SQL Server groups - ITPro or Dev?
Last night I was chatting with Rob Farley about user groups and he raised an interesting point: Where do SQL Server user groups fit - are they IT Pro or they Developer groups?
This touches on an interesting discussion that really questions the traditional role of a DBA. IMHO there are a number of roles that fit between a developer who is using data in their applications and a DBA who administers an operational database. For example, who is responsible for designing the DB schema - given some of the DBAs I’ve met I doubt that this is a function that fits in this role. What about writing queries to pull data from the database - is this a developer job. Again it is questionable as developers typically don’t understand the issues with indexes and performance around the way their application interacts with the database.
Instead of this problem getting easier, it seems to be getting worse with the introducation of Linq over SQL/Entities and the Entity framework proposed for ADO.NET Next. Hopefully the release of the “Data Dude” sku of Visual Studio Team System will aid organisations putting some sort of lifecycle around database development/maintenance.
For more information you can checkout the Australian SQL Server User Group website.
September 20th, 2006 at 11:01 am
Interesting point. I know with Progress installs its normally the developers that decide all that stuff as there isn’t the high need for a DBA that there is in other DBs like MS SQL and Oracle. I think developers really do need to understand the issues of indexing and the likes but having said that, DBA’s will still be able to do things to improve performance.
Plus there is more and more 3rd party products quering our databases that the orginial developer doesn’t necessarily have any control over. Things like Crystal, Data ware houses and other BI solutions like EasyAsk (a natural language search BI tool for Progress (NB: I work for PRGS)).
Molly
September 20th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Nick, it’s actually been discussed often - especially between the UGs..
one aspect i think is sad is that the seems to be nearly a 100% agreement that a DBA isn’t needed because the developer does the magic on the DB..
it’s one item which is neglected in a LOT of corporations today and generally isn’t something that’s attended to until you start having issues with your database.
In terms of the roles on the database…Developer vs. Database Administrator…then i have to say that sadly (very sadly) you don’t see that many developers with enough skills to implement a database properly - especially around performance issues..i don’t know how many times i’ve seen a half-arsed database schema been presented, then in the next step get a bad excuse about not being a DBA.
So - after having had these discussions in the past i see one problem here…it’s a self-styled conclusion that some may, or may not, agree with. Firstly, a DBA is NOT meant to design databases, set up indexes etc…a DBD (Database Designer) is meant to do that..it’s one role which is constantly overlooked..So to compare roles is fairly impossible since we’re neglecting to include that one vital role.
Also,with a proper scoped project, you would know what type of data you’re looking for - otherwise how can you design the database? - and this means that the DBD can design the database, write the queries that is needed..setup the triggers, stored procedures etc..
Now, back to where do we fit in, as a UG in the industry, i’d say in the IT Pro group..unless you want to fight semantics and argue that SQL Server now as CLR integration, so therefore it must be a Dev grouping..fundamentally i’d say IT Pro.
Anyways, my $2.75 worth of bandwidth is spent :)