The Changing Role of SQL Server DBA’s

1. The Changing Role of SQL Server DBA’s Bryan Oliver SQL Server Domain Expert Quest Software

2. The Changing Role of SQL Server DBA’s • Our Role in Perspective • How we see us1. Installing SQL Server2. Administering SQL Server3. Backup and Restores4. Making sure SQL Jobs succeed5. Security6. Resolving Issues as the Occur

3. The Changing Role of SQL Server DBA’s • How we are seen1. A Cost associated with Maintaining Databases2. The Person to Blame for Slow Performance3. The Person asking for New Hardware4. The Person an Auditor can’t Trust5. The Person who controls the Data

4. How Software is Changing our Role • SQL Server Management Studio1. DMV’s in 2005 and 20082. SQL Server 2005 Reports3. Database Engine Tuning Advisor4. SQL Profiler5. Performance Monitor

5. Third Party Software • Performance Management • Backup and Recovery • SQL Server Monitoring • Change Management • T-SQL Editors • SQL Tuning • Capacity Management

6. Operational vs Application DBA’s • Operational1. SQL Server is Online2. SQL Server is Responisive3. SQL Jobs are Completing4. Disaster Recovery Planning5. Capacity Planning • Application1. Analyzing Performance issues at Server Level2. Analyzing Performance issues at Database Level3. Analyzing Performance issues at T-SQL Level4. Consolidation of Servers5. Virtualization of Servers

7. The New View from Management • DBA’s are needed to make sure servers and databases are running at optimum • They save the company money by finding the real issue behind performance issues. • They have critical databases restored in a timely manner meaning less disruption to services • The are responding and fixing issues before we are even aware of them • They have improved there reporting a 1000% making it easier for me to justify them

8. Monitor Troubleshoot Tune Configure Audit Report • Manage by policies • Monitor with insight • Manage across the enterprise Scale

9. Centralized data storage • Data providers • SQL Trace • Performance Counters • Transact-SQL • Performance data repository Low overhead data collection Comprehensive reporting

10. Performance data collection • OS perf indicators • Performance data • Extensible collection • Central repository • Consolidate information • Open interface • Management reports • Canned reports • Extensible

11. Management Studio Data Collection Data Collection Configuration Collection Set Reports Data Collector Collection Sets Collection Sets Target Management Data Warehouse

12. Use standard reports • For user databases • For data collector • Disk usage • Query statistics • Server activity • Build custom reports

13. Performance Reports • Database Engine Tuning Advisor • SQL Server Profiler • Best Practices Policies • Best Practices Analyzer Analyze Tune Apply Suggest

14. Our Oracle Counterparts • Why are they paid more ? • What do they do differently ? • How are they perceived by management ? • Do they have more respect than us ? • What software do they use ? • Why are they seen as more productive ?

15. Where to from Here • Look at what others have done • Attend webcast regularly • Visit SQL Community web sites • Develop a plan of action to upgrade you skill sets • Provide reports to management

16. How does Quest Help the DBA • Our Products • Our Experts • Our Community Involvement

19. Foglight Database Cartridge for SQL Server 24 x 7 Database Monitoring Customizable rules, alerts, and actions Real-time views Correlate database, application and OS metrics Web-based operational interface

20. Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise Real time performance diagnostics Topological view of SQL Server environment Intuitive UI Point and click resolutions OS and Database drilldowns

21. Performance Analysis for SQL Server Historical Performance Analysis and Trending Dimensional Analysis Integrated Reporting Lightweight Stealth Collect Agent

22. Capacity Manager for SQL Server Storage analysis and trending at the group, instance, database, and object level Collects performance and fragmentation metrics Forecasts all metrics for improved capacity planning

23. SQL Optimizer for SQL Server Industry leading tuning algorithms provide improved query performance Programmatically create and test alternative SQL statements

24. LiteSpeed for SQL Server Industry standard backup and recovery tool 90% compressed backup files and 70% faster backup and restore operations Object Level Recovery Integrated Reporting

25. Toad for SQL Server Leading application for database administration and development Integrated query tuning Database modeling and reporting Version control integration and project management

26. Benchmark Factory for Databases Database load testing tool Simulates real workload or industry standard benchmarks Goal tests to find “breaking point” Integrated reporting

27. Change Director for SQL Server Framework for managing chages to a SQL Server environment Provides real-time and scheduled alerting of changes Central repository for managing database schema’s and change projects Integrated impact analysis

28. Resources • Check out these top sitesquest-sql-server.inside.quest.comwww.sqlserverpedia.comwww.SQL-Server-Performance.com • Microsoft Information on SQL 2008 http://blogs.technet.com/trm/archive/2008/03/02/march-2008-technical-rollup-mail-sql.aspxhttp://blogs.technet.com/dataplatforminsider/archive/2008/01/25/microsoft-sql-server-2008-roadmap-clarification.aspxhttp://blogs.technet.com/andrew/archive/2008/02/20/sql-server-2008-ctp6-now-available.aspx

29. Call to Action – Next Steps • Benchmark the performance of your SQL Servers • Investigate the standard tools available in 2005 • Take a test drive of 2008 so you know what is coming • Document what you do at your company • Investigate third party tools • Be PRO-ACTIVE now is the time • Collect Data so that you can be knowledgeable about the servers you look after

30. Q & A • Send questions to me at: bryan.oliver@quest.com • Send broader technical questions to: info@quest.com • Send sales questions to : sales@quest.com THANK YOU!