Featured Article(s)
New Features and Improvements in ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 (Part II)
This is the second and concluding part in the series of articles on the new features and improvements in ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008. In this part the following points will be discussed: JavaScript Debugging and Intellisense Support Support for inbuilt Silverlight and C++ SDKs Nested Master Page Support ASP.NET Merge Tool Improved Design Time Experience Support for the ASP.NET MVC Framework Introduction of the Entity Data Source Control
Database Administrators and "The Economy"
Greg wrote in pointing out an article from Forbes, pointing to a study by Jobfox, that shows that database administrators have fallen off the list of top 25 recession-proof jobs. I’m not sure of the methodology used, or the qeustions asked, but the information is interesting, to be sure.
Greg wanted to know if it was possibly because the definition of a database administrator was changing – getting merged into other positions, shared with other positions and generally making the dedicated DBA a tad (it’s a short list – it didn’t need to change much) different in how it’s perceived.
I think this is very possible. If you look at the other tech positions – the developer position talks about databases and working with database applications design. Clearly things are changing (we’ve talked about it here at length), and it’s going to be tougher to be a dedicated DBA, responsible only for administrative tasks like backups, performance and such as things go forward. The systems are getting better at automation and the tools are taking a lot of the work out of the processes, even if you still need to understand what’s happening.
This really underlines the importance of making your value know as a DBA, and of tweaking your design, analysis and consulting skills. Not so you can be a consultant in the sense of selling your services necesarily, but that you need to be able to be a consultant to your company, providing the resources needed to have successful applications, to have compliant solutions and to be able to recover those applications. Your role as an expert in the handling of the information behind the application is critical — you need to be both able to, and actively conveying this.
What do you think? Do you think DBAs – in the traditional sense of the word – are on the top list of recession-proof positions? If so, why? If not, what do you recommend a DBA does to assure his continued success and value for a company?
Understanding the Hazards that Zap your Hardware Resources!
This webcast will explore the challenges around maintaining optimal performance in a SQL Server environment while keeping downtime to a minimum. Well discuss methodologies you can take and use to administer your environment efficiently, and offer solutions to easily view server resources and anticipate growth.
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> Webcast date: 12/11/2008 at 12:00pm Noon Pacific
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The Keys to Recoverability, from ESG
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Whole Server Protection from a Single Solution
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