Comments on: But We Have Always Done It That Way

By: bradmcgehee

bradmcgehee — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:01:09 +0000

I greatly agree with Rob, the DBA needs to think, and not just automatically accept the status quo.The status quo might be perfectly fine, but the DBA doesn’t know until he or she has evaluated the status quo, and determined what is appropriate. This evaluation may include reading existing documentation, asking questions, trial and error (on a test machine), or using their own experience as being a DBA. As a proactive DBA, I would also challenge a manager who told me to keep things as they are, without question. I would make my own independent evaluation, and if required, get the permission of the manager to made the change. If I found the manager was making many poor choices, and I couldn’t persuade him to make the correct choices, then most likely I would be looking for another job.

By: Rob Davies

Rob Davies — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:51:29 +0000

Its all about thinking about your work as if at any time someone could come up and challenge it. If you have an answer or justification, right or wrong it doesn’t matter, thats the point of the challenge.. but the cardinal sin is not having an answer at all !!

By: Thayal Muhunthan

Thayal Muhunthan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:22:18 +0000

Hello Guys,

Brad’s argument is common sense, but I’ve seen managers argue not to waste the time exploring new settings as the old DBA’s settings have always worked in the past.

I often use this site as a check list: http://www.brentozar.com/archive/2008/03/sql-server-2005-setup-checklist-part-1-before-the-install.

If anyone know any other good articles, please feel free to add them here.

Thayal

By: Tweets that mention But We Have Always Done It That Way | SQL Aloha -- Topsy.com

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:02:42 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SQL Joker and Brad M McGehee, Future Of Monitoring. Future Of Monitoring said: RT @bradmcgehee: Blog Post: But We Have Always Done It That Way http://bit.ly/aOAudu [...]

By: paul land

paul land — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:27:59 +0000

When you do everything “by the book”, is it your fault if nobody ever thinks about updating “the book”?

I’ve seen this a lot, especially in government. There’s a tendency to let inertia drive system operations among those whose jobs are pretty much guaranteed. (I know, this isn’t just a government problem.)

By: bradmcgehee

bradmcgehee — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:02:29 +0000

This wasn’t a government agency, but I can imagine that this problem is even worse in the public sector than it is in the private sector.

By: SQLAJ

SQLAJ — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:52:57 +0000

Brad, excellent advise.

Was this a government agency? A few years ago I worked as a contractor for a government agency. Every time I asked why are you doing it that way? I got the same answer, “We always do it that way”.

At first it I was not questioning, more trying to learn the system and why they were doing things the way they were.
When it seemed the same answer was given repeatedly, I started to really question and investigate. I then made suggestions in such a way as to spark interest on some things. This eventually lead to change but somethings stayed the same.

By: Florian Reischl

Florian Reischl — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:46:08 +0000

Well said and not limited to DBAs.

Flo