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Introducing the Accidental DBA

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The path to success as a SQL Server database administrator (DBA) is a known path. There are certain tasks that every DBA must perform on a regular basis in order to maintain database health, application availability, and business continuity. However, SQL Server is a complex set of features and components that can be overwhelming for a new or accidental DBA.

Maintaining mission-critical applications that utilize SQL Server can be harrowing, tense, nerve-wracking. In addition, not all DBA resources are in the DBA role by choice. Some were assigned DBA responsibilities with little notice and no formal training. If this describes you, you might be an accidental DBA.

This site is a collection of resources that will reduce the complexity of SQL Server and simplify regular DBA tasks so that you can - quickly, effectively, and efficiently – master the most important DBA tasks to learn the basics of database administration in an orderly fashion. The objective is to make your most important tasks understandable and repeatable.

The SQL Server DBA Guide was developed to help new users learn and understand the most important DBA tasks. The method for this guide is simple: Collect best practices from SQL Server experts as well as from those who are fairly new to work as a SQL Server DBA, collect the best articles, tutorials, videos, and topics from SQL Server Books Online and from the SQL Server community, and present them in a logical progression that is easy to follow and easy to learn.

We continually add and update information based on top task analysis: What are the most important tasks to others who do similar work, and what do you have to do to successfully complete them?

Presentation of topics and information architecture are designed to provide you with tasks, resources, and checklists that others have found most valuable as they learned to be a SQL Server DBA. If you are new to SQL Server and want to know more, you’ve come to the right place. Read on!

Content Outline

 

The following topics will be covered in detail in a series of blogs. Selected blogs will be posted to the TechNet wiki site for this project - pointer forthcoming for "The SQL Server DBA Survival Guide" - where the Accidental DBA topics will be expanded and opened to the SQL Server Community for further development.

  • SQL Server Instance Discovery/Inventory
  • Installation, Upgrade, Migration, and Patching
  • SQL Server Versions and Build Numbers
  • Application Runbooks
  • SQL Server Consolidation
  • Multi-Instance Management
  • Scripting Best Practices with Transact-SQL and PowerShell
  • Correctness, Concurrency
  • Storage, Storage Optimization
  • Maintenance, Maintenance Plans
  • SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer
  • Files: Data, Log, and Backup Files
  • Automating Administrative Tasks with SQL Server Agent
  • Resource Governance
  • Security
  • Policy-Based Management
  • Change Tracking, Change Data Capture, and SQL Server Audit
  • Connectivity
  • Performance Tuning
  • Monitoring
  • AlwaysOn – High Availability, Disaster Recovery
  • Replication, Database Mirroring
  • Administering SQL Azure
  • SQL Server Development

To contact the Accidental DBA, send e-mail to Accidental_DBA_MSFT@hotmail.com