Phrases that should be outlawed
“It works on my machine”
Well, if it works on your machine and nowhere else, then we’ll take your machine and use it to do the work. Otherwise, go and fix it.
Too bad Bill Ingval can’t turn this into a sign. It would be like a dunce hat placed over the desk of the last person who used the phrase.
This is just good software development or systems management, and an example of an incomplete process. Just like scientific theory is not considered proven until it can be re-produced elsewhere, software, or hardware configurations that cannot be re-produced are of little value.
Some might say, “it’s my production environment…I don’t need to reproduce it!” To that statement I simply say, “Bosh!” When an earthquake, tsunami, tornado, hurricane, or a leak in your roof, destroy your server room, you are going to replicate your configuration somewhere else (I have personal friends that have experienced each of these disasters in the last couple of years). If you don’t know how to do it, then you are under pressure you really don’t need at the time of a disaster.
Just like Denny Cherry said in his SelecTViews interview with Kevin Kline (and I quote loosely), "If your disaster recovery is being performed in another location, it may be likely that you are not doing that installation. You will be focusing on solving your own personal disasters at home and not available to go elsewhere." If you haven’t had time to watch this interview its a good listen.
More on this tomorrow…
Do you have a phrase that should be outlawed? Send your phrase (and if you have time, a war story example) on Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail at btaylor@SSWUG.org.
Cheers,
Ben
DBTechCon this Month
It’s coming…and soon. Registration for the WHOLE conference of over 70 sessions is only $99 for full members and $129 for non-members. You can attend the live sessions with live q&a from the presenters. You also have access to the sessions for a whole month. The last day to sign up is April 19th. So, get that approval and Register now.
$$SWYNK$$
Featured Article(s)
T-SQL Features of SQL Server 2005 (Part 3 of 3)
Many new T-SQL features were added with the release of SQL Server 2005. Developers and DBAs may not be taking advantage of them. Learn how to use new features like Common Table Expressions, ranking functions, the output clause, and more.
Featured White Paper(s)
Upgrading to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 from Microsoft SQL Server 2008, SQL Server 2005, and SQL Server 2000
More than ever, organizations rely on data storage and analysis for business operations. Companies need the ability to deploy… (read more)