor" has its own proprietary tools and commands. While all share a basic SQL language foundation, DBCC CHECKDB() doesn't run on MySQL and DESCRIBE doesn't get you anything SQL Server. Likewise, SQL Server Management Objects (SMO) don't help you with Oracle and if you're looking for " …

A recent thread on SQLServerCentral.com had an individual what it took to be a successful DBA. Couple that with a RunAs Radio podcast with SQL Server MVP Brad McGehee on Being a Better DBA and that raises the question, "What does it take to become a DBA?"

I came at being a DBA from a round about route. I was first a developer, became a system administrator, went back to being a developer, and then finally became a DBA. While I primarily work directory services and architecture now, I've worked to keep my DBA skill set, because being a DBA is something that I loved doing and still love when I get a chance to dive back in full throttle. Therefore, I thought I would offer some thoughts on what I think it …

For a variety reasons, including personal/family concerns and workload, I've not been able to write as often as I'd like. That doesn't just include the blog, but also writing articles. It's been a long while since I've written an article for SSC. I want to get back to writing at least monthly, if not more often. One of the keys to writing well is to write every day. Therefore, I'm going to provide some structure to the blog in order to make it easier to post every weekday with something that will hopefully be useful. Here's the types of posts that should be present based on the day of the week:

• Monday - Career Development
• Tuesday - Tips, Tricks, and SQL Scripts
• Wednesday - Tools, Tools, and More Tools
• Thursday - Tips, Tricks, and SQL Scripts
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